The legendary R&B singer is known for her candor, and she didn’t hold back when weighing in on Rolling Stone’s list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Khan was ranked No. 29 on the contentious list, behind Mariah Carey, Adele, Mary J. Blige, and Beyoncé.
According to The Daily Mail, the 69-year-old Queen of Funk stated during her appearance on Los Angeles magazine’s podcast “The Originals” that this was her first time hearing about the list.
“I had no idea what the hell you were talking about, so obviously this doesn’t mean much to me,” she explained. “These people in no way quantify or validate me.”
The Top 10 Singers of all time, per Rolling Stone:
10. Al Green
9. Otis Redding
8. Beyonce
7. Stevie Wonder
6. Ray Charles
5. Mariah Carey
4. Billie Holiday
3. Sam Cooke
2. Whitney Houston
1. Aretha FranklinWhat do we think?
— Richard Staple, BSN, RN🇯🇲 (@RichStapless) January 1, 2023
When told that Mariah Carey had finished higher than her at No. 5, Khan joked, “That must be payola or something.”
Adele, who has ranked ahead of her at No. 22, was also targeted by Chaka. “OK, I quit,” she said before slamming Mary J. Blige, who came in at No. 25.
“These women are as blind as a motherfu**ing bat!” exclaimed Khan. “They require hearing aids. They don’t have hearing aids, do they? They don’t have any eyes. They don’t have any ears. They must have a – you know what I mean? These must be Helen Keller’s children!”
The two have had a turbulent history. Mary released a cover of Chaka’s 1975 Rufus hit “Sweet Thing” in 1992, but Chaka did not like it and introduced it at her concerts as “the song Mary J. Blige f***ed up.” They later worked together on Chaka’s 2007 album Funk This.
When asked about Beyoncé, who ranked eighth on the list, Chaka knew she couldn’t upset the BeyHive. “I’m not going to comment on that,” she said, adding, “She’s a great singer, OK? She has the potential to be a fantastic singer. She’s got what it takes. She’s got the chops, she really does, OK?”
She did, however, agree that Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, deserved to be No. 1. “As she fu**ing should be,” she said, praising Whitney Houston’s second-place finish.
