Hot Christian Songs is a music chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It ranks the popularity of Christian songs using the same methodology developed for the Billboard Hot 100, the magazine's flagship songs chart, by incorporating data from the sales of downloads, streaming data, and airplay across all monitored radio stations.

From its inception in June 2003 through November 2013, the Hot Christian Songs chart ranked the top songs only by overall audience impressions of songs played on contemporary Christian music radio stations. Beginning with the chart dated December 7, 2013, the chart follows the same methodology used for the Hot 100 to compile its rankings.[1] The Christian Airplay chart was created in unison with the change to continue to monitor airplay of songs on Christian radio.

The current number-one song on the chart as of Issue December 28 is "Hard Fought Hallelujah" by Brandon Lake.[2]

Song milestones

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Most weeks at number one

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  • 19 songs have spent fifteen weeks or longer at number one. These are:
Weeks Artist Song Year(s) Ref.
132 Lauren Daigle "You Say" 2018–21 [3]
61 Hillsong United "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" 2013–16 [4]
37 Hillsong Worship "What a Beautiful Name" 2017–18 [5]
31 Elevation Worship featuring Brandon Lake, Chris Brown and Chandler Moore. "Praise" 2024 [6]
28 Brandon Lake "Gratitude" 2023–24 [7]
26 Carrie Underwood "Something in the Water" 2014–15 [8]
24 Katy Nichole "In Jesus Name (God of Possible)" 2022 [9]
23 MercyMe "Word of God Speak" 2003 [10]
19 Needtobreathe "Brother" 2015 [11]
Casting Crowns "East to West" 2007 [12]
Brandon Heath "Give Me Your Eyes" 2008 [13]
Lauren Daigle "Thank God I Do" 2023 [14]
18 Chris Tomlin "Made to Worship" 2006 [15]
Lauren Daigle "Trust in You" 2015 [16]
Cory Asbury "Reckless Love" 2018 [17]
17 Matthew West "Hello, My Name Is" 2013 [18]
15 Jeremy Camp "Take You Back" 2005 [19]
Building 429 "Where I Belong" 2012 [20]
Chris Tomlin "Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)" 2013 [21]
Hillary Scott & The Scott Family "Thy Will" 2016 [22]

Source:[23][24]

Most total weeks on chart

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  • As of Issue date December 7 2024 38 songs have spent 52 weeks or longer on the charts. These are:
"Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" – Hillsong UNITED (191 weeks)[4]
"You Say" – Lauren Daigle (160 weeks)[25]
"Gratitude" – Brandon Lake (88 weeks)[7]
"Praise" – Elevation Worship featuring Brandon Lake, Chris Brown and Chandler Moore (83 Weeks)[26]
"What a Beautiful Name" – Hillsong Worship (81 weeks)[5]
"Holy Forever" – Chris Tomlin (78 weeks) [27]
"O Come to the Altar" – Elevation Worship (74 weeks)[28]
"Word of God Speak" – MercyMe (72 weeks)[10]
"Blessed Be Your Name" – tree63 (68 weeks)[29]
"Reckless Love" – Cory Asbury (68 weeks)[17]
"Where I Belong" – Building 429 (63 weeks)[20]
"You Are My King (Amazing Love)" – Newsboys (63 weeks)[30]
"God Only Knows" - for King & Country (62 weeks)[31]
"More" – Matthew West (60 weeks)[32]
"10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)" – Matt Redman (59 weeks)[33]
"By Your Side" – Tenth Avenue North (58 weeks)[34]
"Who You Say I Am" – Hillsong Worship (58 weeks)[35]
"Trust in You" – Lauren Daigle (57 weeks)[16]
"Graves into Gardens" – Elevation Worship featuring Brandon Lake (57 weeks)[36]
"Who Am I" – Casting Crowns (56 weeks)[37]
"There Will Be a Day" – Jeremy Camp (55 weeks)[38]
"(There's Gotta Be) More to Life" – Stacie Orrico (55 weeks)[39]
"Same God" – Elevation Worship featuring Jonsal Barrientes (55 weeks)[40]
"Redeemed" – Big Daddy Weave (54 weeks)[41]
"Rescue" – Lauren Daigle (54 weeks)[42]
"Lord, I Need You" – Matt Maher featuring Audrey Assad (52 weeks)[43]
"You Are I Am" – MercyMe (52 weeks)[44]
"God's Not Dead (Like a Lion)" – Newsboys (52 weeks)[45]
"One Thing Remains" – Passion featuring Kristian Stanfill (52 weeks)[46]
"Need You Now (How Many Times)" – Plumb (52 weeks)[47]
"Lead Me" – Sanctus Real (52 weeks)[48]
"My Hope Is in You" – Aaron Shust (52 weeks)[49]
"Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angel Armies)" – Chris Tomlin (52 weeks)[21]
"The Motions" – Matthew West (52 weeks)[50]
"Chain Breaker - Zach Williams (52 weeks)[51]
"Even If" – MercyMe (52 weeks)[52]
"So Will I (100 Billion X)" – Hillsong UNITED (52 weeks)[53]
"Resurrecting" – Elevation Worship (52 weeks)[54]
"Trust in God" – Elevation Worship featuring Chris Brown (52 weeks)[55]

Number-one debuts

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Seventeen songs have debuted at number one without having previously entered the chart. These are:

Biggest jump to number one

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Longest climb to number one

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Biggest drop from number one

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Artist achievements

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Most number-one singles

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Number of singles Artist
13 MercyMe[96]
9 Casting Crowns[97]
7 TobyMac[98]
Chris Tomlin[99]
6 Jeremy Camp[100]
Third Day[101]
Matthew West[102]
Lauren Daigle[103]
Brandon Lake[7]
5 Kanye West[104]

Source:[105]

Most cumulative weeks at number one

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  • 15 artists have spent thirty weeks or longer at number one. These are:
Weeks at number one Artist Ref
173 Lauren Daigle [103]
88 MercyMe [96]
78 Casting Crowns [97]
78 Brandon Lake [7]
61 Hillsong United [4]
52 Chris Tomlin [99]
47 Matthew West [102]
37 Hillsong Worship [5]
37 Third Day [101]
36 tobyMac [98]
35 Jeremy Camp [100]
34 Brandon Heath [13]
33 Elevation Worship [6]
31 Carrie Underwood [8]
30 Kanye West [104]

Most top ten hits

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Number of
singles
Artist
30 Chris Tomlin[99]
29 Casting Crowns[97]
28 MercyMe[96]
26 tobyMac[98]
25 Jeremy Camp[100]
23 Kanye West[104]
21 Matthew West[102]
20 For King & Country[106]
18 Big Daddy Weave[107]
15 Lauren Daigle[103]

Source:[108][109][110]

Most charted hits

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Songs Artist
83 Elevation Worship
74 Lecrae
57 Needtobreathe
56 Chris Tomlin
49 tobyMac
46 MercyMe
Hillsong Worship
45 Lauren Daigle[103]
44 Skillet
43 Hillsong United

Artists who reached No. 1 in at least two decades

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Three

tobyMac (2000s, 2010s, 2020s)
Matthew West (2000s, 2010s, 2020s)
Big Daddy Weave (2000s, 2010s, 2020s)
Chris Tomlin (2000s, 2010s, 2020s)

Two

Aaron Shust (2000s, 2010s)
Brandon Heath (2000s, 2010s)
Building 429 (2000s, 2010s)
Casting Crowns (2000s, 2010s)
Jeremy Camp (2000s, 2010s)
MercyMe (2000s, 2010s)
Needtobreathe (2000s, 2010s)
Third Day (2000s, 2010s)
Lauren Daigle (2010s, 2020s)
Kanye West (2010s, 2020s)
Carrie Underwood (2010s, 2020s)
Elevation Worship (2010s, 2020s)

Album achievements

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Most number-one singles from one album

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Number of
Singles
Artist Album Year
3 Casting Crowns Lifesong
2005
MercyMe The Generous Mr. Lovewell
2010
2 Third Day Offerings II: All I Have to Give 2003
Casting Crowns Casting Crowns
MercyMe Undone 2004
Jeremy Camp Restored
Third Day Wherever You Are
2005
MercyMe Coming Up to Breathe
2006
Matthew West Something to Say
2008
Casting Crowns Until the Whole World Hears
2009
tobyMac Tonight 2010
Chris Tomlin And If Our God Is for Us...
Tenth Avenue North The Light Meets the Dark
Zach Williams Chain Breaker
2017
Carrie Underwood My Gift
2020
Kanye West Donda[111][112]
2021
Crowder Milk & Honey
2021
For King & Country What Are We Waiting For?
2022
Katy Nichole Katy Nichole
2022

Other achievements

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  • The longest gap between No. 1 hits on Hot Christian Songs for an artist is 7 years, 10 months, 2 days by Building 429. Their single "Where I Belong" hit No. 1 on March 10, 2012, their first time on top since "Glory Defined" on May 8, 2004.
  • MercyMe holds the record gap between first and most recent No. 1 on the Hot Christian Songs over the longest period of time: 14 years, 7 months, and 22 days. The first of twenty-three weeks at No. 1 for "Word of God Speak" by MercyMe was August 16, 2003. The last week at No. 1 for "I Can Only Imagine" was April 7, 2018, after it re-entered the charts to coincide with the release of the film of the same title.
  • The record for the longest wait from an artist's Hot Christian Songs debut entry to its first No. 1 belongs to Skillet, with 10 years, 2 months, 10 days between the time they first cracked the Hot Christian Songs chart with "Rebirthing" (October 28, 2006) and the first of one week at No. 1 with "Feel Invincible" (January 7, 2017).
  • Kanye West is the only artist to occupy the entire top 10 at once and he has done it twice.[113][114]
  • Reba McEntire (age 60 years) is the oldest artist to top the chart. Her cover of "Back to God" topped the chart on February 18, 2017.
  • Anne Wilson (age 19 years) is the youngest artist to top the chart. Her song "My Jesus" topped the chart on August 14, 2021.
  • Danny Gokey has the most entries on the chart without achieving a number one hit (21).[115]
  • Jordan Smith became the first male artist to replace himself at number one on the chart; Smith's cover of "Hallelujah" dethroned his cover of "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" on December 19, 2015. Carrie Underwood became the first female artist, when her John Legend collaboration of "Hallelujah" replaced her song "Favorite Time of Year" on December 26, 2021.[116]

References

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