Rolling Stone Magazine has just issued a brand new list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and the big winner was Aretha Franklin’s 1967 anthem Respect –  judged to be the greatest song in history.

To compile the list, the iconic music magazine asked over 250 artists, musicians and producers as well as well known journalists and critics to list their personal top 50s, combining the results to form the top 500 in a more “expansive, inclusive vision of pop, music that keeps rewriting its history with every beat”.

The first list was released almost two decades ago in 2004, and it’s no surprise there are some dramatic changes in the – often debated – rankings! Aretha Franklin’s Respect climbed to number one after placing fifth on the original list. 

Aretha Franklin | Respect [Official Lyric Video]

Nine of the top 10 songs to appear in Rolling Stone’s 2004 list of 500 Greatest Songs came from the golden age of music between 1959 and 1971, with the exception of Nirvana’s 1991 smash, Smells Like Teen Spirit. 

Aretha was the only female artist to place in the top 10.

2004 Top 10 

1. Bob Dylan — Like A Rolling Stone (1965)

2. The Rolling Stones — (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction (1965)

3. John Lennon — Imagine (1971)

4. Marvin Gaye — What’s Going On (1971)

5. Aretha Franklin — Respect (1967)

6. The Beach Boys — Good Vibrations (1966)

7. Chuck Berry — Johnny B. Goode (1958)

8. The Beatles — Hey Jude (1968)

9. Nirvana — Smells Like Teen Spirit (1991)

10. Ray Charles — What’d I Say (1959)

The 2021 top 10 features Aretha in the number one spot and includes other female powerhouses with the likes of Fleetwood Mac and Missy Elliott.

2021 Top 10 

1. Aretha Franklin — Respect (1967)

2. Public Enemy — Fight The Power (1989)

3. Sam Cooke — A Change Is Gonna Come (1964)

4. Bob Dylan — Like A Rolling Stone (1965)

5. Nirvana — Smells Like Teen Spirit (1991)

6. Marvin Gaye — What’s Going On (1971)

7. The Beatles — Strawberry Fields Forever (1967)

8. Missy Elliott — Get Ur Freak On (2001)

9. Fleetwood Mac — Dreams (1977)

10. OutKast — Hey Ya! (2003)

GET ARETHA FRANKLIN ALBUMS, HERE. 

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