Hot Gospel Songs Explained

Hot Gospel Songs is a music chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It ranks the popularity of gospel songs using the same methodology developed for the Billboard Hot 100, the magazine's flagship songs chart,^[1] by incorporating data from the sales of downloads, streaming data,^{[2] [3]} and airplay across all monitored radio stations.^[4]

From its inception in March 2005 through November 2013, the Hot Gospel Songs chart ranked the top songs only by overall audience impressions of songs played on gospel music radio stations.^[5] Beginning with the chart dated December 7, 2013, the chart follows the same methodology used for the Hot 100 to compile its rankings. The Gospel Airplay chart was launched simultaneously to continue to monitor airplay of songs on gospel radio.^[6]

The first number-one song on the chart was "We Must Praise" by J Moss in the chart dated March 19, 2005.^[7] The current number-one song on the chart is "That's My King" by CeCe Winans.^[8]

Song milestones

Most cumulative weeks at number-one

List of songs with 5 or more cumulative weeks at number-one, showing year of release.

scope=col	Song	scope=col		scope=col	Year	scope=col style="width:20em;"	Artist	scope=col class="unsortable"
"Jireh"	86	2021	Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music featuring Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine
"Never Would Have Made It"	46	2007	Marvin Sapp
"Wanna Be Happy?"	45	2015	Kirk Franklin
"Love Theory"	44	2019
"Won't He Do It"	41	2017	Koryn Hawthorne
"Follow God"		2019	Kanye West
"I Trust You"	29	2008	James Fortune & FIYA
"That's My King"		2024	CeCe Winans
"Every Praise"	26	2013	Hezekiah Walker
"The Best in Me"	25	2010	Marvin Sapp
"Take Me to the King"		2012	Tamela Mann
"I Smile"	23	2011	Kirk Franklin
"Change Me"		2016	Tamela Mann
"Beautiful Day"	20	2014	Jamie Grace
"I Believe"	19	2010	James Fortune & FIYA featuring Zacardi Cortez & Shawn McLemore
"Speak To Me"		2020	Koryn Hawthorne
"Looking for You"	18	2005	Kirk Franklin
"The Blessing Of Abraham"		2006	Donald Lawrence presents the Tri-City Singers
"Heaven"	15	2005	Mary Mary
"Souled Out"	14	2008	Hezekiah Walker & LFC
"For Your Glory"		2015	Tasha Cobbs Leonard
"Encourage Yourself"	13	2006	Donald Lawrence presents the Tri-City Singers
"Um Good"		2006	Smokie Norful
"I Need Your Glory"		2011	Earnest Pugh
"They That Wait"		2013	Fred Hammond featuring John P. Kee
"Hurricane"		2021	Kanye West and the Weeknd featuring Lil Baby
"Break Every Chain"	12	2013	Tasha Cobbs Leonard
"Believe for It"		2021	CeCe Winans
"It's Not Over (When God Is In It)"	11	2013	Israel & New Breed featuring James Fortune and Jason Nelson
"Promises"		2022	Maverick City Music featuring Joe L. Barnes and Naomi Raine
"Close To You"	10	2009	BeBe & CeCe Winans
"All I Need Is You"		2014	Lecrae
"Praise God"		2021	Kanye West
"Nobody Greater"	9	2010	VaShawn Mitchell
"God Really Loves Us"		2023	Crowder and Dante Bowe featuring Maverick City Music
"In the Middle"	8	2011
"Worth"		2015
"Fill Me Up"		2015
"Wash Us in the Blood"		2020	Kanye West featuring Travis Scott
"I Call You Faithful"	7	2005
"I Will Bless The Lord"		2006
"Blessed and Highly Favored"		2007
"God in Me"		2008	Mary Mary featuring Kierra "KiKi" Sheard
"Declaration (This Is It		)"	2008	Kirk Franklin
"Still Able"		2011	James Fortune & FIYA
"Say Yes"		2013	Michelle Williams featuring Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland
"Hold My Mule"		2016	Shirley Caesar featuring Albertina Walker and Milton Brunson
"I'm Blessed"	6	2017	Charlie Wilson
"Work it Out"	5	2005	Dr. Charles G. Hayes and the Warriors featuring Dianne Williams
"It Ain't Over (Until God Says It's Over)"		2008	Maurette Brown Clark
"Put a Praise On It"		2016	Tasha Cobbs Leonard featuring Kierra Sheard

Number-one debuts

List of songs which have debuted at number-one.

scope=col	Song	scope=col	Debut date	scope=col style="width:20em;"	Artist	scope=col class="unsortable"
"We Must Praise"	March 19, 2005	J Moss
"Joyful Noise"	July 19, 2014	Flame featuring Lecrae & John Reilly
"Nuthin"	August 9, 2014	Lecrae
"All I Need Is You"	August 23, 2014
"Say I Won't"	September 13, 2014	Lecrae featuring Andy Mineo
"Wanna Be Happy?"	September 19, 2015	Kirk Franklin	[9]
"I'm Getting Ready"	September 16, 2017		[10]
"Love Theory"	February 9, 2019	Kirk Franklin	[11]
"Follow God"	November 9, 2019	Kanye West	[12]
"Wash Us in the Blood"	July 11, 2020	Kanye West featuring Travis Scott	[13]
"Jireh"	April 10, 2021	Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music featuring Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine
"Talking to Jesus"	April 24, 2021	Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music featuring Brandon Lake
"Wait on You"	May 8, 2021	Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music featuring Dante Bowe & Chandler Moore
"We Win"	June 5, 2021	Lil Baby and Kirk Franklin
"Hurricane"	September 11, 2021	Kanye West and the Weeknd featuring Lil Baby	[14]
"Blessings"	December 23, 2023	Nicki Minaj featuring Tasha Cobbs Leonard
"Rain Down on Me"	October 26, 2024	GloRilla, Kirk Franklin & Maverick City Music featuring Kierra Sheard & Chandler Moore	[15]

Most cumulative weeks on chart

List of songs with 52 or more total weeks on the chart, showing year of debut on the chart.

scope=col	Song	scope=col		scope=col		scope=col style="width:20em;"	Artist	scope=col class="unsortable"
"Jireh"	183	2021	Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music featuring Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine
"Every Praise"	102	2013	Hezekiah Walker
"Won't He Do It"	94	2017	Koryn Hawthorne
"Love Theory"	90	2019	Kirk Franklin
"Promises"	80	2021	Maverick City Music featuring Joe L. Barnes and Naomi Raine
"Never Would Have Made It"	79	2007	Marvin Sapp
"Nobody Greater"		2010	VaShawn Mitchell
"Hurricane"	78	2021	Kanye West and the Weeknd featuring Lil Baby
"Goodness of God"		2022	CeCe Winans
"Follow God"	76	2019	Kanye West
"For Your Glory"	73	2013	Tasha Cobbs Leonard
"Praise God"	72	2021	Kanye West
"Amazing"	70	2014	Ricky Dillard & New G
"I Trust You"	69	2008	James Fortune & FIYA
"Fear Is Not My Future"		2022
"They That Wait"	68	2009	Fred Hammond featuring John P. Kee
"Let the Church Say Amen"		2011	Andrae Crouch featuring Marvin Winans
"Break Every Chain"	67	2013	Tasha Cobbs Leonard
"I'm Blessed"	65	2017	Charlie Wilson
"God Favored Me"	64	2009	Hezekiah Walker & LFC featuring Marvin Sapp and D. J. Rogers
"Take Me to the King"	62	2012	Tamela Mann
"Work it Out"	61	2007	Troy Sneed presents Bonafide Praisers
"It's Not Over (When God Is In It)"		2012	Israel & New Breed featuring James Fortune and Jason Nelson
"The Best in Me"	60	2010	Marvin Sapp
"Justified"		2019	Smokie Norful
"One God"	59	2007	Maurette Brown Clark
"I Need You"	58	2016	Donnie McClurkin
"Yesterday"	57	2005	Mary Mary
"Souled Out"		2008	Hezekiah Walker & LFC
"God Really Loves Us"		2022	Crowder and Dante Bowe featuring Maverick City Music
"Imagine Me"	56	2006	Kirk Franklin
"Look At God"		2023	Koryn Hawthorne
"God in Me"	55	2009	Mary Mary featuring Kierra "KiKi" Sheard
"I Believe"		2010
"He Has His Hands On You"			Marvin Sapp
"Change Me"		2016	Tamela Mann
"Rain on Us"	54	2009	Earnest Pugh
"Fill Me Up"		2014	Casey J
"Believe for It"		2021	CeCe Winans
"Praise Him In Advance"	53	2008	Marvin Sapp
"I Smile"		2011	Kirk Franklin
"Hold On"		2012	James Fortune & FIYA featuring Monica and Fred Hammond
"I Can Only Imagine"		2013	Tamela Mann
"Yes You Can"		2015	Marvin Sapp
"Put a Praise On It"			Tasha Cobbs Leonard featuring Kierra Sheard
"Broken But I'm Healed"	52	2006	Byron Cage
"Livin'"		2007
"Back II Eden"		2008	Donald Lawrence & Co.
"Close To You"		2009	BeBe & CeCe Winans
"Well Done"		2010	Deitrick Haddon
"I Need Your Glory"		2011	Earnest Pugh
"Turning Around For Me"		2012	VaShawn Mitchell
"Beautiful Day"		2014	Jamie Grace
"No Greater Love"			Smokie Norful
"Wanna Be Happy?"		2015	Kirk Franklin
"Joy"		2016	VaShawn Mitchell
"Your Great Name"		2017	Todd Dulaney
"Listen"			Marvin Sapp
"I'm Getting Ready"			Tasha Cobbs Leonard featuring Nicki Minaj
"Off the Grid"		2021	Kanye West featuring Playboi Carti and Fivio Foreign
"Moon"			Kanye West featuring Kid Cudi and Don Toliver
"Kingdom"		2022

Artist achievements

Most number-one singles

Artists with multiple number-one songs.

scope=col	Artist	scope=col		scope=col class="unsortable"
scope=row	Kirk Franklin	9
scope=row	Maverick City Music	6
scope=row	Tasha Cobbs Leonard	5
scope=row	Kanye West
scope=row	Marvin Sapp	4
scope=row	Elevation Worship		[16]
scope=row	James Fortune & FIYA
scope=row	Lecrae
scope=row	Chandler Moore
scope=row	Hezekiah Walker	3
scope=row	Koryn Hawthorne
scope=row	CeCe Winans
scope=row	Kierra Sheard
scope=row	Mary Mary	2
scope=row	Smokie Norful
scope=row	Earnest Pugh
scope=row	Tamela Mann

Most entries

Artists with 10 or more entries.

scope=col	Artist	scope=col		scope=col class="unsortable"
scope=row	Maverick City Music	49
scope=row	Kirk Franklin	44
scope=row	Kanye West	39
scope=row	Tasha Cobbs Leonard	35
scope=row	Jonathan McReynolds	22
scope=row	Donald Lawrence	21
scope=row	Tamela Mann
scope=row	James Fortune & FIYA	20
scope=row	Fred Hammond	19
scope=row	Deitrick Haddon
scope=row	Marvin Sapp
scope=row	Tye Tribbett	18
scope=row	CeCe Winans	17
scope=row	Erica Campbell	15
scope=row	Mary Mary	14
scope=row	Smokie Norful
scope=row	Byron Cage	13
scope=row	Elevation Worship
scope=row	Anthony Brown & Group Therapy
scope=row	Todd Dulaney
scope=row	Donnie McClurkin	12
scope=row	Earnest Pugh
scope=row	Ricky Dillard
scope=row	Hezekiah Walker	11
scope=row	Israel & New Breed
scope=row	Yolanda Adams
scope=row	Troy Sneed	10
scope=row	VaShawn Mitchell

Most top ten entries

Artists with five or more top ten entries.

scope=col	Artist	scope=col		scope=col class="unsortable"
scope=row	Maverick City Music	30
scope=row	Kanye West	27
scope=row	Kirk Franklin	26
scope=row	Chandler Moore	17	[17]
scope=row	Tasha Cobbs Leonard
scope=row	Marvin Sapp	12
scope=row	James Fortune & FIYA
scope=row	Tamela Mann	11
scope=row	Naomi Raine
scope=row	Elevation Worship	10
scope=row	Jonathan McReynolds		[18]
scope=row	Fred Hammond	9
scope=row	Mary Mary
scope=row	Deitrick Haddon		[19]
scope=row	Kierra Sheard
scope=row	CeCe Winans
scope=row	Donald Lawrence	8
scope=row	Tye Tribbett	7	[20]
scope=row	Anthony Brown & Group Therapy
scope=row	Donnie McClurkin	6
scope=row	Smokie Norful
scope=row	Hezekiah Walker
scope=row	Erica Campbell		[21]
scope=row	Yolanda Adams		[22]
scope=row	Byron Cage	5
scope=row	Troy Sneed		[23]
scope=row	Todd Dulaney
scope=row	VaShawn Mitchell		[24]
scope=row	Koryn Hawthorne

Other achievements

• Kirk Franklin has the most number-one songs on Hot Gospel Songs.^[25]
• Tasha Cobbs Leonard has the most number-one songs for a female artist on Hot Gospel Songs.^[26]
• Lecrae has the most number-one debuts (4), all of which were in 2014.^[27]
• "Work It Out" by Dr. Charles G. Hayes & the Warriors featuring Dianne Williams, was the first number-one recorded by a group. It succeeded Mary Mary's "Heaven", which had a record-setting 8 weeks at number-one.^[28]
• On the charts dated June 15, 2014, Kirk Franklin became the first artist to top all five of Billboard's main Gospel charts simultaneously — Long, Live, Love topped Top Gospel Albums, whilst "OK" topped Gospel Digital Song Sales and "Love Theory" led Hot Hot Gospel Songs, Gospel Airplay and Gospel Streaming Songs.^[29]
• In 2018, Koryn Hawthorne's "Won't He Do It" became the longest-running number-one by a woman, with 41 weeks at the top, surpassing Tamela Mann's 25 week reign with “Take Me to the King.”^[10]
• With the album Jesus Is King (2019), Kanye West became the first artist to occupy the entire top 10 on both Hot Christian Songs and Hot Gospel Songs, monopolizing the top 11 of the latter.^[29]
• With the album Donda (2021), Kanye West occupied the top 23 spots on Hot Gospel Songs, setting a record.^[30]
• In April 2021, Elevation Worship and Maverick City Music became the first groups with multiple number-one debuts on Hot Gospel Songs, when "Talking to Jesus" replaced their first number-one "Jireh" within the same month.^[27]

See also

• Top Gospel Albums
• Hot Christian Songs

External links

• Current Hot Gospel Songs

Notes and References

1. Is the Billboard Hot 100 Broken? . Justin . Charity . . July 26, 2016 . January 22, 2024.
2. Web site: Billboard Reveals Changes to How Streaming Factors Into Charts . Katherine . Barner . . May 2, 2018 . January 22, 2024.
3. Holiday Songs Rarely Hit The Hot 100 Before 2012—Here’s What Changed . Conor . Murray . . December 5, 2023 . January 22, 2024.
4. Web site: Kanye West Makes History On The Gospel Songs Chart . Hugh . McIntyre . . Nov 11, 2019 . January 22, 2024.
5. Billboard to Give Gospel and Christian Song Charts 'Consumer-Influenced Facelift' . . Jessica . Martinez . November 26, 2013 . January 22, 2024.
6. Billboard Christian & Gospel Charts to Get a Consumer-Focused Facelift . . November 25, 2013 . November 27, 2013.
7. March 19, 2005 . Hot Gospel Songs . January 22, 2024 . Billboard. subscription. https://web.archive.org/web/20180329075536/https://www.billboard.com/charts/gospel-songs/2005-03-19. March 29, 2018.
8. October 19, 2024 . Hot Gospel Songs . October 18, 2024 . Billboard. subscription.
9. Top Gospel Songs. Billboard. Billboard.com. September 19, 2015. January 22, 2024. subscription.
10. The Year in Christian/Gospel Charts: Lauren Daigle, Tasha Cobbs Leonard Triumph. Jim. Asker. Billboard. Billboard.com. December 6, 2018. January 22, 2024. subscription.
11. Top Gospel Songs. Billboard. Billboard.com. February 9, 2019. January 22, 2024. subscription.
12. Top Gospel Songs. Billboard. Billboard.com. November 9, 2019. January 22, 2024. subscription.
13. Top Gospel Songs. Billboard. Billboard.com. July 11, 2020. January 22, 2024. subscription.
14. Top Gospel Songs. Billboard. Billboard.com. September 11, 2021. January 22, 2024. subscription.
15. Top Gospel Songs. Billboard. Billboard.com. October 26, 2024. November 30, 2024. subscription.
16. Elevation Worship Chart History: Hot Gospel Songs. Billboard. Billboard.com. January 24, 2024.
17. Victor Thompson, Ehis ‘D’ Greatest & Gunna Top Hot Gospel Songs With ‘This Year (Blessings)’. Billboard. Jim. Asker. Billboard.com. October 25, 2023. January 22, 2024. subscription.
18. Jonathan McReynolds Chart History: Hot Gospel Songs. Billboard. Billboard.com. January 22, 2024.
19. Deitrick Haddon Chart History: Hot Gospel Songs. Billboard. January 22, 2024.
20. Tye Tribbett Chart History: Hot Gospel Songs. Billboard. Billboard.com. January 22, 2024.
21. Erica Campbell Chart History: Hot Gospel Songs. Billboard. Billboard.com. January 22, 2024.
22. Yolanda Adams Chart History: Hot Gospel Songs. Billboard. August 8, 2018.
23. Troy Sneed Chart History: Hot Gospel Songs. Billboard. Billboard.com. January 22, 2024.
24. Vashawn Mitchell Chart History: Hot Gospel Songs. Billboard. Billboard.com. January 22, 2024.
25. Lil Baby & Kirk Franklin Victorious Atop Hot Gospel Songs Chart With ‘We Win’. Billboard. Jim. Asker. Billboard.com. June 3, 2021. January 22, 2024. subscription.
26. Nicki Minaj & Tasha Cobbs Leonard’s ‘Blessings’ Arrives Atop Hot Gospel Songs Chart. Billboard. Jim. Asker. Billboard.com. December 19, 2023. January 22, 2024. subscription.
27. Elevation Worship & Maverick City Music Notch Second Hot Gospel Songs No. 1 With ‘Talking to Jesus’. Billboard. Jim. Asker. Billboard.com. April 22, 2021. January 22, 2024. subscription.
28. CHART BEAT: Fred Bronson reports on the latest chart feats of Carole King, Michael Buble, Kelly Clarkson, Zucchero, Willie Nelson, Mariah Carey, the Del McCoury Band, Paul Hardcastle, Elvis Costello and more.. Billboard. Billboard.com. July 21, 2005. February 21, 2024.
29. The Year in Christian & Gospel Charts 2019: Lauren Daigle Is Top Christian Artist. Billboard. Jim. Asker. Billboard.com. December 5, 2019. January 22, 2024. subscription.
30. The Year In Gospel Charts 2021: Kanye West, Maverick City Music & CeCe Winans Lead. Billboard. Jim. Asker. Billboard.com. December 2, 2021. January 22, 2024. subscription. January 29, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220129134615/https://www.billboard.com/pro/kanye-west-maverick-city-music-cece-winans-year-in-gospel-charts-2021/. bot: unknown.