The news of Aretha Franklin’s failing health has rocked the music world, and fans may want to revisit some of her most inspiring hits during this difficult time.
Franklin was originally born in Memphis, Tennessee to minister parents before eventually moving to Detroit, Michigan where her long and illustrious music career began.
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Her first major album was titled Aretha: With The Ray Bryant Combo, and it was released through Columbia records.
Franklin would go on to put out more than three dozen full-length studio albums in her career, not to mention numerous live and compilation albums.
Scroll down for a list of some of Franklin’s most notable and inspiring tracks through the years, and let us know in the comments what your favorite song by the legendary singer is.
“Respect”
Released: 1967
Album: I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You
“Respect” is the Aretha Franklin song. It is the first song that everyone thinks of whenever they hear the original diva’s name, and it is unarguably one of the most recognizable songs of all-time.
Since the late-1960s, “Respect” has been inspiring and empowering people of all ages to demand they be treated with it.
“Chain of Fools”
Released: 1967
Album: Lady Soul
Originally written by musician Don Covay, “Chain of Fools” was a number one hit for Franklin the same year it was released.
Telling the story of a woman who realizes that she’s been played by a man who has left many others in his past, “Chain of Fools” has given many jilted lovers the courage to walk away from unhealthy relationships and seek a better life.
“Think”
Released: 1968
Album: Aretha Now
“Think” is almost a spiritual prequel to “Chain of Fools,” as it is written from the perspective of a woman who is being mistreated by her man and is strongly encouraging him to think long and hard about his decisions.
It, too, was a number one hit for Franklin.
“Bridge over Troubled Water”
Released: 1971
Album: Aretha’s Greatest Hits
“Bridge over Troubled Water” was famously written by folk-duo Simon & Garfunkel, with Franklin recording the song in the early ’70s.
While it has been performed many different ways by many different performers, the inspirational soulfulness that Franklin injected into the song has continued to move listeners all these many years later.
“I Say a Little Prayer”
Released: 1968
Album: Aretha Now
Originally written for Dionne Warwick by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, Franklin recorded the song as a B-side in 1968.
While not a number one hit for the singer, it did reach number 3 on U.S. music charts due to Franklin’s sincere and impassioned delivery.
“(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman”
Released: 1967
Album: Lady Soul
Another one of Franklin’s inspiring, iconic songs is “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” which was originally penned by Carole King and Gerry Goffin.
Balancing out her songs of love-gone-wrong, this tune boasts of how a good beau makes you feel good about yourself and who you are.
“A Rose Is Still a Rose”
Released: 1998
Album: single only
While not one of Franklin’s most well-known hits, this song from later in her career was deeply inspirational for woman who found themselves being mistreated by their significant other.
Maybe the most interesting fact about “A Rose Is Still a Rose,” is that it was written by Lauryn Hill, from The Fugees.
“Rolling in the Deep”
Released: 2014
Album: Aretha Franklin Sings the Great Diva Classics
Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” was a hugely popular song, but it wasn’t until Franklin got ahold of it that the track reached its full potential.
Belting out lines like “the scars of your love remind me of us,” Franklin took the epic pop-track and turned it into the Motown jam it was meant to be.
