Exploring the Heart of the King: An Elvis Presley Gospel Hymns List and Countdown

Jonh Luke8 hours ago

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“My first [love] I would say would be spiritual music … I mean some of the old colored spirituals, you know, from years back.”

In a revealing statement made at a Vancouver, B.C., press conference in August 1957, Elvis Presley articulated the profound influence that spiritual music had on him, particularly during the formative years of his career. Even as he stood at the pinnacle of his rock ‘n’ roll fame, Elvis had already begun recording what are widely considered his earliest “gospel” songs. This deep connection to religious and spiritual music persisted throughout his career, with Elvis intermittently returning to record hymns and gospel tracks. For fans exploring an Elvis Presley Hymns List, his gospel output offers a unique glimpse into the soul of the King of Rock and Roll.

During his lifetime, RCA Records released a total of 11 gospel records by Elvis Presley. This included four long-play (LP) albums, one extended-play (EP) album, and six single records. The first gospel offering was Peace in the Valley, a four-song EP released in April 1957. This was followed by his debut gospel LP, His Hand in Mine, featuring 12 tracks and appearing in November 1960. Elvis’s first gospel single, showcasing “Crying in the Chapel,” hit shelves in April 1965. Its unexpected commercial success prompted RCA to issue two more gospel singles the following year around Easter. The four songs featured on these singles—”Joshua Fit the Battle,” “Known Only to Him,” “Milky White Way,” and “Swing Down Sweet Chariot”—were drawn from the His Hand in Mine LP.

Elvis’s second gospel LP, How Great Thou Art, arrived in March 1967, presenting 12 fresh recordings. A year later, another Easter-themed single, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” backed with “We Call on Him,” was released. These two tracks were later included on Elvis’s third gospel LP, also titled You’ll Never Walk Alone, a budget-priced release in March 1971. Of the nine songs on that album, only two were previously unreleased: “Sing You Children” from the Easy Come, Easy Go movie soundtrack and “Let Us Pray” from Change of Habit. Just one month after that, Elvis’s fifth gospel single, “Life” coupled with “Only Believe,” was issued. For those interested in discovering more about the range of elvis presley elvis gospel recordings, these albums and singles form the core collection.

RCA’s final gospel single release during Elvis’s life was “He Touched Me” and “Bosom of Abraham,” released in the Easter season of 1972. These two songs also appeared as tracks on Presley’s last gospel LP, He Touched Me, which became available in April 1972. However, these were not the absolute last gospel numbers Elvis recorded. Over the subsequent five years, gospel cuts such as “Help Me” and “I Got a Feelin’ in My Body” were included on his regular pop LPs released by RCA. Additionally, live recordings of powerful gospel performances like “How Great Thou Art” and “Why Me Lord?” were featured on concert LPs released in the mid-seventies.

In total, approximately 60 gospel recordings by Elvis Presley were released in various formats throughout his lifetime. Selecting the 10 “best” from this extensive catalog is, naturally, a highly subjective endeavor. Below is a personal selection presented in a countdown format. For many, exploring the depth of Elvis’s spiritual recordings reveals a side of the artist as compelling as his rock and roll persona, often leading to discussions about the best elvis gospel songs ever recorded.

A Top 10 Countdown: Elvis Presley’s Best Gospel Recordings

10. “Peace in the Valley” (1957):

Elvis recorded this song, which served as the title track for his first gospel record, in Hollywood on January 13, 1957. He had famously performed it just a week earlier during his final appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in New York. While Elvis’s delivery on this track might not possess the polish found in his later 1960 gospel sessions, his evident commitment to the song and its message played a role in softening some of the public criticism he had faced up to that point. This early recording is a key entry when considering elvis presley 1957 songs and his nascent foray into dedicated gospel releases.

9. “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (1968):

This poignant song was recorded during Elvis’s Nashville studio sessions in September 1967. As detailed by Mike Cimicata and Ernst Jorgensen in the sleeve notes for the 2009 Presley gospel compilation, I Believe, its recording was deeply personal. “On the last night of sessions,” they wrote, “he sat down at the piano and asked for the lights to be turned down. He started playing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ over and over, not pausing between takes, just endlessly repeating, driving every bit of emotion from the song, seemingly lost in his own world.” Producer Felton Jarvis edited the resulting tapes to create a master version, which was later released as a single. The recording earned Elvis a 1968 Grammy nomination for “Best Sacred Performance.”

8. “Run On” (1967)

A primary objective of Elvis’s May 1966 Nashville sessions was to gather sufficient material for a new gospel album. To accommodate any desired sound, 14 musicians were present in the studio. Alongside the renowned Jordanaires, The Imperials and a female trio were also on hand to provide vocal backing. The very first song this large ensemble tackled was “Run On.” Ernst Jorgensen described it as “an up-tempo number in the jubilee tradition.” The track kicks off with a distinctive piano-run by Floyd Cramer followed by a low “hmmm” from the vocalists. Jorgensen remarked, “The second take was full of energy, with the full electric band and eleven singers making a very joyful noise. It was a remarkable updating of traditional gospel music—tough, powerful, even threatening—different from any religious music he had ever recorded.” The energy captured here is a testament to the unique collaborative sound, including the jordanaires his hand in mine contributions on other tracks from this era.

7. “Joshua Fit the Battle” (1960)

This particular track stands out as a personal favorite from Presley’s 1960 gospel album, His Hand in Mine. According to Gordon Stoker of The Jordanaires, in notes for Elvis’s I Believe box set, “After rehearsing it a few times, he was ready to roll tape. Listen to it; those words are not easy.” The vocal blend achieved with The Jordanaires on this up-tempo tune was remarkably seamless. It required several takes to perfect the timing and tone of the five individual voices at the song’s conclusion, but the final result features an inspiring flourish that brings the recording to a powerful close.

6. “I Got a Feelin’ in My Body” (1974)

Elvis frequently commenced his recording sessions by gathering his backing vocalists around a piano for informal singing of spirituals. It was a natural progression, therefore, that he began his December 1973 sessions at Stax Studios in Memphis with “I Got a Feelin’ in My Body.” Ernst Jorgensen characterized this track as a “funkily rhythmic contemporary religious number.” The song was composed by Dennis Linde, who was also responsible for writing Elvis’s hit “Burning Love.” Jorgensen noted, “It was a great kickoff for the sessions.” “I Got a Feelin’ in My Body” proved to be one of the highlights on Elvis’s 1974 album, Good Times.

5. “He Touched Me” (1972)

Elvis recorded “He Touched Me,” the title track of his fourth and final gospel LP, on May 15, 1971, amidst a week-long series of sessions in Nashville. Elvis’s lifelong familiarity and comfort with such hymns allowed him to capture his emotional vocal performance on tape in just a few takes. It also significantly helped that “He Touched Me” was the signature song of The Imperials, the esteemed vocal group who provided support on Elvis’s version. Released the following year, Elvis’s He Touched Me LP earned him the second of his three Grammy awards, highlighting the critical acclaim for his spiritual work beyond popular music categories.

4. “His Hand in Mine” (1960)

When Elvis traveled to Nashville in October 1960 to record his inaugural sacred LP, he collaborated with the identical lineup of musicians and vocal backing artists used for his pop recordings. This relatively small group managed to produce 14 master recordings in a single, marathon session. “His Hand in Mine,” a song previously recorded by one of Elvis’s favorite gospel quartets, The Statesmen, was the second number laid down on tape that evening. Charlie Hodge, Elvis’s close army friend, whom Jorgensen noted “was as familiar as Elvis with the genre,” sang harmony with Elvis on the track. “Over the course of only five takes,” says Jorgensen, “they developed an impressive vocal arrangement featuring both the Jordanaires and Millie Kirkham—further evidence of the familiarity of everyone on the session with the material.”

3. “Saved” (1968)

In a 1971 Elvis radio documentary, Jordanaire Ray Walker offered a distinction between spiritual music and gospel music. Spirituals, he explained, often arise from pain and suffering, leading the singer to hold back slightly, leaving the listener wanting more. Rhythm gospel, conversely, tends to be more frantic, characterized by a steady beat and a singer inclined to give their absolute all. By this definition, “Saved,” which Elvis recorded for his 1968 TV special, might be considered his most authentic rhythm gospel performance. Elvis typically left his audience wanting more, but not with “Saved.” Driven by an infectious beat, his vocal energy is high from beginning to end. Elvis held nothing back, and by the conclusion, it’s clear he poured everything into the song. It was featured in the TV special as part of a gospel medley. The standalone recording of “Saved” was not released until many years after his passing.

2. “Crying in the Chapel” (1965)

Following a lengthy night of recording gospel songs on October 30-31, 1960, Elvis expressed a desire to attempt “Crying in the Chapel.” Gordon Stoker recalled, “We were tired when we recorded it, but I’m thankful we don’t sound tired on the record. I never liked our ending. All of us knew we sang the wrong parts. Of course in those days you couldn’t repair. Elvis said, ‘It’s good, forget it, don’t make any difference.’” Colonel Parker’s inability to secure the publishing rights at the time resulted in the recording being omitted from the His Hand in Mine album. However, five years later, RCA rediscovered the recording and issued it as a single. To many’s surprise, it rapidly ascended Billboard’s pop chart, reaching the #3 position. Presley’s beautiful rendition of this well-known hymn became the most commercially successful of all his gospel records, a testament to the widespread appeal of elvis favorite gospel song moments.

1. “How Great Thou Art” (1967)

Although “How Great Thou Art” became known as Elvis’s favorite gospel song, according to Jordanaire Gordon Stoker, initially, “When we first discussed cutting it, he said he had never heard of it.” After hearing The Jordanaires sing the hymn, Elvis decided to record it. “Neal Matthews, our second tenor, made an arrangement of it,” Stoker explained. “Elvis listened to it, rehearsed it and recorded it by memory.” Ernst Jorgensen noted, “Elvis sang with sincerity and dedication, in a slower tempo than the Statesmen’s version that accentuated the spirituality of the material and allowed him to build the song into a powerful anthem.” “How Great Thou Art” became the title track of Presley’s 1967 gospel album and earned Elvis his first Grammy Award. A live version of this same song later earned Presley another Grammy in 1974, solidifying its status as a cornerstone of his gospel legacy.

It is often seen as an oversight that Elvis never won a Grammy Award in any pop music category. However, it is perhaps less surprising that the music establishment recognized him multiple times for his religious recordings. He demonstrably never lost his early love and reverence for spiritual music, and that passion consistently re-emerged in the profound commitment and raw emotion he invested in his gospel recordings throughout his career.