R-E-S-P-E-C-T is exactly what Aretha Franklin got in 1967.
Fifty-nine years ago today, the Queen of Soul took her cover to No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, where it stayed for four weeks. It also topped Billboard’s U.S. Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart for eight weeks, giving Franklin the respect she deserved.
As iconic as it sounds coming from the songstress, “Respect” actually started as an Otis Redding song. He released it in 1965, where it peaked at No. 35 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
While it was a decent hit at the time, it was nowhere near what Franklin would eventually turn it into.
She heard something in the song that nobody else had. Franklin changed the gender, sat down with her sisters Carolyn and Erma to rework the lyrics and turned it into the feminist anthem the world sings along to today.
And while you may think you know every word, you might want to think again. Over the years, fans have debated whether Franklin sings “take out TCP” in the famous spelling sequence.
Franklin herself cleared it up in an interview with the LA Times. “It’s ‘R-E-S-P-E-C-T, take care of T-C-B,’ as in taking care of business,” she explained. While it’s slightly redundant, it’s a whole lot better than TCP.
Either way, the classic record is still just as appreciated today. Rolling Stone recently moved “Respect” from No. 5 all the way to No. 1 on their “500 Greatest Songs of All Time” list.
The publication made their reasoning pretty clear. “Otis Redding wrote ‘Respect’ and recorded it for the Stax/Volt label in 1965. But Franklin took possession of the song for all time with her definitive cover, cut at Atlantic’s New York studio on Valentine’s Day 1967. ‘Respect’ was her first Number One hit and the single that established her as the Queen of Soul.”
The song also earned her two Grammy Awards in 1968 for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording and Best Rhythm & Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female — and was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1987.
Franklin went on to release hit after hit, including “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Chain of Fools,” “Think” and many more.
Over the course of her career, she sold more than 75 million records worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling female R&B artists of all time. She scored 20 No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart and charted 73 times on the Billboard Hot 100, more than any other woman at the time.
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