Song · Aretha Franklin
“I Say A Little Prayer” by Aretha Franklin
From the album Aretha Now (1968)
“I Say A Little Prayer” by Aretha Franklin appears on 9 radio countdowns from 6 stations between 1989 and 2026. It was first released in 1968 on the album Aretha Now. Its best result is #55 on the Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2018). In the combined RockLists rankings it is #4,398 alternative song of all time.
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Burt Bacharach and Hal David wrote "I Say a Little Prayer" for Dionne Warwick, and the following year Aretha Franklin claimed it for Aretha Now in 1968 and turned it into a top-10 hit of her own. David meant it as a woman's worry for her man serving in Vietnam, and Aretha sings that devotion like it's a matter of life and death.
Jerry Wexler produced, Tom Dowd and Arif Mardin arranged, and the band is pure muscle: Aretha herself on piano, Tommy Cogbill's guitar, Jerry Jemmott's bass and Roger Hawkins on drums, with the Sweet Inspirations singing behind her. The whole thing swings from the hips, raw soul fire poured into a pop song and never once spilling over.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 92 | Triple J | Triple J Hottest 100 of All-Time (1989) | 100 |
| 2018 | 55 | Studio Brussel | Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2018) | 100 |
| 2019 | 76 | Studio Brussel | Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2019) | 100 |
| 2020 | 96 | Studio Brussel | Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2020) | 100 |
| 2020 | 315 | WXPN | WXPN 2020 Greatest Songs of All Time | 2020 |
| 2023 | 774 | 90.9 The Bridge | 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of All Time | 909 |
| 2023 | 210 | WYEP | WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 | 1229 |
| 2024 | 197 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 850 Cover Songs | 850 |
| 2026 | 394 | WYEP | WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time | 1180 |
Also listed as: I Say a Little Prayer.
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