Contemporary Christian music hot this summer (on MainStream Radio)

Stars & Stripes (Pacific Edition) ^ | 17 Aug 03 | Brian Bowers

[xzins]

By Brian Bowers, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Sunday, August 17, 2003

MercyMe’s “I Can Only Imagine” has been all over mainstream radio. Superchic(k) provided more music for “Legally Blonde 2.” And Stacie Orrico is a staple on MTV’s “Total Request Live.”

Contemporary Christian music is very popular this summer — but you wouldn’t know it from the news media. Journalists generally aren’t interested in topics involving religion unless there’s a whiff of scandal. Perhaps that’s why a reader asked how to find out what’s topping the genre’s charts.

I can fill part of that vacuum by adding a list of best-sellers to the bottom of this column from now on. Fans will have to turn to the Web to fill in the rest.

The best source is Billboard magazine, but you normally can’t get to its listings on the Internet unless you are a subscriber. If you’re really into it, go to www.billboard.com and sign up.

R&R magazine keeps track of radio airplay. Its Christian listings are at: www.rronline.com/Formats/christ_home.htm.

If you are simply interested in news and trends, check out the site for CCM magazine at www.ccmmagazine.com or the Musicforce page at the site for Christian Book Distributors at www.christianbook.com.

 

Disc tip

“Testify to Love: The Very Best of Avalon,” Avalon. This adult-contemporary group has made a lot of fans happy by putting all of its best music on one CD. With its 12 hits spread among six albums, listeners had to take the good with a lot of so-so. Now, they can focus on the best — with only a little so-so mixed in. “In Not Of,” “Adonai,” “Testify To Love” and the other hits are still catchy and uplifting but the three new songs seem relatively routine. The best is “New Day,” which contains the harmonies and sunny lyrics that make Avalon popular but doesn’t soar to the level of past hits.

 

On the charts

Top contemporary Christian albums as reported by SoundScan, according to The Associated Press.

1. “Almost There,” MercyMe.
2. “Worship Together: I Could Sing of Your Love Forever,” Various Artists.
3. “Stacie Orrico,” Stacie Orrico.
4. “Spoken For,” MercyMe.
5. “WOW Worship (Yellow),” Various Artists.
6. “Unclassified,” Robert Randolph & the Family Band.
7. “The Beautiful Letdown,” Switchfoot.
8. “Offerings II: All I Have to Give,” Third Day.
9. “Rise and Shine,” Randy Travis.
10. “Adoration: The Worship Album,” Newsboys.

[PlutoPlatter]

I agree with people worshipping in any Biblical manner they choose, by all means.

I also love several of our hymns "It is well with my soul" being a prime example.

[PlutoPlatter]

You are correct, my apologies, sorry I read you the wrong way.

I just get tired of people making blanket statements about the new worship music because they object to the instrumentation, the beat, the rhythm without looking at the heart of the musician or the heart of the worshipper.

I agree there are some "bubble gummy" type of music found on some christian channels but my experience in church has been different as evidenced by my lyric examples.

[ActionNewsBill]

When challenged, Luther is reported to have said "Why should the devil have all the good tunes?"

Didn't Larry Norman wrote a song with that title?

I don't mind Christian music, it's very positive, not like those real musicians being so hip with their fancy shoes.

[Skooz]

That Phil Keaggy is not a "real musician" will come as a surprise to the legions of guitarists who idolize him.

[PlutoPlatter]

careful or your description of idolize will be used against you....

Don't forget the musical weavings of Randy Stonehill

[Republican Wildcat]

Your post was meant to incite and you know it. Don't go playing like you were just voicing an opinion.

[ActionNewsBill]

That Phil Keaggy is not a "real musician" will come as a surprise to the legions of guitarists who idolize him.

I agree....Phil is one of the best guitarists of any genre.

My comment was a tounge in cheek quote from george on "Seinfeld".

I saw Phil Keaggy in Ohio about 15 years ago at a small college.

The guy is amazing.

Isn't he missing one of his fingers?

[Theo]

Third Day and Keith Green -- great lyricists. ;-)

I'm a contemporary Christian musician, *and* I place a HUGE emphasis on lyrical content. I've got a ProTools home studio, several keyboards, yadda yadda, and love "contemporary" sound. I have several music-related magazine subscriptions, and think about how my music might affect those who hear it.

Like many on this discussion, I believe there can be both lyrical sophistication (meaning that it's both doctrinally sound/rich/provocative and culturally relevant) and contemporary instrumentation/orchestration/arrangement/production.

One way to work toward that is to have more "accountability" among Christian musicians. For example, songwriters should submit their compositions to their pastors or some other spiritually-more-wise person for doctrinal review. Worship leaders should submit to their pastors in their song choices, humbly considering the stylistic preferences of the congregation. Humility is a good thing for Christian musicians to practice. There's far too little of it, IMO....

[Skooz]

Yeah, it's still missing. It's ridiculous that anyone can be that good, even if he had all ten fingers.

I watch him play and just think, "My guitar won't do that."

[rwfromkansas]

My memory of what was sung in Mark is that it was the Great Hallel, a portion of the Psalms sung for Passover. It is translated hymn, but every commentary I have seen says it is a section of the Psalter.

Perhaps it did become uninspired stuff later....beats me.

Thanks for your wonderful link. I do like CCM music personally, and it is great to get some good stuff like that. Some of this stuff would be good for college chapel.

[RaceBannon]

Your Biblical ignorance is showing.

Spikenard was used by many people, and was used to bathe dead bodies before burial.

Her act in dousing Christ in Spikenard was a symbol of His being covered with perfume before burial.

You guys need to repent.

[rwfromkansas]

I am not being a weaker brother by obeying God's command to follow his worship elements instead of having "liturgical dance."

If you worship God in spirit and in truth, there is no better way than to sing God's divinely inspired hymnbook.

I have to ask why you believe your words are better than the Spirit's?

[ActionNewsBill]

I watch him play and just think, "My guitar won't do that."

He's not a bad singer either. Kind of reminds me of Paul McCartney.

"Crimson and Blue" was the last tape I bought by him.

I think he's getting more mellow and introspective in his music lately, but he can still "rock out" with the best of them.

[hocndoc]

I have to ask you where I used my own words?

[ActionNewsBill]

Yeah, it's still missing.

Still? I don't think it's going to grow back, as least while he's here on earth. ; > )

[GSWarrior]

I didn't know Robert Randolph was a Christian artist....he plays some mean steel guitar.

Any one heard Walt Wilkins? He's very good.

[Skooz]

Still? I don't think it's going to grow back, as least while he's here on earth. ; > )

LOL! I actually thought I was making sense when I wrote that. Must be getting late in the day.

[rwfromkansas]

If you create a song and sing it in the worship of God, you are using your own words.

I was really meaning to say why you think the work of a human is better than the work of God (an uninspired hymn vs. God's perfectly inspired Psalter), but somehow got it more restricted to only applying to song-writers, not the singers.

[hocndoc]

I don't think David was given holy steps to dance.
I pray other prayers than the specific examples given by Christ (although I'm partial to the theme of John 17).
Preachers and teachers - and song writers and singers - don't only quote the Bible, just as I don't answer you only in phrases borrowed from some translation of the Bible or in the original language. We explain and use metaphors that are relevant to our reality, while consistent with God's Spirit.

God gave us the Bible so that we could learn about Him, not so that we would parrot the old words without end (that way lies the 'discussion' about which translation to use). We have his Spirit living in us. We can express our joy and thanks and teach using symbols and words and sounds of today, as long as it is to His glory.