Welcome to the 2026 March Madness Tournament of songs that are comforting, positive, happy, uplifting, encouraging and/or inspirational, but come from outside the Christian tradition.  Last week we asked for nominations and were happily overwhelmed by the response!  

A normal bracket would include 64 songs, but 80 were nominated, 68 of them with only one vote each!  For this reason, instead of a tip-in tournament, in the first round, half of the time you will be asked to vote for one song out of three instead of one out of two.  Next week, the 32 remaining songs will be seeded in groups of 8, with those getting the highest number of votes given the highest seedings; the next week, there will be 16, then 8, then 4, then 2, then 1, with the winner announced on Easter.

We are publishing the survey early so that everyone will have time to look up songs they don’t know.  We hope you’ll find some new favorites, even if you don’t vote for them!  Surveys will be given out on Sunday in church, or you can email your picks to RevRichA@aol.com.  Voting closes at noon on Sunday!

Here is how to vote: 
In person:  choose ONE from each pair or trio of songs, and write the number on the line to the left.  
Voting Online:  If you are voting by email, just send the numbers; you don’t have to write out the titles.  
Click the titles to play; happy listening and have fun!

Classic Bracket
___ 1 Follow the Yellow Brick Road (Judy Garland, 1939)        
2 Over the Rainbow (Judy Garland, 1939)

___ 3 Pennies from Heaven (Frank Sinatra, 1936)       
4 You Are My Sunshine (Jimmie Davis, 1940)       
5 Accentuate the Positive (Bing Crosby, 1944)

___ 6 Oh What a Beautiful Morning (Rodgers & Hammerstein, 1943)       
7 You’ll Never Walk Alone (Rodgers & Hammerstein, 1945)       
8 Getting to Know You (Rodgers & Hammerstein, 1951)

___ 9 I Believe (Frankie Lane, 1953)       
10 Climb Ev’ry Mountain (Rodgers & Hammerstein, 1959)       
11 My Favorite Things (Rodgers & Hammerstein, 1959)

___ 12 Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah (James Baskett, 1946)        
13 High Hopes (Frank Sinatra, 1959)        
14 A Spoonful of Sugar (Julie Andrews, 1964)

___ 15 I Saw the Light (Hank Williams, 1948)        
16 Feeling Good (Nina Simone 1965)

___ 17 Amen (The Impressions 1964)       
18 People Get Ready (The Impressions 1965)

___ 19 Stand By Me (Ben E. King, 1961)       
20 The Lion Sleeps Tonight (The Tokens, 1961)


Oldies Bracket
___ 21 Yesterday (The Beatles, 1965)       
22 Good Vibrations (The Beach Boys, 1966)
23  I’m a Believer (The Monkees, 1966)

___ 24 I Shall Be Released (Bob Dylan, 1967)       
25 Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door (Bob Dylan, 1973)       
26 Man Gave Names to All the Animals (Bob Dylan, 1979)

___ 27 What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong, 1967)       
28 He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother (The Hollies, 1969)

___ 29 Put a Little Love in Your Heart (Jackie Deshannon, 1969)       
30 Love Train (The O’Jays, 1972)

___  31 Here Comes the Sun (The Beatles, 1969)       
32 I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash, 1972)       
33 Mr. Blue Sky (Electric Light Orchestra, 1977)

___ 34 Bridge Over Troubled Water (Simon & Garfunkel, 1970)       
35 Just One Victory (Todd Rundgren, 1972)       
36 Dust in the Wind (Kansas, 1977)

___ 37 You’ve Got a Friend (Carole King, 1971)       
38 The Rose (Bette Midler, 1979)

___ 39 Lean On Me (Bill Withers, 1972)       
40 Three Little Birds (Bob Marley, 1977)


80s and 90s
___ 41 Sailing (Christopher Cross, 1980)       
42 Don’t Stop Believin’ (Journey, 1981)       
43 Try Jah Love (Third World, 1982)

___ 44 40 (How Long Must We Sing This Song) (U2, 1983)       
45 Walking On Sunshine (Katrina and the Waves, 1983)       
46 Kyrie (Mr. Mister, 1985)

___ 47 Runnin’ Up That Hill (Kate Bush, 1985)       
48 Don’t Give Up (Peter Gabriel & Kate Bush, 1986)

___ 49 That’s What Friends Are For (Dionne Warwick, 1985)       
50 We Are the World (U.S.A. for Africa, 1985)

___ 51 Think of Me (Andrew Lloyd Webber, 1986)       
52 True Colors (Cyndi Lauper, 1986)       
53 Follow (Richie Havens, 1988)

___ 54 Man in the Mirror (Michael Jackson, 1987)       
55 Don’t Worry, Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin, 1988)

___ 56 My Heart Will Go On (Celine Dion, 1997)       
57 Wind Beneath My Wings (Bette Midler, 1988)       
58 Circle of Life (Elton John, 1994)

___ 59 Trouble Me (10,000 Maniacs, 1989)        
60 Shine (Collective Soul, 1993)

Modern Bracket

___ 61 I Hope You Dance (Lee Ann Womack, 2000)       
62 Believe (Brooks & Dunn, 2005)       
63 Heavenly Day (Patty Griffin, 2007)

___ 64 The Middle (Jimmy Eat World, 2001)       
65 Chicken Fried (Zac Brown Band, 2008)       
66 Say Hey (I Love You) (Michael Franti, 2008)

___ 67 Unwritten (Natasha Bedingfield, 2004)       
68 Firework (Katy Perry, 2010)

___ 69 You Raise Me Up (Josh Groban, 2009)       
70 You Are Loved (Don’t Give Up) (Josh Groban, 2010)

___ 71 Titanium (David Guetta, 2011)       
72 Don’t You Worry Child (Swedish House Mafia, 2013)       
73 The Greatest (Sia, 2016)

___ 74 Brave (Sara Bareilles, 2013)       
75 Take Me There (Jackie Evancho, 2014)

___ 76 Everything’s Gonna Be Alright (David Lee Murphy & Kenny Chesney, 2017)       
77 Look For the Good (Jason Mraz, 2020)

___ 78 We Pray (Coldplay, 2024)       
79 Golden (Huntrix, 2025)       
80 I’m Good (Jelly Roll, 2026)