Chaka Khan had some strong words about which artists Rolling Stone thought were the best singers of all time, especially when it comes to where Mariah Carey and Mary J. Blige ended up on the list.
To recap, Rolling Stone released its 200 Greatest Singers of All Time list in January, placing Aretha Franklin at #1. The list sparked intense controversy, from its omission of artists like Dionne Warwick and Celine Dion, to how it ranked the artists themselves.
Khan, who placed 29th on that list, told Los Angeles magazine Rolling Stone‘s new rankings weren’t on her radar. “These people don’t quantify or validate me in any way,” she added.
But her attitude changed after finding out who ranked ahead of her — specifically Blige, who placed 25th on the list. She called Rolling Stone‘s editors blind and added, “They need hearing aids.”
She also took issue with Mariah and Adele, who were respectively fifth and 22nd on the list.
After learning Mariah made the top five, Chaka quipped, “That must be payola or some s*** like that.” When it came to Adele finishing just a few spaces ahead of her, the singer remarked, “OK. I quit.”
Khan also wasn’t happy to hear she was ahead of Tina Turner, who was 55th in the ranking. “Now that’s crazy. It’s insane,” she said. She took similar issue with Michael Jackson being ranked 86th overall, with Diana Ross right behind him at #87.
However, when discussing Joan Baez, who placed at #189, the singer declared, “Let’s be honest. The b**** cannot sing. Now, she was a good writer.”
Khan was pleased to hear Aretha was #1, saying, “As she f***ing should be! Thank you, there’s some f***ing justice somewhere.”
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