<Tr> <Td_colspan="2"> <Ul> <Li> file </Li> <Li> help </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Ul> <Li> file </Li> <Li> help </Li> </Ul> <P> "Spirit in the Sky" is a song written and originally recorded by Norman Greenbaum and released in late 1969 . The single became a gold record, selling two million copies from 1969 to 1970 and reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart (April 18, 1970), where it lasted for 15 weeks in the Top 100 . Billboard ranked the record the No. 22 song of 1970 . It also climbed to number one on the UK, Australian and Canadian charts in 1970 . Rolling Stone ranked "Spirit in the Sky" No. 333 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time . The song was featured on the 1969 album of the same name . Cover versions by Doctor and the Medics and Gareth Gates have also made the number 1 spot in the UK . </P> <P> Greenbaum had previously been a member of psychedelic jug band Dr. West's Medicine Show and Junk Band . When they split up he won a solo contract with producer Erik Jacobsen, who had previously worked successfully with The Lovin' Spoonful . He was inspired to write the song after watching Porter Wagoner on TV singing a gospel song . Greenbaum later said: "I thought,' Yeah, I could do that,' knowing nothing about gospel music, so I sat down and wrote my own gospel song . It came easy . I wrote the words in 15 minutes ." </P>

Who wrote and recorded spirt in the sky