The following list of list of best-selling gospel music artists includes music acts from the 20th century to the present who have recorded gospel music. This information cannot be listed officially, as there is no organization that has recorded global music sales.
Artist | Country | Period active | Release-year of first charted record | Genre | Total certified units | Claimed sales |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Staple Singers | United States | 1940s–1990s [1] | 1967 [2] | Gospel, soul, country soul, R&B [1] | 30 million [5] | |
CeCe Winans | United States | 1980s–2020s [6] | 1984 [7] | Contemporary Gospel, gospel,Adult Contemporary R&B,CCM [6] | 19 million [9] | |
Mahalia Jackson | United States | 1920s–1970s [10] | 1958 [11] | Traditional gospel music, spirituals, blues [10] | — | 12 million [12] [13] |
Kirk Franklin | United States | 1990s–2020s [14] | 1993 [15] | Contemporary Gospel, gospel [14] | 15 million [16] | |
Donnie McClurkin | United States | 1990s–2020s [17] | 1996 [18] | Contemporary Gospel, gospel [19] | 13 million [upper-alpha 1] | |
BeBe & CeCe Winans | United States | 1980s–2020s [23] | 1984 [24] | Adult Contemporary R&B, contemporary gospel, gospel [23] | 7 million [25] | |
Yolanda Adams | United States | 1990s–2020s [26] | 1987 [19] | Contemporary Gospel, gospel, inspirational, new-age [19] | 10 million [27] [28] | |
Mary Mary | United States | 1990s–2020s [29] | 2000 [30] | Contemporary gospel, adult contemporary R&B, Contemporary R&B [29] | 8 million [36] [37] | |
Trin-i-tee 5:7 | United States | 1990s–2020s [38] | 1998 [39] | Contemporary gospel, gospel [38] | 2.5 million [40] | |
Shirley Caesar | United States | 1950s–2020s [41] | 1975 [42] | Contemporary gospel, traditional gospel music [41] | 2.2 million [43] |
Title | Released | Artist | Confirmed sales [lower-alpha 1] | Claimed sales | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
"Move On Up a Little Higher" | 1947 | Mahalia Jackson | — | 8 million | [44] [45] |
"Oh Happy Day" | 1968 | The Edwin Hawkins Singers | Total available sales: 1 million
| 7 million | [47] [48] |
"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" | 1957 | Laurie London with the Geoff Love Orchestra and Chorus | 3 million | [51] | |
"I'll Take You There" | 1972 | The Staple Singers | 2 million | [53] | |
"Follow God" | 2019 | Kanye West | — | ||
"Shackles (Praise You)" | 2000 | Mary Mary | — |
List of best-selling gospel songs which are uncertified in the United Kingdom.
Title | Released | Artist | Known sales | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" | 1957 | Laurie London with the Geoff Love Orchestra and Chorus | 300,000 | [63] [51] |
The songs listed below have crossed the sales thresholds — 200,000 (Silver), 400,000 (Gold), 600,000 (Platinum) — to be certified by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). [64]
Title | Released | Artist(s) | Certification | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Blinded by Your Grace, Pt. 2" | 2017 | Stormzy featuring MNEK | 2x Platinum | [65] |
"Shackles (Praise You)" | 2000 | Mary Mary | Platinum | [35] |
"I'll Take You There" | 1972 | The Staple Singers | Silver | [52] |
"I Am Blessed" | 1995 | Eternal | Silver | [66] |
"Follow God" | 2019 | Kanye West | Silver | [56] |
"Hurricane" | 2021 | Silver | [67] | |
List of gospel songs which have reported sales of 1 million units or higher but are uncertified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Though "I'll Take You There" by The Staple Singers was certified Gold on January 31, 2019 for digital sales of 500,000 units, [4] its physical sales of 1.5 million units, reported on May 6, 1972 are uncertified by the RIAA. [68]
Title | Released | Artist | Claimed sales | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
"I'll Take You There" | 1972 | The Staple Singers | 1.5 million | [68] |
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" | 1909 | Fisk University Jubilee Quartet | 1 million | [69] |
"Can the Circle Be Unbroken (Bye and Bye)" | 1935 | The Carter Family | [69] | |
"Ave Maria" | 1937 | Marian Anderson | [69] | |
"When the Saints Go Marching In" | 1938 | Louis Armstrong | [69] | |
"Strange Things Happening Every Day" | 1945 | Sister Rosetta Tharpe | [69] | |
"Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around" | 1947 | Fairfield Four | [69] | |
"Even Me" | 1948 | Mahalia Jackson | [70] | |
"I'll Fly Away" | The Chuck Wagon Gang | [71] | ||
"Just Over the Hill" | 1950 | Mahalia Jackson | [72] | |
"Surely God Is Able" | The Famous Ward Singers | [73] [74] [75] | ||
"How I Got Over" | 1951 | Clara Ward | [76] | |
"Uncloudy Day" | 1956 | The Staple Singers | [77] [78] | |
"Packing Up" | 1957 | The Famous Ward Singers | [79] [80] | |
List of gospel songs which have certified sales of 1 million units or higher. From 1958 [81] to 1988, the sales thresholds for a certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) were 1 million units (Gold) and 2 million units (Platinum). [82] [83] The songs listed below were certified prior to 1989.
Title | Released | Artist(s) | Certification | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" | 1957 | Laurie London with the Geoff Love Orchestra and Chorus | Gold | [49] [50] |
"Oh Happy Day" | 1969 | The Edwin Hawkins Singers | [46] | |
"Put Your Hand in the Hand" | 1971 | Ocean | [84] [85] | |
"If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)" | 1973 | The Staple Singers | [86] | |
The songs listed below have crossed the current 1 million unit threshold to be certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Title | Released | Artist(s) | Certification | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
"Take Me to the King" | 2012 | Tamela Mann | 2x Platinum | [87] |
"Follow God" | 2019 | Kanye West | [57] | |
"Hurricane" | 2021 | Kanye West, the Weeknd featuring Lil Baby | [57] | |
"Shackles (Praise You)" | 2000 | Mary Mary | Platinum | [88] |
"Never Would Have Made It" | 2007 | Marvin Sapp | [89] | |
"I Look to You" | 2009 | Whitney Houston | [90] | |
"The Best in Me" | 2010 | Marvin Sapp | [89] | |
"I Smile" | 2011 | Kirk Franklin | [91] | |
"Break Every Chain" | 2014 | Tasha Cobbs Leonard | [92] | |
"Every Praise" | 2015 | Hezekiah Walker | [93] | |
"Worth" | Anthony Brown & group therAPy | [94] | ||
"I'll Find You" | 2017 | Lecrae, Tori Kelly | [95] | |
"Your Spirit" | Tasha Cobbs Leonard, Kierra Sheard | [92] | ||
"Coming In Hot" | 2018 | Lecrae, Andy Mineo | [95] | |
"You Know My Name" | Tasha Cobbs Leonard | [92] | ||
"Jireh" | 2022 | Elevation Worship, Maverick City Music, Chandler Moore, Naomi Raine | [96] |
Title | Released | Artist | Sales |
---|---|---|---|
The Preacher's Wife | 1996 | Whitney Houston | 6 million [97] |
Title | Released | Artist | Certification | Known sales |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Preacher's Wife | 1997 | Whitney Houston | Platinum [98] | — |
Donda | 2021 | Kanye West | Platinum [99] | — |
List of gospel albums which have crossed the sales thresholds — 60,000 (Silver), 100,000 (Gold), 300,000 (Platinum) — for certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). [64]
Title | Released | Artist | Certification | Known sales |
---|---|---|---|---|
Donda | 2021 | Kanye West | Gold [100] | — |
Come Together: A Musical Experience in Love | 1973 | Jimmy and Carol Owens featuring Pat Boone | — | 75,000 [101] |
The Preacher's Wife | 1997 | Whitney Houston | Silver [102] | — |
Gospel Favourites | 1999 | Elvis Presley | Silver [103] | — |
Love Never Fails | 2013 | Jahméne Douglas | Silver [104] | 61,826 [105] |
Jesus Is King | 2020 | Kanye West | Silver [106] | |
List of gospel albums which have reported sales of 1 million units or higher but are uncertified by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Title | Released | Artist | Known sales | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Peace Be Still | 1963 | James Cleveland | 1 million | [107] [108] |
Love Alive III | 1984 | Walter Hawkins | [109] [110] | |
List of gospel albums which have a Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
List of gospel compilation albums featuring various artists, which have a Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Title | Released | Certification | Known sales |
---|---|---|---|
WOW Gospel 1998 | 1998 | Platinum [123] | — |
WOW Gospel 1999 | 1999 | Platinum [123] | — |
WOW Gospel 2000 | 2000 | Platinum [123] | — |
WOW Gospel 2001 | 2001 | Platinum [123] | — |
WOW Gospel 2003 | 2003 | Platinum [123] | — |
WOW Gospel 2004 | 2004 | Platinum [123] | — |
WOW Gospel 2005 | 2005 | Platinum [123] | — |
Priscilla Marie Winans Love, known professionally as CeCe Winans, is an American gospel singer. Winans has garnered 15 Grammy Awards, the most for a female gospel singer; 31 GMA Dove Awards, 17 Stellar Awards, 7 NAACP Image Awards, along with many other awards and honors to her credit including being one of the inaugural inductees into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame. Winans is considered one of the greatest gospel artists of all time, and is the most-awarded and best-selling gospel act of all time.
The discography of British musician Paul McCartney consists of 26 studio albums, four compilation albums, nine live albums, 37 video albums, two extended plays, 111 singles, seven classical albums, five electronica albums, 17 box sets, and 79 music videos. Before his career as a solo artist, McCartney enjoyed success as a member of the rock band the Beatles.
American singer, actress, producer and entertainer Whitney Houston, who is known as “The Voice”, released seven studio albums, eight compilations, three soundtrack albums, five box sets, six extended plays, and 57 singles. She has sold over 220 million records worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling music artists in history. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), Houston is the best-selling female R&B artist of the 20th century, and has sold 100 million certified records in the United States. She is also the fourth best-selling female album artist in the US with 61 million certified album sales. In addition, until the launch of the RIAA's digital certification program in 2004, she had sold 16.5 million physical singles—more than any other female solo artist in history. According to the Official Charts Company in October 2012, Houston is the fourth-biggest-selling female singles artists of all-time list with a sales total of 8.5 million singles in that country.
BeBe & CeCe Winans are an American gospel music brother and sister duo. BeBe and CeCe Winans are the seventh and eighth of the Winans family's ten children, most of whom have had gospel music careers. Together, they have received several awards, including three Grammys.
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Donald Andrew McClurkin Jr. is an American gospel singer and minister. He has won three Grammy Awards, ten Stellar Awards, two BET Awards, two Soul Train Awards, one Dove Award and one NAACP Image Awards. He is one of the top selling gospel artists, selling over 13 million albums. Variety dubbed McClurkin as a "Reigning King of Urban Gospel".
The Preacher's Wife: Original Soundtrack Album is the soundtrack to the 1996 film of the same name and features songs performed and produced by American singer Whitney Houston, who also stars in the film. The soundtrack was released on November 26, 1996, by Arista Records and BMG Entertainment. With sales of 6 million copies worldwide, it is the best-selling gospel album of all time.
"I'll Take You There" is a song written by Al Bell, and originally performed by soul/gospel family band the Staple Singers. The Staple Singers version, produced by Bell, was released on Stax Records in February 1972, and spent a total of 15 weeks on the charts and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. By December 1972, it had sold 2 million units and is ranked as the 19th biggest American hit of 1972. It remains one of the best-selling gospel songs of all time.
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WOW Gospel 1998 is a gospel music compilation album in the WOW series. It was released on January 27, 1998, and is the first WOW album to feature and focus on contemporary gospel in the wake of its growing popularity at the time, thus setting high standard for future releases. It reached chart position 100 on the Billboard 200, and second place on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums chart.
WOW Gospel 1999 is a gospel music compilation album in the WOW series. Released February 23, 1999, it features thirty-three songs on two CDs. It reached 94 on the Billboard 200 chart, and second place on the Top Gospel Albums chart in 1999.
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This article contains the discography of American R&B singer Ginuwine. This includes eight studio albums, 36 singles and four compilation albums.
WOW Gospel 2001 is a gospel music compilation album in the WOW series. Released February 6, 2001, it comprises thirty-two songs on a double disc set. The album reached 75 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2001, and hit number one in both 2001 and 2002 on the Top Gospel Albums chart.
WOW Gospel 2002 is a gospel music compilation album in the WOW series. Released February 5, 2002, it includes thirty songs and two bonus tracks on a double album. It reached 46 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2002, and hit number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart.
WOW Gospel 2003 is a gospel music compilation album from the WOW series. Released February 4, 2003, it includes a total of thirty-three songs on two CDs. The album reached 29 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2003, and hit number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart in 2004.
WOW Gospel 2004 is a gospel music compilation album from the WOW series. Released January 27, 2004, it includes thirty songs on a double CD album. It reached number 27 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2004, and hit number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart that year and also in 2006; it made number 19 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in 2004. The album cover pays tribute to Houston, Texas.
WOW Gospel 2005 is a double CD gospel music compilation album in the WOW series. Released on January 25, 2005, it has thirty-one tracks. The album cover pays tribute to Washington, D.C.
WOW Gospel 2006 is a gospel music compilation album from the WOW series. Released on January 31, 2006, it comprises thirty-two songs on a double disc album. The release reached 20 on the Billboard 200 chart in 2006, the highest peak of any of the WOW Gospel series thus far, and made number one on the Top Gospel Albums chart. The album cover pays tribute to Chicago, Illinois.
This is a comprehensive listing of official releases by CeCe Winans, an American gospel singer. Winans is the best-selling and most-awarded female gospel artist of all time. She has sold 17 million records worldwide and won 12 Grammy Awards, 23 Dove Awards, and 15 Stellar Awards. Furthermore, Winans is an inductee in the Gospel Music Hall of Fame, with stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and Nashville Music City Walk of Fame.
Pervis became friends with Bob Dylan, who called their 1959 song Uncloudy Day, believed to be the first million-selling gospel single, "the most mysterious thing I'd ever heard".
In the black church world, they were renowned for their million-sellers, such as "Packing Up, Getting Ready to Go" and "Surely, God Is Able."
Cleveland has more than 50 albums in the Savoy catalogue, including Peace Be Still, recorded live with the legendary Angelic Choir more than 15 years ago. It has sold more than a million copies to an almost exclusively black gospel audience, and it is still one of Savoy's biggest hits.
The artist passed another milestone with Savoy's 1963 release Peace Be Still.A recording pairing Cleveland with the Angelic Choir of Nutley, New Jersey, the album, which held a spot on the gospel charts for more than fifteen years, has sold more than one million copies, an almost unheard of achievement for a gospel recording.
It wasn't until 1985 that Love Alive III was finished. It earned a Dove Award nomination and sold more than a million copies.
This was surpassed by their third album, Love Alive III, which topped the million sales mark.