# Overtly religious Top 40 hits. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 7, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130 "2019-11-07T16:46:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/1 "2019-11-07T16:46:52Z")
Listening to Ocean’s Put Your Hand in the Hand and contemplating the lines: My mama taught me how to pray before I reached the age of seven. She said: There’ll come a time when there’ll probably be room in heaven. And thinking what a terrible thing to tell a 5 year old, “You’re gonna die so you better pray somebody didn’t pay their heavenly rent so there’s some heavenly room to let.” Anyway, that’s not what this thread is about. There are a lot of Top 40 songs that are vaguely, sorta spiritual and if a choir sang it, it wouldn’t be out of place in a church. A lot of love songs that fit this definition. But I’m talking about no-doubt-about-it, this song is most definitely about religion. Not only is it about religion but if you heard it in your place of worship sung by your religion’s version of a televangelist, no one would bat an eye. So Joan Osborn’s What if God Was One of Us probably wouldn’t count. I can think of only one more song off the top of my head and that’s Norman Greenbaum’s Spirit In The Sky. I’m sure there are more, I just cant think of them. I hear Kanye West is starting up a church based on his latest album but I can’t say I’ve heard any singles off of it. Yet. So, any others out there? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/2 "2019-11-07T16:51:20Z")
“My Sweet Lord,” by George Harrison. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/3 "2019-11-07T16:52:48Z")
I have heard John Lennon’s “Imagine” in a church. A Mennonite church, of all places. I don’t remember if they changed the “and no religion too” line or not. My grandma, who is ex-Amish, had never known the song before she’d heard it in church and thought it was the most beautiful thing. Bless her. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/4 "2019-11-07T16:56:48Z")
Debbie Boone says the “You” in “You Light Up My Life” is God. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/5 "2019-11-07T17:01:09Z")
nm ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/6 "2019-11-07T17:01:56Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Debbie Boone says the “You” in “You Light Up My Life” is God. I did make a whole paragraph about vague love songs not counting. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/7 "2019-11-07T17:02:22Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum Mentioned in the OP. ---
**Author:** ![The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@The\_wind\_of\_my\_soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_wind_of_my_soul)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/8 "2019-11-07T17:05:45Z")
“Shine” Collective Soul came to mind right away. ETA: And after thinking about it for a bit, Kanye’s “Jesus Walks” would fit this, too. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/9 "2019-11-07T17:08:01Z")
**Morning Has Broken** , Cat Stevens **Peace Train** , Cat Stevens **Put Your Hand In The Hand** , Ocean (#2) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/10 "2019-11-07T17:13:29Z")
**Morning Has Broken** , Cat Stevens **Peace Train** , Cat Stevens Aw crap, the board is dragging. I tried to edit out Hand in the Hand, but ended up reposting. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/11 "2019-11-07T17:13:50Z")
**Day By Day** from Godspell peaked at #14. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/12 "2019-11-07T17:14:49Z")
Stryper’s high water mark was “Honestly” which peaked at #23 on the Hot 100 January 30, 1988. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/13 "2019-11-07T17:15:54Z")
“I Can Only Imagine” made it to #5 on Adult Contemporary and #27 on Top 40. “Mary Did You Know” was #26 in the Hot 100. I am sure there are some from Christian Music that made it in the Top 40, but I don’t pay that much attention to it. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/14 "2019-11-07T17:16:15Z")
**King’s X** and **Creed** had some song that would fit. I seem to recall there was a Christian metal band, but Lord if I know who they were. Insert Hank Hill quote here. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/15 "2019-11-07T17:18:38Z")
“Dominique” by The Singing Nun(Jeannine Deckers) ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/16 "2019-11-07T17:19:01Z")
Mr Mister - Kyrie Eleison Don't know if it was top 40, but I heard it on the radio a lot when I was in high school. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/17 "2019-11-07T17:20:41Z")
Is “Dust In The Wind” overtly religious? Or just philosophical? I know that Kansas had quite a few songs that could considered spiritual or Christian, but they weren’t usually beat-you-over-the-head obvious about it. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/18 "2019-11-07T17:21:38Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > I seem to recall there was a Christian metal band, but Lord if I know who they were. Stryper, mentioned by **DCnDC**. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/19 "2019-11-07T17:23:52Z")
“The Lord’s Prayer” by Sister Janet Mead hit #4 on the Billboard chart in April of 1974. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130/20 "2019-11-07T17:23:54Z")
Boney M, [Rivers of Babyon](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rivers_of_Babylon) U2, Until the end of the world (it’s about Judas) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/overtly-religious-top-40-hits/843130.md?page=2)