(WXYZ) — Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, was ranked as the second-best vocalist of all-time in a recent survey conducted by consequence.net, an entertainment industry website.
The poll includes the opinions of more than 50 musicians.
Franklin recorded hundreds of tracks and had dozens of hits over the span of a half century, including 20 that reached No. 1 on the R&B charts. But her reputation was defined by an extraordinary run of top 10 smashes in the late 1960s, from the morning-after bliss of “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” to the wised-up “Chain of Fools” to her unstoppable call for “Respect.”
Her records sold millions of copies and the music industry couldn’t honor her enough. Franklin won 18 Grammy awards. In 1987, she became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Franklin died at age 76 from advanced pancreatic cancer on August 18, 2018 at her home in Detroit.
Freddie Mercury is the only artist ahead of Franklin, with Whitney Houston (No. 3), Marvin Gaye (No. 4) and Robert Plant rounding out the top 5. Looking at artists still making music today, Beyoncé came in at No. 6, Mariah Carey came in at No. 15, Adele was ranked No. 18 and Kendrick Lamar was ranked No. 20.
