RS 100 Songs: Name the Artist (1)

[C] Aretha Franklin | Originally by Otis Redding, Aretha transformed this plea into a feminist anthem, spelling out exactly what she wanted.

[A] Ray Charles | This 1959 hit sparked controversy with its suggestive moans and became Ray's first gold record.

[A] Elvis Presley | Big Mama Thornton recorded it first, but Elvis's hip-shaking TV performance made parents nationwide panic.

[D] Sam Cooke | Written after being turned away from a whites-only motel, this became the soundtrack of the Civil Rights Movement.

[B] John Lennon | Yoko Ono co-wrote this peace anthem, though she wasn't credited until 2017, decades after John's death.

[C] Marvin Gaye | Inspired by police brutality witnessed by Renaldo Benson, Marvin almost didn't record this Motown masterpiece.

[A] Bob Dylan | At six minutes long, radio stations initially refused to play Bob's electric breakthrough that changed rock forever.

[D] Otis Redding | Recorded three days before his plane crash, Otis never knew this posthumous release topped the charts.

[B] Stevie Wonder | Jeff Beck was supposed to record this first, but Stevie rushed his version out to claim the funky clavinet groove.

[C] James Brown | The Godfather of Soul paid for studio time himself when his label doubted this would be a hit.

[A] Paul McCartney | Paul woke up with this melody fully formed and spent weeks checking he hadn't accidentally stolen it.

[C] Little Richard | The original lyrics were too raunchy for 1955, so Dorothy LaBostrie rewrote them during a lunch break.

[D] Roy Orbison | Roy's wife Claudette inspired this after a shopping trip, earning songwriting royalties from his casual comment.

[B] Al Green | Written in fifteen minutes, Al's silky vocals made this the ultimate slow dance song for five decades.

[B] Robert Plant | Led Zeppelin never released this as a single, yet guitar stores worldwide still ban customers from playing it.

[A] Mick Jagger | Keith Richards dreamed the riff, recorded it half-asleep, then forgot until hearing the tape next morning.

[D] Tina Turner | British producers convinced a reluctant Tina to record this, launching her remarkable solo comeback at age 44.

[C] Freddie Mercury | Record executives called this six-minute opera-rock epic commercial suicide until DJ Kenny Everett played it fourteen times.

[A] Bob Marley | Bob credited his childhood friend Vincent Ford as writer, ensuring royalties supported a Kingston soup kitchen.

[B] Smokey Robinson | Stevie Wonder created the circus-themed track first, then Smokey added lyrics about hiding heartbreak behind laughter.

[C] Johnny Cash | June Carter wrote this about falling for Johnny while both were married to other people.

[D] Etta James | Glenn Miller recorded it first in 1941, but Etta's sultry 1960 version became the definitive wedding song.

[A] David Bowie | Released five days before Apollo 11 launched, BBC played this during their moon landing coverage.

[B] Van Morrison | Originally titled "Brown Skinned Girl," the record label changed it, altering Van's interracial love song.

[C] Michael Jackson | Quincy Jones wanted to cut this from Thriller, thinking the intro was too long for radio.

[D] Jackie Wilson | Jackie's energetic stage moves while performing this led to his fatal heart attack onstage in 1975.

[C] Hank Williams | Music publishers rejected this 1922 show tune until Hank's yodel made it country music gold.

[B] Janis Joplin | Erma Franklin recorded it first, but Janis's raw Monterey Pop Festival performance made it legendary.

[A] Nina Simone | A 1987 Chanel commercial resurrected this 1958 recording, making Nina an unlikely UK chart sensation.

[D] Prince | Prince removed the bass line at the last minute, creating that distinctive hollow sound that defined 1984.