Best Recorded Songs Of 2019

Welcome to 2020!  Now that we’ve wrapped up the annual countdown of Southern Gospel’s best albums, I will do one final post on the best of 2019, with what I consider to be the 20 best recorded Southern Gospel music songs for the year that was.

What did you consider the top recorded songs of 2019?

1. “Even Me” – Jeff Bumgardner, Jason Cox, Kenna West; recorded by the Triumphant Quartet (Yes)
2. “City Of Joy” – Michael Neale; recorded by the Sound (Make It Count)
3. “What Kind Of Man” – Jason Cox, Sue C Smith, Kenna West; recorded by Legacy Five (Pure Love)
4. “Blank Page” – Lee Black, Devin McGlamery, Nathan Woodard; recorded by the Dunaways (Blank Page)
5. “None Of That Here” – Lee Black, Joseph Habedank, Tony Wood; recorded by Joseph Habedank (Deeper Oceans)
6. “Victory Shout” – Jason Cox, Kenna West; recorded by the Kingsmen (Victory Shout)
7. “I Know Him” – Jason Cox, Amber Eppinette, Kenna West; recorded by 11th Hour (A Lot With A Little)
8. “Shame On Me” – Michael Boggs, Jason Cox, Joseph Habeank; recorded by Joseph Habedank (Deeper Oceans)
9. “Sweet Hellos” – Sheri Easter, Kenna West, Nathan Woodard; recorded by Jeff & Sheri Easter (You Are Loved)
10. “Going There” – Lee Black, Scott Inman; recorded by the Triumphant Quartet (Yes)
11. “This Side Of Heaven” – Blake Bollinger, Liz Hengber, Sam Tinnesz; recorded by Michael Booth (Dear Yesterday)
12. “Only Jesus” – Gloria Gaither, William J Gaither; recorded by the Gaither Vocal Band (Good Things Take Time)
13. “Hiding Place” – Steven Curtis Chapman, Jerry Salley; recorded by the Sound (Memories)
14. “Dear John” – Jason Cox, Joseph Habedank, Kenna West; recorded by the Kingsmen (Victory Shout)
15. “That’s Just His Way” – Dottie Rambo; recorded by the Villines Family (He Already Made A Way)
16. “Nothing At All” – Sarah Davison, Michael Farren, Tony Wood; recorded by High Road (High Road)
17. “High On Zion’s Mountain” – Dianne Wilkinson; recorded by the Kingdom Heirs (Everything In Between)
18. “What Are You Waiting For” – Michael Farren, Jeff Mathena; recorded by Cana’s Voice (Don’t Wanna Miss This)
19. “When God Says Wait” – Matthew Browder, John Darin Rowsey; recorded by the Browders (Authentic)
20. “Born A Sinner, Died A Saint” – Lee Black, Jason Cox; recorded by Wilburn & Wilburn (Raised On Red)

 

Best Of 2019: #1

REASON FOR RANKING:  It is uncommon that the most popular artists in Southern Gospel music are releasing the best music.  That was not the case in 2019.

No doubt, the most popular artist in Southern Gospel music right now is Triumphant Quartet.  In 2019, they gave listeners the best album of their career with Yes.

Yes is the kind of album Southern Gospel historians will look back 20 years from now and recognize as one of Southern Gospel’s all time greatest recordings.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “Even Me”; (2) “Going There”; (3) “Yes”; (4) “A Little Bit”; (5) “Joy”.

 

Best Of 2019: #2

REASON FOR RANKING:  The Sound returned to the scene in 2017 after the name had been retired for over 20 years.  The trio had a stellar 2019 with back to back top 40 hit singles.

November 2019 brought the first major label release from the trio which now ranks 2nd among the best Southern Gospel albums released this year.

The Sound will be a top artist in the next decade and Make It Count will bring several big hits in 2020.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “City Of Joy”; (2) “Can I Get A Witness”; (3) “Great God Almighty”; (4) “I Am Becoming”; (5) “It Was Grace”.

 

Best Of 2019: #3/#4/#5

REASON FOR RANKING:  Joseph Habedank had the #1 album released in 2017 (Resurrection).  He follows that up with the album ranked 3rd among 2019’s best; Deeper Oceans.  Joseph continues to impress with his songwriting.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “Shame On Me; (2) “None Of That Here”; (3) “Deeper Oceans”; (4) “Something Different”; (5) “Sometimes It’s The Radio”.

REASON FOR RANKING:  The Dunaways released one of the best albums of the decade in 2014 (Church In The Kitchen).  They close out the decade with one of the best albums of 2019.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “Blank Page”; (2) “Faith Like That”; (3) “We’re All Broken”; (4) “Taking No Baggage With Me”; (5) “Here’s My Goodbye”.

REASON FOR RANKING:  What happens when the Kingsmen hire two new vocal members and release a new album?  They end up with one of the top five albums of the year.  Victory Shout is anchored by the #1 title track.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “Victory Shout”; (2) “Dear John”; (3) “I’ve Ever Been Glad”; (4) “It Still Changes Me”; (5) “Just Climb”.

 

Best Of 2019: #6/#7/#8

REASON FOR RANKING:  The Kingdom Heirs decided to be ambitious and release two new albums in 2019.  Everything In Between was the better of the two and one of the best Southern Gospel albums released this year.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “High On Zion’s Mountain”; (2) “Come To The Well”; (3) “Ready For Glory”; (4) “I’ll Never Get Over The Blood That I’m Under”; (5) “Everything In Between”.

REASON FOR RANKING:  An unknown group came on the scene in 2019 and blew me away.  As we close the year, there has not been a single album in my personal playlists more this year than the Villines Family, He Already Made A Way.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “That’s Just His Way”; (2) “Joy’s Coming”; (3) “Worry Ends Where Faith Begins”; (4) “To God It’s Nothing New”; (5) “Without The Battle”.

REASON FOR RANKING:  Jeff and Sheri Easter have brought their own brand of Southern/country/bluegrass Gospel music for over 30 years now.  2019’s, You Are Loved had some outstanding lyrical content.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “Sweet Hellos”; (2) “Learning To Dance In The Rain”; (3) “You Are Loved”; (4) “Send It On Down The Nile”; (5) “Never Been Too Sad To Sing”.

 

Best Of 2019: #9/#10/#11

REASON FOR RANKING:  Amber Eppinette had some of the best songwriting of her career on A Lot With A Little.  It easily exceeded the group’s previous album.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “I Know Him”; (2) “How Much Broken Is Enough”; (3) “Always On His Mind”; (4) “A Lot With A Little”; (5) “Love Don’t”.

REASON FOR RANKING:  The Perrys decided to go with a seven song EP in 2019.  Strong enough to land in the top ten of all Southern Gospel albums released this year.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “It Never Gets Old”; (2) “Walk Me Through”; (3) “Tailor Made”; (4) “Take You To The Cross”; (5) “Keep Movin’ Along”.

REASON FOR RANKING:  A trio made up of three stand out solo artists, Cana’s Voice, finally got their sophomore album out to listeners in 2019.  It definitely did not disappoint.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “What Are You Waiting For”; (2) “Center Of It All”; (3) “I Don’t Have To Know”; (4) “Orphans Of God”; (5) “At Midnight”.

Best Of 2019: #12/#13/#14

REASON FOR RANKING:  You’d be hard pressed to look back through my annual album countdown’s over the last decade and not see that year’s new Gaither Vocal Band release.  2019 is no different.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “Only Jesus”; (2) “Good Things Just Take Time”; (3) “Child Of The King”; (4) “Hear My Song Lord”; (5) “Goin’ Up Yonder”.

REASON FOR RANKING:  The Old Paths have released two EP’s back to back.  It’s Real was strong enough to be ranked among the best Southern Gospel albums released in 2019.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “When It Comes To Jesus”; (2) “Lord Knows”; (3) “The God I Know”; (4) “Come Sunday Morning”; (5) “I Need Jesus To Walk On The Water”.

REASON FOR RANKING:  2019 saw major changes in Legacy Five, with the additions of Lee Black (tenor vocalist) and Bryan Walker (baritone vocalist).  These new members wowed with the release of Pure Love.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “What Kind Of Man”; (2) “What A Day”; (3) “Only Passing Through”; (4) “That’s What Makes Believers Believe”; (5) “Beggin’ For Change”.

Best Of 2019: #15/#16/#17

REASON FOR RANKING:  Greater Vision is a model of consistency.  Anchored by Rodney Griffin and Chris Allman’s songwriting, the trio continues to provide listeners with quality material.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “You’ve Arrived”; (2) “That Blind Man Was Me”; (3) “That Temporary Place”; (4) “I Remember The Fish”; (5) “A Song About The Blood”.

REASON FOR RANKING:  I have been impressed with the amount of albums released in 2019 that moved away from over orchestration and got back to acoustical/rhythmic instruments.  High Road is one of the best.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “Nothing At All”; (2) “It’s You”; (3) “The Day I Got Saved”; (4) “High Road”; (5) “Faith, Hope And Love”.

REASON FOR RANKING:  Even as a member of the Gaither Vocal Band, Adam Crabb is still releasing solo albums with Daywind Records.  2019 found his best yet.

FIVE BEST SONGS FROM THE ALBUM:  (1) “Well Done My Child”; (2) “There Is A Healer”; (3) “The Old Rugged Cross Made The Difference”; (4) “Higher”; (5) “Devil’s Hand”.