2012 Gospel Music: Praise and Worship Playlist
Contents
Looking for some new music to get your praise and worship on? Check out this 2012 Gospel Music playlist, featuring some of the year’s hottest hits!
Intro
We’ve collected some of the best gospel music from last year for your listening pleasure. These tunes are perfect for a praise and worship session, and we hope they bless you as much as they blessed us.
What is Gospel Music?
Gospel music is a genre of Christian music. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is composed and performed for many purposes, including aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, and as an entertainment product for the marketplace. Gospel music usually has dominant vocals (often with strong use of harmony) with Christian lyrics. Gospel music can be traced to the early 17th century, with roots in the black oral tradition. Hymns and sacred songs were often repeated in a call and response fashion. Most of the churches relied on hand clapping and foot stomping as rhythmic accompaniment. Congregations sung “ responsorial psalms” which were choruses sung between verses of psalms or hymns.
The History of Gospel Music
Gospel music is a genre of Christian music. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is composed and performed for many purposes, including aesthetic pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, and as an entertainment product for the marketplace. Gospel music usually has dominant vocals (often with strong use of harmony) with Christian lyrics. Gospel music can be traced to the early 17th century, with roots in the black oral tradition. Hymns and sacred songs were often repeated in a call and response fashion. Most of the churches relied on hand clapping and foot stomping as rhythmic accompaniment.
In 1873, ragged shape-note singing was standardized into seven shapes that are still used today: doh, ray, me, fa, soh, la, ti. This led to evangelistic singers traveling around the country singing these songs in four-part harmony without any instrumentation. In 1910, Charles Tindley wrote “We’ll Understand it Better By and By” which is considered one of the first gospel songs ever written by a black composer. The first commercial recording of gospel music was made in 1922 by Marion Williams on Okeh Records.
The Golden Age of Gospel music was from 1940 to 1960. Many gospel artists started their careers during this time and some experienced mainstream success (such as Mahalia Jackson, Albertina Walker, James Cleveland and Andraé Crouch). In the 1960s and 1970s, elements of gospel began to be incorporated into soul music which led to the development of contemporary Christian music (CCM). Some popular CCM artists from this era include Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and Sandi Patty.
Gospel Music of the 21st Century
The 21st century has seen a rise in the popularity of gospel music. This genre of music often contains themes of hope, love, and faith. It is typically characterized by its use of elements from both traditional and contemporary gospel music styles.
One notable artist who has popularized this genre is Kirk Franklin. Kirk Franklin’s albums have topped the gospel charts and have won multiple Grammy Awards. He is credited with helping to bring gospel music to the mainstream.
Other popular artists who perform gospel music include Mahalia Jackson, James Cleveland, Andrae Crouch, CeCe Winans, Yolanda Adams, Fred Hammond, and Donnie McClurkin.
The Best Gospel Songs of 2012
The year 2012 was filled with great gospel music. Here are some of the best gospel songs of 2012.
“Amazing Grace” by Le’Andria Johnson
“I Won’t Go Back” by William McDowell
“Take Me to the King” by Tamela Mann
“Break Every Chain” by Tasha Cobbs
“I Smile” by Kirk Franklin
The Future of Gospel Music
There is no doubt that gospel music is evolving. With the advent of social media, the genre has been exposed to a wider audience and there are now more opportunities for independent artists to gain recognition. This has led to a wider range of styles being represented within the genre, from traditional choir-based music to contemporary R&B and hip-hop inspired sounds.
The future of gospel music looks set to be even more diverse, with a new generation of artists taking the genre in exciting new directions. We can only wait and see what the next few years hold for this truly inspirational form of music.
