Old-Time Rock ‘n’ Roll:
How The 1980s Embraced 1950s and 1960s Oldies Music
Respect Reclaimed in the 1980s: Aretha Franklin
Photo: "Aretha Franklin" by austinmini1275 is licensed under CC PDM 1.0
Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul,
made a magnificent comeback during the eighties. She had the same voice, but the music sounds far more 80s than 60s. Franklin had a string of unsuccessful albums during the seventies. When the eighties began, she regained the limelight due to her part in the blockbuster hit Blues Brothers, a movie about two brothers, played by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi, attempting to get their blues band together to raise money to pay back taxes for their childhood orphanage. Aretha played a waitress/owner of a soul food restaurant. Her husband in the movie is recruited by the Brothers to rejoin their band. Aretha’s character objects. She sings to him her number one hit Think
to persuade him to stay. The scene turns into a big show with other waitresses becoming backup singers. Despite her warning to think,
her husband runs off with the Blues Brothers. Aretha Franklin received rave reviews for her role, and her remake of Think,
which is on the Gold-certified Blues Brothers soundtrack.
Aretha Franklin made several albums with Clive Davis and Arista in the early 1980s, but they didn’t provide huge hits. Critics raved about her 1982 album Jump to It. Her 1985 album Who’s Zoomin’ Who? is her comeback
album. Franklin had some 1980s heavy hitters on that album. Clarence Clemons of the East Street Band is the Freeway of Love
saxophone player. Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart of the The Eurythmics teamed with Franklin to create the feminist anthem Sisters are Doing it for Themselves.
Peter Wolf, recently separated from the J. Geils Band, sings Push
with Franklin with Carlos Santana performing the song’s guitar solo. Although guitars and saxophones are played in Who’s Zoomin’ Who?, the album is pure electro, which appealed to Generation X. All generations appreciated her voice, a major reason the album produced five top 40 singles and went Platinum. Freeway of Love
peaked at number 3 on the pop chart and won a Grammy for Best R&B Performance, Female. Who’s Zoomin’ Who?
went to number 7 on the pop chart. Sisters Are Doing it for Themselves
peaked at number 18. Due to her regained popularity, the state of Michigan declared Aretha Franklin’s voice as a natural resource.
Aretha Franklin’s comeback success continued with the 1986 release of her album Aretha. She and Keith Richards did an eighties remake of The Rolling Stones’s Jumpin’ Jack Flash
for the Whoopi Goldberg movie of the same title. The number one hit of the album, I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me),
is a duet with eighties superstar George Michael. The album earned her two more Grammys and went Gold. In 1987, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inducted Aretha Franklin.
Aretha Franklin’s next 1980s album didn’t do as well as her previous two recordings. One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism is a gospel album that received high praise and won awards. However, at this time, America wanted sex, loud guitars, synthesizers, and a dance track.