I'm Every Woman: 25 Women Empowerment Songs

These tunes inspire R-E-S-P-E-C-T around the world.

"Independent Women (Part 1)," Destiny's Child  - In the midst of their rise, Destiny’s Child laid out a hit for the ladies with "Independent Women (Part 1)." Originally created for the film Charlie's Angels, the song instantly became an anthem, holding the number-one spot on Billboard's Hot 100 chart for 11 weeks straight.(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
"Respect," Aretha Franklin  - Known to be one of the best songs to hit the R&B genre, Aretha Franklin's rendition of “Respect” proves to be timeless. Originally sung by Otis Redding from the point of view of a desperate man yearning for respect, Franklin's version responded with a message to empower women. The song earned her two Grammy Awards, and was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It has been featured in countless films, and dominates in the world of karaoke.(Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)
"Run the World (Girls)," Beyoncé  - This funky hit was one of Beyoncé's biggest risks, but it was a risk worth taking. The single spanned several music genres and reignited the ongoing conversation about gender equality. The video picked up an MTV VMA for best choreography and a Soul Train Award for Best Dance Performance.(Photo: Larry Busacca/PW/WireImage for Parkwood Entertainment)
"Beautiful," Christina Aguilera  - Christina Aguilera's single "Beautiful" conveys a clear message: "You are beautiful in every single way." It was picked up heavily by the LGBT community, and earned Aguilera a Grammy Award. It is still recognized as one of her most powerful tracks to date. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)"U.N.I.T.Y.," Queen Latifah  - Queen Latifah set the record straight for anyone with ill intentions towards women with her hit "U.N.I.T.Y." At the time, several outlets, ironically, refused to play the song due to the reoccurring use of the words "b---h" and "h-e," but she hushed all that fuss, too, with a cleaner version. It landed the number-two spot on Billboard's Hip-Hop chart and earned the Queen a Grammy Award.  (Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images)

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"Respect," Aretha Franklin  - Known to be one of the best songs to hit the R&B genre, Aretha Franklin's rendition of “Respect” proves to be timeless. Originally sung by Otis Redding from the point of view of a desperate man yearning for respect, Franklin's version responded with a message to empower women. The song earned her two Grammy Awards, and was later inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. It has been featured in countless films, and dominates in the world of karaoke.(Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images)

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