Aretha Franklin

OffStereo builds narrated music history shows around real records. Aretha Franklin runs through 4 of them, each one placing them inside a wider story. They appear most often alongside The Staple Singers, Pete Seeger and Kanye West.

4 shows 6 tracks 7 related artists

Shows where Aretha Franklin appears

Covers That Erased Originals

The definitive version isn't always the first. Aretha Franklin redefines "Respect," and Johnny Cash makes Trent Reznor's "Hurt" his own.

1 of 7 tracks — Respect

10 chapters · 7 tracks · 2 plays

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MLK: The Movement's Soundtrack

From Mahalia Jackson's 'How I Got Over' at the 1963 March on Washington to Nina Simone's furious 'Mississippi Goddam,' music became the Civil Rights Movement's voice of hope and protest.

1 of 10 tracks — Respect

12 chapters · 10 tracks · 1 plays

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Soul's Sacred Journey: Aretha's Roots

Aretha Franklin's gospel roots, honed by Clara Ward and Sam Cooke, ignite her soul sound at Muscle Shoals in 1967, defining "I Never Loved a Man" and influencing Southern soul.

3 of 8 tracks — I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You · Spirit in the Dark

10 chapters · 8 tracks

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Kanye's Wire: Soul Sample Genesis

Kanye West's "chipmunk soul," forged after a 2002 crash with Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire," defines a hip-hop era, from Jay-Z's "Izzo" to Common's "The Corner."

1 of 8 tracks — Spirit in the Dark