Aretha Franklin's 'Respect' Became a Civil Rights Anthem

A few small changes to someone else's song made Aretha Franklin's voice the soundtrack of a revolution.

In 1967, Franklin took Otis Redding's "Respect" and rewrote it from a woman's perspective, adding her iconic spelling breakdown and her sisters' backing vocals saying "sock it to me." The result topped both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts, but its impact went far beyond commercial success.

Redding's original 1965 version told the story of a man demanding respect when he came home from work. It peaked at number 35 on the charts and reflected the traditional gender roles of its time.

Franklin flipped the script entirely. Her version spoke from the viewpoint of a woman demanding equal treatment, resonating with both the Civil Rights Movement and the Women's Rights Movement happening across America.

Music historian Craig Werner, author of "A Change Is Gonna Come: Music, Race & Soul of the America," says the song became the voice of demands already growing throughout the country. It gave people marching for equality a soundtrack that felt personal and universal at once.

Even Redding recognized the transformation. "That girl stole that song from me," he said, acknowledging how completely Franklin had made it her own.

The Ripple Effect

The song's influence spread quickly through protests and rallies. Women facing discrimination at work and at home found their voice in Franklin's powerful delivery, while African Americans fighting for equal rights claimed it as their anthem too.

Rolling Stone ranked "Respect" as the number one song on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time," calling it an anthem that "redefined the possibilities of pop music." The Library of Congress added it to the National Recording Registry in 2002, recognizing its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance.

Franklin won two Grammy Awards for the track in 1968, including Best Female R&B Vocal Performance. The song eventually entered the Grammy Hall of Fame.

More than 50 years later, "Respect" continues to appear in movies, political campaigns, and social movements. Its themes of self-respect and equal treatment speak to new generations fighting their own battles for recognition and dignity.

New York Times music critic Jon Pareles described Franklin's greatest gift as her ability to transform a personal desire for respect into a universal need. That transformation is exactly what made "Respect" more than just a song.

Franklin proved that sometimes changing the world starts with changing your perspective.