Songs About Religion & Spirituality Featuring God & Jesus

Welcome to an interesting song list this time around – Unlike most of the other song lists I have done in the past, this particular subject contains both positive and negative interpretations of the topic of religion. The songs in this particular post represent the entire spectrum of religion and spirituality or might even do the opposite and bring into question it’s existence. Some even use the word religion, God, Jesus, Lord, Holy Spirit or supreme being in an entirely different context. Even though I consider myself to be a believer in a higher power, a Christian my entire life, I’m not trying to advocate or preach religion to anyone reading this, only offering a wide array of songs with similar words in the title or verse within the song. Some of these songs might even be a great source of inspiration, hope and  an inner peace to those listening carefully. Others may be cynical about the existence of a higher power or the Almighty God.

I’ve intentionally tried to avoid songs that were traditional church hymns and songs of praise that are typically found in various Christian religions unless they had crossed-over to mainstream radio or concert performance by mainstream artists…..  Exceptions being songs like Amazing Grace and The Lord’s Prayer. Now, with that being said, I need to clarify that I have nothing personally  against those type of spiritual songs as many of them are quite beautiful and meaningful but my focus here was on mainstream genres including rock, country, R & B and many others as well….. the stuff you’d hear on your favorite radio stations or in concerts. Also Christmas songs I have stayed away from as many of them focus on the birth of Jesus and core Christian values – once again nothing wrong with them – just not including them in this particular post.

Enjoy and may you find what you’re looking for in compiling a music playlist with a theme for an event or for your personal listening pleasure. Any additions or comments are always welcome and appreciate at the bottom of this post.

Songs About Religion & Spirituality

Featuring God & Jesus

1. Act of God – Prince
2. All Around Me – Flyleaf
3. Amazing Grace – Mahalia Jackson, Judy Collins, Aretha Franklin, Joan Baez, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (beautiful bagpipe & drum instrumental), Elvis Presley, Rod Stewart, Johnny Cash (one of the most covered songs ever written that crossed over from a Gospel Standard to mainstream)
4. Amen – Paula Cole
5. American Pie – Don McLean
6. Are You Gonna Go My Way – Lenny Kravitz
7. Awesome God – Rich Mullins
8. Bad Religion – Godsmack
9. Believe – Disturbed
10. Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show – Neil Diamond
11. Counterfeit God – Black Label Society
12. Day By Day – Godspell (from the Broadway Musical)
13. Dear God – XTC
14. Dear God – Avenged Sevenfold
15. Dust In The Wind – Kansas
16. Every Grain of Sand – Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris
17. For The Greater Good of God – Iron Maiden
18. Gates of Eden – Bob Dylan
19. Get Right With God – Lucinda Williams
20. Get Together – The Youngbloods
21. God – John Lennon
22. God – Tori Amos
23. God Bless The Child – Billie Holiday, Shania Twain
24. God Bless The USA – Lee Greenwood
25. God Blessed Texas – Little Texas
26. God Gave Rock N Roll To You – Argent, Kiss
27. God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You – Alabama, N Sync
28. God of Thunder – Kiss
29. God Only Knows – The Beach Boys
30. God Put A Smile Upon Your Face – Coldplay
31. God Save The Queen – Sex Pistols
32. God Shuffled His Feet – Crash Test Dummies
33. God’s Comic – Elvis Costello
34. Hallelujah – Leonard Cohen, John Cale, Jeff Buckley, Rufus Wainwright, Bob Dylan, kd lang, Alexandra Burke, Justin Timberlake, Jason Castro, Lee DeWyze (one of the most covered songs of all time but the ones listed here were either released as hits or major cover versions)
35. He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands – Laurie London
36. Help Pour Out The Rain (Lacey’s Song) – Buddy Jewell
37. I Believe In Father Christmas – Emerson Lake & Palmer
38. I Don’t Know How To Love Him – Helen Reddy (from the Rock Opera Jesus Christ Superstar)
39. I Knew Jesus (Before He Was A Superstar) – Glen Campbell
40. I Saw God Today – George Strait
41. I Saw The Light – Hank Williams, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
42. If I Give My Heart To Jesus – Billy Joe Shaver
43. In The Presence of The Lord – Blind Faith
44. Imagine – John Lennon
45. It’s A Sin – Pet Shop Boys
46. Jesus Christ Superstar – Original Cast from the Rock Opera
47. Jesus He Knows Me – Genesis
48. Jesus Is Just Alright With Me- The Byrds, Doobie Brothers
49. Jesus Just Left Chicago – ZZ Top
50. Jesus Take The Wheel – Carrie Underwood
51. Jesus Walking On The Water – Violent Femmes
52. Jesus Walks – Kanye West
53. Let It Be – The Beatles
54. Little Green Apples – OC Smith, Roger Miller
55. Living In Sin – Bon Jovi
56. Long Dark Train – Josh Turner
57. Lord Mr. Ford – Jerry Reed
58. Losing My Religion – REM
59. Me & God – Josh Turner
60. Mighty Clouds of Joy – BJ Thomas
61. Morning Has Broken – Cat Stevens
62. Mrs. Robinson – Simon & Garfunkel
63. My City of Ruins – Bruce Springsteen
64. My God – Jethro Tull
65. My Jesus Told Me So – Marshall Tucker Band
66. My Sweet Lord – George Harrison
67. Oh Happy Day – Edwin Hawkin Singers
68. One of Us – Joan Osborne
69. One Tin Soldier – Coven
70. One Toke Over The Line – Brewer & Shipley
71. Only God Knows Why – Kid Rock
72. Only The Good Die Young – Billy Joel
73. People Get Ready – Curtis Mayfield & The Impressions
74. Personal Jesus – Depeche Mode, Johnny Cash, Marilyn Manson
75. Put Your Hand In The Hand – Ocean
76. Rebel Jesus – Jackson Browne
77. Redemption Song – Bob Marley
78. Reverend Mr. Black – Kingston Trio, Johnny Cash
79. Rivers of Babylon – The Melodians, Boney M, Sublime
80. Saint of Me – The Rolling Stones
81. Signs – Five Man Electrical Band, Tesla
82. Sinner – Drowning Pool
83. Solsbury Hill – Peter Gabriel
84. Somebody Touched Me – Ferlin Huskey, Bob Dylan, Bruce Cockburn
85. Something To Believe In – Poison
86. Spirit In The Sky – Norman Greenbaum
87. Stairway To Heaven – Led Zeppelin
88. Stoney End – Barbara Streisand
89. Thank God For Believers – Ronnie Milsap, Mark Chesnutt
90. Thank God I’m A Country Boy – John Denver
91. That’s The Way God Planned It – Billy Preston
92. The God That Failed – Metallica
93. The Lord Knows I’m Drinkin’ – Cal Smith
94. The Lord’s Prayer – Sister Janet Mead
95. The Man Comes Around – Johnny Cash (one of Johnny’s last songs he wrote & sang before his death and quite powerful – highly recommended)
96. The Preacher & The Bear – Jerry Reed
97. There’s A Higher Power – Louvin Brothers, Buddy Miller
98. This Is God – Phil Vassar
99. Three Wooden Crosses – Randy Travis
100. Turn, Turn, Turn – The Byrds
101. Unanswered Prayers – Garth Brooks
102. Watching You – Rodney Atkins
103. Way Down In The Hole – Tom Waits
104. Whenever God Shines His Light – Van Morrison & Cliff Richard
105. Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning – Alan Jackson
106. Why Me Lord – Kris Kristofferson
107. Will You Be Ready At The Plate (When Jesus Throws The Ball) – Elmo & Patsy
108. With God On Our Side – Bob Dylan
109. Would Jesus Wear A Rolex – Ray Stevens

Along with the list above you could probably include a number of additional songs by a select few very successful ‘crossover’ artists. These feature artists who either crossed over from Christian or Gospel music to mainstream or vice-versa include – the most well known include Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, BJ Thomas, Aretha Franklin, The Staple Singers, Al Green, Amy Grant, Randy Travis. Then there are a few others with a more heavy metal or alternative sound that emerged from Christian music roots and crossed over to mainstream hard rock/heavy metal/post grunge but still kept a Christian element in their lyrics such as Stryper, Creed, Lifehouse, Sixpence None The Richer and P.O.D. Jars of Clay, Third Day and Mercy Me have also received a lot of attention in recent years as mainstays of Christian rock that have gained some mainstream crossover appeal.