The Definitive Southern Gospel Collection – 1976

It has been two months since I brought the definitive Southern Gospel collection feature.  This feature takes a look at the twenty best albums released in Southern Gospel by year.  This post takes a look at the year 1976.

The Inspirations were dominating Southern Gospel music during this era.  They won favorite group and song of the year at the Singing News fan awards for “Jesus Is Mine”.  The Hinsons also garnered a few awards in 1976 with Kenny winning lead singer and Chris (Hawkins) Freeman winning female vocalist.

On the Dove Awards front, “Statue Of Liberty” (Neil Enloe) won song of the year while the Speer Family’s Between The Cross And Heaven picked up album of the year.  The Oak Ridge Boys also walked away with a Grammy award for best Gospel performance for “Where The Soul Never Dies”.  1976 also had some of the longest album titles in Southern Gospel music.

The twenty best albums released in 1976 are:

1. From Out Of The West They Came, Live And On Stage – Hinsons (Calvary)
2. Old Fashioned, Down Home, Hand Clappin’, Foot Stompin’, Southern Style, Gospel Quartet Music – Oak Ridge Boys (Columbia)
3. It Made News In Heaven – Kingsmen (Canaan)
4. He Loves You – Florida Boys (Canaan)
5. 99 44/100% Goodmans – Happy Goodmans (Canaan)
6. The Son Is Shining – Rambos (Heart Warming)
7. Easy On The Ears And Heavy On The Heart – Cathedrals (Canaan)
8. Spiritfest – Downings (Impact)
9. Learning To Lean – Blackwood Brothers (Skylite)
10. 12th Anniversary Album Live – Inspirations (Canaan)
11. Between The Cross And Heaven – Speers (Heart Warming)
12. Refreshing – Dixie Melody Boys (QCA)
13. Just In Time – Kingsmen (Canaan)
14. Stand By Me – Senators with Jim Hamill (Supreme)
15. Just Because – Imperials (Impact)
16. A Night Of Inspiration Live – Inspirations (Canaan)
17. Get On Board – Dixie Echoes (Supreme)
18. We’re Not Getting Older, Just Closer To Home – Wendy Bagwell & Sunliters (Canaan)
19. In Concert – Galileans (Calvary)
20. Higher – Hopper Brothers & Connie (QCA)

Listen to a mash-up of music from Southern Gospel’s twenty best albums released in 1976.  Enjoy!

The Definitive Southern Gospel Collection – 2004

This week I wanted to return to the definitive Southern Gospel collection feature, examining the twenty best albums released by year.  This week we’ll take a look at the twenty best albums released in the year 2004.

Legacy Five (quartet), the Perrys (mixed group) and Greater Vision (trio) won their respective categories at the Singing News fan awards in 2004.  The Journey Ahead (Inspirations) picked up album of the year while “Just Ask”, by Greater Vision, won song of the year.

On the Dove Awards front, the Crabb Family picked up Southern Gospel album of the year (The Walk) and the Martins won Southern Gospel recorded song for “The Promise”.

The twenty definitive Southern Gospel albums released in 2004 are as follows:

1. Forever Changed – Kingdom Heirs (Sonlite)
2. Driven – Crabb Family (Daywind)
3. God Writes Our Story – Jody Brown Indian Family (Crossroads)
4. Soul Food – LordSong (Daywind)
5. Pure Southern Gospel – Booth Brothers (Custom)
6. Faces – Greater Vision (Daywind)
7. This I Know – CrossWay (SpringHill)
8. The Light Of Home – Nelons (Seraphim)
9. Home Free – Triumphant Quartet (Daywind)
10. Generations – Hoppers (Farm House)
11. First Class – Gold City (Cathedral)
12. Men Of His Word – Poet Voices (Sonlite)
13. Self Titled – Mercy’s Mark Quartet (Daywind)
14. Great Love – Signature Sound Quartet (Cathedral)
15. Monuments – Legacy Five (Daywind)
16. A Tribute To Mosie Lister – Dove Brothers Quartet (Sonlite)
17. Whosoever Believes – Greenes (ACA)
18. Life Of Love – Perrys (Daywind)
19. Heroes – Isaacs (Gaither Music Group)
20. A Tribute To Mahalia Jackson – Lynda Randle (Gaither Music Group)

Listen to a mash-up of music from the twenty best Southern Gospel albums released in 2004.  Enjoy!

The Definitive Southern Gospel Collection – 1993

This week’s definitive Southern Gospel collection looks at the best albums released in the year 1993.  This was the toughest year for me to sort through.  I had 75 albums to rank to determine the 20 best.

1993 still saw the dominance of Gold City.  They won the group of the year at the Singing News fan awards.  The also picked up album of the year (Pillars Of Faith) and song of the year (“There Rose A Lamb”).  ”There Rose A Lamb” also won the Dove award for Southern Gospel song of the year.

The definitive twenty albums released in Southern Gospel music in 1993 are as follows:

1. Let’s Have Church – Charles Johnson and the Revivers (Canaan)
2. High And Lifted Up – Cathedrals (Canaan)
3. One More Time – Hoppers (Sonlite)
4. It’s A Sweet Life – Greenes (RiverSong)
5. More Than My Voice – Bishops (MorningStar)
6. Our God Is Marching On – Phil Cross and Poet Voices (Sonlite)
7. Daddy’s Home – Karen Peck and New River (Horizon)
8. No Compromise – Dixie Melody Boys (MorningStar)
9. The King Came Down – Greater Vision (RiverSong)
10. I Hold A Clear Title – Perfect Heart (Star Song)
11. With His Power – McKameys (Horizon)
12. Southern Classics – Gaither Vocal Band (Benson)
13. A Cappella Gold – Gold City (RiverSong)
14. On Tour – Chuck Wagon Gang (Associated Artists)
15. New Horizons – Cumberland Boys (Daywind)
16. When Two Or Three Agree – New Journey (Canaan)
17. Tell It Like It Is – Carroll Roberson (MorningStar)
18. New Life – Kingsmen (Horizon)
19. Tell It Again – Wendy Bagwell and the Sunliters (Canaan)
20. Live From Chicago – Singing Americans (Dawn)

Listen to a mash-up of music from the twenty best albums released in 1993.  Enjoy!

The Definitive Southern Gospel Collection – 1973

I always strive to present the best Southern Gospel music had to offer through the course of its history.  The definitive Southern Gospel collection accomplishes that and this week we take a look at the best albums released in the year 1973.

The Singing News fan awards were in their infancy in 1973.  The Happy Goodmans won group of the year while “He Pilots My Ship” by the Hinsons picked up song of the year.  Duane Allen of the Oak Ridge Boys was awarded male vocalist and Ann Downing (Downings) won female vocalist.

On the Dove Awards front, “Why Me Lord” was awarded song of the year and Street Gospel by the Oak Ridge Boys was awarded album of the year.  The Blackwood Brothers and the Bill Gaither Trio also picked up Gospel Grammy Awards in 1973.

The definitive twenty albums released in Southern Gospel music in 1973 are:

1. A Love Story…Love Beyond Compare – Downings (Heart Warming)
2. Leaning On The Arms Of Jesus – JD Sumner & Stamps (Heart Warming)
3. Big And Live – Kingsmen (Canaan)
4. Live – Dixie Echoes (Supreme)
5. Street Gospel – Oak Ridge Boys (Heart Warming)
6. The Legendary Goodmans – Happy Goodmans (Canaan)
7. Greater – Downings (Heart Warming)
8. Better Than Ever – Florida Boys (Canaan)
9. Sing Me On Home – Rambos (Heart Warming)
10. We Promise You Gospel – Hinsons (Calvary)
11. I Never Shall Forget The Day – Speers (Heart Warming)
12. Sonshine – Rambos (Heart Warming)
13. In Action – Hemphills (Heart Warming)
14. Touring That City – Speers (Heart Warming)
15. The Last Sunday – Cathedral Quartet (Canaan)
16. Live Here Tonight – Jerry & Singing Goffs (Lighthouse)
17. The Dearest Friend I Ever Had – Sego Brothers & Naomi (Heart Warming)
18. Puts It Together – Blue Ridge Quartet (Canaan)
19. Plenty Of Time – Galileans (Rainbow Sound)
20. Touring That City – Inspirations (Canaan)

Listen to a mash-up of music from the twenty best albums released in 1973.  Enjoy!

The Definitive Southern Gospel Collection – 1987

This week I am taking a look at the best Southern Gospel albums released in the year 1987.  The Cathedrals won group of the year at the Singing News fan awards while “When I Get Carried Away” by Gold City picked up the song of the year and Stand Up At Opryland USA by the Kingsmen won video of the year.  I guess it is no surprise that these three artists had the three best album releases of 1987.

On other award fronts, The Master Builder by the Cathedrals picked up Southern Gospel album of the year at the Dove Awards.

The twenty best albums released in Southern Gospel music in the year 1987 are as follows:

1. Symphony Of Praise – Cathedrals (RiverSong)
2. Movin’ Up – Gold City (RiverSong)
3. Mississippi Live – Kingsmen (RiverSong)
4. Thanks – Nelons (Canaan)
5. Family Praise – Greenes (Eagle One)
6. Generations – Hinsons (Calvary)
7. Homecoming Live – Singing Americans (RiverSong)
8. Timeless – Florida Boys (New Haven)
9. Revival – Hemphills (RiverSong)
10. More Than Music – McKameys (MorningStar)
11. Land Of Living – Cathedrals (RiverSong)
12. It’s Still The Blood – Inspirations (Canaan)
13. Stand For Jesus – Hoppers (Sonlite)
14. Celebration At Sea Live – Speers (RiverSong)
15. Just No Stopping Us Now – Heaven Bound (RiverSong)
16. Special – McGruders (Sonlite)
17. City Lights – Mid South Boys (MorningStar)
18. A New Tradition – Jeff & Sheri Easter (RiverSong)
19. We Shall Stand Live – Perry Sisters (MorningStar)
20. Time For Love – Fox Brothers (MorningStar)

Listen to a mash-up of music from the twenty best albums of 1987.  Enjoy!

The Definitive Southern Gospel Collection – 1968

This week I wanted to get back to looking at the best Southern Gospel music albums released by year.  This week the definitive Southern Gospel collection takes its first look at the 1960′s.  The year is 1968 and Canaan, Heart Warming and Skylite were the dominant Southern Gospel music record labels.

This was before the Dove Awards and the Singing News fan awards came in to existence.  The Grammy awards did hand out three Gospel music trophies in 1968.  They went to Jake Hess (best sacred performance) for Beautiful Isle Of Somewhere, The Happy Goodmans (best gospel performance) for The Happy Gospel Of and Dottie Rambo (best soul gospel performance) for The Soul Of Me.

This was a time period when artists could release two to three new recordings a year.  The definitive twenty albums released in Southern Gospel music in 1968 are:

1. Big Singing Day – Speer Family (Heart Warming)
2. Portrait Of Excitement – Happy Goodmans (Canaan)
3. Sing Brother Sing – Statesmen Quartet (RCA Victor)
4. New Horizons – Oak Ridge Boys (Heart Warming)
5. Music, Music, Music – JD Sumner & Stamps (Skylite)
6. The Soul Singing Rambos – Rambos (Heart Warming)
7. The Happy Gospel Of – Happy Goodmans (Canaan)
8. Make Happy Tracks – Florida Boys (Canaan)
9. The Fabulous – Blackwood Brothers Quartet (RCA Victor)
10. An Evening With – Rambos (Heart Warming)
11. Now – Imperials (Impact)
12. Sing Out The Good News – Blue Ridge Quartet (Canaan)
13. The Gospel Truth – Wendy Bagwell & Sunliters (RCA Victor)
14. Joshua – Galileans (Canto Records)
15. Exciting And Inspiring – Dixie Echoes (Canaan)
16. The Best Of – JD Sumner & Stamps (Skylite)
17. Sings Of God And Country – Smitty Gatlin Trio (Skylite)
18. Upward And Onward – Prophets Quartet (Heart Warming)
19. Until Then – Rebels Quartet (Skylite)
20. This World Has Turned Me Down – Sego Brothers & Naomi (Heart Warming)

Listen to a mash-up of music from the definitive twenty albums released in 1968.  Any Southern Gospel historians out there feel there is any albums I missed from this year that should have made the list?  Enjoy!

The Definitive Southern Gospel Collection – 1997

With the NQC now in the rear view mirror, it is time to get back to regularly scheduled programming.  I thought I would kick off another week by taking a look at the best albums released in the year 1997 as part of the definitive Southern Gospel collection series.

Singing News fan award winners in 1997 included the Cathedrals (quartet), Hoppers (mixed group) and the Bishops (trio).  We Want America Back by the Steeles picked up album of the year while the Gaither Vocal Band claimed song of the year for “Yes I Know”.  The Martins were dominating the Dove Awards winning Southern Gospel album (Wherever You Are) and song (“Only God Knows”) of the year.

The twenty definitive Southern Gospel albums released in the year 1997 are as follows:

1. Trust The Truth – Phil Cross & Poet Voices (Sonlite)
2. Forever Settled – Hoppers (Homeland)
3. What A Great Lifestyle – Gold City (RiverSong)
4. When I See The Cross – Greater Vision (Daywind)
5. Anchored – Kingdom Heirs (Sonlite)
6. Lovin’ God & Lovin’ Each Other – Gaither Vocal Band (SpringHill)
7. Yesterday, Today And Forever – Crabb Family (MorningStar)
8. Standing Out – Freemans (Daywind)
9. Reach The World – Bishops (Homeland)
10. Seasons – Ruppes (SpringHill)
11. Crossings – Perrys (Daywind)
12. Bridges – Isaacs (Horizon)
13. Makin’ A Difference – Karen Peck & New River (Horizon)
14. Thoughts Of Him – Crossmen Quartet (Sonlite)
15. Anticipation – Anchormen (Zion)
16. So Thankful – Talley Trio (Parable)
17. You’re Not Alone – Kingsmen (Horizon)
18. In All I Do – Paid In Full (Custom)
19. Good Time In The House – Charles Johnson & Revivers (SpringHill)
20. One Cause – Shulers (Tradition)

Listen to a mash-up of music from the twenty best albums released in Southern Gospel music in 1997.  Enjoy!

The Definitive Southern Gospel Collection – 1988

No better way to start another weekend than by looking at the best in Southern Gospel music.  The definitive Southern Gospel collection looks at the best albums released in the year 1988.

Gold City was dominating the Singing New Fan Awards winning group and song of the year (for “Midnight Cry”).  1988 was also the first year the fan awards handed out horizon group.  That honor was given to the Dixie Melody Boys.  The Southern Gospel album of the year award winner at the Dove Awards in 1988 was Symphony Of Praise from the Cathedrals.

Overall, 1988 was a strong year for Southern Gospel album releases.  I attempted to rank the definitive twenty out of a list of nearly fifty recordings.  The definitive twenty (by rank) albums in Southern Gospel music for the year 1988 are as follows.

1. Get Ready – Nelons (Canaan)
2. Goin’ In Style – Cathedrals (Homeland)
3. Anchors Aweigh – Kingsmen (RiverSong)
4. Portrait – Gold City (RiverSong)
5. One Night Revival – Charles Johnson and the Revivers (Betterway)
6. Pure Gold – Kingdom Heirs (Sonlite)
7. Have Arrived Live – Freemans (Sonlite)
8. Live At Fayetteville Community Church – Bishops (MorningStar)
9. This Is War – Paynes (RiverSong)
10. Ministry – Heaven Bound (RiverSong)
11. For Every Generation – Talleys (Canaan)
12. Gone To Meetin’ – McKameys (MorningStar)
13. Sing It Live – Wilburns (Harvest)
14. God’s Little People – Perrys (MorningStar)
15. Saved To The Uttermost – Speers (Homeland)
16. He’s Still God Live – Hoppers (Sonlite)
17. Wings – Gaither Vocal Band (Star Song)
18. One Of A Kind – Mid South Boys (MorningStar)
19. From Our Heart – Greenes (Journey)
20. Heartfelt – Cedar Ridge (Sonlite)

Listen to a mash-up of music from the twenty best albums of 1988.  Enjoy!