"I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)" is a 1967 single released by American soul singer Aretha Franklin. Released on Atlantic Records, as the first big hit of her career, it became a defining song for Franklin,[2] peaking at number one on the rhythm and blues charts and number nine on the pop charts.[3] The B-side was "Do Right Woman, Do Right Man".[4] Before this Franklin had placed only two Top 40 singles on the pop chart during her modest tenure with Columbia Records.
Aretha Franklin had made nine albums while under contract to Columbia Records but had remained commercially unsuccessful. When Columbia Records let Franklin's contract lapse in 1966, Atlantic Records producer Jerry Wexler quickly signed her, taking her in January 1967 to Muscle Shoals, Alabama, along with recording engineer Tom Dowd and Franklin's then-husband Ted White. Wexler had arranged for Chips Moman and Tommy Cogbill from Stax to join the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section at Rick Hall's FAME Studios.[5] Musicians on the record included Ken Laxton on trumpet, King Curtis and Charles Chalmers on tenor saxophone, Willie Bridges on baritone saxophone, Spooner Oldham on Wurlitzer electronic piano, Chips Moman and Jimmy Johnson on guitar, Tommy Cogbill on bass guitar, and Roger Hawkins on drums.The creation of the song is related in the 2005 BBC Two documentary series Soul Deep, including interviews with the original personnel including Franklin, Shannon (demonstrating the central riff on electric piano), and Wexler.[13][14][15]

Swedish pop group Roxette included the song in their MTV Unplugged show, in 1993. The song was later covered by Aerosmith as "Never Loved a Girl" on 2004's Honkin' on Bobo a collection of old blues and R&B songs. The song has also been performed on American Idol by contestants Sabrina Sloan in season 6 and Alexis Grace in season 8. Both performances received much acclaim. Grammy Award winners Alicia Keys, Kelly Clarkson, Spencer Wiggins and Jennifer Hudson have also covered the song.

There are a number of renditions of this song on YouTube including Franklin performing it on the Lady Soul special from 1968. A live recording featured on the album "Aretha in Paris" (1968).[citation needed]

The song was sung by Maria Doyle in the 1991 Alan Parker film The Commitments, and appeared on the film's soundtrack album.[16] It also featured in the 1995 movie Major Payne, and the 2007 movie This Christmas, starring Loretta Devine [17]

Garth Brooks recorded the song for the 2013 "Blue-Eyed Soul" album in the Blame It All on My Roots: Five Decades of Influences compilation.