Gospel Charts

Gospel charts from Billboard magazine, 1999.
Courtesy BPI Communications, Inc., and Billboard magazine.

Gospel charts from Billboard magazine, 1999. Courtesy BPI Communications, Inc., and Billboard magazine.

All musical styles change over time. Many new, younger artists, who grew up with musical influences such as Motown, R&B, Hip Hop, and Rap, want to hear the music they enjoy in their religious music, just as Dorsey did. Their attempts to introduce these styles into gospel have met with cries that this music should not be called gospel.

Sales of gospel recordings have never been higher. Popular recording artists such as Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin have returned to their gospel roots, releasing collections of gospel songs.