Which magazine twice named Aretha Franklin the greatest singer of all time?

Rolling Stone twice named Aretha Franklin the greatest singer of all time. The magazine placed her at No. 1 on its 2008 and 2010 versions of the “100 Greatest Singers of All Time” list, reinforcing her status as the Queen of Soul.

Franklin’s ranking reflected more than vocal range. Her singing combined church-rooted phrasing, blues intensity, gospel improvisation, emotional control, and the ability to make a lyric sound personal. She was also a pianist and arranged or shaped many of her performances, giving her interpretations unusual rhythmic and harmonic authority.

The honor is sometimes confused with Rolling Stone’s separate lists of greatest artists, songs, or albums. Franklin has also appeared prominently in those rankings, but this question concerns the magazine’s singer poll specifically. Her signature performances include “Respect,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Chain of Fools,” and “Think.”

Rolling Stone later expanded its singer ranking to 200 artists in 2023, so list titles and rankings can vary by edition. The repeated No. 1 recognition in the earlier 100-singer editions is why Rolling Stone is the canonical answer.