It’s been nearly two weeks since Billboard unveiled the top 10 of its polarizing ‘Best R&B Artists of All Time‘ list, but the eye-popping ranking is still fueling several debates across social media.
One of the more headline-grabbing chats on the topic came courtesy of a recent episode of Joe Budden‘s eponymous podcast and saw its star go head-to-head with newest cast member / award-winning author, professor, activist, and television personality Marc Lamont Hill about Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin‘s inclusion in the top 5.
Details inside.
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Hill – a self-proclaimed “Aretha stan” – was fighting for his life against fellow podcast cast members as they argued Franklin’s impact was limited to her generation and, as a result, should not have seen her named the #2 best R&B artist of all time by Billboard.
“Aretha Franklin is not a top 3 choice,” Budden relayed before explaining his belief was due to the magnitude of the other names mentioned in the top 10. “You could honestly swap her and R. Kelly’s spot.”
And while most of the cast agreed with Joe’s assessment, Marc wasn’t having it.
“Aretha Franklin is probably the greatest singer of the 20th century. She usually gets voted as such. But, if you look at her catalog – it’s insane,” Hill shared before running down the Queen’s discography of hits across several decades.
Defending her against his fellow podcaster’s suggestion Godfather of Soul James Brown should’ve also ranked higher, Marc crutched his argument on Franklin’s versatility and ability to rework other artists’ songs as her own (e.g. ‘Respect,’ ‘Say A Little Prayer,’ ‘Eleanor Rigby,’ etc.).
Budden, however, retorted with the assertion that versatility and covers were not the metric being judged and – as such – Whitney Houston should also have been left outside of the top 5.
By the conversation’s end, the ‘Pump It Up’ rapper seemed to have a change of heart about Franklin thanks to Marc’s adamance, but the other podcaster’s weren’t so easily convinced and still maintained R. Kelly has had more impact than the Queen of Soul – especially to the current generation of R&B lovers.
Hear the full argument below.
Aretha, Whitney, James Brown…
All 3 overrated to high hell 🤣
All these crackheads died from OD
A braindead fool that knows nothing about music
This man is not even a half hit wonder.
Yet he thinks he is some kind of an important voice in hip hop? 😂😭
BILLBOARD.COM June 2025 Whitney Houston is the only Black artist with three Diamond albums. Her 1985 debut album Whitney Houston stands at 14x platinum. Her 1987 sophomore album Whitney is at 10x platinum. Whitney Houston’s 1992 The Bodyguard soundtrack extends its lead as the top-certified film soundtrack in RIAA history. On Wednesday (June 25), the album was certified for U.S. shipments of 19 million unit
And that all folks, no need to say anything after this post by NYC.
Ok. And what does that have to do with R&B? 🤔
you all do realise, that Whitney”s only pop led album was her first album and even that had RnB songs on it, the remaining 4 are RnB.
That’s ridiculous as to both, each deserve to be in the top 5. His opinion is worthless and mindless.
The top 5 are MJ, Whitney, Aretha, Stevie, Prince… Sliding Beyonce in the top 5 is an error.
BEYONCE: MAYDAY MAYDAY HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM
WHITNEY HOUSTON. IM THE ONLY BLACK ARTIST WITH 3 DIAMOND ALBUMS.
google me
LIL WAYNE: NOLA WEEZY BOWL
I think ppl always miss the point with these stupid lists. First of all.. this isn’t about “singers” so yes! I get what Joe is saying… Whitney was always about THE VOICE! Her music was always questionable… but her voice was undeniable! Aretha tho?! 🤔 She has it all! Her music… her catalog is undeniable! She’s the queen of Soul. Point. Blank. Period. So she belongs on the list…top 5… EVERYTIME! And Joe is honestly just trying to be messy to bring in views. Imo! 🙄
BEYONCE: MAYDAY MAYDAY HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM
WHITNEY HOUSTON. IM THE ONLY BLACK ARTIST WITH 3 DIAMOND ALBUMS.
google me
LIL WAYNE: NOLA WEEZY BOWL
These lists should be regarded as entertaining pastimes because they’re so subjective. Aretha was the voice of an era. The impact of her music is still permeating through society today. Whitney was a powerhouse who raised the standard across all genres of music. There’s no way you can quantify the legacy of these two women and assign them a number.