Respect

SoulR&B 2:27 Iconic Psychedelia & Protest

AlbumI Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

LabelAtlantic

Originally an Otis Redding song about a man demanding respect from his woman, Franklin's cover radically inverted the meaning — a woman demanding respect from a man and from society. The spelling-out of R-E-S-P-E-C-T became one of the most recognizable moments in pop music history.

Musical Significance

The unofficial anthem of both the feminist movement and the civil rights movement in 1967. Franklin transformed a minor R&B track into a declaration of liberation. Rolling Stone ranked it #5 of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Historical Context

Released in June 1967, weeks before the Detroit riots. The song topped the charts as the US was fracturing along racial and gender lines.

Aural Resonances

Civil Rights Movement · 1954

Songs became anthems for equality, blending spirituals with contemporary R&B.