Christian/Gospel
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TobyMac’s “Cornerstone” featuring Zach Williams rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart (dated July 15). The song drew 6.7 million audience impressions in the week ending July 6, according to Luminate. It’s the former’s 12th No. 1 on the survey and the latter’s fifth. TobyMac (real name Toby McKeehan) co-authored the hit with […]
Elevation Worship, the music collective based in Charlotte, N.C., earns its seventh No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Christian Albums chart as its new set, Can You Imagine?, blasts in atop the June 3-dated tally.
Released May 19, the LP earned 8,000 equivalent album units through May 25, according to Luminate.
“We’re blown away by the response to our new album and how it’s pointing people to Jesus,” Chris Brown, the group’s frontman, tells Billboard. “It’s reminding us that He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine in and through our lives.”
Concurrently, the album’s “More Than Able,” featuring Chandler Moore and Tiffany Hudson, surges 5-1 on the multimetric Hot Gospel Songs chart. On Hot Christian Songs, it flies 21-7. It drew 2 million official streams (up 102%).
“Able” gives Elevation Worship its fourth No. 1 on Hot Gospel Songs and its 12th top 10 on Hot Christian Songs.
For Moore, who is also a member of Maverick City Music, it’s his third No. 1 on Hot Gospel Songs. On Hot Christian Songs, it marks his third top 10.
Hudson, a member of Elevation Worship, earns her first leader and top 10 as a billed artist on the lists, respectively.
“Able” was penned by Ben Fielding, Steven Furtick, Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine.
Can You Imagine?, which includes eight tracks, was produced by Brown and Furtick. The LP was recorded in front of a live audience at Elevation Church in Charlotte Jan. 13.
The new set follows Elevation Worship’s Live at the Loft, which arrived at its No. 24 peak on Top Christian Albums in September 2022, and Lion, which started at its No. 2 best that March. Before that, Elevation Worship’s collaboration with Maverick City Music, Old Church Basement, arrived atop the Top Christian Albums and Top Gospel Albums chart in May 2021. It dominated the former for five weeks and the latter for 17 frames.
Tasha Cobbs Leonard rolls up her sixth leader, and fourth in succession, on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart (dated May 27), as “The Moment” hops from No. 4 to No. 1.
In the tracking week ending May 19, the single increased by 5% in plays, according to Luminate.
Cobbs Leonard co-authored “The Moment” with Deon Kipping. It was produced by her husband, Kenneth Leonard Jr.
“God just keeps blowing my mind,” Cobbs Leonard tells Billboard. “I appreciate everyone at radio who supported ‘The Moment,’ and I’m grateful for everyone’s love and support down through the years. Like the song says, ‘It can happen right now!’”
“The Moment” follows Cobbs Leonard’s “Gotta Believe,” which reigned for a week in March 2022. Before that, “In Spite of Me” led for a week in June 2021 and “You Know My Name (Live),” dominated for one frame in October 2019.
The singer-songwriter previously topped Gospel Airplay with her debut hit, “Break Every Chain,” for seven weeks starting in June 2013, and added her second No. 1 as featured on Kirk Franklin’s “My World Needs You” (also featuring Sarah Reeves and Tamela Mann), a two-week leader in July 2017.
With six No. 1s on Gospel Airplay, which launched in March 2005, Cobbs Leonard ties four other artists for the fourth-best total: Jekalyn Carr, Todd Dulaney, Charles Jenkins & Fellowship Chicago and Marvin Sapp. Tamela Mann leads all acts with 10 chart-toppers, followed by Kirk Franklin (nine) and James Fortune & FIYA (eight).
Plus, Cobbs Leonard and Tamela Mann each have four straight Gospel Airplay No. 1s, the longest active streaks among female artists. Dulaney and Jonathan McReynolds have the longest active streaks, and in the chart’s history, among all acts, with five each. Dulaney is looking to extend his run with “It’s Working” (with Hezekiah Walker), up 28-27 for a new high on the latest list.
Singer-songwriter and producer Fred Jerkins’ “I Believe,” featuring Bishop Paul S. Morton, reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Airplay chart (dated April 15).
The song, Jerkins’ third Gospel Airplay leader and Morton’s first, increased by 1% in plays March 31-April 6, according to Luminate.
The song was solely written and produced by Jerkins, who hails from Galloway, N.J.
“It feels so amazing to have achieved my third No. 1 as an artist on Billboard‘s chart,” says Jerkins. “Also, being able to share this with a legend like Bishop Paul Morton makes it extra special for me.”
Jerkins previously topped Gospel Airplay with “Patiently Praising,” for a week in January 2021, and “Victory,” featuring Last Call, for two frames in April 2019.
Morton’s first Gospel Airplay leader is among 11 appearances, starting in 2005. His lone additional top 10 is “Your Best Days Yet,” which reached No. 4 in 2013. (Also among his history on the chart: “Seasons Change,” with legend Aretha Franklin, hit No. 40 in 2005.)
In addition to his career in music, Morton is the founding bishop of Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International in Atlanta, as well as overseer of Greater St. Stephen Ministries in New Orleans.
Notably, with “I Believe” reaching the Gospel Airplay pinnacle in its 47th week, it completes the longest trip to No. 1 since the chart started in March 2005. It passes two songs that each took 46 weeks to the top: Jonathan McReynolds’ “Make Room” led for a week in December 2019 and Donnie McClurkin’s “I Need You” reigned for a week in April 2017.
Maher’s Fourth Leader
On Billboard’s Christian AC Airplay chart, Matt Maher scores his fourth No. 1 with “The Lord’s Prayer” (up 9% in plays).
Maher previously ruled with “Alive & Breathing,” featuring Elle Limebear, for two weeks in July 2020; “Glory (Let There Be Peace),” for a week in January 2017; and “Because He Lives (Amen),” for four frames beginning in April 2015.
Whitney Houston’s I Go to the Rock: The Gospel Music of Whitney Houston arrives at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Albums chart dated April 8.
The set, released March 24, earned 4,000 equivalent album units in the tracking week ending March 30, according to Luminate.
The 14-track collection, which includes six previously unreleased songs, marks Houston’s second entry on the Top Gospel Albums chart. Her first faith-based LP, the soundtrack to the film The Preacher’s Wife, entered at No. 1 in December 1996 and proceeded to dominate the list for 26 frames. It has charted for 158 weeks and was most recently on the ranking this January.
Houston co-starred in the comedy-drama, which was directed by Penny Marshall, and whose cast also featured Denzel Washington and Courtney B. Vance (plus Lionel Richie).
I Go to the Rock comprises studio recordings and live performances. The six songs not available until now: “He Can Use Me,” “I Found a Wonderful Way,” “Testimony,” “This Day,” “He/Believe” and a live version of the Simon & Garfunkel classic “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” which ruled the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks in 1970. Houston’s take on the ballad was recorded with gospel star CeCe Winans in June 1995 at a VH1 Honors special.
Houston, who passed away Feb. 11, 2012, at age 48, posted 11 No. 1s among 23 top 10s on the Hot 100. On the all-genre Billboard 200 albums chart, she has scored four No. 1s, among eight top 10s. The Preacher’s Wife generated one of those top 10 singles: the No. 4-peaking “I Believe in You and Me,” as well as the No. 15 hit “Step by Step” (written by Annie Lennox).
Lauren Daigle postponed a planned concert to preview songs from her upcoming third studio album on Monday night (March 27) in order to host a prayer vigil for the victims of a mass shooting at Nashville’s The Covenant School.
“Today’s shooting is truly heartbreaking for our Nashville community and all of those impacted,” the Christian pop singer said in a statement. “I’m going to postpone my performance tonight, and in its place, host a community-wide Prayer Vigil. To everyone who was planning to come out, please continue to come join us as we share in a time of prayer and worship to honor the victims and everyone in need.”
Daigle was slated to preview her upcoming self-titled album (May 12) at the Marathon Music Works on Monday night; the show is now scheduled for April 5. Instead, the venue hosted a free-to-all community-wide prayer vigil to honor the three nine-year-old children and three school staff members who were killed during Monday’s mass shooting in which the shooter — armed with two semi-automatic long guns, a pistol and tactical gear — was killed by police 14 minutes after the rampage began at the private Christian school in Nashville.
A number of Nashville musicians spoke out in grief and anger after the nation’s 132nd mass shooting so far this year. Singer-songwriter-musician Charlie Worsham wrote via his Instagram Stories, “It seems impossible to find fitting words to say about the shooting in Nashville today. I’m heartbroken and enraged that we can’t seem to provide the simplest, most common-sense safeguards for our own children. If this was something other than a gun problem, it’d be happening all over the world. But it only seems to happen here.”
Kelsea Ballerini, who has previously spoken with Billboard about her own experience surviving a school shooting when she was a high school sophomore, shared via Instagram Stories, “i’m heartbroken i’m triggered i’m angry and i’m terrified for the loss we continue to have in this country due to guns. three f**king kids. what are we doing.”
In a stark post last Monday night, Justin Timberlake tweeted out a list of the victims, which included three fourth grade children and three adults in their 60s.
See Daigle’s statement and Timberlake’s post below.
Micah Tyler banks his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian Airplay chart as “I See Grace” ascends to the summit in its 31st week on the survey.
In the tracking week ending March 9, the song increased by 7% to 7.5 million audience impressions, according to Luminate.
Tyler co-penned “Grace” with Zach Kale and Matthew West. It was produced by AJ Pruis.
Born Micah Tyler Begnaud, the 39-year-old singer-songwriter hails from Buna, Texas, and is now based in Nashville.
“Grace” became Tyler’s sixth Christian Airplay top 10. It follows “Walking Free,” which peaked at No. 6 in March 2022. His rookie entry, “Never Been a Moment,” hit No. 2 in April 2017, followed by “Different” (No. 6, December 2017); “Even Then” (No. 3, February 2019); and “Amen” (No. 2, June 2020).
Tyler has also charted on Christian Airplay with “Feels Like Joy” (No. 11, December 2020) and “New Today” (No. 15, March 2021).
Tyler is currently on the road with MercyMe on the band’s Always Only Jesus Tour, which also includes TAYA (who is part of the collective Hillsong United). Their next stops are in Cleveland (March 16) and Green Bay, Wis. (March 17).
Crowder and Dante Bowe’s “God Really Loves Us,” featuring Maverick City Music, rises to No. 1 on Billboard’s streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Hot Gospel Songs chart dated March 18.
On Hot Christian Songs, it climbs to No. 9, reaching the top 10 for the first time.
Crowder, aka singer-songwriter David Crowder, and Bowe co-wrote the single with Ben Glover and Jeff Sojka.
The song, which is being promoted to Christian radio by Capitol Christian Music Group, climbs 6-4 for a new high on the Christian Airplay chart. It increased by 9% to 6.9 million audience impressions in the week ending March 9, according to Luminate. It also drew 692,000 streams and sold 1,000 downloads in the United States in that span.
Crowder reaches the Hot Gospel Songs summit with his first entry on the chart. Bowe, a member of Christian and gospel collectives Bethel Music and Maverick City Music, notches his second leader with solo billing, while Maverick City Music scores its fifth chart-topper.
On Hot Christian Songs, the track gives Crowder his ninth top 10, Bowe his third and Maverick City Music its fifth.
The collaboration is the latest in a growing number of team-ups among Christian and gospel artists, with two other notable hits involving Maverick City Music, which leans more toward gospel than Christian. On Christian Airplay, the act and Kirk Franklin’s “Fear Is Not My Future,” featuring Brandon Lake, ranks at No. 26 (1.2 million impressions, up 5%). Gospel music star Franklin boasts nine No. 1s among 14 top 10s on Gospel Airplay. Lake, predominately a Christian singer-songwriter, has achieved two Christian Airplay leaders.
Plus, Maverick City Music and Christian music collective Elevation Worship united for “Jireh,” also featuring Chandler Moore and Naomi Raine. The song topped Gospel Airplay for two frames in March 2022, after it reached No. 41 on Christian Airplay in August 2021 (before a version without Elevation Worship hit No. 5 last July).
Kirk Franklin makes history as he spends a landmark 100th week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Gospel Songwriters chart (dated March 11).
The artist becomes the first person to reach the 100-week milestone on a songwriters chart. Billboard launched its Hot 100 Songwriters and Hot 100 Producers charts, as well as genre-specific rankings for country, rock & alternative, R&B/hip-hop, R&B, rap, Latin, Christian, gospel and dance/electronic in June 2019. (Alternative and hard rock joined in 2020, along with seasonal holiday rankings in 2022.)
“As a songwriter, there are few things more gratifying than seeing your work connect with people on a deep level,” Franklin tells Billboard. “To have my music resonate with so many for 100 weeks is truly a humbling experience. I am grateful beyond words to those that love my music for their support and to everyone who has played a part in bringing my music to life.”
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Franklin extends his record run atop Gospel Songwriters thanks to three songwriting credits on the latest Hot Gospel Songs chart. He’s also credited as a recording artist and producer on all three tracks. Here’s a recap:
Rank. Artist Billing, Title (co-songwriters in addition to Franklin)
No. 4, Maverick City Music X Kirk Franklin feat. Brandon Lake & Chandler Moore, “Fear Is Not My Future” (Brandon Lake, Jonathan Jay, Hannah Shackleford, Nicole Hannel)
No. 7, Maverick City Music X Kirk Franklin feat. Naomi Raine & Chandler Moore, “Kingdom” (Chandler Moore, Jonathan Jay, Jacob Poole)
No. 9, Maverick City Music X Kirk Franklin, “Bless Me”
The only act to spend at least 100 weeks atop a producers chart is Tainy, who has amassed 119 weeks at No. 1 on Latin Producers, thanks to his work on hits by J Balvin and Bad Bunny, among others.
Franklin has been hugely successful on Billboard’s gospel charts. He holds the record for the most Hot Gospel Songs No. 1s (eight) and has the second-most top five hits (15), top 10s (20) and overall entries (36) in the chart’s 18-year history. He’s also tied for the most No. 1s on Gospel Airplay (nine, with Tamela Mann) and holds the record for the most career entries at the format (25, also over the list’s 18 years).
Franklin’s “Wanna Be Happy?” spent 45 weeks at No. 1 on Hot Gospel Songs in 2015-16, making it the third-longest-leading hit in the chart’s archives, while his “Love Theory” spent 44 weeks on top, the fourth-longest reign. His eight leaders on Hot Gospel Songs have spent a combined 144 weeks at No. 1, the most among all acts.
Franklin has also earned 13 No. 1 albums on the Top Gospel Albums chart, the most among all acts since he first led the chart in December 1993, with Kirk Franklin And The Family. On the all-genre Billboard 200, he’s charted 14 albums, including five top 10s.
Christian music star Steven Curtis Chapman banks his third No. 1 on Billboard’s Christian AC Airplay chart as “Don’t Lose Heart” tops the list dated March 11.
In the tracking week ending March 2, the song increased by 5% in plays, according to Luminate.
Chapman wrote “Heart,” which marks his third Christian AC Airplay No. 1 among 15 top 10s, with Bryan Fowler and Micah Kuiper.
On the Christian Airplay chart, “Heart” ranks at No. 5 (6.5 million in audience), after reaching No. 3.
The Franklin, Tenn.-based Chapman, originally from Paducah, Ky., scores his first Christian AC Airplay leader since “Christmas Time Again” dominated for three weeks beginning in December 2012. His first No. 1, “Do Everything,” led for a week in October 2011.
“Heart” follows Chapman’s feature on CAIN’s “Wonderful,” which reached No. 3 in January 2022.
Chapman first reached the Christian AC Airplay top 10 with “How Do I Love Her,” which peaked at No. 7 in August 2003. Chapman, who has been producing hits since the late-1980s, logged many before Billboard’s Christian Airplay and AC Airplay charts began in June 2003.
“Heart” is from Chapman’s album Still, which entered Top Christian Albums at its No. 4 peak last October, awarding him his 21st top 10. He made his first of 27 appearances in 1987 with Real Life Conversation, which peaked at No. 19. He followed with his first top 10, More to Life (No. 2, May 1990). His first of nine No. 1s, For the Sake of the Call, reigned for two weeks in March 1991. He most recently led in November 2009 when Beauty Will Rise arrived at the summit.
Currently on tour, Chapman, 60, makes his next stop March 15 in Fort Wayne, Ind.