Aretha Franklin may be called the Queen of Soul, but she could just as easily be called the Queen of Song. Her repertoire covered everything. Gospel, R&B, soul, country, jazz, standards, pop, opera — you name it, she sang it. She is matched only by Stevie Wonder in having 20 number one hits on the R&B charts. From her first in 1967, “I Never Loved A Man”, to her last 1985, “Freeway of Love”, she was at the top of her game. One song she covered, surprisingly, was “Let It Be” by Lennon and McCartney. In fact, her version was recorded and released before the Beatles’. Here it is:
Her first number one, “I Never Loved A Man”:
One more; her second number one, “Respect”:
J.E.M. Wildfire 