I was on the phone with a worship pastor mentor of mine last week, and he asked me a question:
"What are three black Gospel songs that, if you don't know them, you [as a hypothetical worship leader striving for multicultural worship] are really out of touch?"
I can't have the "final answer" to this question, as I only started studying Gospel music a few years ago. And I'd love it if more qualified people could answer this question in the cyberspace networks today. Nonetheless, I'm going to attempt an answer:
1. "You Are Good" by Israel Houghton.
2. "I Belong To You" or "I Give Myself Away" by William McDowell/Sam Hinn
3. "The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power" by AndraƩ Crouch
And though it's not necessarily a corporate-worship song in all contexts, I would argue that if someone wants to learn about black Gospel music, they have to learn "Total Praise" by Richard Smallwood.
Honorable Mentions (because this was so difficult for me):
"I Need You To Survive" by Hezekiah Walker
"You Deserve It" by J.J. Hairston
"My God Is Awesome" by Charles Jenkins
"Intentional" by Travis Greene
What would your list be?