Gospel music is my oasis in troubled times. My colleagues can also attest that it’s the background music by which I conduct most of my work.
I fell in love with gospel music as a student in college in the mid-’90s. In one of my first weekends in Atlanta as an undergraduate at Emory University, I made a pilgrimage to Ebenezer Baptist Church, the spiritual home of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and was moved to tears by the gospel choir of the church. A year later I joined Voices of Inner Strength, Emory’s gospel choir, though I should note this says less about my own (limited) musical talent and more reflects that there were no tryouts. Making matters worse, my solution when I was singing off-key was to simply sing louder, prompting the longtime choir director — Maury Allums, who still leads the choir today — to use a wink and nod-like gesture when he wanted me to lip sync the words rather than sing. Despite these setbacks, my love for gospel music only grew stronger, and many of the songs that we sang in our concerts became an indelible soundtrack in my spirit, including “Stand!” by Victory in Praise Music, “Total Praise” by Richard Smallwood, and “Love” by Kirk Franklin.
The roots of Black gospel music can be traced to the hymnals of the early 19th century, including A Collection of Spiritual Songs and Hymns Selected from Various Authors (1801), as well as to Black spirituals and sacred songs, which were heavily influenced by ancestral African music. As explored in Gospel, the recent PBS miniseries on the history of the genre, contemporary gospel music emerged with the musical innovations of brothers Edwin and Walter Hawkins, especially when Edwin modernized an old hymn in his 1968 song “Oh Happy Day” to create what Henry Louis Gates Jr. describes in the series as “a bona fide hit.” While contemporary gospel has evolved to include a range of styles, from worship songs to mass choirs to Christian hip-hop, the music is often characterized by dominant vocals and a strong use of harmony.
The year that I graduated from college, the first WOW Gospel album, an annual compilation of the year’s most popular gospel hits, came out. I eagerly awaited each album’s release (I’m still mourning that these compilations were discontinued in 2019). Often, there was a single song on each album that stood out, resonating deeply in my spirit — much to the chagrin of my wife and, later, my family, as I played that song on repeat incessantly in the car or house until its grip on me started to fade. In many ways, these songs brought me through some of my darkest times, biggest struggles, and most memorable periods of life, reminding me of God’s reckless love, constant presence, gravitational grace, and perfect will. Simply put, gospel music has strengthened my faith and sustained me.
Today, we find ourselves in a time of incredible uncertainty, anxiety, and even trauma with each news alert, from the recent decision by the Supreme Court’s conservative supermajority granting sweeping presidential immunity to record-breaking heat and climate disasters fueled by climate change to deep polarization in our culture to growing anti-democratic forces that are propelled by a resurgence of white Christian nationalism. And while there are many strategies for getting through tough times — from worshiping in church to engaging in many forms of self-care to experiencing solidarity with others by advocating for free and fair elections — gospel music continually inspires resilient hope and steadfast faith. Gospel music conveys that God is indeed “a rock in a weary land” and a “bridge over troubled waters,” reminders that will be particularly critical in the weeks and months ahead.
Below are 10 of my all-time favorite gospel songs. Though there are so many more songs I was tempted to include, I hope this playlist will pique your interest in a genre that has been a source of hope and inspiration for me.
“My Life Is In Your Hands” by Kirk Franklin
Kirk Franklin revolutionized gospel music by blending the music with hip-hop and R&B. This particular song has been a source of reassurance and strength, reminding us that nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:39) and that God always has our lives in the very palm of God’s hands.
Oh, I know that I can make it (I know that I can stand)
I know that I can stand (no matter what comes my way)
No matter what may come my way (Jesus, my life)
My life is in your hands (let's sing it together, listen)
“Your Steps Are Ordered” by Fred Hammond
This song came out during a time in a season of my life after college in which I felt lost and was wrestling with a call to ministry. The song provided a powerful reminder that even when we feel alienated from God, God is still ordering our steps.
Every step of a righteous man
Is ordered by God
Ordered
Though you may not know his mind
He will reveal it all in time
Just know till then
Your steps are ordered by God
“I Almost Let Go” by Kurt Carr & The Kurt Carr Singers
This song provides a needed reminder that God always keeps us in the balm of God’s grace and love.
So I'm here today because God kept me
I'm alive today only because of His grace
Oh, He kept me, God kept me, He kept me
So I wouldn't let go
“This Battle Is the Lord’s” by Yolanda Adams
As a faith-inspired activist, it is often easy for me to experience burnout and despair, particularly in the face of modern-day Goliaths. In addition to speaking about overcoming personal battles, this song provides a constant reminder that ultimately the battles we face belong to God and that we must rely on God’s infinite strength and wisdom rather than our own as we serve as God’s instruments of justice and peace.
No matter what
You’re going through
Remember that God is only using you ...
For this battle is not yours, it’s the Lord’s
“Bow Down” by Full Gospel Baptist Fellowship Mass Choir
When I listen to this song, I feel as though I can enter into a posture of humble worship and total reverence. It’s a song that enables total surrender.
Bow down and worship Him;
Worship Him
Oh, worship Him
Bow down and worship Him;
Enter in
“It’s Not Over (When God Is In It)” by Israel & New Breed
This song is like a musical sermon that reminds us that with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26) and that in Christ, the new creation has come (2 Corinthians 5:17).
It’s not over, it’s not finished
It’s not ending, It’s only the beginning
When God is in it all things are new
All things are new
“Hold On, Don’t Let Go” by Richard Smallwood
Smallwood is easily one of the most gifted gospel composers of all time. This song came out after I lost my beloved uncle, Danny Lawson. Amid my grief and pain, the song provided solace and healing, enabling me to “hold on” as God took my hand.
Your trials come to make you strong,
Seasons will change, it won’t be long
Hold on, don’t let go,
Even though your heart hurts you so,
He’ll never let go of your hand
“Jireh” by Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music
I didn’t discover this song until well after it had come out and won great acclaim. The song played a key role in lifting me out of a period of seasonal depression, reminding me that I am “enough” and that God is always “more than enough.”
You are Jireh, You are enough
Jireh, You are enough
And I will be content in every circumstance
You are Jireh, You are enough
Forever enough
Always enough
More than enough
“Medley” by Vashawn Mitchell
Mitchell has become one of my favorite gospel artists, particularly given that we share a love of South Africa. This medley provides a remix of some of my favorite, most edifying worship songs, including “One Thing Remains” by Bethel Music.
Your love never fails
It never gives up
It never runs out on me
“Breathe” by Maverick City Music
Maverick City Music is producing some of the most moving and prolific gospel music right now. In a time of intense stress and anxiety, we could all benefit from this reminder to breathe, letting God carry our burdens and knowing that no matter what happens, God is still on the throne and has given us victory through Jesus’ resurrection.
Just breathe
It’s a miracle, we can breathe
There’s power in the way that we breathe
Release your heavy burdens
And let everything that has breath, praise the Lord
This is why we have breath, praise the Lord
Rev. Adam Russell Taylor is president of Sojourners and author of A More Perfect Union: A New Vision for Building the Beloved Community. Follow him on X @revadamtaylor.
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