"Aretha" is the thirty-first studio album by legendary American singer Aretha Franklin, released on October 16, 1986, by Arista Records. This album is notable as it marks the third release with the title Aretha, following her albums from 1961 and 1980.
Produced primarily by Narada Michael Walden, Aretha features the iconic duet with George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)," which became Franklin's first #1 Pop single since "Respect" in 1967 and remains her last. The album also produced three other hit singles: "Jimmy Lee," "Rock-A-Lott," and a hard rock cover of The Rolling Stones' classic, "Jumpin' Jack Flash." All four singles were accompanied by popular music videos that received significant airplay on platforms like MTV and BET.
Franklin's vocals from "Rock-A-Lott" were sampled in the 1990 hit "Touch Me" by the 49ers, while her rendition of "Jumpin' Jack Flash" served as the title track for the comedy film starring Whoopi Goldberg. The music videos for all four singles enjoyed extensive exposure.
The album cover is particularly notable as it features Andy Warhol's final work before his death in early 1987.
In December 2014, Aretha was remastered and re-released as an "Expanded Edition" by Funky Town Grooves, including bonus tracks and a second CD of additional material.
