The History of Aretha, in Ten Videos

Aretha Franklin, who turned seventy-four last week, has been making records for sixty years. A well-stocked jury of experts at Rolling Stone called her the greatest popular singer, and who’s going to argue? “The best fuckin’ singer this fucked-up country has ever produced,” as the late Billy Preston put it. Sinatra and Holiday fans will quarrel, but narrow matters to the post-jazz era and it starts to make sense.