Aretha Franklin had 20 number-one singles on Billboard's R&B chart. The total reflects her extraordinary consistency in Black popular music, where she scored major hits across the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Her chart success helped establish her enduring title, the Queen of Soul.
Her R&B number ones included "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)," "Respect," "Chain of Fools," "Think," and "Rock Steady." Later leaders such as "Jump to It" showed that Franklin could return to the top even after her peak Atlantic Records period. Her catalog combined original material with striking reinterpretations of songs written or recorded by other artists.
This figure concerns Billboard's R&B chart, not the Hot 100 pop chart. Those charts measure different audiences and eras, so Franklin's R&B total should not be confused with her number of pop number ones. She also accumulated dozens of additional R&B chart entries that did not reach the top position.