Top 10 Hardest Aretha Franklin Songs to Sing

MsMojo

These songs belong to Aretha Franklin for a reason. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re looking at the most vocally challenging masterpieces by the undisputed Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin.

Transcript

00:00Welcome to MissMojo, and today we're looking at the most vocally challenging masterpieces

00:07by the undisputed queen of soul, Aretha Franklin.

00:1110.

00:13I Say a Little Prayer – Aretha Now

00:20Aretha Franklin slowed Dionne Warwick's hopping love ballad, I Say a Little Prayer,

00:25into an even more sophisticated rhythm.

00:28Equal to that is her correspondence with the Sweet Inspirations, who also performed

00:33on alumni Warwick's version.

00:41The backup singers harmonize secondary lead vocals that seamlessly take over the song's

00:46refrains.

00:47Franklin hits her notes with audible precision, without any loss of serene emotion.

00:51Even her most thrilling belts during the chorus are smoothly pulled in time for the inspirations.

01:05This infectious mix of romance and exciting energy turned Franklin's cover into one of

01:10her signature songs.

01:11The true feat of this pop classic, however, is how beautifully the vocal gymnastics cooperate.

01:209.

01:25I Can't Turn You Loose – Aretha Franklin's second self-titled album saw her

01:30moving from disco to more traditional funk.

01:33She especially hit the sweet spot in her fast-paced rearrangement of Otis Redding's I Can't

01:38Turn You Loose.

01:48Franklin naturally focuses more on soulful flourishes, with a matured raspiness to her

01:52mid and high notes.

01:54Far more unique is how she phrases this energy with the percussive rhythm.

02:08The drum and bass lay down some heavy funk, and yet Franklin doesn't miss a beat behind

02:12them and between the horn hues.

02:15Such firm discipline to an otherwise boisterous soul anthem really shows her adaptiveness

02:19in jams.

02:21Not many can get I Can't Turn You Loose that tight.

02:278.

02:31Sweet Bitter Love – Soul Sister – Who's Zoomin' Who?

02:35Franklin recorded three versions of Sweet Bitter Love over 20 years.

02:39The two definitive arrangements are very different, but equally enchanting.

02:44The 1966 rendition is a jazzy soul ballad that emphasizes breathy longing.

02:49Even the high notes follow a controlled passage that flows back into the dreamier crooning.

03:04The 1985 version is even softer, despite the gospel elements.

03:08When Franklin belts out of the haunted lilts, she completely roars.

03:20Sweet Bitter Love is not just another hidden gem, it reflects the evolution of a singer

03:25from the dreamy spirit of her 20s to a more introspective passion in her 40s.

03:30It's a testament to how much the right feel plays into the already technically demanding

03:35ballads.

03:407.

03:47Only the Lonely – Soft and Beautiful – The opening track of Soft and Beautiful perfectly

03:52establishes Aretha Franklin's objective to bring her soaring soul back to its emotive

03:57jazz roots.

03:58That doesn't mean her interpretation of the Sami Khan-Jimmy Van Heusen standard, Only

04:03the Lonely, is any less marvelous.

04:13It's a swooning, bluesy ballad that displays Franklin's painstaking melodic control.

04:19She gradually departs from the smoky likes of Frank Sinatra by crescendoing into soulful

04:24high notes, thoughtfully expressing the bittersweet lyric to its fullest.

04:35Only the Lonely is the ideal hook to a showcase of Franklin's unique jazz sound.

04:40Appearing on the compilation album Aretha Sings the Blues, it's also one of her most

04:45underappreciated marriages of pure emotion and refined technique.

04:546.

04:59You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman – Lady Soul – Few songs written specifically for

05:04Aretha Franklin embody her vocal richness as purely as You Make Me Feel Like a Natural

05:10Woman.

05:11The few love songs in general sound as sincere as this heart-wrenching classic.

05:21Franklin is gentle yet assertive in how she swoons through the verses with dreamy phrasing.

05:26The captivating chorus then shows off her heartfelt chops, but more through seamlessly

05:31layered scales than belting.

05:40It's all about the perfect pitch, and how organically Franklin evolves it throughout

05:44the song.

05:45A Natural Woman is a natural pop hit, whose deeply romantic lyrics and groove have been

05:49interpreted by many great singers.

05:52Of course, none can be paired with Franklin's mastery of emotion.

05:595.

06:03Skylark – Laughing on the Outside – Hoagie Carmichael and Johnny Mercer's tribute to

06:14Judy Garland is a staple of whimsical jazz vocals.

06:18Aretha Franklin's interpretation is steeped in classic orchestral pop, tender yet crisp

06:23in its exploration of scales.

06:25Still, no amount of vocal warm-up can prepare just anyone for the soaring heights in the

06:29crescendo.

06:36The highest note in the song may be one of the most striking notes Franklin ever delivered

06:41in the studio.

06:42This performance is a favorite among fans, including Franklin's biographer, David Ritz.

06:47He alleged that not even Etta James wanted to touch Skylark afterwards.

06:51From the longing lows to the soaring highs, the song is its own statement about Franklin's

06:56unrivaled melodic skill.

07:024.

07:09Respect – I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You

07:15Although Otis Redding deserves respect for originating this touchstone of soul, Aretha

07:20Franklin owns it.

07:21Her Grammy-winning R&B arrangement of Respect sounds like a wild expression, when it's actually

07:27precisely phrased.

07:28The verse alternates between extended belts to command attention and melodic resolutions

07:33to convey attitude.

07:34The chorus's up-tempo rhythm with the backup vocals is infectious enough, but the explosive

07:39refrain is one of the greatest in the history of popular music.

07:51This demand for dignity, noticeably more impassioned than Redding's, is an altogether iconic anthem

07:57for both the singer and female empowerment.

08:00It's admittedly hard to sing alone.

08:02It's far harder to sing it like Franklin does.

08:083.

08:12Amazing Grace – Amazing Grace The live album Amazing Grace is hailed as

08:16one of the greatest recordings in all of gospel.

08:18The title track alone is the perfect expression of Franklin's faith and how it extended

08:23her talent.

08:39She draws John Newton's seminal hymn to 16 minutes, edited down to 10 for the album's

08:44original release.

08:45She ruminates on each note, scaling from chilling lows to uplifting highs against a rich backup

08:52choir.

08:53It's gospel vocalization at its most spectacular.

09:06Still it hardly feels overindulgent in how it resonates Franklin's piety to the wailing

09:11audience at New Temple Missionary Baptist Church.

09:15You just can't teach soul this genuine, if you can even handle the scope of the vocals.

09:342.

09:35Think – Aretha Now Franklin's definitive foray into funk

09:39really just concentrates the full measure of her soul.

09:42Co-written by Franklin herself, Think is a fiery love anthem that seems to allude to

09:47feminism and civil rights.

09:49For over two minutes straight, she bursts with passion that sails into some ridiculously

10:01high notes.

10:02The epic belts and piercing falsetto practically whip out of nowhere.

10:13Through it all, she keeps a brisk rhythm that disciplines this commanding energy.

10:18There really is a lot of thought put into all that feeling.

10:21Think's relentless hooks easily makes it one of Franklin's biggest and most distinct hits.

10:27You can't help moving to it, but you better think before trying to sing along.

10:38Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honourable mentions.

10:41Angel, Hey Now Hey, The Other Side of the Sky – Enchanting flow and hypnotic harmonies

10:47live up to the song's title.

10:59Chain of Fools – Lady Soul The signature hit confronts a cheater with

11:03the perfect link between soulful sorrow and sassy rock and roll.

11:15Laughing on the Outside – Laughing on the Outside A jazzy ballad is adapted with devastating

11:20crying through a bright croon.

11:30Sisters are doing it for themselves – who's zooming who?

11:34Franklin and Eurythmics' Annie Lennox harmonise on a funky, fiery, feminist anthem.

11:46Today I Sing the Blues – Aretha with the Ray Bryant Trio

11:50Subtle emotional form and melodic perfection deliver one of Franklin's definitive blues

11:55ballads.

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12:22Ain't No Way – Lady Soul The masterpiece Lady Soul ends very much

12:37on a high note with Ain't No Way, written by Carolyn Franklin.

12:41The heartbreak ballad brings an intense desperation to her sister's poetic phrasing at its most

12:46progressive.

12:54It's a concentrated build from melancholy nostalgia to a sweeping final run.

12:58Meanwhile, Sissy Houston leads the sweet inspirations, and Carolyn's back up with a ghostly, operatic

13:05howl.

13:14Ain't No Way is a true singer's song, favoured and effectively covered by only the most elite

13:19vocalists.

13:21A performance on The Merv Griffin Show notably marked the perfect TV debut for Sissy's daughter,

13:27Whitney Houston.

13:28Still, there's no way to fully capture the technical and emotional magic in this confirmation

13:34of the Queen of Soul.

13:43What are your favorite Aretha Franklin songs to at least try to sing?

13:47Show your respect in the comments.

13:56Do you agree with our picks?

13:57Check out this other recent clip from MsMojo.

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