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Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' named best song of all time by Rolling Stone

PHOTO GALLERY: Aretha Franklin through the years
Posted at 7:04 PM, Sep 16, 2021
and last updated 2021-09-16 19:04:10-04

(WXYZ) — Aretha Franklin's "Respect" has been named the best song of all time, according to the most recent list from Rolling Stone.

Released on Thursday, the magazine and website listed the 500 Best Songs of All Time, with the Queen of Soul topping the list.

"Leading off her Atlantic debut, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You, “Respect” catalyzed rock & roll, gospel, and blues to create the model for soul music that artists still look to today (Mariah Carey called Franklin “my mentor”). Just as important, the song’s unapologetic demands resonated powerfully with the civil rights movement and emergent feminist revolution, fitting for an artist who donated to the Black Panther Party and sang at the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr.," Rolling Stone wrote.

It's the first time Rolling Stone has published the list since 2004. The writers said Rolling Stone decided to give the list a reboot and convened a poll of more than 250 artists, musicians and producers. Nearly 4,000 songs got votes, and 254 songs weren't present on the old list.

Franklin's song is followed by "Fight the Power" from Public Enemy at No. 2, Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" in third, "Like a Rolling Stone" from Bob Dylan at No. 4 and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" from Nirvana at No. 5.