gospel music

American  

noun

1. a now popularized form of impassioned rhythmic spiritual music rooted in the solo and responsive church singing of rural African Americans in the South, central to the development of rhythm and blues and of soul music.

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gospel music Cultural  

1. Intense, joyful music that is associated with evangelists (see evangelical) in the South, especially among African-Americans. Gospel had a strong influence on many rock 'n' roll singers. Well-known gospel artists include Mahalia Jackson and the Dixie Hummingbirds.

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Etymology

Origin of gospel music

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Gospel music has always been a big influence on mainstream music, with acts from Aretha Franklin to rappers Stormzy and Dave taking inspiration from it more recently.

From BBC

Gospel music emerged from Afro-American culture in the 18th and 19th centuries - meaning it's rooted in the experiences of the conversion of enslaved African people to Christianity.

From BBC

Or, as Ehio puts it: "The gospel means the good news, gospel music is healing, it's a chance to receive healing, hope, faith, encouragement, a lot of the positive stuff."

From BBC

"The gospel music we grew up on was hymns and traditional music," says Rutendo.

From BBC

According to Spotify, streams of gospel music in the UK have risen by 119% since 2020.

From BBC