Faith shows up across every genre: gospel that lifts the roof, hymns sung for centuries, and rock and country songs wrestling with belief and doubt out loud. This list gathers the ones that crossed over to everyone.
Updated 2026
Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum 1969
A fuzzed-out rock song about wanting a good place to go when you die.
Oh Happy Day by Edwin Hawkins Singers 1969
The gospel choir record that became a worldwide hit.
My Sweet Lord by George Harrison 1970
A quiet, open longing to feel close to the divine.
Knockin' on Heaven's Door by Bob Dylan 1973
A dying man at the threshold, laying his weapons down.
Let It Be by The Beatles 1970
Comfort arriving like a hymn in a moment of trouble.
God Only Knows by The Beach Boys 1966
Devotion so deep it can only be measured against the divine.
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen 1984
A broken, searching prayer that means something different to everyone.
Read the meaning behind the songI Can Only Imagine by MercyMe 1999
Wondering what it will feel like to finally stand before God.
Jesus, Take the Wheel by Carrie Underwood 2005
A woman at the end of her rope handing the fear over.
Amazing Grace by John Newton 1779
The hymn of second chances, still sung at every kind of gathering.
Take Me to Church by Hozier 2013
Borrows the language of worship to question the church itself.
Read the meaning behind the songDown to the River to Pray by Alison Krauss 2000
An old spiritual carried by one clear, unaccompanied voice.