Howard The Duck makes some good points here.
A quick word on the first 5 lp's. I'm 999% sure he is talking about her classic era on Atlantic Records; Aretha Arrives, Aretha Now, Aretha:Lady Soul, Aretha Live and Aretha-Soul 69. These are 5 "must haves" in anyones music collection.
Her career goes before 1967 though. She was discovered by famed talent scout John Hammond, and from 1961 to late 1966 she recorded ten albums on Columbia. Surprisingly, no top 10 songs came out of this part of her career. But when "I Never Loved A Man" was released after switching labels, that started a string of one powerhouse hit after another.
Now here is trivia at it's ____ (fill in the blank). Her most collectible lp? According to Goldmine Magazine Rare Record Price Guide, an album was released by Aretha on the legendary Checker label (Checker 10009) It was only recorded in mono and not stereo and was re-issued a few years later. The pricebook I'm working on is volume 4 from 2003 and has a $500. price on it. The title of the lp is called "Songs of Faith" and the front cover has a picture of Aretha sitting at the piano.
I can agree that her output on Arista doesn't match what she did at Atlantic but there are still some material there worth seeking out.
The Queen Of Soul. The name fits her like a glove. Simply one of the great singers of any musical genre of any era.
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