Respect (song): History and Key Facts

"Respect" is a song by American soul singer-songwriter Otis Redding, originally recorded and released by himself in 1965 as a single from his third album Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul. After it became a crossover hit for Redding, Aretha Franklin (the "Queen of Soul") in 1967 rearranged, rephrased, and covered it, resulting in her breakout hit and her signature song.

The music in the two versions is significantly different, while a few changes in the lyrics resulted in different narratives around the theme of human dignity that have been interpreted as commentaries on gender roles, relationships, and "respect".

Franklin's interpretation became a feminist anthem for the second-wave feminism movement in the 1970s. It has often been considered one of the best rhythm and blues songs of its era, earning Franklin two Grammy Awards in 1968 for "Best Rhythm and Blues Recording" and "Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Female", and being inducted in the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2002, the Library of Congress honored Franklin's version by adding it to the National Recording Registry. It was placed number five on the 2004 version of Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, number one on the 2021 version of the list, and number four on its list of the 100 Best Protest Songs of All Time. It was also included in the list of Songs of the Century, by the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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