A Beginner's Guide to Contemporary Christian Music

Contemporary Christian Music has developed greatly from its early roots in the late 1960s. Originally known as "Jesus music," it grew out of a West Coast Christian revival known as the "Jesus Movement." Early pioneers of Christian music include Larry Norman, Randy Stonehill and Keith Green. While the subject matter of Christian music leaned more toward folk music, contemporary Christian music actually has its roots in another genre altogether - good, old-fashioned rock-n-roll. This seemed a paradox to many, as rock-n-roll tended to promote many things not conducive to the Christian lifestyle, such as drug and alcohol abuse and sexual promiscuity.

Contemporary Christian music, or CCM, has developed greatly since its inception. Primarily based in Nashville, Tennessee, also home to country music, CCM has found itself exhibited in similar styles to modern pop music. Pop music listeners will find similarities in the vocal stylings of Christian artist Britt Nicole to pop artists such as Kelly Clarkson, while hip hop listeners recognize the hard hitting beats and lyrical passages found in the music of tobyMac. Other Christian artists, such as Steven Curtis Chapman, have created sounds that are uniquely their own, while artists like Nicole C. Mullen and American Idol finalist Mandisa blend soulful R & B with Christian lyrics.

A style unique to CCM is something called "worship" music. Sometimes called "praise and worship" music, worship music is characterized by lyrical, informal language, and has often been criticized for its simplicity and informality. Worship music is responsible for the introduction of instruments commonly associated with rock and pop music, such as guitars, acoustic, electric and bass, and drums. The lyrics often emphasize one's personal relationship with God, rather than the corporate relationship of the church to God, as is often the emphasis in traditional hymnody.

Contemporary Christian music's audience has grown steadily since its beginnings. Hundreds of Christian radio stations now broadcast alongside pop, hard rock and hip hop stations. The Rocklin, California, based K-LOVE is perhaps the largest broadcaster of Christian music, with its programming broadcast on more than four hundred frequencies in the United States and is available for listening online. Other such broadcasters include Chicago based Moody Radio, whose stations often integrate Moody Radio's programming into their own, and WAY-FM, a network based in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Many successful Christian artists have also found success in mainstream pop music. These artists include Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and the band Jars of Clay.