What is Gospel Music?

From the original Negro spirituals to the most contemporary Christian “Praise and Worship” songs used in modern worship services, the term “gospel music” actually encompasses a number of subgenres. This genre deals with religious — primarily Christian — themes based on sacred texts and traditions in general. Gospel evolved from two distinct but influential paths, similar to rock music: Caucasian religious hymnody and African-American traditional spirituals. All of today’s subgenres can be traced back to the point where those two musical philosophies collide.

Since the foundation of the first churches, music has always been an important part of Christian worship. Because it was in the form of chants or musical liturgy during the Mass ceremony, much of this early Christian music was not intended for commoners to perform. When the Protestant movement gained traction, the idea of writing hymns for congregational singing gained traction as well. Many Europeans used these hymns during their often lengthy worship services when they first colonized America. As composers used the musical styles of their time to create new hymns, this importation of sacred church music became the foundation of “white” gospel music.

In the meantime, the slave trade exposed native Africans to a foreign, often hostile environment. Many of these slaves brought a rich tradition of spiritual songs with them, which they would use to communicate or commiserate with other workers in the fields. The African-American community adopted Christian worship as a central part of their culture, and these spirituals served as the foundation for their emotional and passionate worship style. Many of these songs were combined with secular musical genres such as the blues or ragtime to form the earliest “black” gospel music, which provided a sense of comfort during times of hardship.

During the early twentieth century, the two paths collided in the South. White country musicians and their black counterparts frequently exchanged musical ideas, including the use of religious themes in secular music. The harmonies and upbeat qualities of modern hymns were familiar to white musicians, prompting some to form vocal quartets backed instruments commonly found in country bands. Southern gospel arose from this branch, with white singers employing many of the same vocal techniques as their black counterparts.

While white performers had more success in the Southern gospel music genre, black artists had a harder time finding a wider audience for their music. Many black musicians found that breaking into secular musical genres like boogie-woogie, jazz, or blues was easier. Before the 1950s, only a few black performers were successful in bringing their brand of black gospel music to a national audience. Although early rock and roll artists like Little Richard and Ray Charles managed to incorporate the gospel genre’s soulful sounds, their music remained firmly in the secular realm.

Elvis Presley, a young white singer, is credited with bringing gospel music to the attention of the general public. Presley grew up listening to black gospel music and had auditioned unsuccessfully for a Southern gospel quartet before finding success in secular music. Presley’s rendition of “Peace in the Valley,” a black spiritual, demonstrated that the genre could be marketed to a wider audience. Following that, gospel music became more commercially viable thanks to recordings Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, and a slew of other well-known singers.

Southern gospel music had evolved into a more polished, modern sound the 1970s. With the rise of alternative churches and youth-oriented worship centers, a modern genre known as “Praise and Worship” gained a lot of traction. Meanwhile, a new generation of black musicians emerged, with grittier urban sounds and a strong R&B influence. Contemporary urban gospel music is the name given to this subgenre.