As a younger man sometime in the mid-80's - long before making a perilous venture into the music industry - I always had a strange feeling that one day I might make the acquaintance of classic rock legend Norman Greenbaum. Don't ask me why or how, but every time his song "Spirit In The Sky" came on the radio - and it was many - that thought kept creeping back into my mind. Fast forward three decades plus and it actually happened when your team from SoundPress.net finally met up with the far-out folk singer purely by chance on his first trip to Nashville, Tennessee in 2018. Since then - we have actually become good friends - while interviewing him several times and attending a number of events together notably his two trips to WSM radio and at the annual AmericanaFest in Music City. I even had the extreme pleasure of watching him sing his most famous song on stage at the Ryman Auditorium. Today, more than 50 years after its initial release Greenbaum's long out-of-print breakthrough album has just been reissued via Craft Recordings - a division of the Concord label. All this news on the Greenbaum front got me to thinking once again of the supreme importance of what has to be the most wondrous one hit wonder in recorded music history. While I could be accused of hyperbole here - for Norman that statement has held to be nothing short of totally true for the decades it has sustained him through regular mailbox money and ample royalty checks.

SoundPress.net's Rockin' Rich Lynch in Nashville in 2022.

According to the latest numbers, Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky" has been featured in at least 80 documented instances across film, television and commercials - making it one of the most licensed rock songs of all time. The track - known for its fuzz laden guitar hook that powers the psychedelic gospel-rock anthem that originally hit the airwaves in 1969 has racked up over 35 million views on YouTube alone with industry estimates suggesting that the song has surpassed 100 million cumulative streams globally across a plethora of platforms. Other artists from multiple genres have also achieved mega-success with "S.I.T.S." and there are at least 27 documented cover versions that have been produced over the decades with a pair of them reaching the #1 position on industry charts. Some of the better takes on this classic track by everybody's favorite and enduring hippie are provided below.

Spirit In The Sky by Norman Greenbaum (new video).

Spirit In The Sky by Norman Greenbaum (original video).

Spirit In The Sky by Doctor and the Medics.

Spirit In The Sky by Gareth Gates.

Spirit In The Sky by DC Talk.

Spirit In The Sky by Elton John.

Spirit In The Sky by Larry Norman.

Spirit In The Sky by Blind Boys Of Alabama.

Spirit In The Sky by Blackberry Smoke.

Spirit In The Sky by Kentucky Headhunters.

Spirit In The Sky by Mike Curb.

Spirit In The Sky by Tom Cochrane.

Spirit In The Sky by Nina Hagen.

Spirit In The Sky by William Shatner.

Related Links: For more information on NORMAN GREENBAUM and the other organizations mentioned please visit the following links - spiritinthesky.com | Craft Recordings | Meet Classic Rocker Norman Greenbaum - Nashville's Mr. AmericanaFest | Rockin' Rich Lynch