Black History Month: Aretha Franklin

It’s February, so you know what that means: it’s Black History Month. Mind you, every month is Black History Month here at Rhino, because it’s not like we aren’t constantly spotlighting artists who handily qualify as historic, but this is still a solid opportunity to do a little bit extra.

Today we spotlight the Queen of Soul herself, Ms. Aretha Franklin, and we must admit that it’s more than a little bit depressing to realize that this is actually the first time we’ve celebrated Black History Month without Aretha still walking among us. Her absence, however, has only made her legacy grow stronger, in that her departure led to a dramatic uptick in the playing of her music, thereby introducing a new generation to her brilliant efforts.

Where do you start with Aretha Franklin’s catalog? Well, any best-of collection will do, but beyond that, we can certainly recommend her Atlantic output, but – hand to heart – it’s not just because it’s part of our catalog, it’s because it’s phenomenal.

• I NEVER LOVE A MAN THE WAY I LOVE YOU
• ARETHA ARRIVES
• LADY SOUL
• ARETHA NOW
• SOUL ‘69
• THIS GIRL’S IN LOVE WITH YOU
• SPIRIT IN THE DARK
• YOUNG, GIFTED AND BLACK
• HEY NOW HEY (THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SKY)
• LET ME IN YOUR LIFE

To get you started, though, or maybe just to remind you of how great she was, is, and always will be, we’ve got our official Aretha Franklin playlist locked and ready for your listening enjoyment.