Christian Music

Christian music has come a long way. Not only has it entered the many different genres but it has offered its best talent. Bands and Christian solo artists, as impressive and creative as their secular counterparts, have even crossed church boundaries-a good thing if music is what we believe we should use as a tool to convince the generations growing up outside the church, that inside is not so lame after all.

This is my top ten list of Christian music-the soft rock or even worship songs if you like. Probably not what our elderly Christians (though they might surprise us) would care to label Christian per say (especially when you get down to number 5). These Christian songs, however, would be considered soft "rock" or worship-like songs to our younger generation.

Chris Tomlin's, I Will Rise, definitely falls into the worship category of Christian music. Not your Amazing Grace kind, but one that makes you stand up and sing. It doesn't really matter if you sing off-key, it's the words that matter.

Revelation by Third Day, a band who has been around forever, was featured on the late night show on CBS with Craig Ferguson. Lead singer, Mac Powell, has that deep soothing voice that makes you put down the remote or stop your radio surfing. And what's not to like when a band can sound as good live as they do on their CD, sometimes better.

Coming in at number eight on my personal favorite Christian music list is Casting Crowns with Slow Fade. Their lyrics were gripping enough for me to quote on my Facebook page and received quite a few comments.

Then we have Hold My Heart from a band I never heard of before 2009, Tenth Avenue North. Music lyrics: "Could the maker of the stars, hear the sound of my breaking heart?" This has a very nice piano intro, gets a little rocky in the middle and then brings it back to that comforting piano sound at the end. It's a great questioning, or searching, kind of song.

The Afters have captured my heart with their romantic lyrics in Ocean Wide. It's moody and the lyrics bring a message of hope. Think of a video with sad faces and silhouettes of people breaking free from life, against a magnificent sunset. Music lyrics: "We're gonna make it."

Holding steady at number five (only because this is supposed to be my soft rock top ten list), is The Almost with Amazing Because It Is. The Almost is a heavy metal band who mellowed out for a few minutes and recorded their version of Amazing Grace. Did they pull it off? Absolutely! They used children to sing the old hymn in the background while Aaron Gillespie (also the drummer for Underoath), with a very unusual breathy-style of singing here, tells us how everything in this life scares him. You can find the lyrics online. It is amazing.

Decemberadio was a band I had to check out just because I loved the name then I fell in love. They are a bunch of rockers with long hair and hail from Virginia. For Your Glory is probably their least rocker song but it does well on this top ten. They received a Dove Award for rock album of the year.

Number three is Revelation Song by Phillips, Craig and Dean. This is a contemporary worship-style song. Closing your eyes is optional but you automatically do it. And if you don't have a relationship with the God of Heaven, this will direct you on that path. Stay for the end of the song for a few extra chills.

A little more on the rock side is Stay Strong by the Newsboys. Their newest album/CD, In The Hands of God was released in May of 2009 and debut at No. 28 on Billboard Top 200. Not too shabby. The band was gracious enough to give a free concert for the kids at Camp Electric this summer. The Newsboys are touring with their new singer, Michael Tait (formerly of DC Talk), but the original front man, Peter Furler, will still be doing all the studio work. Furler's voice is what makes Stay Strong so hauntingly beautiful.

On the top of my Christian music list is Remedy Drive with All Along. Everybody loves those Indie rock bands, though they are now signed with Word/Warner Brothers Records. They have close to 32,000 friends on MySpace and probably counting. All Along is a song that can cross over, if it hasn't already, to secular radio station playlists. I love the harmonies and the energy, as well as that message of hope in a time when things seem desperate. They are the Zach brothers; David, Paul, Phillip and Daniel.

This list of Christian music was not compiled from a poll or a survey (though I did ask a few of my Facebook friends for their opinions). My top ten, my favorite songs, have inspired me throughout the year, even pushed me through some rough spots and helped me to understand and enjoy worshiping the living God. In order then; All Along (Remedy Drive), Stay Strong (Newsboys), Revelation Song (Phillips, Craig and Dean), For Your Glory (Decemberadio), Amazing Because It Is (The Almost), Ocean Wide (The Afters), Hold My Heart (Tenth Avenue North), Slow Fade (Casting Crowns), Revelation (Third Day), I will Rise (Chris Tomlin).