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April 2, 2021 9:11 am  #1


When Rock & Roll Got Religion

I’m not religious in any real way, but Good Friday made me realize how easy it would be to put together a list of the Top 10 biggest religious-themed oldies of all time. It’s a topic you’d think wouldn't happen in the rock era, but there were a lot more of them than I initially realized.
 
The most obvious one that comes to mind may be “Jesus Christ, Superstar,” from the musical of the same name, as sung by Murray Head. It was a huge and unlikely hit back in 1970. So was “Day By Day,” from the play Godspell, which made it to #13 on Billboard in 1972.  
 
I suppose one of the biggest sort-of religious themed oldies ever was “Dominique” by the Singing Nun. It stayed at number one for an incredible four weeks, almost the entire month of December 1963. Sadly, she was a somewhat twisted sister, and wound up committing suicide several years later. 
 
As noted, I’m not a real religious guy, but I loved “Oh Happy Day” by the Edwin Hawkins Singers, which was actually recorded in 1967 but didn’t hit the U.S. and Canadian charts until 1969. This unlikely tune made it all the way to #4, an incredible achievement for what was essentially a church choir. It’s the amazing vocal by Dorothy Combs Morrison that sells the tune as just a great song, rather than simply a gospel tune.
 
I suppose you could possibly even include “Heaven Knows” by the Grassroots in the list. The lyrics are written in such a way that it could be a love song about a girl – or it could be about God. Frankly, I’ve never been sure. It hit #24 in 1969.
 
Elvis was famous for his gospel roots, and “Crying In The Chapel” may have been his biggest hit in that regard. (So was “If I Can Dream” if you interpret the lyrics about a 'better day' the right way.)
 
And don’t forget the unlikely Norman Greenbaum, a Jewish guy, who had a huge hit about Jesus with “Spirit In The Sky.” A very weird chart anomaly but still an oldies radio staple to this day. Must be that great guitar intro.   
 
But not all of them are so well remembered. There’s an absolutely terrible record, if you can call it that, by future game show host Wink Martindale, called “Deck of Cards.” It’s about a soldier and how a deck of cards gets a religious interpretation. This totally spoken word record (hey, maybe it should be in the spoken passages thread, too!)  somehow reached #7 in 1959 and sold a million copies.
 
But probably the most unlikely religious song to become a hit that I can think of was undoubtedly Sister Janet Meade, only the second nun to make the charts. “The Lord’s Prayer” made it to #4 on Billboard in 1974, at a time when rock music was becoming more and more progressive and many were losing faith in their faith.
 
(Unless you want to include The Electric Prunes doing an album called “Kol Nidre,” a famous Jewish prayer that leads off Yom Kippur, their holiest day of the year. My brother actually had a copy of that LP once, although where he got it or whether he ever listened to it, I can’t say. But there’s proof it existed below.)
 
I’m sure there are more. It’s an unusual category for rock music and for this board. In fact, you might say it’s beyond belief!

 

 

April 2, 2021 9:41 am  #2


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

Perhaps the most successful, as far as chart position is concerned, must be Frankie Laine's "I Believe"...  A total of fifteen weeks at Number One.   

 

April 2, 2021 10:08 am  #3


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

Wow. Never heard that song. I think it was a bit too early for me. Was it released during the rock era or before? 

According to Wikipedia, it spent 18 weeks at #1 in the U.K. - and that was in non-consecutive weeks! That's pretty amazing.

     Thread Starter
 

April 2, 2021 12:18 pm  #4


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

Just thought of another one that fits this category - Mighty Clouds of Joy by B.J. Thomas from 1971.

     Thread Starter
 

April 2, 2021 12:53 pm  #5


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

aflem wrote:

I suppose one of the biggest sort-of religious themed oldies ever was “Dominique” by the Singing Nun. It stayed at number one for an incredible four weeks, almost the entire month of December 1963 

That would be because priests were giving out penance in the confessional as buy X copies of “Dominique” by the Singing Nun.
 
Seriously, I was in catholic school at the time and EVERY student was pressed to buy a copy no matter how many siblings* had already bought one.
 
* couldn’t say brothers and sisters without confusion
 

 

April 2, 2021 1:12 pm  #6


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

aflem wrote:

But not all of them are so well remembered. There’s an absolutely terrible record, if you can call it that, by future game show host Wink Martindale, called “Deck of Cards.” It’s about a soldier and how a deck of cards gets a religious interpretation. This totally spoken word record (hey, maybe it should be in the spoken passages thread, too!)  somehow reached #7 in 1959 and sold a million copies. 

I thought of it but have avoided anything totally spoken word like it and Old Rivers by Walter Brennan.
 

 

April 2, 2021 1:19 pm  #7


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

How about You'll Never Walk Alone

 

April 2, 2021 1:57 pm  #8


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

God, Love & Rock & Roll (Teegarden and Van Winkle), and Resurrection Shuffle (Ashton, Gardner & Dyke). "Make a peace sign and throw back your hair". Oh yeah. We believe.

 

April 2, 2021 5:18 pm  #9


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

Thx for the insight aflem, in particular, the Electric Prunes "Kol Nidre."  I really enjoyed their Mass in F Minor which I still have on two-track 7" mag tape.  Yvonne Elliman's "I Don't Know How To Love Him" from JC Superstar is a very beautiful yet powerful song.  Kind of related: What about I Knew Jesus Before He Was A Superstar.  Jesus Is Just Alright.  And one of my favorites, an oldie but goodie from one of my favorite singer-songwriters, Jimmy Webb: I Will Arise; Ed Aimes: Who Will Answer? (Aleluya No.1)

 

April 2, 2021 7:24 pm  #10


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

He's Got The Whole World In His Hands - Laurie London

 

April 3, 2021 12:20 am  #11


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

"god gave rock'n'roll to you"  argent

"won't get fooled again"  the who

anybody ever heard of larry norman? he made dozens and dozens of albums entirely filled with religiously themed rock, pop, folk-rock and reggae, almost all being uniformly excellent musically, regardless of subject matter.

you'd almost have to stack all of them platters on top of whatever kinda 'top 10' ya got. "in another land" is probably one of his best lp's, and would be a good place to start if interested...

for those who keep score of sales as a quality arbiter, he also had a charting single in the late 60's, with the band, people!, called "i love you" on capitol records.




 

Last edited by gopher (April 3, 2021 2:45 am)

 

April 3, 2021 8:35 am  #12


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

Janis Joplin did one SOME people might consider religious.
 
I seem to remember a recording of Footprints (aka Footprints in the Sand) but I don’t remember by who.
 

 

April 3, 2021 2:30 pm  #13


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

George Harrison - My Sweet Lord
Guessing no on Ray Stevens - The Mississippi Squirrel Revival

 

 

April 3, 2021 5:08 pm  #14


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

Taz wrote:

Janis Joplin did one SOME people might consider religious.
 
I seem to remember a recording of Footprints (aka Footprints in the Sand) but I don’t remember by who.
 

(Remember) Walking In The Sand, Shangri-Las, 1964, Billboard charts: #5
By My Side from Godspell.  Woman walks with Jesus.
Do either of these help?

 

April 3, 2021 6:06 pm  #15


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

It was the poem footprints in a spoken word recording
 
One night I had a dream…
 
I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord, and
Across the sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand;
One belonged to me, and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of my life flashed before us,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that many times along the path of my life,
There was only one set of footprints.
 
I also noticed that it happened at the very lowest
and saddest times in my life
This really bothered me, and I questioned the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you,
You would walk with me all the way;
But I have noticed that during the
most troublesome times in my life,
There is only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why in times when I
needed you the most, you should leave me.
 
The Lord replied, “My precious, precious
child. I love you, and I would never,
never leave you during your times of
trial and suffering.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you.
 

 

April 3, 2021 9:09 pm  #16


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

Reverend Mr. Black - The Kingston Trio

 

April 12, 2021 9:40 pm  #17


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

One of the most obvious of the hit recordings in this topic has to be "The Battle Hymn Of The Republic" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, reaching #11 on the Cashbox 100 in the fall of 1959.  I remember hearing Mitch Miller thanking the DJ's on KFWB (Los Angeles) for making it their "pick of the week".  Back in my DJ days I was doing an all-night shift on a Top 40 station in SLC, UT.  I played "Battle Hymn" as an oldie during my 6 hour shift, and found out the next morning that I was the only station that had not been knocked off the air overnight by a fierce lightning storm.  Amen!!

 

April 13, 2021 8:43 am  #18


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show...N. Damond. 

 

April 13, 2021 11:35 am  #19


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

Taz wrote:

Reverend Mr. Black - The Kingston Trio

really? they turned it into a pop-folk song? i've only heard it by whispering bill anderson, johnny cash, and the original recording by its author, west virginia music hall of famer billy edd wheeler.
 

 

April 13, 2021 2:37 pm  #20


Re: When Rock & Roll Got Religion

gopher wrote:

Taz wrote:

Reverend Mr. Black - The Kingston Trio

really? they turned it into a pop-folk song? i've only heard it by whispering bill anderson, johnny cash, and the original recording by its author, west virginia music hall of famer billy edd wheeler.
 

First on their "Kingston Trio #16 album, released March 4, 1963.

 

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