Songs About Faith: 20 Tunes Rocking Religious Themes - Spinner

Singing about religion is a risky proposition for a secular act. Skeptical lyrics have the potential to seriously offend the public (remember when radio stations banned John Lennon's 'Imagine?') and/or alienate one's own fanbase. The flip side is that overly preachy or adoring songs can sound pretty square (which is why Christian rock often sounds so much like . . . Christian rock). Yet, some of the best songs with religious themes have been penned -- with great outcomes -- by rock, soul and pop acts. We count down our 20 favorite below.

'Judas'

Lady Gaga (2011)

Nice guys fail again in this single, inspired by that two-faced Judas Iscariot, betrayer of Jesus. Here Gaga, who considers herself a Christian, sings about falling for the bad boy again and again. "Jesus is my virtue," she sings, "and Judas is the demon I cling to." The song is so full of Biblical allusions and images, New York Magazine recently offered a line-by-line analysis of the song's liturgical references, from Luke 7:38 to John 13:27. Already controversial, the video -- in which Gaga portrays Mary Magdalene -- is bound to raise even more