God Pop

The faith, or the culture of faith, or God, are not strangers to popular music or the pop charts. Take a look at these, all of which came before the rise of Jesus Music (we'll stop at 1967). Note how so many of these were 'covered' by other artists -- a sure sign that the songs struck a responsive chord with many people.

When the Saints Go Marching In -- various (It seemed almost everyone from New Orleans had to take a turn at this, including Louis Armstrong. It's a piece of 'celebration eschatology', ie. the joy of the resurrection of the saints at Time's end. It moved from that to a song of celebration for festivals and funerals, and then for just about any fun event where a jazz player was.)

God Bless America -- Kate Smith (#5, 1940. Listed here for completeness, to represent dozens of patriotic hits that dropped God's name like He was a fellow countryman and soldier.)

Whispering Hope -- Gordon MacRae & Jo Stafford (Went to #4 in 1949. More a hymn of America's worship of Hope-In-Whatever than anything specifically Christian. But it foreshadowed CCM in one critical way : when churchgoing women heard the song, they identified with it as singing their faith. Alma Gluck & Louise Homer had what was (for then) a monster hit with it in 1912. Bonnie Bramlett did a good version in the 1970s.)

Riders In the Sky -- Vaughn Monroe (a Stan Jones song long connected to the Sons Of the Pioneers. The Sons and Monroe had a common producer, RCA's A&R man Charles Randolph Grean, and had already made a hit record together. But not *this* one; Monroe's recording for some reason used studio singers?? Johnny Cash covered it well for a minor hit in the '80s.)

The Lord's Prayer -- Perry Como (#28, 1949. Unlike other singers, Como did not hide from his identity as a Catholic. Since Como never claimed to be a "great" singer, and was usually light-hearted and humble about his fame and his music, his Catholicism was better tolerated by the public. They even looked forward to his rendition of "Ave Maria" near the end of his Christmas shows.)

Cowboy Camp Meeting -- the Sons Of the Pioneers (The cowboy vocal group founded by Bob Nolan and Leonard Slye [aka Roy Rogers]. See above. Dig the deep voiced stuff on this.)

Move On Up A Little Higher -- Mahalia Jackson (The song that established her as gospel's greatest superstar.)

I Saw The Light -- Hank Williams (One of Hank's most fondly remembered songs. Even if, in his own life, he didn't see much light. Not heard much on radio in the Northeast and Great Lakes, until after his death.)

It's No Secret (What God Can Do) -- Stuart Hamblen (A well-known country singer who was also well-known for a wild life, and then a conversion to Christian faith. This was the first of several gospel hits performed or written by him.)

Crying In the Chapel -- the Orioles (they were the first of the 'bird band' Ink-Spots-meet-gospel-quartets that was a success, with 1948's "It's Too Soon To Know". This Artie Glenn song is their biggest hit, from 1953. Darrell Glenn had the original version, which was released that year in the country market. See below, for Elvis.)

This Ole House -- Rosemary Clooney (a popular country song from Stuart Hamblen. Clooney's troubled life was punctuated by her growing faith. Charlie Sexton rocked it over 30 years later.)

Angels in the Sky -- the Crew Cuts (This was a followup to their hit cover of "Sh-Boom"; it got as high as #13 in 1955.)

The Bible Tells Me So -- Nick Noble (Bandleader Don Cornell also had a version. Cornell's went to #7, Noble's to #22 in 1955.)

He -- Al Hibbler (The McGuire Sisters covered it for a top 20, but couldn't keep Hibbler from going to #7. Like other songs of Hibbler's, Bobby Hatfield (Righteous Brothers) did his own take on it, in 1966.)

Every Time (I Feel His Spirit) -- Patti Page (a 1956 minor hit for this superstar.)

I Believe -- the Earls (One of the great doowop groups, one of their biggest hits, but it was more of a Northeast regional smash. The Batchelors would do their cover of it in 1964, getting to #33; also Frankie Laine.)

Give Us This Day -- Joni James (a 1956 minor hit for this minor 'standards' star.)

The Good Book -- Kay Starr (Got as high as #89 in 1956. Starr was a big starr for a while, but never took her music beyond the cloying lyrics and overblown backgrounds typical of '50s standards singers. Still gets played on "Music Of Your Life"-type stations.)

Mary's Boy Child -- Harry Belafonte (his major Christmas gem.)

Peace In the Valley -- Elvis Presley (did anything he release back then fail to chart??)

Give Me A Simple Prayer -- the Ravens (the last release worth noting from one of the best of the '40s 'bird bands'. It's the prayer of a lonely guy for a woman to love. However, nothing specifically Christian about it.)

Gold Mine In the Sky -- Pat Boone (....er.....right......#28 in 1957.)

He's Got the Whole World in His Hands -- Laurie London (a one-hit wonder, all the way to #2 in '58. Mahalia Jackson also released a super minor-hit version of it that year.)

In 1957, one Kenneth Copeland had a top 40 hit, "Pledge of Love". It wasn't at all a religious song. But he would prove to be one of the most impactful convert from the pop charts to the world of religion. [The only other that's even halfways comparable was 'Georgia Tom' Dorsey, a blues singer ("It's Tight Like That") who gave black gospel music its shape. Dorsey's impact, though, was almost entirely in and through the music.] For better or for worse, for all the many controversies and unusual teachings he put forward, there is no denying the influence of Copeland and his followers on the music, worship, practice, and form of today's churches.

Wonderful Time Up There -- Pat Boone (....er.....right......#10 in 1958.)

Battle Hymn Of the Republic -- Mormon Tabernacle Choir (huh? In the top 20??? 1959 must've been a desperate year. But then again, 1968 wasn't musically desperate, and Andy Williams top 40d with this song that year.)

Uncloudy Day -- the Staple Singers (The earthiest-sounding gospel stuff heard up to that time. This song gave them national reknown for what would later be called 'soul'.)

Deck Of Cards -- Wink Martindale (Based on a very old war story. A big 'deal' country crossover in 1959, originally done by T. Texas Tyler.)

Wings Of A Dove -- Ferlin Husky (so huge a country hit in 1960 that it powered its way into the national top 20. Number One throughout the South.)

A Hundred Pounds of Clay - Gene McDaniels
Mansion of Love -- Gene McDaniels (two pop gems out of 1960/1. The first one is so innocent, so joyous and thankful about women -- it wears a big smile. Yes, it's got some Genesis-literalism, but that's just part of the plot. At least it credits the right Source. The second is a moral tale about what happens to the love you've built when you start lying and cheating. McDaniels didn't keep writing this stuff, but most folks think this was his best era, and that he traded in his special joy for the porridge of '60s bitters.)

Michael (Row The Boat Ashore) -- the Highwaymen ('Michael' was one of the biggest hits of the early '60s folk craze, going to #1 in 1961, and was the folk group's biggest hit. It's been burned into the minds of generations of campgoers ever since. Steve Alaimo charted it in 1963, Trini Lopez in 1964, the C.O.D.s in 1965.)

Dominique -- the Singing Nun (#1, 1963. It's here for completeness. Fun, but not very Christly.)

All My Trials -- Dick & Deedee (I still haven't heard this version of the venerable song, but it charted in 1964. Ray Stevens would chart it in 1970, and it would be used as part of Mickey Newbury's "American Trilogy" in 1971.)

Tell It On the Mountain -- Peter Paul & Mary (Theirs was billed a 'civil rights march' version, with the God references mostly removed (as was the White Liberal way). 1964.)

Oh, Rock My Soul -- Peter Paul & Mary
Very Last Day -- Peter Paul & Mary (Both of these 1964/5 songs were picked up by the developing folk-service scene, which was still too small to have its own hits yet. The first shows how loosely those services held the faith back then; the second shows how important eschatology was back then.)

Amen -- the Impressions (#7, 1964. Curtis Mayfield's turn on black tradition. To suit white ears, he said, he put it into a march rhythm. Funny how few whites I've ever met think of it as a marching-rhythmed song... Otis Redding's version eventually charted in 1968.)

Crying In the Chapel -- Elvis Presley (His cover of the Orioles classic, #3 in 1965. I list it separately because it was Elvis, it was so big a hit, it was released in his hiatus period, and Adam Wade covered Elvis' cover for a minor hit the same year.)

Let's Get Together -- We Five (minor 1965 hit for a band that should've had more than one biggie ("You Were On My Mind").)

Turn! Turn! Turn! -- the Byrds (#1, 1965. Seeger. Qoheleth. Hillman. McGuinn. Of course, Pete Seeger never charted with it. Judy Collins covered it in 1969, #69.)

People Get Ready -- the Impressions (#14, 1965. More Curtis Mayfield singing religious words that he saw mostly as a reflection of his culture.)

Sinner Man -- Trini Lopez (#54, 1965.)