For the people who believe in him, God is ever present theme even in music and these 11 most popular songs about God are the proof for that.
Almost every religion out there has God as a supreme being and a central figure of people’s faith. God’s characteristics, motivations and conception of God is different for every religion. Also, monotheistic religions have only one God as a supreme being, while polytheistic religions have more than one God.
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When it comes to connection of music with God, there are numerous songs dedicated to Him. For instance, religious songs are all created to praise God and his attributes. In some religions, these songs have even joined the rituals of praying. We are not here to talk about these types of “sacred” songs. Our subject of interest are popular, mainstream songs about God. If you are from America and not interested in these, maybe 11 Most Popular Songs About America will suit you better.
In the popular music God has been a popular recurring theme. From those who wanted to collect point with the religious part of music consumers to ones that found faith along the way and decided to capture it in a song, almost everyone has at least tried to make a song about God. The truth is, not a lot of them managed to be successful and popular. The ones that are were considered for this list of most popular songs about God.
We only deal with numbers and facts, leaving out subjectivity from this. That is the case this time as well. We took this neat collection of songs that feature mentioning the God and run our test on them. It is important to notice that we disqualified the songs that didn’t feature God as a primary or secondary theme. We checked how many YouTube clicks they have and what their chart success was since almost every song was released as a single. Depending on that, we awarded a point to the songs for every million YouTube clicks and points from 100 to 10 for their chart position in their native country. If the song reached number one in some other country, we pitched in extra 10 points for every number one.
11. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Into My Arms
Overall score: 3
Why is it about God:
I don’t believe in an interventionist God
But I know, darling, that you do
But if I did I would kneel down and ask Him
Not to intervene when it came to you
10. XTC – Dear God
Overall score: 3
Why is it about God:
Dear God, sorry to disturb you but
I feel that I should be heard loud and clear
We all need a big reduction in amount of tears
And all the people that you made in your image
9. Janis Joplin – Mercedes Benz
Overall score: 9
Why is it about God:
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town?
I’m counting on you, Lord, please don’t let me down.
Prove that you love me and buy the next round,
Oh Lord, won’t you buy me a night on the town?
8. Depeche Mode – Blasphemous Rumours
Overall score: 11
Why is it about God:
But I think that God’s
Got a sick sense of humor
And when I die
I expect to find Him laughing
7. Bon Jovi – Hey God
Overall score: 12
Why is it about God:
Hey God, there’s nights you know I want to scream
These days you’ve even harder to believe
I know how busy you must be, but hey God
6. Kiss – God Gave Rock and Roll To You
Overall score: 14
Although the theme could be a bit odd to feature God, we have to have some rock ‘n’ roll among most popular songs about God.
Why is it about God:
God gave rock and roll to you
(to everyone he gave the song to be sung)
Gave rock and roll to you,
gave rock and roll to everyone
5. Regina Spektor – Laughing With
Overall score: 14
Why is it about God:
No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one’s laughing at God
When they’re starving or freezing or so very poor
4. Tori Amos – God
Overall score: 100
Why is it about God:
God sometimes you just don’t come through
God sometimes you just don’t come through
Do you need a woman to look after you
3. Queen – Innuendo
Overall score: 105
Why is it about God:
If there’s a God or any kind of justice under the sky
If there’s a point, if there’s a reason to live or die
If there’s an answer to the questions we feel bound to ask
2. Joan Osborne – What If God Was One Of Us?
Overall score: 128
Why is it about God:
What if God was one of us
Just a slob like one of us
Just a stranger on the bus
Trying to make His way home?
1. The Fray – You Found Me
Overall score: 135
This song has even made it in the Christian songs charts and it’s no wonder that it topped 11 most popular songs about God.
Why is it about God:
I found God on the corner of First in Amistad
Where the west was all but won
All alone
Smoking his last cigarette
I said “where you been?”
He said, “ask anything”
