Kirk Franklin is one of the biggest-selling and most popular Gospel singers/producers of all time. If you are unfamiliar with that market, there’s a lot more to it than meets the eye. But, if you are already a gospel music fan, you don’t need me to tell you that. He has a knack for combining modern R&B music styles with Gospel to create some fresh and funky but still worshipable music.
The top 10 Kirk Franklin songs cover a very eclectic mix from his discography that goes back from 1993 right up until the present day. He went solo in 2002 but was better known back in the day for leading gospel ensembles such as Kirk Franklin & The Family, One Nation Crew (1NC), and God’s Property.
He has sold an astounding amount of records in his time and has 19 Grammy Awards to his name. So, let’s check out some of Kirk Franklin’s best songs.
25 Best Kirk Franklin Songs of All Time
1 Love Theory
“Love Theory” fills me full of so much joy that I can’t describe it. In my opinion, this should always be in prime position on any list of the best Kirk Franklin songs. Kirk is like a pastor taking a sermon on this record, leading the ensemble to success. It personifies his merging of Gospel and R&B and has an infectious feel-good vibe that you will feel deep in your soul.
Like most Gospel tracks, this track didn’t make it into the mainstream charts. That said, this instrumental is almost flawless and will fill your life with joy from the first beat to the last. Franklin doesn’t particularly sing on the track, but he does repeat the words of the vocalists. Either way, it works, and you can’t put a price or chart position on that.
2 Why We Sing
Christian and Gospel Music have their own vibe and audience that is sometimes overlooked in the Pop music world, especially across European markets. “Why We Sing” makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand to attention. The track was created by his Kirk Franklin and the Family collective and was a single from the album of the same name from 1993.
It’s a joyful and uplifting track that can make you feel good when you are down and need a lift. The choir vocals that break up the song are my favorite parts and the most soulful by far. If you are into Christian Music but have never heard this, you are missing out big time on a true modern Gospel classic.
3 Declaration (This Is It)
“Declaration (This Is It)” has a driving Gospel beat that is enlightening and uplifting at the same time. This is a track from his 2007 album, The Fight of My Life, and is one of the most memorable songs from that project. The instrumental samples “This Is It” by Kenny Loggins and pretty much borrows the chorus from that. The original track is already fantastic, but in my opinion, this takes it to another level.
The lyrics, music, and chorus combine to create something heartfelt, emotional, and intrinsically joyful. In a music world that is dominated by negative messages, this is the antithesis and the perfect antidote. In my humble opinion, this is one of the top Kirk Franklin songs.
4 Just For Me
Kirk’s career is now three decades deep and still going strong. “Just For Me” is one of his newer tracks from his 2019 Long, Live, Love album. It has a more Christian Music than Gospel feel, but it still hits the spot. The lyrics are about walking with God, especially when we are going through bad times or need some guidance. The message is very positive and uplifting for those who need it the most.
It’s a soft and sweet instrumental that has a very honest R&B vibe. The mix of the choir’s vocals, the peaceful serenity of the instrumental, and Kirk’s laid-back voice make this a must-listen track.
5 I Smile
“I Smile” is quite possibly one of the catchiest songs ever. I love the little piano sample and the feel-good nature of the music and lyrics in general. It was from his eleventh studio album, Hello Fear, in 2011. It mixes Gospel, Christian music, Hip-Hop, and R&B to great effect and is one of Kirk Franklin’s most uplifting songs. And that’s saying something.
The way that Franklin leads the choir on tracks like this always brings a smile to my face. The female vocalists are epic, and Kirk just narrates it all in his own indelible style. He used a sample from “Tell Me If You Still Care” by the band S.O.S., and it works like a treat.
6 September
“September” is a cover of the song by the legendary Soul and Funk band Earth, Wind & Fire. It was part of a compilation album, Interpretations: Celebrating the Music of Earth Wind & Fire.
This is another intrinsically positive and infectious Gospel/Christian music track. Kirk actually rewrote the lyrics to this song, and that takes some balls. But, when God’s on your side, anything is possible.
Joyful, happy, uplifting, and feel-good are just a few ways to describe this song. In all fairness, Kirk did a great job and never lessened the original version and made this one his own. If you are feeling down and need a pep-up, all you need to do is play this song, and everything will feel great in the world. Who needs coffee when you’ve got Kirk?
7 Help Me Believe
The epic and flowing strings on “Help Me Believe” give the track a dreamy quality that you don’t often get with Gospel. It was from his 2007 album, The Fight of My Life, and is one of the most successful songs on this top 10 Kirk Franklin songs list. It even won a Grammy Award in 2009 in the Best Gospel Song category.
Like a lot of these gospel songs, it didn’t make much of a dent in the mainstream charts in the US or the rest of the world. But, in the gospel industry, it was massive. “Help Me Believe” has a more traditional Gospel flavor than some of his other tracks. Maybe that’s why it won so many awards.
8 Looking For You
“Looking For You” has an up-tempo Soul or even Disco feel to it. The track samples Patrice Rushen’s “Haven’t You Heard” to great effect. It was a single from his 2005 album Hero and is one of the most popular Kirk Franklin songs. The lyrics will uplift your spirit when it needs it the most.
Although the instrumental is flavorsome, the stars of the show are the female vocalists that give the track some brevity. It makes you want to sing along at the top of your voice, and that’s real happiness right there.
9 Stomp (feat. Cheryl “Salt” James)
If you like the amalgamation of Hip-Hop, Gospel, and Christian Music, you have to check out “Stomp,” which also features Cheryl “Salt” James from Salt-N-Pepper fame. It was a 1997 release from Franklin’s God’s Property album and was even nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best R&B Song category.
It was one of the biggest-selling Gospel songs of that year. And it even charted on both the US Hot 100 Billboard Chart and the R&B Airplay Chart. Salt’s rapping is great, as you’d expect, making it one of the newer Christian tracks that utilized rapping.
10 Revolution (feat. Rodney Jerkins)
“Revolution” featuring Rodney Jerkins is a song from The Nu Nation Project back in 1998. It merges R&B, Rap, Christian beats, and Gospel to create something that, at the time, sounded very fresh and unique. The lyrics had a socially conscious message but were not too preachy. Something I really appreciate.
As one of the leading gospel songwriters of that era, Jerkins helped Franklin produce and write the track. If you are looking for a normal run-of-the-mill Christian track, this is not it. But if you are looking for something soulful, emotional, and different, this is the song for you.
11My Life Is in Your Hands
12Imagine Me
13Brighter Day
14Wanna Be Happy?
15Lean On Me (feat. Mary J. Blige, Bono, The Family, R. Kelly, Crystal Lewis)
16He Reigns / Awesome God
17Melodies From Heaven
18Before I Die
19Smile Again
20The Storm Is Over Now
21Today
22Everyone Hurts (feat. Rascal Flatts)
23Hold Me Now
24The Night That Christ Was Born
25Always
Want More Gospel, R&B, and Christian Music?
If so, check out our thoughts on the Best Gospel Songs, the Most Famous Gospel Singers Of All Time, the Best R&B Songs of All Time, Easy Worship & Christian Songs to Sing, Easy Worship Songs to Play on Piano, and the Best Songs About Heaven for more uplifting song selections.
Top 25 Kirk Franklin Songs – Final Thoughts
Does Kirk Franklin still make music? You can bet your bottom dollar that Kirk Franklin is still making music. Over the past 30 years or more, he’s made 12 albums and is one of the biggest-selling Gospel Music artists of all time. His last album was Long, Live, Love, and it only came out in 2019. Apparently, there is more music and albums on the way.
Choosing Kirk Franklin’s Top 10 songs was very difficult because there are so many classics. The way he managed to merge Gospel, R&B, and Rap with Christian-style music and beats petty much changed the game. He made it cool to listen to Gospel, and that’s a massive thing if you were a younger person from the Bible belt in the mid-1990s.
Until next time, happy listening.
