‘Jesus Is Just Alright’ by the Doobie Brothers – Classic Hit or Miss

The Doobie Brothers' version of "Jesus Is Just Alright" was first released on their second album, Toulouse Street, in 1972.  It was subsequently released in November 1972 as the second single from the album (b/w "Rockin' Down the Highway") and went on to become a U.S. hit, peaking at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1973. The single featured a shorter, edited version of the song compared to the one included on the album.

The Doobie Brothers' version of "Jesus Is Just Alright" was one of a number of religiously themed songs to reach the U.S. charts during 1972 and 1973, along with "Morning Has Broken" by Cat Stevens, "Jubilation" by Paul Anka, "Speak to the Sky" by Rick Springfield, "Jesus Was a Capricorn" by Kris Kristofferson, and "I Knew Jesus (Before He Was a Star)" by Glen Campbell.

The band first became aware of "Jesus Is Just Alright" after hearing The Byrds' version and before long the song had been added to The Doobie Brothers' own live repertoire. As a result, the song's musical arrangement is very similar to the one used by The Byrds, although The Doobie Brothers' rendition does include an extra bridge that the band added themselves. Although none of the individual band members were religiously inclined, the song went on to become very popular among Christians during the early 1970s, particularly those within the hippie counterculture that were involved with the Jesus movement.

#35 Back in 1972, how about today?