What was Aretha Franklin's first number-one R&B single?

Aretha Franklin’s first number-one R&B single was “I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You).” Released in 1967, it marked the breakthrough that transformed her from a respected Columbia Records singer into the “Queen of Soul.”

Franklin recorded the song at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, with producer Jerry Wexler. Its intense vocal and blues-rooted arrangement helped introduce the sound that would define her Atlantic Records career. The single reached number one on the Billboard R&B chart and number nine on the pop chart.

Listeners sometimes confuse this achievement with “Respect,” Franklin’s signature song. “Respect” became her first number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart, but “I Never Loved a Man” came first on the R&B chart. It was also the title track of her landmark ninth studio album, released in March 1967.