Rolling Stone, an American Magazine start the year by releasing their list of “200 Greatest Singers Of All Time”, spanning multiple decades and a wide array of music genres.

“These are the vocalists that have shaped history and defined our lives — from smooth operators to raw shouters, from gospel to punk, from Sinatra to Selena to SZA.” Rolling Stone wrote in the published piece. “What mattered most to us was originality, influence, the depth of an artist’s catalog, and the breadth of their musical legacy,” they added.

“Forever, forever, you’ll stay in my heart,” Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin fittingly took the top spot on the list of the 200 greatest singers of all time. Dubbed the first woman inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, many of her signature tunes transcended the boundaries of music; one of them, her reimagined “Respect” that became emblematic of the black-power movement, feminists, and human rights activists worldwide.

Franklin was followed by the incomparable Whitney Houston who’s remarkable for her powerful execution of vocals from high to low range that always seemed to come effortlessly and the exceptional musical skills that allow her to handle and own any song, in ways that it cannot be associated to any artist just hers.

After Franklin and Houston, the magazine ranks the King of Soul Sam Cooke third. Cooke was widely regarded as a pioneer and one of the most influential soul artists of all time due to his distinctive vocals and significant contribution to the genre, he performed hit songs such as “You Send Me,” “A Change is Gonna Come,” and “Chain Gang.”

Outside of the top three (3), the magazine also named Mariah Carey fifth, Beyoncé eighth, Freddie Mercury fourteenth, and Spanish singer Rosalía at 200th.