Ranking The Top 20 Pop Artists of All-Time

17. Aretha Franklin

Many would classify Aretha Franklin as more of a soul singer — with elements of jazz, gospel, and blues. None of those people would be technically incorrect. However, Franklin’s prominence in the world of pop culture lends itself to her music morphing into a high-level type of pop.

Be honest, how many times have you heard “Respect” blasted in movies over the last 40 years? Franklin’s booming voice also gave us such bangers as “Chain of Fools”, “I Say a Little Prayer”, and “A Natural Woman”. All of those tracks have been — and will continue to be embedded into the fabric of our pop culture society.

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