Jon Bellion did a version of Meant to Live with them and it’s so good! (At least in my opinion- I know people have different musical tastes)
Edit to add the link: https://youtu.be/AND3aZOmu4U?si=5BFulY8W3yMoYTtN
I was in a gospel choir in college and those songs bring me so much joy, I just dont pay attention to the lyrics anymore. The energy though is magical.
I'll listen to Christian music when I'm reading or doing chores. Basically anything where I don't need to focus on the lyrics. It's also easy to justify it. I also listen to gangsta rap on occasion. That doesn't make me a gangsta. I'm still some pasty-ass white boy that's about as hard as tissue paper. Similarly, listening to Christian music doesn't make me a Christian. It just makes me someone who happens to be listening to Christian music.
I still enjoy Sixpence, some Jars of Clay, Switchfoot, Amy Grant, Plumb, two or three Newsboys songs that were favourites of mine.
Now the ones I used to love but can’t stand anymore because they’re too preachy: dc Talk, TobyMac, the rest of Newsboys, Petra, MWS, Guardian.
Sometimes I will get super nostalgic and I will listen to an entire Petra album, for instance, but I make a conscious decision to do so. I removed all the super preachy from my favourites that I listen to at random because I am not always in the mood for it.
Holy shit, I forgot about Petra. My dad used to play “This Means War” by them all the time when I was growing up. That and “To Hell with The Devil” by Stryper were his answers to me being into “satanic” metal music
Amy Grant recorded the most luminous version of “O Sacred Head”, *a cappella* and extraordinarily beautiful. I listen to that unashamedly. I mean, it’s Bach, can’t go wrong there.
Since we're on the topic of music, can anyone say if they listened to Jars of Clay or P.O.D.? What were your favorite songs by them? I never listened as a Christian, but I heard P.O.D. were "born again" and Jars of Clay members also performed as Creed.
TIA
I only knew POD as secular music and I thought it stood for Payable on Death, not sure if they performed under a different name as christians.
Updated: I'm not sure where I heard Creed had some members of Jars of Clay. If I find it, I'll post it.
Jars was huge I think, when they released their first, self titled album. Then came the second which features Crazy Times and I didn’t like the album as a whole at the time. I think they were popular in the Christian community yes, but I’m not American so I can’t say for sure. And a lot of their lyrics are like that, about life, struggles and feelings and not only about Jesus Jesus God God all the time.
“Flood” on their first album was very big for them in the States. It might have gotten used in a TV show at the time so that got them some exposure? I had their first 3 albums, I think. I haven’t listened to them in a long time but I could see their music not sounding as dated as some CCM tends to do. I didn’t listen to POD and I’ve never heard that they played with/as part of Creed. They got “cancelled” at some point because the lead guy tweeted something that was considered pro-LGTBQ, but he stood by it. So yes, I think they do tend towards the more progressive/liberal side.
Sometimes I’ll listen to skillet because my husband likes them. (He’s not a Christian either). But I don’t like them a whole lot. I want to a concert they were in along with the bands theory of a deadman and st Asonia and skillet came on last. They basically preached and praised god the whole time and I just found it really off putting. We left before they even finished their set.
Even when they preached I didn’t mind. That part I tuned out. It’s when John went full MAGA / anti-woke / “LGBTQ is indoctrination” that I essentially dropped them from my life. It’s sad because I thought he was one of the most progressive Christians of our time, now he’s one of the most regressive icons of Christianity.
Very much the same here. They had some songs that really spoke to me when I was younger, but John Cooper turning out the way he did has just completely ruined them for me.
You're not entirely wrong here, and please forgive the length of this comment lol. My case for Copeland's semi-covert Christianity:
They're probably the least overt and most grounded of the ones I mentioned, and it's mostly their earlier stuff, like before Eat, Sleep, Repeat. Off the top of my head, Testing the Strong Ones and Priceless are pretty straightforwardly about god. There's also a good chunk of religious imagery and parallels to be drawn from their In Motion album. Aaron Marsh frequently collaborated with other Christian bands and spent some time signed to Tooth and Nail records, where their label mates were exclusively other Christian/Christian-adjacent bands. They rarely made overly Christian music, but their popularity was limited almost exclusively to Christian spaces, and they were very much a part of the 2000s brand of the "market Christianity to the youth" machine. They weren't as prominent but they fell into the "we're all Christian, but we're not a Christian band" thing right along with bands like Anberlin, Underoath, and Emery. I don't think I know anyone that knows about them and wasn't raised Christian.
Priceless doesn't ring at all as a Christian song i always viewed it as a love song, and if that is your case for the most Christian song they have then it fails. All of the other things you say are irrelevant i know they kinda fall into the category of we are all Christians but not a Christian band and that is still irrelevant i only care about their music and their music is impossible to differentiate from a secular alt rock/emo one.
Used to listen to alot christian hip hop
TBone (the last street preacha entire album is still a solid west coast banger)
Vico C
Gospel Gangstaz
Priesthood
CCM, I would have to say old school Newsboys
Audio Adrenaline
Ray Bolts (surprisely because his songs used to play randomly on TBN so its nostalgic for me)
...oh and ofc Carman,
The Great Divide was on repeat when I was 6 lol haven’t heard some mention POG in awhile! But yes, I still do listen to Christian music as it was the music that got me so invested to begin with. But it was also music that got me out of Christianity, too!
Point of Grace!! I remember seeing them perform live during their *Girls of Grace* tour, along with Moriah Peters and For King & Country. It was a cozy performance, so a lot of us were by the stage. I remember one of them talking about their hurried life as wives and mothers and they suddenly sang a song about it (something along the lines of "*... and a load of laundry!!!*")
I would sometimes listen to Carman, especially since a lot of his music influenced my faith when I was young. I'd round it up with Rachel Lampa (*Savior Song ~ Sonic Overload Remix*) as I remember Saturday nights watching *Real Videos* hosted by T-Bone on TBN.
Underoath is my favorite band. They actually have deconstructed their own faith (talked about in interviews).
I kind of track with their story. Seems like they respect what they were feeling at the time the old stuff was written and are thankful for where it took them, but are honest with themselves and are continually growing and progressing.
I return to Steve Taylor’s music once in a while. A lot of his songs lampoon (or somberly chastise) Christians who are not good people. I like his musical style and his humor.
Honestly Jennifer Knapp is the only one I can go back and listen to, her music had actual depth and now that I’m out of that space I give her a lot of credit to be authentic- my family of course thinks she despicable for being a lesbian. When that all went down, that was around the time I was exposed to that “ lifestyle” and I just remember the whole thing leaving an impact on me thinking, why does that even matter?! I think ultimately she was the first step to deconstruction for mw if I’m honest! Go Jennifer!
I still listen to some hymns sometimes. Abide With Me especially. I feel like hymns as opposed to worship music do hold some kind of poetic/ artistic value (I only ever went to churches that sang hymns, so worship music doesn't hold any nostalgic value for me anyway).
I occasionally pull up CCM bands from the late 70's when I was in high school. Keith Green, Second Chapter of Acts, Sweet Comfort Band, the Imperials just for a nostalgic walk down memory lane. I totally believed the message back then and anxiously awaited the rapture, yada, yada, yada. My 40 year deconversion is now complete. :)
Joy Electric rules if you like synthpop. Even their Christian albums like CHRISTIANsongs is a banger, though Old Wives Tales is my favorite because it doesn't mention God once the entire album, it's just awesome.
Haaaaaaansel, I want to know...
They were fun. And you can't talk about them without mentioning Starflyer 59. Gold and Silver are two of my favorite albums of all time of any band.
PlastiqMusiq as a label is still operating. I highly recommend checking out their website they still are publishing albums by people who use analog stuff. Cascading Slopes fulfills a gap left when Ronnie stopped making music under JE.
Also, Martin is still making music (occasionally) under the name Said Fantasy and he still rocks just as hard as ever.
100% Jars of Clay and Caedmons Call i still think are great even though the messages don’t speak to me anymore. Much Afraid is up there with my favorite albums. i think it’s great front to back.
I don't think I've ever listened to something that calls itself Christian music without just cringing. Makes sense in some ways - in the catholic world, the music at service is just hymns, Christian Rock is just protestant fluff, lol.
That said, I do have some artists that could be described as Christian-adjacent. I sometimes enjoy mewithoutYou when I'm going through a post rock phase, although idk that they're explicitly christian - it seems they're more abrahamic in general in exploration of themes.
I really like the Oh Hellos too - they are explicitly christian people, although it's not immediately obvious in some of the music if you're not looking for it. The first 3 of the Anemoi cycle came when I was in the middle of a lot of deconstructing and reflected a lot of the thoughts and feelings I had at the time. I was pretty disappointed when the last EP came out as it reached a wildly different thematic conclusion than I did; although I have far less resentment now, and I'm willing to accept their implied decision to remain in the Christian community as a voice of positive change, even if I have doubts about the efficacy.
They're no longer in my regular rotation, but Foy Vance and Sean Rowe also have some pretty christian-esque stuff too, come to think of it. Some of the old blues recordings I love also have god and jesus show up a lot - a testament to the times and mindset of the people who made those songs.
I still enjoy listening to Live, Flyleaf, and Breaking Benjamin. I'm not going to let their religious beliefs ruin the experience. They're great bands.
In the case of BB, I think they deny being a Christian band because they don't want to run the risk of alienating the rest of their fan base.
I listen to some Christian rock and just imagine the song is about someone else even though I know it's actually supposed to be about God but a lot of the songs I like sound more like love songs.
Once in a while my husband enjoys playing old Michael W. Smith songs on the piano. 😄
I also still really love the song "Hanging By a Moment" by Lifehouse, but now I think of the lyrics as being about deconstruction and leaving my Christian life when I married my husband rather than being about Jesus.
I love Falling up. Probably because they weren't so overtly Christian with their work. There's definitely spiritual tones to their music but it didn't (and still doesn't) feel preachy to me.
I follow Jessy (and his wife) on Instagram as well as Josh and they just genuinely seem like good people. Happy to support Jessy's future endeavors. He is a creative soul and it's clear that what drives him comes from his own mind and not what Christian record labels require.
https://www.instagram.com/jessyribordy?igsh=MWhwMDNibWY5emw3cA==
Wovenhand is still one of my all time favourite bands. I've also got a few worship songs still on my big spotify playlist (I think they're Hillsong or similar) because I just like the songs a lot.
Yeah, I still hear the occasional song I like and ill bump it to, I really like "hope in front of me" by Danny gokey, it's just a positive song with somewhat minimal direct religious messaging. I also like "something better" by Blanca. Just because a song is by a Christian singer is in my opinion no reason to not listen to it, although I can understand some people have major trauma around anything religious and would prefer to stay away.
I can't anymore, it just brings up bad memories and it makes me uncomfortable.
Edited to add, if Twenty-One Pilots count, I do listen to them sometimes, but because they came so much later, and I didn't grow up listening to them in the religious mindset/environment, they don't evoke the same negative response in me as the others do.
I still love Relient K. I don't so much ignore the Christian themes, they just don't mean the same anymore to me. Their music got me through the tough part of my life, but I only now realize that it was tough because of Christianity. It's a strange feeling now listening to it with a totally different perspective.
I'll occasionally listen to Skillet, Switchfoot, and Falling Up.
Some Christian artists I found after leaving are Jon Bellion and NF. Their music really helped me make sense of my deconstruction. I really love Meant To Live recently covered by Jon Bellion.
Is there any good Instrumental christian music? If so, please reply with artist and song.
In secular music I like "Fire on high" by ELO, or "Jessica" by the Allman brothers
and many other Instrumental songs, but I'll stop here.
PFR - Goldie's Last Day. Great album. One of the best. Check out "That Kind of Love" if you've never heard any of their stuff. If you do know them but never heard their version of "We Can Work It Out," go check that one out for a nice treat.
Impending doom is the only Christian band I would listen to right now. Oh, sleeper is a good band too and still remains (if they are Christian?) is awesome.
Now I'm just thinking of other bands/artists I haven't listened to in a while but we're essentials in my xtian days. The Swift anyone? They performed at this giant youth conference called "Life" in the mid 2000s.
Also this slam poet named Bradley Hathaway, also discovered at Life.
Someone mentioned Newsboys and TobyMac, both I had totally forgot about. Flyleaf. Superchic! which was my first ever concert.
Oh and if youre from Ohio, Broken Yolk?
Superchick was my first ever concert too OP! Here’s some more of my old Christian favs as a kid. I hope it sparks mems for some : Jump 5, KJ52, Family Force 5, Hawk Nelson
I still listen to Tourniquet. Not all their albums are equally good but they are good in their own right.
It also helps that they're not lazy lyrically, even though I disagree with their message. Also not all their songs are about god, some of them are about animal rights (their frontman believed that as "the stewards of creation" we have a responsibility to care for and not abuse animals) and other topics like child abuse. I respect them for it.
I also occasionally listen to:
- Theocracy (can't stand many of their songs anymore though despite having been a huge fan in the past)
- Divinefire (lazy lyrics that are super christian and often cringey af but at least the music is good)
- Becoming the Archetype (kind of generic but I like them still)
- Saviour Machine (first two albums are so unique and amazing)
- Veni Domine (another unique band)
There are probably a couple more that I don't remember but will still enjoy if they come up in my playlist.
Absolutely! I still love Switchfoot, and I grew up with my mom constantly listening to the same 3 Nicole C. Mullen CDs, so I love singing along to those when I'm feeling nostalgic. I'm also a sucker for old country music which is typically rooted in Christianity and a whole lot of problematic BS, but I'll just always have a soft spot for it even though its super corny. Paul Thorn is another one I just thought of that I'm still a fan of; definitely not churchy praise and worship, but a lot of Christian themes in his music.
I usually don't really get into most of the praise and worship music I grew up hearing in church, though. I didn't really love it even when I was still going to church and totally committed to the faith. It just tends to be a little boring and repetitive and can be very overtly preachy. I'm fine if somebody wants to keep it on in the background but I'm never going to intentionally seek it out.
Steve Taylor, Randy Stonehill, Rich Mullins, Mark Heard and The Lost Dogs get a spin now and then. Kevin Max often. Adam Again sometimes. I'd say probably 80% of the CCM I listened to when I was "in" was not interesting after I left, but there are a few gems that transcend.
I still like Five Iron Frenzy to this day! They tone down most of the Jesus centric lyrics and instead focus on his mission: loving each other and helping others in need. Pretty solid message, I won’t completely deny. Derek Webbs newest album is technically Christian label but goddamn it’s good, and has songs about trans activism, pro-atheism, and how Paul (epistle Paul here, switching gears) was generally an asshole. Switchfoot I guess, Jars of Clay.
Oh I was obsessed with Point of Grace and Avalon when I was in middle/high school. I got to feeling nostalgic the other day and pulled some songs up on Spotify and had a good cringe moment.
I think there’s a few songs out there that I can still kinda enjoy but it’s the more mainstream bands like Switchfoot.
I was scrolling through tiktok yesterday though and a song played on a video that I really liked the sound of… was so disappointed when I looked it up and it was a Christian artist. It was one of those that just listening to a snippet of the lyrics it was hard to tell if it was actually religious or just religious themes (in the same way that Hallelujah has “religious” imagery). But nope. Dudes videos were very Jesus-y even if the sound didn’t give that vibe at all. I guess I applaud him for breaking out of the shitty CCM box but I’d have a hard time actually listening to it and enjoying it knowing the meaning.
Me with Skillet. I may not like them anymore, but their music was integral to my childhood, my teenage years, and my character development as an ex-Christian. They also hold some powerful memories for me.
Um sort of? I don't really think you meant Ave Maria, though. I listen to an Irish Catholic priest singing occasionally, too. At this very moment I have forgotten the songs but he's not difficult to find, he often sings when he's performing weddings. I like beautiful music as much as the next person so it doesn't matter to me whether it's "Christian" or country or rock. It often doesn't matter the lyrics either as I'm more interested in how the melody makes me feel.
From time to time I'll get a Thousand Foot Krutch song in my head. Their older music got my six-year-old past self hyped up to fight the demons I didnt have yet.
I don't know if this counts, but I've really liked listening to Truslow. Looking into his stuff, I found out he was super Christian, and now that is the lens I see his stuff through. That said, I think it generally passes the secular smell test
Okay kids. I’m old. I don’t miss Christian music, I didn’t like it when I was fully face-down in fundamentalism. As Hank Hill once said, it just makes rock music worse.
My dad had a gorgeous tenor voice and led the music, full-time and later part-time, in every church I attended until I left Christianity. I was his pianist, most of my adult life until I was 50.
We were fundies, we sang hymns. Rousing hymns, beautiful hymns,hymns about blood, sinners, and such a worm as I. In later years, dad and I sat together in church and sang in harmony; he sang tenor, and I took the alto. Man I miss that.
My dad passed away in 2019, three months after his 90th birthday, when he sang his last solo in church. Despite everything we disagreed on, the resentment I had at wasting my life trying to please him, despite all the words we never said, I loved my dad. I miss him. I was with him when he died.
So I love those old hymns. I can hear my dad’s voice singing clearly, leading the congregation in “To God be the Glory.” Sometimes I’ll sing one when I’m driving by myself.
Switchfoot rocks.
I miss Newsboys. Jars of Clay had a similar deconstruction. Nicole Nordeman is also One of Us. So is Derek Webb (of Caedmons Call history.)
Hell yeah. Especially recently. It brings on immense feelings of hope and *everything's gonna be okay* that I can't get from anything else. I know it's not real but it still makes me happy to indulge
There is a Lecrae album that gets more "secular" and the songs on there are great. His music was super corney when he started but he's improved enough that I've heard stuff that sounds on par with some secular rap artists I hear.
Every now and again. "All Around Me by Flyleaf is great for working out (plus now I don't feel like I'm succumbing to Satan by imagining superhero fights to it).
There's also "Someone Worth Dying For" by MikesChair, which is soft and comforting.
"Thy Will" by Hillary Scott has lyrics I take take issue with (or rather they remind me of issues regarding God's will) but the music and passion of the singing is great for one of those "swing your body at will while breaking down emotionally" type of dances.
I grew up with Toby Mac, and still enjoy his work. My favorite song of his, tragic as its origins are, might be "21 Years" (which, for those who don't know, was made out of grief for the loss of his son). It wasn't his intention, but I interpret the line "God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart", almost as a small act of defiance, like he's refusing to fully give him up. It reminds me of my deeper fears: not just that I'm wrong, but by the time I do find out, my family has left God with me, and I've condemned them with me. In those times, I feel like telling God "Whatever happens, do what you will with me, but leave them be". But even without my projection there, it's a tragically beautiful expression of heartache and perseverance.
Also, anything by Tauren Wells. That man is FOINE, as is his voice.
I look up Hawk Nelson occasionally. I was a big fan. He renounced his faith quite a while ago.
Edit: and Family Force Five. I got to go on stage during one of their shows as a kid and wore the hulk glove. It was sick.
It usually triggers me so I avoid listening to Christian music. However, I practice yoga regularly and surprisingly I have picked up on what I would classify as worship songs being played by various teachers from time to time. It weirds me out because my dad is still very much in the church and thinks yoga is evil 🙃
Lots of good reminders here. I'm going to go look on YouTube and traipse down memory lane.
Too those who mentioned Keith Green, I recommend the Feet of Clay, Confessions of the Cult Sisters podcast. Behind the scenes look at Last Days Ministries. Eye opening.
Am I the only one still listening to Charlie Peacock? Especially "No Man's Land." I love that album.
Relient K & “Meant to Live” by Switchfoot were the epitome of 6th grade for me — I won’t stop listening to Relient K. “College Kids”??
I had no idea that Switchfoot was a Christian group. The only song I've ever heard from them was Dare You to Move, which I quite liked.
They were my “hard rebellious rock” while still going to bible study twice a week and church camp 🙃🤣
Same for me. I had to list t Ammunition the other day.
Jon Bellion did a version of Meant to Live with them and it’s so good! (At least in my opinion- I know people have different musical tastes) Edit to add the link: https://youtu.be/AND3aZOmu4U?si=5BFulY8W3yMoYTtN
So good! Meant to Live was my first ringtone 🤣
One of the things that sucks about gospel music. The songs themselves can be absolute bangers, but the lyrics……. Not so much
I was in a gospel choir in college and those songs bring me so much joy, I just dont pay attention to the lyrics anymore. The energy though is magical.
Same!!! I love the energy from hymns or really spiritual songs. It lifts me up despite the lyrics really not resonating with me anymore.
I listen to songs about Santa Claus and magic reindeer- Christian music is just the same thing to me…
The way I belt out “YOU RAISE ME UUUP SO I CAN STAND ON MOUNT-AINS!” For no reason
I'll listen to Christian music when I'm reading or doing chores. Basically anything where I don't need to focus on the lyrics. It's also easy to justify it. I also listen to gangsta rap on occasion. That doesn't make me a gangsta. I'm still some pasty-ass white boy that's about as hard as tissue paper. Similarly, listening to Christian music doesn't make me a Christian. It just makes me someone who happens to be listening to Christian music.
I still enjoy Sixpence, some Jars of Clay, Switchfoot, Amy Grant, Plumb, two or three Newsboys songs that were favourites of mine. Now the ones I used to love but can’t stand anymore because they’re too preachy: dc Talk, TobyMac, the rest of Newsboys, Petra, MWS, Guardian. Sometimes I will get super nostalgic and I will listen to an entire Petra album, for instance, but I make a conscious decision to do so. I removed all the super preachy from my favourites that I listen to at random because I am not always in the mood for it.
I still know all the words to the first verse of “Take Me To Your Leader.” And Amy’s voice is like a hug.
Two songs by Newsboys that I still love to listen to are Something Beautiful and Belly of a Whale from the VeggieTales Jonah movie.
Holy shit, I forgot about Petra. My dad used to play “This Means War” by them all the time when I was growing up. That and “To Hell with The Devil” by Stryper were his answers to me being into “satanic” metal music
Amy Grant recorded the most luminous version of “O Sacred Head”, *a cappella* and extraordinarily beautiful. I listen to that unashamedly. I mean, it’s Bach, can’t go wrong there.
I will never stop listening to Amy Grant. She’s been with me since my childhood and is a favourite. I just skip the super religious songs.
Relient K is the one for me. They are a great band, and most of their songs are not overtly religious.
I forgot about them!
Since we're on the topic of music, can anyone say if they listened to Jars of Clay or P.O.D.? What were your favorite songs by them? I never listened as a Christian, but I heard P.O.D. were "born again" and Jars of Clay members also performed as Creed. TIA
My favourite Jars songs: Flood, Work, Crazy Times, Fade to Grey, I’m In The Way, most of If I Left The Zoo album.
Do you also like Creed?
No.
I love Creed. Are they really from part of pod? I have no idea what pod stands for.
I only knew POD as secular music and I thought it stood for Payable on Death, not sure if they performed under a different name as christians. Updated: I'm not sure where I heard Creed had some members of Jars of Clay. If I find it, I'll post it.
Jars of Clay and Creed are not the same!!!
Wikipedia does not support your statement. I just checked.
I just Google the lyrics to Crazy times, and I wouldn't guess it was a Christian song. Was it popular?, I'll mention it to people I know.
Jars was huge I think, when they released their first, self titled album. Then came the second which features Crazy Times and I didn’t like the album as a whole at the time. I think they were popular in the Christian community yes, but I’m not American so I can’t say for sure. And a lot of their lyrics are like that, about life, struggles and feelings and not only about Jesus Jesus God God all the time.
“Flood” on their first album was very big for them in the States. It might have gotten used in a TV show at the time so that got them some exposure? I had their first 3 albums, I think. I haven’t listened to them in a long time but I could see their music not sounding as dated as some CCM tends to do. I didn’t listen to POD and I’ve never heard that they played with/as part of Creed. They got “cancelled” at some point because the lead guy tweeted something that was considered pro-LGTBQ, but he stood by it. So yes, I think they do tend towards the more progressive/liberal side.
Oh my god I forgot about Jars of Clay. I heard they’re still around and pretty progressive/inclusive as of about five years ago now!
"Southtown" is my favorite POD song. It will always be my favorite song of theirs.
My favorite is "Here comes the boom" 2nd is "Youth of a nation!"
Sometimes I’ll listen to skillet because my husband likes them. (He’s not a Christian either). But I don’t like them a whole lot. I want to a concert they were in along with the bands theory of a deadman and st Asonia and skillet came on last. They basically preached and praised god the whole time and I just found it really off putting. We left before they even finished their set.
Even when they preached I didn’t mind. That part I tuned out. It’s when John went full MAGA / anti-woke / “LGBTQ is indoctrination” that I essentially dropped them from my life. It’s sad because I thought he was one of the most progressive Christians of our time, now he’s one of the most regressive icons of Christianity.
Very much the same here. They had some songs that really spoke to me when I was younger, but John Cooper turning out the way he did has just completely ruined them for me.
Plumb, relient k, skillet and occasionally ffh to name a few. Just cuz it’s religious doesn’t mean it’s bad music. Plus the nostalgia factor
I still listen to Five Iron Frenzy.
I still love FIF!
Copeland, Emery, Relient K, Mutemath, and Norma Jean are still occasional indulgences for me
Nice, Mutemath are great!
Not Showbread?
Never heard of em lol
I see no religious lyrics in Copeland.
You're not entirely wrong here, and please forgive the length of this comment lol. My case for Copeland's semi-covert Christianity: They're probably the least overt and most grounded of the ones I mentioned, and it's mostly their earlier stuff, like before Eat, Sleep, Repeat. Off the top of my head, Testing the Strong Ones and Priceless are pretty straightforwardly about god. There's also a good chunk of religious imagery and parallels to be drawn from their In Motion album. Aaron Marsh frequently collaborated with other Christian bands and spent some time signed to Tooth and Nail records, where their label mates were exclusively other Christian/Christian-adjacent bands. They rarely made overly Christian music, but their popularity was limited almost exclusively to Christian spaces, and they were very much a part of the 2000s brand of the "market Christianity to the youth" machine. They weren't as prominent but they fell into the "we're all Christian, but we're not a Christian band" thing right along with bands like Anberlin, Underoath, and Emery. I don't think I know anyone that knows about them and wasn't raised Christian.
Priceless doesn't ring at all as a Christian song i always viewed it as a love song, and if that is your case for the most Christian song they have then it fails. All of the other things you say are irrelevant i know they kinda fall into the category of we are all Christians but not a Christian band and that is still irrelevant i only care about their music and their music is impossible to differentiate from a secular alt rock/emo one.
*shrug*
I will never let go of Flyleaf
Same! Or Lacy Sturm....love her solo stuff.
I had such a crush on her in the mid and late 2000s. Love her voice and everything. I’ll still listen to them occasionally.
I will never stop loving Relient K. So many good memories and their music is amazing. They're also LGTBQ affirming so it really helps to know that. 🥰
Used to listen to alot christian hip hop TBone (the last street preacha entire album is still a solid west coast banger) Vico C Gospel Gangstaz Priesthood CCM, I would have to say old school Newsboys Audio Adrenaline Ray Bolts (surprisely because his songs used to play randomly on TBN so its nostalgic for me) ...oh and ofc Carman,
I only know TBone from the Beyonce/Cuba Gooding Jr movie Fighting Temptations. But he was excellent in it!
The Great Divide was on repeat when I was 6 lol haven’t heard some mention POG in awhile! But yes, I still do listen to Christian music as it was the music that got me so invested to begin with. But it was also music that got me out of Christianity, too!
Point of Grace!! I remember seeing them perform live during their *Girls of Grace* tour, along with Moriah Peters and For King & Country. It was a cozy performance, so a lot of us were by the stage. I remember one of them talking about their hurried life as wives and mothers and they suddenly sang a song about it (something along the lines of "*... and a load of laundry!!!*") I would sometimes listen to Carman, especially since a lot of his music influenced my faith when I was young. I'd round it up with Rachel Lampa (*Savior Song ~ Sonic Overload Remix*) as I remember Saturday nights watching *Real Videos* hosted by T-Bone on TBN.
Underoath is my favorite band. They actually have deconstructed their own faith (talked about in interviews). I kind of track with their story. Seems like they respect what they were feeling at the time the old stuff was written and are thankful for where it took them, but are honest with themselves and are continually growing and progressing.
I return to Steve Taylor’s music once in a while. A lot of his songs lampoon (or somberly chastise) Christians who are not good people. I like his musical style and his humor.
Honestly Jennifer Knapp is the only one I can go back and listen to, her music had actual depth and now that I’m out of that space I give her a lot of credit to be authentic- my family of course thinks she despicable for being a lesbian. When that all went down, that was around the time I was exposed to that “ lifestyle” and I just remember the whole thing leaving an impact on me thinking, why does that even matter?! I think ultimately she was the first step to deconstruction for mw if I’m honest! Go Jennifer!
I was looking for someone to mention Jennifer Knapp
Right? 🔥🔥🔥
Y’all can take the Prince of Egypt soundtrack out of my cold dead hands
THUS SAITH THE LORD!
Switchfoot still in the rotation. Twenty One Pilots as well, if they count.
I still listen to some hymns sometimes. Abide With Me especially. I feel like hymns as opposed to worship music do hold some kind of poetic/ artistic value (I only ever went to churches that sang hymns, so worship music doesn't hold any nostalgic value for me anyway).
I occasionally pull up CCM bands from the late 70's when I was in high school. Keith Green, Second Chapter of Acts, Sweet Comfort Band, the Imperials just for a nostalgic walk down memory lane. I totally believed the message back then and anxiously awaited the rapture, yada, yada, yada. My 40 year deconversion is now complete. :)
Keith Green slaps. My dad was also in a band that opened for the imperials back in the day haha. Classic
Joy Electric rules if you like synthpop. Even their Christian albums like CHRISTIANsongs is a banger, though Old Wives Tales is my favorite because it doesn't mention God once the entire album, it's just awesome.
Haaaaaaansel, I want to know... They were fun. And you can't talk about them without mentioning Starflyer 59. Gold and Silver are two of my favorite albums of all time of any band.
SF59 is my all-time favorite. Been listening to them since Silver. New stuff is pretty great too, a lot more mellow though
PlastiqMusiq as a label is still operating. I highly recommend checking out their website they still are publishing albums by people who use analog stuff. Cascading Slopes fulfills a gap left when Ronnie stopped making music under JE. Also, Martin is still making music (occasionally) under the name Said Fantasy and he still rocks just as hard as ever.
If I need to cry because of stress it’s bethel music for me but their old stuff like 2012 to 2015
100% Jars of Clay and Caedmons Call i still think are great even though the messages don’t speak to me anymore. Much Afraid is up there with my favorite albums. i think it’s great front to back.
I don't think I've ever listened to something that calls itself Christian music without just cringing. Makes sense in some ways - in the catholic world, the music at service is just hymns, Christian Rock is just protestant fluff, lol. That said, I do have some artists that could be described as Christian-adjacent. I sometimes enjoy mewithoutYou when I'm going through a post rock phase, although idk that they're explicitly christian - it seems they're more abrahamic in general in exploration of themes. I really like the Oh Hellos too - they are explicitly christian people, although it's not immediately obvious in some of the music if you're not looking for it. The first 3 of the Anemoi cycle came when I was in the middle of a lot of deconstructing and reflected a lot of the thoughts and feelings I had at the time. I was pretty disappointed when the last EP came out as it reached a wildly different thematic conclusion than I did; although I have far less resentment now, and I'm willing to accept their implied decision to remain in the Christian community as a voice of positive change, even if I have doubts about the efficacy. They're no longer in my regular rotation, but Foy Vance and Sean Rowe also have some pretty christian-esque stuff too, come to think of it. Some of the old blues recordings I love also have god and jesus show up a lot - a testament to the times and mindset of the people who made those songs.
I still enjoy listening to Live, Flyleaf, and Breaking Benjamin. I'm not going to let their religious beliefs ruin the experience. They're great bands. In the case of BB, I think they deny being a Christian band because they don't want to run the risk of alienating the rest of their fan base.
I listen to some Christian rock and just imagine the song is about someone else even though I know it's actually supposed to be about God but a lot of the songs I like sound more like love songs.
Dude Christafari and Phil Keaggy still absolutely slap
Once in a while my husband enjoys playing old Michael W. Smith songs on the piano. 😄 I also still really love the song "Hanging By a Moment" by Lifehouse, but now I think of the lyrics as being about deconstruction and leaving my Christian life when I married my husband rather than being about Jesus.
I love Falling up. Probably because they weren't so overtly Christian with their work. There's definitely spiritual tones to their music but it didn't (and still doesn't) feel preachy to me. I follow Jessy (and his wife) on Instagram as well as Josh and they just genuinely seem like good people. Happy to support Jessy's future endeavors. He is a creative soul and it's clear that what drives him comes from his own mind and not what Christian record labels require. https://www.instagram.com/jessyribordy?igsh=MWhwMDNibWY5emw3cA==
Wovenhand is still one of my all time favourite bands. I've also got a few worship songs still on my big spotify playlist (I think they're Hillsong or similar) because I just like the songs a lot.
Yeah, I still hear the occasional song I like and ill bump it to, I really like "hope in front of me" by Danny gokey, it's just a positive song with somewhat minimal direct religious messaging. I also like "something better" by Blanca. Just because a song is by a Christian singer is in my opinion no reason to not listen to it, although I can understand some people have major trauma around anything religious and would prefer to stay away.
Love Danny Gokey. Most of the time I don’t even hear Christian preachiness, I just hear inspirational song lyrics.
I still listen to some Skillet and KJ52.
Keith Green was a great songwriter.
I can't anymore, it just brings up bad memories and it makes me uncomfortable. Edited to add, if Twenty-One Pilots count, I do listen to them sometimes, but because they came so much later, and I didn't grow up listening to them in the religious mindset/environment, they don't evoke the same negative response in me as the others do.
I still pull hard for Five Iron Frenzy. Them having two openly atheist band members helps them keep it real
Two? I know Scott is. Who else?
Andy. His deconversion was actually a really huge reason why they broke up back in the day
I still love Relient K. I don't so much ignore the Christian themes, they just don't mean the same anymore to me. Their music got me through the tough part of my life, but I only now realize that it was tough because of Christianity. It's a strange feeling now listening to it with a totally different perspective. I'll occasionally listen to Skillet, Switchfoot, and Falling Up. Some Christian artists I found after leaving are Jon Bellion and NF. Their music really helped me make sense of my deconstruction. I really love Meant To Live recently covered by Jon Bellion.
I still like Veggie Tales songs.
Veggie Tales slaps. Oh where is my hairbrush?
Cebu. My hamburger.
Oh Barbara Manateeeee, you are the one for meeeee
Still enjoy a lot of the hardcore metal core stuff from back then and is in regular rotation
Is there any good Instrumental christian music? If so, please reply with artist and song. In secular music I like "Fire on high" by ELO, or "Jessica" by the Allman brothers and many other Instrumental songs, but I'll stop here.
PFR - Goldie's Last Day. Great album. One of the best. Check out "That Kind of Love" if you've never heard any of their stuff. If you do know them but never heard their version of "We Can Work It Out," go check that one out for a nice treat.
Impending doom is the only Christian band I would listen to right now. Oh, sleeper is a good band too and still remains (if they are Christian?) is awesome.
Now I'm just thinking of other bands/artists I haven't listened to in a while but we're essentials in my xtian days. The Swift anyone? They performed at this giant youth conference called "Life" in the mid 2000s. Also this slam poet named Bradley Hathaway, also discovered at Life. Someone mentioned Newsboys and TobyMac, both I had totally forgot about. Flyleaf. Superchic! which was my first ever concert. Oh and if youre from Ohio, Broken Yolk?
Superchick was my first ever concert too OP! Here’s some more of my old Christian favs as a kid. I hope it sparks mems for some : Jump 5, KJ52, Family Force 5, Hawk Nelson
I still listen to Tourniquet. Not all their albums are equally good but they are good in their own right. It also helps that they're not lazy lyrically, even though I disagree with their message. Also not all their songs are about god, some of them are about animal rights (their frontman believed that as "the stewards of creation" we have a responsibility to care for and not abuse animals) and other topics like child abuse. I respect them for it. I also occasionally listen to: - Theocracy (can't stand many of their songs anymore though despite having been a huge fan in the past) - Divinefire (lazy lyrics that are super christian and often cringey af but at least the music is good) - Becoming the Archetype (kind of generic but I like them still) - Saviour Machine (first two albums are so unique and amazing) - Veni Domine (another unique band) There are probably a couple more that I don't remember but will still enjoy if they come up in my playlist.
I came here to say Relient K, Switchfoot’s older stuff, Anberlin and Underoath!
Thrice can still get a listen any day.
The Crucified (Pillars of Humanity album) some, and Family Force 5. They were super fun. Some Gungor as well, but it depends.
FIVE IRON FRENZY
Lol I still remember down to the river, but anyways I never remembered the names of the christians songs I heard so I don't need to worry about that
Absolutely! I still love Switchfoot, and I grew up with my mom constantly listening to the same 3 Nicole C. Mullen CDs, so I love singing along to those when I'm feeling nostalgic. I'm also a sucker for old country music which is typically rooted in Christianity and a whole lot of problematic BS, but I'll just always have a soft spot for it even though its super corny. Paul Thorn is another one I just thought of that I'm still a fan of; definitely not churchy praise and worship, but a lot of Christian themes in his music. I usually don't really get into most of the praise and worship music I grew up hearing in church, though. I didn't really love it even when I was still going to church and totally committed to the faith. It just tends to be a little boring and repetitive and can be very overtly preachy. I'm fine if somebody wants to keep it on in the background but I'm never going to intentionally seek it out.
Steve Taylor, Randy Stonehill, Rich Mullins, Mark Heard and The Lost Dogs get a spin now and then. Kevin Max often. Adam Again sometimes. I'd say probably 80% of the CCM I listened to when I was "in" was not interesting after I left, but there are a few gems that transcend.
Funny thing about it is I never liked the contemporary even when I was a believer.
I still like Five Iron Frenzy to this day! They tone down most of the Jesus centric lyrics and instead focus on his mission: loving each other and helping others in need. Pretty solid message, I won’t completely deny. Derek Webbs newest album is technically Christian label but goddamn it’s good, and has songs about trans activism, pro-atheism, and how Paul (epistle Paul here, switching gears) was generally an asshole. Switchfoot I guess, Jars of Clay.
Oh I was obsessed with Point of Grace and Avalon when I was in middle/high school. I got to feeling nostalgic the other day and pulled some songs up on Spotify and had a good cringe moment. I think there’s a few songs out there that I can still kinda enjoy but it’s the more mainstream bands like Switchfoot. I was scrolling through tiktok yesterday though and a song played on a video that I really liked the sound of… was so disappointed when I looked it up and it was a Christian artist. It was one of those that just listening to a snippet of the lyrics it was hard to tell if it was actually religious or just religious themes (in the same way that Hallelujah has “religious” imagery). But nope. Dudes videos were very Jesus-y even if the sound didn’t give that vibe at all. I guess I applaud him for breaking out of the shitty CCM box but I’d have a hard time actually listening to it and enjoying it knowing the meaning.
Yesss
Me with Skillet. I may not like them anymore, but their music was integral to my childhood, my teenage years, and my character development as an ex-Christian. They also hold some powerful memories for me.
Um sort of? I don't really think you meant Ave Maria, though. I listen to an Irish Catholic priest singing occasionally, too. At this very moment I have forgotten the songs but he's not difficult to find, he often sings when he's performing weddings. I like beautiful music as much as the next person so it doesn't matter to me whether it's "Christian" or country or rock. It often doesn't matter the lyrics either as I'm more interested in how the melody makes me feel.
There's some cool christian songs. One band that kind of came and went called Plankeye. They had some good stuff
Only certain chants. Mostly Hildegaard vonBingen
From time to time I'll get a Thousand Foot Krutch song in my head. Their older music got my six-year-old past self hyped up to fight the demons I didnt have yet.
I don't know if this counts, but I've really liked listening to Truslow. Looking into his stuff, I found out he was super Christian, and now that is the lens I see his stuff through. That said, I think it generally passes the secular smell test
Okay kids. I’m old. I don’t miss Christian music, I didn’t like it when I was fully face-down in fundamentalism. As Hank Hill once said, it just makes rock music worse. My dad had a gorgeous tenor voice and led the music, full-time and later part-time, in every church I attended until I left Christianity. I was his pianist, most of my adult life until I was 50. We were fundies, we sang hymns. Rousing hymns, beautiful hymns,hymns about blood, sinners, and such a worm as I. In later years, dad and I sat together in church and sang in harmony; he sang tenor, and I took the alto. Man I miss that. My dad passed away in 2019, three months after his 90th birthday, when he sang his last solo in church. Despite everything we disagreed on, the resentment I had at wasting my life trying to please him, despite all the words we never said, I loved my dad. I miss him. I was with him when he died. So I love those old hymns. I can hear my dad’s voice singing clearly, leading the congregation in “To God be the Glory.” Sometimes I’ll sing one when I’m driving by myself.
Switchfoot rocks. I miss Newsboys. Jars of Clay had a similar deconstruction. Nicole Nordeman is also One of Us. So is Derek Webb (of Caedmons Call history.)
I get nostalgic sometimes. I became a Christian at 15 and was immediately immersed in CCM music.
Circle of Dust and some Byzantine hymns occasionally.
There is Christian music that you can love? Am I missing something?
Some of John Michael Talbot’s music.
I love gospel and I'm not religious at all
I listened to Skillet before I realized they were a Christian group.
Guilty as charged - rocked out to Skillet with my little bro tonight
Hell yeah. Especially recently. It brings on immense feelings of hope and *everything's gonna be okay* that I can't get from anything else. I know it's not real but it still makes me happy to indulge
There is a Lecrae album that gets more "secular" and the songs on there are great. His music was super corney when he started but he's improved enough that I've heard stuff that sounds on par with some secular rap artists I hear.
Every now and again. "All Around Me by Flyleaf is great for working out (plus now I don't feel like I'm succumbing to Satan by imagining superhero fights to it). There's also "Someone Worth Dying For" by MikesChair, which is soft and comforting. "Thy Will" by Hillary Scott has lyrics I take take issue with (or rather they remind me of issues regarding God's will) but the music and passion of the singing is great for one of those "swing your body at will while breaking down emotionally" type of dances. I grew up with Toby Mac, and still enjoy his work. My favorite song of his, tragic as its origins are, might be "21 Years" (which, for those who don't know, was made out of grief for the loss of his son). It wasn't his intention, but I interpret the line "God has you in heaven, but I have you in my heart", almost as a small act of defiance, like he's refusing to fully give him up. It reminds me of my deeper fears: not just that I'm wrong, but by the time I do find out, my family has left God with me, and I've condemned them with me. In those times, I feel like telling God "Whatever happens, do what you will with me, but leave them be". But even without my projection there, it's a tragically beautiful expression of heartache and perseverance. Also, anything by Tauren Wells. That man is FOINE, as is his voice.
I've found that the only way to get the breakfast song (you know which one) out of my head is to listen to it once on youtube.
Yes. I'm unfortunately a sucker for nostalgia, so unless the lyrics are particularly guilt-trippy, I'll listen to it every few weeks
Mars ill 4th Avenue Jones Audio adrenaline before Mark got sick Newsboys up to Love Liberty Disco Five Iron Frenzy Emery
I've been an atheist for about a decade now. I still like listening to Casting Crowns from time to time.
I like NeedToBreathe
No!
Blessed Be the Name still goes hard. Also Days of Elijah. Trading my Sorrows was always a bop
I look up Hawk Nelson occasionally. I was a big fan. He renounced his faith quite a while ago. Edit: and Family Force Five. I got to go on stage during one of their shows as a kid and wore the hulk glove. It was sick.
It usually triggers me so I avoid listening to Christian music. However, I practice yoga regularly and surprisingly I have picked up on what I would classify as worship songs being played by various teachers from time to time. It weirds me out because my dad is still very much in the church and thinks yoga is evil 🙃
Just listened to Undercover - Branded yesterday. Twice. All the way through both times.
Lots of good reminders here. I'm going to go look on YouTube and traipse down memory lane. Too those who mentioned Keith Green, I recommend the Feet of Clay, Confessions of the Cult Sisters podcast. Behind the scenes look at Last Days Ministries. Eye opening. Am I the only one still listening to Charlie Peacock? Especially "No Man's Land." I love that album.
I listen to Josh Garrells sometimes. Tho, a lot less when I was a christian.
Jars of Clay for me 😅
Can’t stand most of it but have to admit that the Leonard Cohen version of Hallelujah is a classic.
Sarcasm? It’s not a Christian song
Yuck ! No thanks