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I listen to a lot of classical Music and Handel's Messiah is my favourite concert. You just have to ignore the lyrics. Their pretty propagana-y Best rendition of it IMHO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bR0cEOTpYSk&t=0
Most older gospel is wonderful. Here's a song by an artist you've probably never heard of, because she only released this one single. She had a gorgeous, rich gospel voice, and the record company was all set to promote her as the next Janice Joplin. But she feared the music business would corrupt her soul, so pop music lost a brilliant voice. She's dead now. I like to imagine her cranking out great albums in heaven.
There's always Calibretto 13 (I copied the name hence the large font). A Christian punk band. I've only heard a couple songs.
I just know of them because at least some of the members (including the guitarist/singer/songwriter aka the frontman) made another band:
Harley Poe
Pretty much the opposite of a Christian band, and I love it (used to be religious long ago). But it's pretty much peak folk/horror punk. Really great music. But like I said....the opposite of Christian music.
Would recommend (their version of) "the hearse song" or "transvestites can be cannibals too" (same album) or "Music for teenagers.
Doom 2016
Lift to Experience, and meWithoutYou. I don't think either is really evangelizing but they're heavy on the biblical imagery and allusions. And they're both certified hood classics
Learned about the band Jars of Clay when they were on MTV as a kid and thought they were pretty neat. Bought a couple albums ad a student. Still listen to them sometimes
I like Flood (more rock), Sad Clown (more chill), and Boy on a String (in between)
August burns red
The devil wears prada
Underoath
Silent planet
Texas in july
Wolves at the gate
Memphis may fire (some lyrics are cringey though)
I like many of the above, but I'll add a couple more
Project 86 The wedding Switchfoot
This As I Lay Dying album https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_nzZIYR7uePQRjKVrHkJiG9jU3pS5dnbg8&playnext=1&index=1
This Phinehas album https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe3UPCHpSqZli70WbgsAeSB5fdZ6VTWYQ
Miserere mei, Deus is one of the most beautiful vocal pieces I've ever heard. That descant soprano part is insane.
I'm a former Christian, if that counts.
DC Talk - the album Jesus Freak is peak Christian Rock, but the earlier, hokey rap stuff was fun, too.
Five Iron Frenzy - ska band that I absolutely adored as a teen. Saw them live at a reunion tour a few years ago (as an atheist) and had a great time.
Audio Adrenaline - more Christian Rock, just a good all around band.
Relient K - really fun and melodic punk/alternative. Went more rock than punk over time, but always solid quality. They made one of the better Christmas albums on offer, too.
And just for fun, try singing Amazing Grace to the tune of Gilligan's Island!
Five Iron Frenzy is awesome. Just about everything I've ever heard from them is great.
You just described my teens. Also Jars of Clay (I went to one of their concerts once), The News Boys, and some more obscure ones like Pillar and Paul Ruben. I also loved P.O.D.. It's really weird to hear them on secular radio these days.
Now-a-days, all of that is only for when I'm wallowing in self pity. There have been times in my life when casually mentioning a secular song around my family would make the shit hit the fan.
I did not know P.O.D. was a Christian band. I saw one of their music videos at a Hard Rock Cafe.
Right?
I remember the local contemporary Christian station would sometimes play P.O.D., but only late at night. It was too "hard" or something for during the day when I guess kids might be listening or whatever. The DJ even chastised listeners once for requesting P.O.D. during the day.
My first concert was Newsboys and Supertones (Newsboys was the opener, it was pretty early for them). Saw FIF a year or two later. Saw Insyderz at a smaller event a few years after that. To this day I get to say I've seen the three "big" Christian ska bands live.
What a wild time. Jars is still on a regular rotation for me (Flood and Liquid are both bangers, and their Christmas album is one of my favorite holiday albums).
Insyderz and Supertones were great, but FIF was on another level.
Oh shit, I forgot about DC talk! I was a big fan in early middle school.
Jesus Freak is a true banger, coming from a life-long atheist.
Oh Holy Night is amazing.
Fall on your knees! Hear the angel voices!
Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother, and in his name all oppression shall cease!
Tracy Chapman’s version is truly excellent.
Pretty much all roots reggae, Wailing Souls, Culture, Buju Banton. Reggae answers the question "what if Christian Rock was cool"
Quite a lot of folk hymnals absolutely slap.
Check the soundtrack for O Brother Where Art Thou?
"Spirit In The Sky" -by Norman Greenbaum (himself Jewish)
Is Skillet a Christian band? They've got a couple songs I like.
Monster, Hero...
Sister Christian by Night Ranger. 😉
Ha
It's not technically a Christian band but Creed has a couple banger songs that are very clearly about God/religion.
If a song slaps a song slaps. I don't care if it slaps while it talkes about something I don't personally believe in. I still listen to all kinds of hardcore rap and I have never done any drugs harder than shrooms or shot anybody.
WITH AHHHHMS WIDE OPEN~~~
Can you take meeee hiiigherrrrr (banawanylanaoooo)
Black gospel music has often been the only Christian-oriented music that really did it for me. A lot of blues, soul, etc was created by folks who got their start in black gospel music, and used what they learned there in secular genres. Hugely influential in so many different types of music.
I used to get down with some Collective Soul.
I always respected that they refused to identify as a Christian rock band. From what I recall their response was something like "We're a rock band, that happens to be Christian."
They've got a lot of good material, glad to see them in this thread
MXPX started out as a Christian punk band, but the members grew out of the religion and kept making music. —Punk Rawk Show, I’m Ok/You’re Ok, Chick Magnet, Move to Bremerton. All bangers.
Different vibe, but Pedro the Lion, same deal- started out Christian, then rethought his world view. Slowcore/90s emo. — Of Up and Coming Monarchs, Of Minor Prophets and Their Prostitute Wives, Big Trucks, Rapture, Backwoods Nation.
I’m still Christian and I adore both bands. David Bazan (Pedro the Lion) is recording some of the most theologically rich music of his career now, back under the Pedro name, as he’s come through his whole wrestling with faith. Not sure what he considers himself these days, but it’s clear that he’s never going to shake his Christian upbringing.
Like MxPx, their inclusion of faith in their lyrics became so much more honest and less forced once they left their Christian music label. They introduced me to punk.
John Daker is my hero.
Depends what you call Christian music
NF got pretty big for a while, and pretty sure he never swore because of his religion and talked often about Christianity and his faith while promoting the Christian beliefs that are actually in the Bible and admitting his own struggles and overcoming them thru faith and hard work.
That is Christian music to me.
I mean, it's not even really debatable, he's signed to a label exclusively for Christian musical acts.
But music that is explicitly all about Jesus is usually just cashgrabs with zero meaning behind it. It's playing to the low denominator for things where "safe" is the most important part of music.
So, TLDR:
NF
Amazing Grace is always a good one. The story behind it helps with the impact, IMO; it was written by a former slave trader who had an epiphany and realized just how irredeemably evil he was, and was doing his best to turn it around.
I'm also a big enjoyer of Simple Gifts. It's a Shaker song and I find it very soothing.