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Last Active 11-10-19 11:08 pm
Joined 08-16-12
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| My Top 20 Christian Rock Albums
Granted, there isn't a whole lot of great, critically-acclaimed Christian music barring Bach and gospel. Getting this list of rock together took years of sifting through a lot of mediocrity. Enjoy the fruit of my labor, friends! Feel free to discuss your picks and if you've ever heard these. I excluded some bands like King's X and U2 who arguably don't fit or are too well-known in the mainstream. I also excluded any METAL albums to not be redundant. See my previous Christian Metal list: http://www.sputnikmusic.com/list.php?memberid=732569&listid=119892#14 | | 20 |  | Kings Kaleidoscope
Becoming Who We Are
The newest release on this list gives me some hope for modern worship music. I'm sick of hearing either Hillsong United alt-rock knock-offs, hipster acoustic campfire crap, or very bland electronic radio pop. This is is indie/art rock with a strong emphasis on lush instrumental layers. Listen to "All Creatures" and tell me if that isn't the VERY BEST rock version of a traditional hymn you've ever heard. | | 19 |  | Iona
Open Sky
Iona is a progressive/new age band that combines the best ideas of Enya with atmospheric progressive rock. While their previous album includes Frippertronics courtesy of Robert Fripp, I think it's this album where his influence on their style is MORE evident. Beautiful and relaxing album. | | 18 |  | Jars Of Clay
Jars Of Clay
A relatively big commercial success, Jars of Clay's debut hit MTV with the grungy single "Flood" (produced by Adrian Belew no less). Jars of Clay are similar to Barenaked Ladies with equally good songwriting but even better orchestration/production. You'll be dancing along to the wonderfully upbeat celtic folk jig "Like a Child," and beautiful ballads such as "Worlds Apart" will immerse you in violins and harmonized choruses. | | 17 |  | Keith Green
For Him Who Has Ears
Keith Green is like the Buddy Holly and Billy Joel of Christian music. He died at a shocking young age after having helped establish Christian rock as a full-fledged genre. Like Billy Joel or Elton John, he’s a piano rocker. While his music might be light and easily-digestible, his lyrics are unusually witty and self-critical. Some of the songs in this 1977 debut such as the upbeat "You Put This Love in My Heart", the touching "Your Love Broke Through", and the majestic "Easter Song" have become classics. | | 16 |  | Dc Talk
Jesus Freak
Probably the best commercially successful Christian rock album, Jesus Freak saw the three dc Talk boys leaving hip-hop and branching out into alternative/grunge rock. The hooks are all there whether it be the funky "So Help Me God" or the grunge rock title track. The topics have varied to include more social conscious themes such as "Colored People." All three members went on to create successful solo careers (tobymac’s Protable Sounds and Kevin Max’s Stereotype Be were close contenders), but this is the group at its best. | | 15 |  | Resurrection Band / Rez
Awaiting Your Reply
Fusing Led Zeppelin Hard rock and Jefferson Airplane psychedelic rock, Resurrection Band was a major influence on subsequent Christian metal bands. Lead singer Glenn Kaiser uses his powerful, blues-gospel voice to full effect on this debut which stands as their best. | | 14 |  | Glass Harp
Glass Harp
Phil Keaggy is considered the best guitarist in Christian rock, especially when considering his skills on the acoustic guitar. He stuck mostly to electric guitar for debut with the prog/blues rock band Glass Harp, and it shows that he really did rock hard. Flutes and other prog influences are evident and landed the band opening slots for Yes. The opener "Can You See Me?" is a fantastic ballad and his first classic in the Christian rock canon way back in 1970. | | 13 |  | Daniel Amos
Doppelganger
Christian rock is often rightfully criticized for being too safe, whether it be musically or lyrically. Daniel Amos, the most daring Christian rock band of all, started the single biggest shift in tone Christian rock would see until Vengeance Rising introduced extreme Christian metal. Shedding overt influences from the 60s and 70s, 1982’s Doppleganger was a completely novel attempt to bring Talking-Heads-like nervous post punk to the Christian market. Needless to say, in tanked commercially. One second lead singer/songwriter Terry Taylor offers a tape-manipulated spoken word intro and the next he’s criticizing televangelists in a ska-punk track. The concept revolves around materialism especially in the church. It’s jerky, unpredictable, and unheard of in the Christian market. This opened the door for later acts such as Steve Taylor and all alternative Christian rock bands. | | 12 |  | David Crowder Band
A Collision Or (3 + 4 = 7)
Bland worship music has unfortunately taken over most of the Christian rock market, but David Crowder Band was the first to show that Worship music could be artful and immersive. This album is a front-to-back experience, with a wide range of influences from alt-rock, electronica, gospel, bluegrass all co-mingling freely yet cohesively. A great Sufjan Stevens cover can’t hurt his artistic cred either. | | 11 |  | Kerry Livgren
Seeds of Change
RONNIE JAMES DIO. Check my full review: http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/63051/Kerry-Livgren-Seeds-of-Change/ | | 10 |  | Steve Taylor
I Predict 1990
Steve Taylor took what Daniel Amos did on Doppleganger and made the lyrics even edgier. Songs like "I Blew Up the Clinic Real Good" had people scratching their heads as to who’s side this guy was on anyway. He wasn’t on anyone’s side. He loved God and loved good music that made people think. Horns, synthesizers, and guitars make his art pop reminiscent of Peter Gabriel, and the moody ballad "Harder to Believe than Not To" showing him at his most vulnerable. Taylor would go on to write the lyrics to Christian stars Newsboys and produce Sixpence None the Richer’s crossover hit "Kiss Me", but this is still his best work. | | 9 |  | The 77s
Sticks and Stones
Alternative rock band the 77’s and U2 were both signed to major label Island and marketed to the same Christian-leaning market that Bono and the boys were. 1987 saw two critically acclaimed released from each band. Joshua Tree skyrocketed U2 to superstardom, while the 77’s self-titled tanked. Sticks and Stones sees a band that has given up on commercial success but sticking to artistic success. The songs have never been catchier. Moody rockers like "God Sends Quails" walk a fine line between jam/psychedelic rock and 80’s alternative like REM. The track listing is perfect, as it even includes their signature song from their self-titled "The Lust, the Flesh, the Eyes, and the Pride of Life." | | 8 |  | Daniel Amos
Shotgun Angel
Christian rock just got its start in the late sixties/early 70s, and Daniel Amos was a country band. All that changed with Shotgun Angel. The first half is quite a change with only one country song in the title track. The rest ranges from honky-tonk bluegrass, Steely Dan-like hard rock, and baroque pop. However, side two is an Abbey-Road inspired song suite complete with an orchestral intro and swirling harmonies. Daniel Amos would be the best example of a genre-hopping Christian band, and even on their 1977 sophomore album you get a taste of what Terry Taylor would do for the rest of his career. | | 7 |  | Neal Morse
One
One is the second concept album by Neal Morse, and it cranks up the instrumental insanity. Mike Portnoy himself gives one of his greatest drum performances in "Author of Confusion", the Gentle-Giant-esque metal song that has become Neal’s defining song. Epics like “The Creation” and “The Separated Man” have some of his most powerful melodies. Acoustic virtuoso Phil Keaggy (see #14) even makes an appearance! | | 6 |  | Thieves and Liars
When Dreams Become Reality
Hard Rock/Progressive Rock concept album equal parts Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. Check my full review: http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/51382/Thieves-and-Liars-When-Dreams-Become-Reality/ | | 5 |  | Daniel Amos
Darn Floor - Big Bite
You should be getting the hint when 4/20 albums on this list are Daniel Amos. This album has Terry Taylor and the boys giving us dissonant, guitar-driven post-punk similar to Talking Heads – Fear of Music or Television. The Beatles influence is very faint but essential, and some very tasteful oriental guitar-work on tracks such as "Divine Instant" and "Half Light" make for an intriguing second half. Once again, Daniel Amos move forward where no Christian band dared go. | | 4 |  | Neal Morse
?
Prog concept album done right. Check my full review: http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/57610/Neal-Morse-/ | | 3 |  | Larry Norman
Only Visiting This Planet
The 1972 album that started it all. Check my full review: http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/52043/Larry-Norman-Only-Visiting-This-Planet/ | | 2 |  | Daniel Amos
Motorcycle
Motorcycle is a 1993 neo-psychedelic masterpiece up there with The Flaming Lips and XTC. Daniel Amos unleash their inner Magical Mystery Tour/Pet Sounds to make their most consistent album full of some of their best songs such as "Banquet at the World’s End", "Traps Ensnare"”, and the title track. If you like Clouds Taste Metallic and Skylarking, don’t waste another second. | | 1 |  | The Prayer Chain
Mercury
As great as all these albums are, there is only one I could recommend to just about anyone on sputnik regardless of taste. This, Mercury by the Prayer Chain, is that album. The Prayer Chain started as a grunge band…the best Christian grunge band, mind you. Check "Crawl" and its AiC meets…Native American folk? Yeah, they were always awesome, but here they crank the awesome to eleven. What you get is experimental, shoegaze-y alternative rock that should have been the rage in 1995. Check the title track; that song could just as well be a Radiohead song on The Bends. Some of the stuff here is just straight psychedelic, with "Sun Stoned" basically being psychedelic post-rock. This album is a transcendental trip. And to think…the only thing these guys were high on was Jesus. | |
Friday13th
03.29.16 | This list has been a long time coming. | Supercoolguy64
03.29.16 | cool list,10 in particular sounds pretty interesting | Friday13th
03.29.16 | Thanks man, yeah Steve Taylor is one of my favorites. Check this song: https://youtu.be/k9lyT8UUw_I
Some of the best lyrics in Christian music. | grannypantys
03.29.16 | i would add dogwood, bleach, and mxpx to complete my childhood | LotusFlower
03.29.16 | List ended up being way better than I expected it to be, gonna have to check some of these out. | Friday13th
03.29.16 | @grannypantys Nice, only heard mxpx and they're fun. When it comes to pop punk though I'm partial to Relient K for the Beach Boys influence :)
@CL0VER Thanks, yeah do it. | Intothepit
03.29.16 | Did he just say that the Barenaked Ladies were good song writers? | Friday13th
03.29.16 | My criteria was basically this: do they name drop Brian Wilson? Check haha: https://youtu.be/fIZyqx83mso | YoYoMancuso
03.29.16 | hey Friday13th, check John Mark McMillan - Borderland and lmk what you think of it | Friday13th
03.29.16 | Thanks, YoYo, will do. His album Economy was also recommended by a friend. | Jethro42
03.29.16 | Cool list! I only know Neal Morse on here, and I really love his -prog- music. | Friday13th
03.29.16 | Thanks, Jethro. I think you'd dig most of these, but for more prog check 19, 14, 11 and 6. | TwigTW
03.29.16 | Didn't realize Neal Morse was considered a Christian artist. I guess I shouldn't be surprised; Duncan Shiek is the only one I know. 20, 19 and 6 sound interesting, will check. | Jethro42
03.29.16 | Will do, thank you sir.
| sawesomeness
03.29.16 | "Christian" music I still remember from my childhood:
Poor Old Lu
Tourniquet
Black Eyed Sceva (turned Model Engine)
Stavesacre
Trouble
Dime Store Prophets
The rest was actually pretty meh.
| Friday13th
03.29.16 | Remembering Tourniquet and Trouble from your childhood (!!!!)
Nice, never heard Black Eyed Sceva or Dime Store Prophets. | warmwetos
03.29.16 | Stryper, Petra, Barren Cross, Theocracy, Narnia, Phil Keaggy to name a few. I love Neal Morse's stuff solo and with Spock's Beard. I also seem to recall a band called Barnabas that was fairly decent (female singer I believe). Loved that you added Rez Band and Daniel "Shedding the Mortal Coil" Amos. :)
Just noticed you posted a metal version of this! | Friday13th
03.30.16 | Yup! You know your Christian bands, man. Theocracy is my favorite. Got Phil Keaggy on #14. Not a big fan of Petra or Barren Cross honestly, but they're okay I guess :) Never heard the "shedding the mortal coil." What's that a reference to? | Parallels
03.30.16 | Some of the songs on Jars of Clay's debut are too good to be confined to a CCM album, namely Liquid and Flood.
There's a few good 80's/early 90's Steven Curtis Chapman songs too | Friday13th
03.30.16 | Agreed on Jars. I've only heard a bit of Steven Curtis Chapman. Which songs in particular? | Parallels
03.30.16 | That's Paradise, For the Sake of the Call, His Eyes, More to this Life
they were pretty 80's but yeah | Thibs
03.30.16 | i think third day had a decent album | Flapjack
04.09.16 | At first i was going to the hateful athiest but after reading your list i can see you are legit passionate about your fath and your music. I can respect that, cool list mate. | heck
04.09.16 | I'm shocked by how much I'm enjoying what I'm hearing of 1 | Friday13th
04.09.16 | Thanks guys. I made this list for the skeptics as much as for the believers. Sadly neither group knows about the majority of these. | Friday13th
04.09.16 | Never heard of him, Arcade.
Thanks, that looks really interesting. | Friday13th
04.11.16 | LORD HAVE MERCY! 1973 Bruce Haack-ish, psychedelic, proto-synthpop by a Catholic nun: https://youtu.be/1A93jek-PFI?list=PLb4FM3Hl5Z6SksmJTR9wxpVYHvs-57yfl | Friday13th
09.22.17 | I really should make room for Fleming and John - Illusions of Grandeur. Fantastic! | dctarga
09.23.17 | you are legit passionate about your fath and your music. I can respect that, cool list mate. [2]
Only stuff I ever knew of was Creed and Switchfoot, which are probably not even actual "christian music" bands lol. Not that I would know either way. | Friday13th
09.23.17 | Thanks, Dctarga. Judging from your taste you'd probably like #1 and #18. | dctarga
09.23.17 | Oh nice, thanks dude. Will check em' | bgillesp
10.25.17 | Just saw this from the prog tourney but I'm very interested to check several of these | Dedes
10.26.17 | Where's Creed |
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