"Respect" - sung by Aretha Franklin, composed by Otis Redding - topped the list of "500 Greatest Songs of All Time" voted by Rolling Stone magazine.
Rolling Stone editors wrote in the song's description in the chart released on September 15: "Respect is like a catalyst that helps turn rock & roll, gospel and blues genres into the soul music models that artists have. Singers are still looking at and learning today.Mariah Carey once called Franklin her singing teacher.The song also carries a strong message about civil rights and women's rights, fitting well with the singer's image of supporting the organization. Black Panther and sang at Martin Luther King Jr.'s funeral. In his 1999 memoir, Franklin wrote that the song reflected the aspirations of everyone - from street workers to businessmen, firefighters, teachers. Everyone wants to be respected."
Respect was first released on Otis Redding's album Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul (1965). In 1966, when Franklin left Columbia Records and signed with Atlantic, she wanted to record the song for a new album. The single was released in April 1967 and became her first music product to top the US market charts. The song was also successful in many other countries around the world, entering the top 10 of the UK charts. Aretha Franklin was called "the queen of soul music" after Respect.
In 2004, Rolling Stone first held a poll of 500 best music songs, which were well received by music lovers and attracted hundreds of millions of views. In 2010, the editors updated this list for the first time, adding 26 songs from the 2000s but no change in the top 25 songs. Bob Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone used to be number one on the old charts.
This year's list is made by more than 250 prestigious artists, critics, and music producers. Initially, more than 4,000 songs were nominated and gradually selected according to the number of votes. Compared to the 2004 version, the list contains 254 new songs. The songs below Respect in the top 10 are: Fight the Power (Public Enemy), A Change Is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke), Like a Rolling Stone (Bob Dylan), Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana), What's Going On (Marvin Gaye), Strawberry Fields Forever (The Bealtes), Get Ur Freak On (Missy Elliott), Dreams (Fleetwood Mac) and Hey Ya! (Outkast).
The Rolling Stone editors say the chart is richer than before, with the emergence of new genres such as hip-hop, modern country, indie rock, Latin pop, reggae and R&B. The 2004 version was criticized for being too biased towards rock, soul...
