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Covering Lady Soul's 1967-74 peak, 1985's 30 Greatest Hits is one of the most stupendous compilations ever released. Franklin's work for Atlantic is the soul-singer benchmark to which many aspire, and pitifully few come even close. Familiar as her singles from that period are, they still take the breath away, and whittling them down to 10 is almost impossible. Edsel reissues 1964's Runnin' out of Fools tomorrow.
1 I Say a Little Prayer As good, really, as music gets - arrangement, sentiment, sting-in-the-tail lyric. Oh, and vocal.
2 Ain't No Way A 1968 B-side, co-written with her sister and infused with their church upbringing.
3 I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You Her first Atlantic single. What a way to begin.
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4 (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since You've Been Gone On fire - again - in 1968.
5 Respect Much imitated, never equalled.
6 Do Right Woman, Do Right Man Keening with heart-wrenching gospel fervour.
7 Rock Steady The funked-up standout from Young, Gifted and Black.
8 You're All I Need to Get By Marvin and Tammi made this hallowed ground, but Franklin's first-verse vocal here is surely definitive.
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9 Think Respect's blistering companion piece.
10 Master of Eyes (The Deepness of Your Eyes) A Grammy-winning masterclass from 1973.