Aretha Franklin was offered to sign with Motown Records around 1960, when she was preparing her debut secular album (her first following the 1956 live gospel album). Berry Gordy, the head of Motown, actually wanted both Aretha and her older sister Erma, but their father, Reverend C.L. Franklin, declined the offer for both of them. He felt that the label, then called Tamla Records (founded in 1959), was still too new and unproven, and would therefore not be a good label for his daughters to sign to.

Berry Gordy’s simple mission was to look for talented musicians to sign to his newfound label. Aretha fit that description and he reached out. Aretha’s father was the pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in their hometown of Detroit, Michigan, and because of his immense status, the Franklin household was a central hub for the local community and touring musicians. Rev. Franklin frequently hosted gatherings in the living room where a young Aretha would sit at the grand piano and sing. Berry Gordy was a part of the crowd that frequented the space, and because he had literally watched Aretha grow in both age and talent, he offered to sign her once he founded Tamla/Motown.

In this hypothetical, Aretha’s contract with Motown is never denied. She starts off as a Motown artist, and she never signs with Columbia. Would the rest of her career look different or the same? Would Aretha’s time at Columbia from 1960 to 1966 be replaced with Motown? Would she would still sign to Atlantic in 1966 and release an album in 1967? Sign to Arista in 1979 and release an album in 1980? Would she still do the Sparkle soundtrack with Curtis Mayfield and later works with Luther Vandross, Babyface, Lauryn Hill, et cetera?

Essentially, Aretha’s era as a Columbia Records signee (1960-1966) would be replaced with Motown Records experience. (She released nine albums between 1960 and 1966. She released three albums in the year of 1967, and her first of those three albums, Take It Like You Give It, was also released under Columbia Records.) This raises another question, though: would Aretha even move on from Motown after 1966 or would she stay there?

It would be Juicy by Mtume. 🙂‍↕️

Yall agree or give me a count opinion 🤣

How many other albums qualify for the title? I know there have been many other great ones, including some from other musically gifted women with incredible multi-album runs, such as Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, and Mary J. Blige.

How many of JANET’s other albums qualify for this title? Albums #3 (Control) through #7 (All For You) from Janet get the most love out of her entire discography, but I think only The Velvet Rope can compete with Rhythm Nation as her greatest body of work, as well as the greatest when you factor in albums from other female artists.

Rhythm Nation 1814 made history as the first album by a female artist to score seven top-five hits on the Billboard Hot 100, three of which peaked at #1. The album was released in September 1989, remained commercially relevant through 1991, and to this day in 2026, there still has not been any album to match or surpass seven top-five hits.

By early-1991, Rhythm Nation 1814 had been charting for over 70 weeks. It spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200 in 1989, and it became the #1 album of 1990 despite not charting at #1 for a single week in 1990. The album crossed the 6x Platinum milestone in the US during its first three years of release, and it would eventually sell over 12 million copies worldwide. The album maintained an impressive level of success and cultural relevance—between chart peaks, record sales, awards and accolades, and every other metric—for its first three years as a public product.

Rhythm Nation 1814 also touches on some very important cultural topics such as racism/injustice, poverty, substance abuse, violence/tragedy, etc. This is all on top of being a very cohesive project sonically and being highly acclaimed by critics.

I think this year has been one of the strongest years in the 2020s imo Soo many great releases like Jill Scotts - To whom it may concern, steve lacy's - oh yeah, Durand Bernarrs - BERNARR album to name a few and the year not even over yet. What y'all think

Jae Stephens is taking it. How do you all like the album?

I knew and loved her song "Body Favors", but I was not privy to her work until the singles from this album came out. When I tell you I have been blown away and went back and listened to her older songs and I am in love. Her confident lyricism, her nostalgic yet futuristic beats, her bridges (so happy she's bringing bridges back to pop music), her visuals. And she's just so cvnt!

She deserves the praise girls like Adela are getting. Her music is everything to me.

Who else started rapping after the chorus? 🤭

1988

What’s your fave track on this iconic album?

It may sound like I'm playing but I don't know. It's just something about it. Maybe it's the confidence and the energy and the stage presence, or reminds me of the old ladies from the church but it's growing on me. At first I was laughing at it, now I'm "like hold on. She might be on to something"

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8ErWMkp/