25. Audio Adrenaline - Big House
From the album Don't Censor Me (ForeFront Records, 1993)
Big House is easily Audio Adrenaline's biggest hit, most recognizable, and most popular song of their career. The song reached number 1 on Christian radio and won the 1996 GMA Dove Award for Long Form Music Video of the Year. CCM Magazine named it the Song of the Dacade for the 1990s and the 25th best Christian song of all time.
The song loosely takes it's inspiration from John 19:2; "My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?"(NIV)
Originally, it was a song that the band performed live, but lead singer Mark Stuart was reluctant to record it. His dad kept telling him that if they put it on an album it would be a big hit--and it was!
Here is the original studio released video for the song.
24. Third Day - Show Me Your Glory
From the album Come Together (Essential, 2001)
2001 was a big year for Third Day. After winning Dove Awards for Group of the Year, Artist of the Year, Rock Recorded Song of the Year (for Sky Falls Down), Praise and Worship Album of the Year (for Offerings: A Worship Album, and Special Event Album of the Year (for City on a Hill: Songs of Worship and Praise), the band released Come Together, an album which eventually won them three more Dove Awards for Artist of the Year, Rock Album of the Year and Rock Recorded Song of the Year! It also earned the band their first Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album.
"Third Day guitarist Mark Lee describes Show Me Your Glory this way: 'The songs that I try to write by thinking commercially or try to write 'for our audience' are usually the ones that end up on the Third Day scrap heap. But the ones that I write just for myself, out of that personal place. are the ones that, for whatever reason, people end up latching on to.'" (source: CCM Presents: 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music, Integrity Publishing 2006, P. 88)
23. Avalon - Testify to Love
From the album A Maze of Grace (Sparrow, 1997)
A Maze of Grace is Avalon's second album, released in December 1997. It contains the hit single Testify to Love, which has become the group's trademark song, the longest-running Adult Contemporary song in the history of the CCM Update AC chart. The album was Avalon's first to be certified Gold by the RIAA." (Source: Wikipedia)
Avalon was hugely successful right from the start. Their eponymous 1996 debut album produced four straight #1 radio hits and garnered the group a Dove Award for New Artist of the year. With A Maze of Grace the group scored 4 more #1 radio hits including Testify to Love. Produced by Charlie Peacock, the song demonstrates Avalon's flair for smooth, seamless harmonies and light pop hooks.
22. Michael W. Smith - Place in This World
From the album Go West Young Man (Reunion Records, 1990)
With the possible exception of Amy Grant, no other Christian artist has had more success than Michael W. Smith. He has won an American Music Award, three Grammy Awards, and earned 40 Dove Awards. Over the course of his career, he has sold more than 13 million albums and recorded 29 No. 1 Hit songs, fourteen gold albums, and five platinum albums. He has also published 12 books. And if all that is not enough he was also once named one of People Magazine's "Most Beautiful People!"
After five successful Christian albums, Reunion Records signed a distribution deal with Geffen and released Go West Young Man. Smith scored the biggest hit of his career with Place in This World, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart in 1991. The song spurred sales of 1,000,000 copies earning him a platinum record. Smith talks about his experience writing the song: "I was in my basement in my house, and when I wrote it, I just thought, 'This sounds like a pop hit,' Michael recalls. "I got chills and the whole deal."
Here is the original studio released music video for the song.
21. Rich Mullins - Step By Step
From the album The World as Best I Remember It, Vol. 1 (Reunion, 1992)
Rich Mullins makes his second appearance on our countdown (or count-up!) with Step By Step, his 7th #1 single from his first #1
album. "The Chorus of Sometimes by Step first appeared on The World as Best I Remember it, Vol 1 as a simple chorus written by Beaker called Step By Step. It
was sung by a young child and opened and closed the album. By Vol. 2, Rich had reworked it and written new lyrics to form verses around the now familiar chorus.
The song both opens and closes the album. The opening cut is sung first by a boy soprano before Rich takes up its plaintive refrain. On the closing track the song is sung by a large chorus. The little boy sings a single line a capella near the end to bring it all together. The song wasn't a radio hit so much, but it became a very popular chorus for contemporary worship services.
Here is the original opening track from the album.
Here is the original closing track from the album.
And finally, here is the Sometimes By Step the song that it turned in to on Volume 2.
20. Twila Paris - How Beautiful
From the album Cry for the Desert (StarSong, 1991)
Twila Paris has had an astonishing 32 #1 hits, five Dove Awards, three American Songwriter Awards, and sold over 2 million albums. This is the first of four of her songs that will appear in the top 100 of this countdown. She released her first album, Little Twila Paris, in 1965 at the age of 7; a collection of songs she sang with her family at evangelistic outreaches.
Here's what she says about How Beautiful: "I think, 'how did I think of that chord progression. What in the world made me stumble onto that?' I look back on some of the songs that I have written and I really do know that I'm not that smart!" She says. “I write from personal experience. Most of my songs are prayers from me to God and are very vertical … I believe that we all go through the same things though not at the same times.” However she does it, it works. Several of her songs such as He Is Exalted, We Will Glorify, Lamb of God, and We Bow Down, have made their way into modern church hymnals.
How Beautiful only peaked at #6 on the Adult Contemporary Christian Music Chart but has since come to be regarded as one of the greatest Christian songs of all time.
19. Point of Grace - The Great Divide
From the album The Whole Truth (Word Records, 1995)
Point of Grace charted 6 #1 singles on their 1993 eponymous debut album, an achievement no other artist in any genre of music has been able to match. Before them Gloria Estafan and Mariah Carey both held the record for #1 singles from a debut album with 4. The Great Divide turned out to be yet another #1 single from the female quartet who are known for their great trademark harmonies. The ladies have a long term agreement that they won't record a song unless all 4 of them really like it and their tastes in music has paid off for them.
Songwriter Grant Cunningham has a line in the chorus that says "there's a bridge to cross the great divide," but at one point he accidentally transposed two of the words and wrote "there's a cross to bridge the great divide." The dual meanings of both words works perfectly and what was a typo turned out to be a very clever line. The ladies loved the "mistake" and decided to keep it in the song.
The Whole Truth remained at #1 on the Christian Albums Chart for 11 weeks and in the top 10 for 45 consecutive weeks. The Great Divide peaked at #1 on the Christian Adult Contemporary Chart. They won a Dove Award in 1996 for Group of the Year and also won Doves for Pop/Contemporary Recorded Album of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Song of the Year.
11. Bob Carlisle - Butterfly Kisses
From the album Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace) (Diadem Records, 1997)
Before Butterfly Kisses became the biggest hit of his career, Bob Carlisle was best known (and not very well known at that) as the former lead singer and guitar player for the 80's Christian rock band Allies, which he formed with Randy Thomas of Sweet Comfort Band. Songs from both those groups will appear much later on in this list. Few people know that this was actually Bob's second big hit song. He also wrote Why'd You come in Here Looking Like That? which became a #1 country hit for Dolly Parton.
The song was originally recorded as a gift for Carlisle's daughter, Brooke's 16th birthday. He hadn't planned on releasing it at the time and only included it on his album after his wife had urged him to do so. "I was shy about it," Carlisle said, adding that he had to leave the room when he played it for his producers. When he returned the men were in tears.
Bob Carlisle
The song, which just happened to be released around Father's Day, became a big hit after Diadem was purchased by Zomba Recording Group. The parent label's Chariman, Clive Calder discovered it when he was familiarizing himself with the new music his company had just acquired. He believed the song would strike a chord among fathers and daughters and urged his promotion people to push for airplay on top 40 and adult contemporary radio stations.
Around that time a New York Deejay started playing it after he heard that the phone lines lit up every time a deejay in Tampa played it.
According to Barry Weiss, president of Jive, another label owned by Zomba, "When WPLJ in New York started playing it, it turned into an overnight phenomenon. I mean, people were pulling over to the side of the New Jersey Turnpike and crying in their cars when they heard this song."
The song peaked at #1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart, 10 on the US Radio Songs Chart, 13 on the Adult mainstream chart, 16 on the US Pop Chart and 45 on the Country chart. Another version recorded by the Raybon Brothers hit #22 on the Hot 100 chart and 37 on the Country Songs chart. It earned Carlisle a Grammy Award for Country Song of the Year (as the songwriter) and three Dove awards for Inspirational recorded song of the Year, Song of the year and Southern Gospel Song of the year (also as songwriter).
17. Michael English - Mary, Did You Know?
From the album Michael English (Curb, 1995)
"Poignant, profound, tender and reverent." These are the words used in CCM Magazine's book, 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music to describe Mary, Did You Know. These are not words one would normally associate with comedian Mark Lowry, but he is the author of the song.
In 1984, Lowry was asked to write a script for a Church Christmas play. He wrote a series of questions that he would like to ask Mary, the Mother of Jesus, to be used in between scenes of the play. These questions became a poem and for the next decade or so Lowry tried to find someone to write the music to go with it. Finally, musician and songwriter Buddy Greene put the music to the song. Legend has it that he wrote the music in about 15 minutes.
The song has become a popular Christmas song performed by more than thirty artists including Cee Lo Green, Clay Aiken, Daniel Childs, Natalie Cole, Pippa Wilson, Kathy Mattea and Michael Crawford. A duet version recorded by Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd peaked at number 55 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks Chart in 1997. That was the most popular version of the song, but this recording by Michael English was the first released and the best.
11. Third Day - Agnus Dei
From the album Exodus (Rocketown Records, 1998)
Exodus was a compilation praise and worship album that Michael W. Smith put together for his own Rocketown label. Smith is also the songwriter of Agnus Dei (which means "Lamb of God"). The song is a classically based worship song, so when Third Day approached him about doing a rock cover of it for the album, Smith was naturally skeptical. "It was one of those songs I wrote in five minutes, because it all just came flooding out," he says. "I actually cried on that one; I had a meltdown." This version is heavier and more edgy than the original which appears on Smith's breaktrough Go West Young Man album, but after hearing Third Day's treatment, Smith was very happy to allow them to cover it.
The album won a Dove Award for Special Event Album of the Year and the song still gets frequent airplay, today.
Here is the original Exodus album version of the song.
15. Bill Gaither Trio - Because He Lives
From the album Because he Lives (Heartwarming Records, 1974)
Bill and Gloria Gaither have written a bunch of hit songs over the last 45 years as the Gaithers and part of the Bill Gaither Trio and the New Gaither Vocal Band. They continue to create award winning music today, receiving two Dove Awards in 2011 for Southern Gospel Song of the Year and Southern Gospel Album of the Year. Because He Lives was perhaps their biggest hit, winning a GMA Dove Award in 1974 for Song or the Year, and an ASCAP Award* for Best Gospel Song of the Year.
14. Jaci Velasquez - On My Knees
From the album Hevenly Places (Myrrh Records, 1996)
At only 17 years old, Jaci Velasquez won the Dove Award for New Artist of the year on the strength of her stunningly successful debut album Heavenly Place. She was also voted Best New Artist in both CRR and CCM's Reporter polls. In 1997, she was nominated for 3 more Dove Awards including Artist of the Year and Inspirational Song of the year, The following year, On My Knees won the prestigious Song of the Year award. All four of the singles released from the album reached #1 on the Christian Songs Chart.
The album was later certified Platinum. Velasquez has been distinguished as the fastest selling solo debut recording artist in her genre and the first solo artist in Christian music history to reach gold status with a debut album, prior to releasing a second project.
Here is the original studio released concept video for the song.
13. Larry Norman - I Wish We'd All Been Ready
From the album Upon This Rock (Capitol Records, 1969)
After a brief stint with the band People!, Capitol Records released Norman's first solo album, Upon This Rock, in 1969. Many consider this to be the first full-blown Christian rock album ever recorded. Capitol gave him full artistic control of the music, lyrics and packaging. Unfortunately, he delivered an album that was too religious to appeal to a mainstream audience and too "progressive" musically for the Christian market. Norman was heavily criticized by various television evangelists, and Capitol deemed the album a "commercial flop" and dropped him from the label. However, his music gained a large following in the emerging counter-cultural movements and sales of the album rose following its distribution in Christian bookstores.
The original version of the song appeared on Upon This Rock but a longer, better and far more popular version of the song was recorded on Only Visiting This Planet (Verve,1972). This is the version discussed here.
The song is about the rapture and takes it's inspiration from Matthew 24. Norman sings,
"a man and wife asleep in bed she hears a noise and turns her head he’s gone I wish we’d all been ready two men walking up a hill one disappears and one’s left standing still I wish we’d all been ready"
The song gained more popularity when it was included in the soundtrack of the movie A Thief in the Night and later inspired the Left Behind book series.
Here is the Only Visiting This Planet album version of the song.
12. Nicole C. Mullen - Redeemer
From the album Nicole C. Mullen (Word, 2000)
Redeemer first appeared on Mullen's debut release on Word Records in 2000, but her participation in the music industry goes all the way back to 1991 when she released her first album, Don't Let Me Go, on the independant Frontline label. She was perhaps better known as a back up singer on the music video at the end of the VeggieTales program, Larry-Boy and the Fib from Outer Space! and the opening of the VeggieTales presentation, Larry-Boy and the Rumor Weed. In the 90s, she also sang back-up for Michael W. Smith and the Newsboys and worked as a dancer/choreographer with Amy Grant. Her first big hit was a song she wrote for Jaci Velasquez called On My Knees. (See Day 14.)
Nicole C. Mullen
According to Cross Rhythms, "Nicole is possessed of a beautiful voice that bears favourable comparison with Whitney Houston and a talent for writing catchy songs that get your foot tapping then hit you between the eyes when the lyrics filter through to the brain."
Upon its release Redeemer immediately became a huge hit quickly rising to #1 on the Christian charts. The music industry rewarded her talent with her second Dove Award for Song of the year. She received her first Song of the Year award for co-writing On My Knees. She also received Dove Awards for Songwriter of the Year, Pop/Contemporary Record of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year.
Here is the original studio released concept video for the song.
11. City on a Hill - God of Wonders
From the album City on a Hill: Songs of Worship and Praise (Essential, 2000)
City on a Hill was actually a collaborative effort spearheaded by Producer Steve Hindalong and features members of Jars of Clay, Sixpence None the Richer, Third Day, FFH, Peter Fuhrler, Gene Eugene (from Adam Again), The Choir, SonicFlood and Caedmon's Call. God of Wonders, the albums biggest hit, features Mac Powell of Third Day and Caedmon's Call among the 12 musicians performing in the song. God of Wonders is a simple declaration of the holiness and majesty of the Creator.The singers and the music combine for the perfect mix of awe and adoration as the song starts out slow and reverent and builds to a robust climax. The subtle inclusion of the a line from the traditional hymn Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty blends traditional and modern worship in a way that works perfectly.
10. Darlene Zschech - Shout to the Lord
From the album Shout to the Lord (Hosanna/Integrity, 1996)
Zschech got her start in the entertainment industry at the age of 10 when she was a regular on the Australian kids' show Merry Go Round. She went on to record Jingles for international companies such as McDonalds, KFC and Coca-Cola. From 1996-2007 She was the Worship Pastor at the famous Hillsong Church.
"A native of Queensland, Australia, Darlene's self-penned Shout to the Lord is practically the theme song for the entire [praise and worship] movement. It is sung by an estimated 25-30 million churchgoers every week, has been covered by at least 20 other artists and has been performed for the President of the United States and the Pope at the Vatican." (source: CCM Presents: 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music, Integrity Publishing, 2006, p. 38)
9. Newsboys - Shine
From the album Going Public (StarSong Records, 1994)
Going Public was an imprtant album that had a huge impact on the Christian music industry. But it also needs to be recognized for it's incredible music and stronger lyrical themes than many of it's contemporaries. This is undobtedly due in no small part to the influence of Producer Steve Taylor who co-wrote some of the songs including Shine. The breakthrough album was the band's first real success and won a Dove Award in 1995 for Rock Album of the Year. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album
The song peaked at #1 on the Christian Hit Radio Chart and was nominated for a Dove Award for Song of the Year. The video was also nominated for a Dove Award for Short Form Video of the Year.
Here is the studio released concept video for the song.
8. Stephen Curtis Chapman - The Great Adventure
From the album The Great Adventure (Sparrow, 1992)
This song begins with a buoyant invitation to "saddle up your horses" and challenges the listener to jump headlong into "the great adventure" of life with the assurance that God will always be right there with them. Musically, it fits easily into the contemporary pop niche, but Chapman's country roots were definirely showing. The song was a hugely popular radio hit, occupying the charts for 11 weeks. The accompanying video enjoyed some play on CMT (Country Music Television) briefly.
This was the album that, on the strength of this song, helped Chapman cross-over and achieve some mainstream success. In 1993, the song won Dove Awards for Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Song of the year. The video won the Dove Award for Short Form Music Video of the Year and the album won for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year. The album also won a Grammy award for Best Pop/Contemporary Gospel Album. It was certified Gold less than seven months after its release and peaked at #1 on the Christian Albums Chart.
Here is the award winning studio released concept video for the song.
7. Jars of Clay - Flood
From the album Jars of Clay (Essential Records, 1995)
In 1994 a quirky, acoustic quartet from Greenville College sent a demo tape into a “New band” contest being put on by the Gospel Music Association. The quartet was invited to Nashville to perform as a finalist for the contest and ended up winning. CCM was never the same. Little by little the song Flood started getting airplay on College, Modern Rock and CHR radio stations around the country. The little label the band was signed to, Essential, received help from their parent company, Silvertone Records who paid for a Music video and the song took off. The album has reached multi-platinum status with sales of over 2 million units. Here are the song's peak positions on various Billboard Charts:
Mainstream Rock Tracks
16
Modern Rock Tracks
12
The Billboard Hot 100
37
Adult Top 40
29
Top 40 Mainstream
20
Christian Hit Radio
4
Christian Rock
1
The song was produced by Adrian Belew of King Crimson who heard a copy of the band's first demo Frail and was very impressed with their sound. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album
Here is the original studio released concept video for the song.
6. Delirious? - I could Sing of your Love Forever
From the album Cutting Edge 2 (Furious?, 1994/Sparrow, 1997)
This song's popularity has reached far beyond the band's; Christian Copyright Licensing International places the song among the 30 most-sung worship songs in the United States of America and it has been called a "modern worship classic". According to Martin Smith, the author of the song: "That song just wrote itself in about five minutes. The same chords the whole way through the song. I mean that's embarrassing really! It was just a little ditty. Did it at church. It was good but I don't think it really blew anybody away. It wasn't like, 'Oh Martin's written the most amazing song!' I still don't really think it is. But yes, that song, that moment changed our lives really. It's been one of the most sung songs in America and around the world. It's crazy really, this little ditty that we don't really do anymore. It's been great."
The song has been released in several different forms. The original was released on Cutting Edge 2 which was a collection of worship songs recorded for an annual youth retreat in Littlehampton, West Sussex, England before the band ever became Delirious?. The were known as the Cutting Edge band at the time and had gotten together specifically to lead worship services. It was later recorded for Deeper in the form of a shorter rock ballad. An even shorter radio edit of this version was released as a single and reached #37 on the UK Charts.
5. Amy Grant - El Shaddai
From the album Age to Age (Independent, 2001)
Before Amy Grant became a household name with chart topping hits like Find a Way, Every Heartbeat and Baby Baby, she released Age to Age, an album that almost singlehandedly changed the contemporary Christian music industry. The album sold well over a million copies. It became the first Christian music album by a solo artist to be certified gold in 1983, and the first ever platinum Christian music album in 1985. El Shaddai was one of several hits that pushed sales of the album to 5-6,000 copies per week and kept it at #1 on the Christian album charts for an astonishing 85 weeks.
The song was written by Michael Card and originally appears on his 1981 debut album Legacy, but it is Grant's version that Contemporary Christian Magazine named the 5th best Christian song of all time. Unusual for a contemporary song, half the lyrics are sung in Hebrew.
El Shaddai, El Shaddai, (God Almighty, God Almighty) El-Elyon na Adonai, (God Most High) Age to age You're still the same, By the power of the name. El Shaddai, El Shaddai, Erkahmka na Adonai, (I love you, O Lord) We will praise and lift You high, El Shaddai.
El Shaddai peaked at #1 on the Christian Songs Chart and was later awarded one of the "Songs of the Century" by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) in 2001. In 1983, the song won a Dove Award for Song of the Year and Card was given the award for Songwriter of the Year.
4. MercyMe - I Can Only Imagine
From the album Almost There (Independent, 2001)
Has there been a bigger Christian song in the last decade than MercyMe's I Can Only Imagine? Has there ever been? After signing with INO Records, the band released its first major debut album, Almost There. The single I Can Only Imagine earned the band a Dove Award in 2002 for song of the year; however, it was not until three years after its release before the song began to gain mainstream success, topping the Billboard 200 sales chart for 7 weeks, and peaking at number 71 on the Hot 100, 33 on the US Pop Chart, 27 on the Adult Pop Chart, 15 on the Christian Hit Radio Chart, 5 on the US Adult Contemporary Chart, and #1 on the Christian Adult Contemporary Chart. (Whew!) it even hit #52 on the US Country chart! Now that is a crossover hit.
The song was inspired by the death of Bred Maillard's father when he was only 18. He began writing the words "I can only imagine" on items whenever he thought about his father. Needing one more song to fill out the bands 1999 independent album, The Worship Project, he finished writing the lyrics while alone on a bus in the middle of the night, by reflecting on what he thought standing before God in heaven would be like. Millard has stated that "it is one of the only songs I have ever written where there wasn't any mistakes, it was just written the way it is and left at that". He estimates that it took him only ten minutes to write the lyrics.
MercyMe
The music didn't come as easily, however. Originally a faster song that just wasn't working, keyboardist Jim Bryson noted that "[Millard] and I were talking about arranging it differently and doing a slower version, so we just tried out a piano intro... it was literally the first thing I played. It wasn't anything to do with me, I think it was just a God thing. [Millard] said 'here it is, this is what's going to happen', and we laid the song down in about five minutes."
The song was re-recorded for the bands major label debut record Almost There and released as the first single in 2001. It was a hit on Christian radio but went unnoticed by mainstream stations until 2003 when Dallas mainstream radio station, 100.3 Wild-FM, first played the song on its morning show, The Fitz Radio Program. It soon became the most requested and played song on the station. After hearing the song played on the station, Millard called-in and spoke with the crew; MercyMe then came in and played the song live.
The song won Dove awards in 2002 for Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the year.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the video for the song, Millard recalled, "I just kept seeing all these people holding picture frames [at MercyMe concerts] that are empty because we all carry these people with us in some way. I've had so many people after a show pull out a picture of someone they've lost. These people embrace these photos and I just thought how can we tap into that".
Here is the original studio released concept video for the song.
3. Michael W. Smith (ft. Amy Grant) - Friends
From the album Michael W Smith Project (Reunion Records, 1983)
Smith got his professional music start in 1981 when he signed as a writer with Meadowgreen Music. There, he wrote several Contemporary Christian hits for artists such as Sandi Patty, Kathy Troccoli, Bill Gaither and Amy Grant. Some of these popular worship songs can now be found in modern church hymnals. The following year, Smith played keybords on Amy Grant's Age to Age album and performed in the band on her supporting tour. This led to him becoming Grant's opening act and, in 1983, he recorded and produced his debut album, Michael W Smith Project.
Michael wrote the music for Friends and his wife, Debbie, wrote the lyrics originally as a gift for a church friend who was moving away. "The simple chorus with it's hopeful, almost child-like lyric has been part of an entire generation's memory making moments. It has been responsible for countless lumps in countless throats at weddings, graduations, funerals, birthdays, church camps, anniversaries and youth groups for almost 30 years." (From the book 100 Greatest Christian Songs)
The album was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Gospel Album but, surprisingly, the song never peaked higher than #7 on the Christian music Charts. Over the years, however it has become the most played Christian song of all time.
2. dc Talk - Jesus Freak
From the album Jesus Freak (Forefront Records, 1995)
After the success of their previous album, Free at Last, landed dc Talk a distribution deal with Virgin Records, many fans feared that the band would water down its Christian message to appeal more to a mainstream market. Those fears were entirely unfounded.
While the band's previous efforts were more rap and hip-hop oriented, here, dc Talk nearly single handedly invented nu metal. Released 4 to 5 years before bands like Lincoln Park and Limp Bizkit popularized the genre, dc Talk combined hard rock, grunge and rap to create one of the greatest songs of all time.
Although dc Talk broke in to the Billboard Top 40 with Just Between You and Me, it was the title track that was selected as the 2nd best Christian song of all time in Contemporary Christian Magazine's book, 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music.
Rather then watering down the Christian message, the lyrics in Jesus Freak are bold and "in your face."
Kamikaze, my death is gain I've been marked by my Maker a peculiar display. The high and lofty they see me as weak Cause I won’t live and die for the power they seek, yeah
What will people think when they hear that I’m a Jesus freak? What will people do when they find thats its true? I don’t really care if they label me a Jesus freak There aint disguising the truth.
"The music video for Jesus Freak was directed by Simon Maxwell, who also worked on the music video for Hurt by Nine Inch Nails. Maxwell's treatment of the video, reminiscent of his work with Nine Inch Nails, features footage of Christian imagery such as doves and crosses mixed with stock footage of riots, book burnings, hate crimes, and propaganda films projected onto a screen. Interspersed between the stock footage is video of the band performing the song in a darkened room.
Although the song and video are, on the surface, about expressing one's belief in Jesus Christ, the band later commented that the song could also be a metaphor for the "preservation of standing up for what you believe in – even in the midst of persecution."
McKeehan later said that the point of the video was to "push the envelope" for the Christian rock community, and indeed, the song and video proved controversial. Although the song and video were an earnest attempt to "declare a single-hearted faithfulness in Christ in an age when such devotion strikes many as the freakiest kind of fanaticism," some of the more conservative Christian community members frowned at the video. The song however, was highly successful on Z Music and managed to achieve air time on MTV." (Source: Wikipedia)
The album sold over two million copies, and peaked at #16 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. It won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Gospel Album and a Dove Award for Rock Album of the Year in 1997. In 1996, the song won Dove Awards for Song of the Year and Rock Recorded Song of the Year and the band was named Artist of the Year. The music video for the song later won the award for Short Form Music Video of the Year in 1997.
Here is the original studio released concept video for the song.
1. Rich Mullins - Awesome God
From the album Winds of Heaven...Stuff of Earth
(Reunion, 1998)
With Awesome God Mullins would fundamentally change Sunday morning worship at English speaking Churches across the world. Originally written quickly for a Michigan youth group, it became the single most often sung modern worship song in history.
Awesome God was the first single from the album "Winds of Heaven ... Stuff of Earth" and rose to the number one spot on Christian radio and subsequently became a popular congregational song. The song was inspired by Old Testament verses like Psalms 47:2 that refer to God as awesome. "For the LORD Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth."(NIV)
Actually, Mullins did not think the song was one of his best. In an interview with The Lighthouse Electronic Magazine in April 1996, he said:
"You know, the thing I like about Awesome God is that it's one of the worst-written songs that I ever wrote; it's just poorly crafted. But the thing is that sometimes, I think, that when you become too conscientious about being a songwriter, the message becomes a vehicle for the medium. This is a temptation that I think all songwriters have. I think a great songwriter is someone who is able to take a very meaningful piece of wisdom - or of folly or whatever - and say it in a way that is most likely to make people respond. But, what you want them to respond to is not how cleverly you did that; what you want them to respond to is your message."
Awesome God was listed as the Number One Christian song in history in CCM Magazine’s countdown of the greatest songs. It peaked at #1 on Billboard's Christian Singles Chart. Here is the original album version of the song:
500. Tommy Shane Steiner - What If She's an Angel?
From the album Then Came the Night
(RCA Nashville, 2002)
"Tommy Shane Steiner sure is good looking, as the cover pictures amply illustrate, and he makes pretty country music -- smooth, clean, tuneful, catchy, polished. He protests that he's a bit of a ruffian on the opening track, That Just Wouldn't Be Me, and he has a duet with Randy Travis, but his sweet singing is a clear indication that he's not made for honky tonks, he's made for breaking hearts. Appropriately, his debut album, Then Came the Night, follows the lead of that voice, offering a collection of 11 radio-ready tunes ripe for crossover. This is a mainstream pop album with a little bit of country dressing, and while that will inevitably upset some purists, that's what's good about this record. It's a solid, appealing mainstream pop record, a little bit square perhaps, but endearingly so, since he's a modest, likeable singer. After this, Steiner could go either way -- he could dive into pop and become a male Faith Hill -- or he could try to strengthen his country roots and toughen up a bit. He currently leans toward the former, but the nice thing about this record is that it positions him for both directions." (source: AllMusic.com)
What if She's an Angel peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot Country singles chart. Here is the original album version of the song:
499. Keith Urban - But for the Grace of God
From the album Keith Urban
(Capitol, 1999)
"Keith Urban's solo debut for American audiences (released after the breakup of his former group, the Ranch) may seem a bit quaint now that he's become a superstar. But back in 1999 when this album was released, Urban looked like a fresh-faced kid who was entering the U.S. market as a virtual unknown. Truth is, he made his recording debut in his native Australia in 1991, and had been on the radar of Nashville's A&R men for years. This album proves why. There are four Urban originals here, each one showcasing his knack for writing in numerous styles that all fit into the expanding country radio format. He could marry a rock tune or pop ballad to a country melody, set it off with just the right amount of heartfelt emotion, and lace it with appropriate production, whether it be playing the banjo or adding strings to the mix. He and co-producer Matt Rollings also selected a mostly winning combination of tunes to fill the remainder of the disc, including Monty Powell's fiddle drenched barnstormer It's a Love Thing, Charlotte Caffey's mid-tempo ballad But for the Grace of God, and Rollercoaster, which marked Urban's first signal towards the contemporary country community that he wasn't just a pretty face who could sing. ... [S]uch moments balance the slick and sometimes too-soft production on the record; as such, the album marks the true root of his sound as a major artist wetting his feet." (source: AllMusic.com)
Here is the original studio released promotional video for the song:
498. Sanctus Real - Lead Me
From the album Pieces of a Real Heart
(Sparrow Records, 2010)
"Pieces of a Real Heart is an album that finds strength in brokenness, navigating the tension between humility and confidence, joy and pain. They're no strangers to dealing with themes of imperfection in their music and have delivered their share of touching ballads over the years, but this time around the lyrics have an honest, almost questioning edge wrapped in an often deceptively happy pop rock vibe that's ready to turn up and sing along. These Things Take Time is one example of what happens when a cheerful, clap-along beat is paired with lyrics like "I wanna know why pain makes us stronger / I wanna know why good men die... Tell me is it easier to doubt, or harder to believe?"
Still, nothing quite expresses that honesty like the ballad Lead Me, a song lead singer Matt Hammitt wrote reflecting on his role as a husband, father, and a man in need of God's direction to lead his family. It's a deeply personal story song that describes the apparent perfection of a family longing for a leader and calls out to God to "lead me 'cause I can't do this alone," but one I'm grateful they shared with the world as a strong, introspective moment on the album.
...
This is definitely more of a pop album than is common with the guys of Sanctus, but don't let that stop you from giving this collection a chance. There are fun moments for sure, but there's also something about the conviction and vulnerability of these songs that sticks after a few listens, sinks into the heart, and doesn't let go. It's hard to play the comparison game and debate how it measures up to their past work, so maybe it's best to let this one stand on its own. Pieces of a Real Heart is a solid album and a great addition to the latest chapter in Sanctus Real's career." (source: JesusFreakHideout.com)
Lead Me peaked at #1 on Billboard's Christian Singles chart and was nominated for two Dove Awards for Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year. Here is thstudio released promotional video for the song:
497. Cliff Richard - Thief in the Night
From the album Now You See Me, Now You Don't
(EMI, 1982)
"I do believe the only artist on this list to be officially 'knighted' is Cliff Richard. Not bad for a pop star and teen heart throb from the 1950′s and 60′s. Then again John Lennon was a fan and he is said to be the first real 'rock star' from Great Britain. Sir Cliff Richard has also been a devoted Christian and has recorded several Gospel themed albums. The one in question here is the very best as it is simply a pop album with Gospel themes rather than a Gospel album that tries to sound pop.
The album is also unique in that it also generated a comeback of sort for the artist in his native land after several years of unsuccessful pop albums. NYSMNYD went Gold in England and had several radio hits on both side of the Atlantic.
Released in 1982 Christian music was constantly gravitating toward 'pop stars' who professed a Christian belief (Bob Dylan, Joe English), but this album never saw Christian distribution and many missed this great album. Thief in the Night is a much heavier song musically than the normal Richard bubble gum and is the center piece to the whole project. It rocks and like the rest of the albums sounds like it was influenced by Mark Williamson and Chris Eaton.
The album has a bit of an Ambrosia feel with silky, pop driven rockers and big ballads meant for radio consumption. But the rockers stand out like the previously mentioned Thief in the Night and the bombastic Son of Thunder. Little Town, Chris Eaton's arranged version of O Little Town of Bethlehem would also be recorded by Amy Grant and Michael W Smith. Richard’s version would be the best." (source: CCM's 500 Best Albums)
I couldn't find the original album version of the song on YouTube, but this live version from Walking in the Light is very close to it. Here is that version of the song:
Here is another live performance video of the song from the BBC TV special Christmas With Cliff from 1980. Although his vocals get buried a bit by the 2 female singers, the music is excellent.
496. Charlie Peacock - Who Is Not Afraid?
From the album Lie Down in the Grass
(Exit/A&M, 2000)
"Peacock’s road to where he resides today has been long and interesting. He is clearly recognized within CCM circles as a brilliant producer, songwriter, artist and thinker. He received a Master’s Degree from Covenant Theological Seminary and performs progressive jazz, worship and pop without missing a beat. He has a loyal audience and fan base for good reason.
But it all started quite simply with a very programmed-heavy debut that was filled with pop gems, world and African rhythms, poignant and obscure lyrics and a quirky, breathy high pitched voice that some do not find quite as pleasing as I do. Many initially pegged peacock as an 'alternative' artist because of the heavy programming, but in actuality, that came about solely as the result of a low production budget. Anyone who saw him live early on with former Vector bandmates, Vince Ebo and Aaron Smith know just what an authentic musician he was at the time.
Though the album in question features a programmed drum, there are plenty of acoustic percussion work, electric and acoustic guitars, real brass instruments and amazing acoustic and electronic keyboards in use.
There are two versions of the album released. The Exit/Word version contains two songs that were removed and replaced by two more 'commercial' sounding songs for the A&M release. ... I remember seeing Peacock on tour with other A&M artists in the early 80′s and was struck by just how good he was live and how he ended up competing quite well for the audience response of bands like Let’s Active.
...
The original Exit version closes with Who Is Not Afraid? Is this Peacock’s finest composition? I can’t really say, but I do not know of too many that surpass it. It is haunting and beautiful. The lyrics swirl and consume the listener. It is worshipful and exhorting. As mentioned previously, Peacock often writes like a psalmist, and does so again here, but in a very modern vernacular. I could click repeat over and over on this song! The sax solo deserved two more minutes." (source: CCM's 500 Best Albums)
Here is the original studio released music video for the song:
495. Michael Omartian - Here He Comes
From the album Adam Again
(Atlantic, 2000)
"[Michael Omartian] may be responsible for the sale of more music than any artist in CCM. Between producing, performing and creating, [he] has been involved directly with albums that have sold a combined half a billion units!
Unlike many artists and producers in CCM, Omartian has been equally involved with both worlds of music consistently throughout his career. He was working with mainstream artists in the early 70′s as well as working with Barry McGuire and Second Chapter of Acts at the same time.
Omartian got his musical start as a part of Campus Crusade for Christ’s traveling musical group, The New Folk. But it wouldn’t be long before he was working with Steely Dan, Loggins and Messina and Rod Stewart. All the while he would earn a living as a top paid keyboardist performing with the best in the industry on both sides of the musical fence.
...
The album is meticulously produced with some of the finest musicians on the planet directly involved. The credit lists reads like a who’s who in both Christian and mainstream music worlds. It’s important to remember that this was released in 1976 and was not 'behind the times' like many 'pop music' releases in the Christian market, and was actually right in line with what was happening musically with the funk and soul influences combined with pop and the early strains of disco influenced white dance music and string arrangements.
Themes are just as 'Christian' as anything in Jesus Music at the time, but Omartian avoided the normal 'buzz words' associated with the genre. His goal was to create music with a Christian worldview that would be challenging and exhorting to Christians without alienating any listening audience.
The album features the work of Dean Parks, Larry Carlton, Ernie Watts and Lee Ritenour. Serious music aficionados would be impressed with just a guest appearance from any of those listed let along all of them appearing on one project. For those not as informed about studio and jazz musicians, these guys are the bomb; the very, very best in the world. And it shows on the project. Add to that the fact that Omartian belongs right with them on the list and it is no wonder why this project is so highly regarded.
...
The album closes with the six-minute epic, progressive rock number dealing with the coming of Christ, Here He Comes. As dealt with exhaustively throughout this blog, the topic of the second Coming and Rapture (especially the dominant Dispositional view) was the single most popular topic for musicians in the Jesus Music era. But few expressed the topic in such a wonderful and artistic way.
Classical and progressive, with a dull compliment of instrumentation, time signature changes and huge choral vocals. Very uplifting and powerful. The chorus is reminiscent of a Second Chapter of Acts melody. Few have duplicated this song for taking a musical expression and having it perfectly match the content while remaining completely current.
There is not a throw away on the entire project, and it withstands the test of time significantly better than most albums from that time period. The production is brilliant and miles ahead of its contemporaries. Simply brilliant!" (source: CCM's 500 Best Albums)
Here is the original studio released music video for the song:
494. John Michael Montgomery - The Little Girl
From the album Brand New Me
(Atlantic, 2000)
"I have been a fan of John Michael Montgomery's since his first album, "Life's A Dance" was released in 1993. Nine years and eight albums later he is like the Energizer Bunny. He just keeps going and going. And John Michael's music keeps getting better and better.
...
I cannot write this review without high praise for the writer of the song The Little Girl. For those of you who havent heard the story, It's about a child who was in a bad home situation. Her parents were into drugs and alcohol. One night, the father killed the mother. The little girl was taken into a foster home. ... Her parents were atheists and so they didn't go to church and she had no knowledge about God and Jesus. The first day the little girl was taken to Sunday school, the teacher found her staring up at a picture of Jesus on the cross. The teacher gently started to explain the story of Jesus to her. The little girl interrupted her. I know that man she said. He was with me the night my parents died and was holding me in his arms. It is said around Nashville that the story was passed up by many songwriters before Harley Allen read the story and the song came to be. John Michael has special help with vocals from Alison Krauss and Dan Tymenski. I have never heard a song that has affected me the way this one does." (source: CountryMusic.about.com)
The Little Girl reached #1 on Billboard's Country Singles chart and #35 on the Hot 100 chart. Here is the original studio released music video for the song:
493. Jars of Clay - Dead Man (Carry Me)
From the album Good Monsters
(Essential Records, 2006)
"The evolution to a pure rock sound on Jars of Clay's seventh studio album, Good Monsters, is not a far cry from traces of alternative rock that surface on nearly all of their recordings in one degree or another. Fans accurately predicted a return to a harder-edged rock outing after the band's three previous efforts -- 2003's Furthermore and Who We Are Instead, as well as 2005's Redemption Songs -- leaned primarily toward a stripped-down folk sound. Monsters stretches the four-piece band past any set of expectations and results in its boldest effort to date. Known for introspection and openness, their lyrics this time around offer no singular message other than an unapologetic admittance that they don't have all the answers. Songs bounce from haunting to lilting, pensive to provoking, ultimately creating a set list that is cohesive only in its self-examination. Among the many standouts, the jarring opener, Work, manifests within seconds that acoustic guitars have been set aside in lieu of a more raw, glaring sound. Dead Man (Carry Me) gets going with a jangly guitar riff and heavy beats resembling secular contemporaries the Killers. ... The band members continue to bear sonic ode to Toad the Wet Sprocket and U2 on this record, but they draw upon enough of their own trademark sound that only isolated moments would evoke comparisons to the latter's mid-decade classic How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb. Good Monsters doesn't aim for arena rock, but it remains well-crafted and vulnerable at the core. Jars of Clay bear the cross of being compared to their self-titled debut with every following record. Good Monsters is a departure from that debut, but assuredly a welcome one that yet again demonstrates the band's depth and talent." (source: AllMusic.com)
Dead Man was the first single released from Good Monster and their biggest hit from the album, peaking at #14 on Billboard's Christian Singles chart and #20 on the Christian Adult Contemporary chart. Here is the original album version of the song:
As a special bonus, check out this awesome dance remix:
492. Justus - Someone's Waiting
From the album Someone's Waiting
(Star Song, 1986)
"A Canadian trio, the boys in Justus adopted that name as a pun after their Vancouver-based group went through multiple incarnations with many other musicians coming and going. The decision to be just a trio included a commitment to a stripped-down sound, favoring straight-ahead no-frills rock and roll. The songs on Someone’s Waiting deal with basic Christian themes. “Rumor” addresses the destructive power of gossip, “That’s Not for Me” is a rejection of the occult; “Give Us a Burden” and “Surrender” testify to faith in Christ" (source: Christian New Wave)
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