Christian Music 101

What is Christian music?

     Christian music is not a genre; rather, it is a very broad category of music made by followers of Christ who want to glorify God in some way with their art. "Christian music" is much like the extensive term "Canadian music" – rather than being restricted to one specific form, it is a quite general term that can be applied to music in virtually every genre. There are two basic types of Christian music:

     Worship music is the kind of music that is suitable for singing in church services. These songs usually have "vertical lyrics," meaning that the lyrics of the song are addressed specifically to God, so the people worshiping feel like they are singing to God directly. This includes hymns, gospel music, and contemporary worship. Even within worship music there is a wide range of musical styles, from solemn, traditional renderings of 18th century hymns to the upbeat experimental post-rock songs of Gungor and Bellarive.

     Nonworship music is music written by Christians to glorify God, but meant for general listening rather than being played in a church service for worship. Although there are so-called "Christian record labels," there are also many Christians who publish music with secular, mainstream record labels. The Christian rock scene is vibrant, including the symphonic metal band Skillet, the alternative surf rock band Switchfoot, and the Canadian metal band Thousand Foot Krutch. The Christian rap/hip hop scene is also thriving, led by rappers such as TobyMac and Lecrae.
     Classical music owes a great deal of its success to Christian composers and patrons. Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the greatest composers of all time, was a devout Lutheran and devoted every one of his works "to the glory of God." Christians have also played a large part in the history of country music; Johnny Cash himself was unashamed to say he was a Christian, and sang a number of gospel songs. I've also listened to Christian artists from the genres of synth-pop (Owl City), electronic dance music (GodsDJs.com), jazz (Christian Jazz Artists Network), reggae (Papa San), acoustic rock (Mat Kearney), and even beatboxing (Peterpot).

How much does a band need to sing about God to be a "Christian band"?

     I don't think that a "Christian band" necessarily even needs to mention God in any of their songs. If the band members are true followers of Christ, then their beliefs should be evident in their music. However, explicit references to God or religion are not necessary.
     For example, Adam Young (the genius behind Owl City) rarely mentions God in his music, but keeps his songs clean and positive and isn't afraid to identify as a Christian. In 2011 he told the Christian Post in an interview, "My prayer is that the music of Owl City serves as a bright light in a very dark place, a ray of hope in this haunted house of a world. I want the Lord Jesus to use my music to do WHATEVER it is He wills."

Is it wrong to listen to nonChristian music?

     I think it all depends on whether or not the music you're listening to is going to affect your thoughts and behaviour, tempting you to sin. I listen to lots of music written by nonChristians, but I'm careful to remember that what I listen to can influence me profoundly.

     Lots of modern music has references to using illegal drugs, abusing alcohol, violence, lust and sexual immorality, pride, greed, hate, disregarding the consequences of your actions, and excessive concern with outward appearances and popularity. However, music affects each of us differently.
     If you can listen to Pumped Up Kicks without having the song change your views on violence, then I'd say it's okay to listen to. If you can listen to Thrift Shop without becoming excessively vulgar, materialistic, and prideful, then I'd say it's okay to listen to it. If you can listen to We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together (one of my favourite Taylor Swift songs) without getting overly bitter about a breakup you've experienced, then I'd say it's okay to listen to it. But as soon as a song starts inciting you to sin, I would recommend to back away and stop listening. That goes for any song, regardless of the religious beliefs of the person who wrote it.

Favourite Albums

Portable Sounds by TobyMac

     TobyMac is my favourite artist, and this is my favourite album! TobyMac plays an amazing mix of rock & roll, hip-hop, rap, and pop. This album, released in 2007 and certified gold the next year, has more of a pop sound to it, with great hits like Made to Love (which reached #1 on the Billboard Christian Songs chart) and I'm For You. There are also some rockier songs in it, like Ignition, Boomin', and Suddenly. The funky hip hop songs No Ordinary Love and Feelin' So Fly are also among my favourites, as are the slower, more reflective songs All In and Lose My Soul. The whole album has outstanding musicianship and production. It reached the #10 position on the Billboard 200 album chart and #1 on Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart.

The Sound of Sunshine by Michael Franti and Spearhead

     Michael Franti has been around for a long time, recording since the 80s. However, his most recent album, released in 2010, is definitely his best album. The Sound of Sunshine is a superb blend of lighthearted reggae, hip hop, and rock, and thankfully lacks the conspicuous and controversial political messages of some of his past albums. The best song on the album is... The Sound of Sunshine! The title song has such a cheerful, catchy sound to it, one can't help but like it. The exceptional songs Hey Hey Hey and Anytime You Need Me have a similar sound. The Thing That Helps Me Get Through is more lively and energetic, despite its awkwardly long name. This album peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Comatose by Skillet

     Skillet is a Christian metal band well known for its success in symphonic rock, utilizing the piano, violin, and chello in recordings and live performances. Their album Comatose is a quite dramatic album, with amazing songs like Comatose and Rebirthing which feature classical instruments quite prominently. Falling Inside the Black, The Last Night, Better Than Drugs, and Whispers in the Dark are four more outstanding songs. Comatose was released in 2006 and became the band's first certified gold album.

Out of the Woods by David Wilcox

     Great guitar playing transcends time. This album, the debut album of Canadian David Wilcox (not to be confused with the American folk artist with the same name), was released in 1977 and became certified gold after a re-release five years later. To be honest, my dad bought this album off of iTunes, and I initially wasn't too interested in listening to my dad's music from the 70s... but I quickly realized how much talent this man has. The lively, fast-paced tracks Hypnotizin' Boogie and Hot Hot Papa are irresistible. Groovy songs like Bump Up Ahead, Bad Apple, and A Little Chunk of You had me singing along with his crazy lyrics like the 70s are making a comeback. ^_^ This album is jam-packed with dynamic guitar playing, but Wilcox's singing is... kind of quirky.

NewWorldSon (self-titled album)

     The rising Canadian Christian band NewWorldSon plays a unique blend of gospel, reggae, and soul music. This is their newest album, released last year. It features the hit There is a Way (which reached #2 on Billboard's Christian Songs chart), the catchy song In Your Arms, and the vibrant masterpieces You Set the Rhythm and Do You Believe in Love?. Their Jamaican Praise Medley is also fun and unique. Overall, this album has an old-time gospel sound to it, while achieving a fresh and alive feeling.

Tonight by TobyMac

     This is my favourite artist's latest album, released in 2010. It has a modern hip-hop sound, and features many exceptional songs. City On Our Knees and Get Back Up both topped the Billboard Christian songs chart and are now among TobyMac's most successful songs. Other favourites of mine are  Tonight (featuring John Cooper from Skillet!), Funky Jesus Music, Hold On, and Hey Devil. This album delivers thumping bass and sick hooks, with some of TobyMac's famous rap mixed in!

Honourable Mentions:

♩   Diverse City by TobyMac

♪   Call Me Irresponsible by Michael Buble

♫   Awake by Skillet

♬   Born Again by the Newsboys

♩   Outta Space Love by Group 1 Crew

♫   Young Love by Mat Kearney

Note: These are my favourite studio albums. I have not included any compilation albums, live albums or soundtracks.

Royal Proclamation

 His Majesty King Charles William James Philip Toblerone the Eighth, by the grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, LG, CI, DGStJ, PC, etc., hereby brings forth this day a royal proclamation of utmost momentousness regarding the exceptional significance of music:

       Since creation, music has been a central part of society. First allow me to show you the universality of music. As the Biblical book of Ecclesiastes states, there is a time for everything. And there is a song for everything as well. While many songs have been composed for celebration and joyfulness,  many songs have also been written for sad times and mourning. Contrast "Hurt" performed by Johnny Cash, and "The Happy Song" sung by Delirious. The former is mournful and sober, the latter sunny and energetic. One may see this variety even in early literature. Take for example the book of Psalms, which contains many songs both joyous and unhappy.
  Music applies to both work and leisure. The famous song "Whistle While You Work" obviously concerns the former, while dance music concerns the latter. Music is also composed for special occasions and holidays. “Happy Birthday”, “Auld Lang Sang”, and the entire genre of Christmas music are all for special occasions and holidays.
  Wherever one goes, one cannot escape music. It is found in every culture, in every time period, in every place humanity has lived. Astronauts have even played the keyboard, guitar, saxophone, and didgeridoo while floating weightlessly in outer space! Because music is popular anywhere, at any time, for anyone, it has established itself quite firmly as a central part of human society. From North America to Japan and from Greenland to Australia, music continues to be one of the most important elements of culture.
       In modern western society, music accompanies many things. People listen to iPods while exercising and the radio while travelling. Movies, TV shows and commercials, video games, sports, theatrical performances, religious worship, and many other everyday activities all utilize music.
Music has also become big business. Albums, tickets for concerts and musicals, downloadable music online, instruments, sheet music, and music playing devices all sell for billions of dollars each year. Professional musicians earn fame and fortune. The enormous electronics company Apple Inc. has earned a large amount of their income from the 16 billion songs downloaded off of their iTunes store and the 300 million iPods they have sold.
       Why is music so popular? Because of its spiritual, mental, and emotional power. If you have ever put on a good song and just let your spirit sing along, you should know what I mean. Arts such as motivational speaking, drama, and music are unique in the their ability to significantly impact people spiritually, mentally, and emotionally. I believe that because music is the most universal of these arts, it is also the most effective and beneficial.
       That is the reason why music is often used in religious worship. It is very emotional, while at the same time structured, systematic, and sensible. The medium is successful at establishing emotional ties to the supernatural while remaining rational and practical about the needs of life.
       While music is great at bringing people together around a common cause such as religion or nationalism, it is also very good at helping people define themselves. The many different types of music often cause people to want to identify with a certain genre, subgenre, or composer. This results in groups of fans united around a certain type of music. Often these groups are informal, but formal fan clubs develop as well. Sometimes entire subcultures and even religions are formed around a genre. The notable Rastafari religious movement owes much of its popularity to reggae music. Other subcultures are also built around music, such as the heavy metal subculture, which has its own symbols and fashions.
       Music is a central part of society because it is universally effective at bringing people together and helping them find their identity. It has intertwined with culture all around the world. Music belongs among the most influential and beneficial of all aspects of society, along with essential components such as religion, government, industry, and the media.

In Defence of Mourning

      Faith in Christ brings hope and joy. Often music is the best reflection of a worldview (i.e. culture, mindset, and/or religion) so take a look at the Christian music out there. Most of the well known Christian songs are joyful – "just be happy and everything's going to be fine! Don't be sad, praise God!"
     But life isn't always like that. There is hatred, mourning, loneliness, shame, and despair, all enhanced by deep divisions between people. These things can even be found in the best of churches. Sin's consequences are ugly. There are times for mourning and sadness. But where does Christ fit into these times?
     Christians love to celebrate the joyful parts of the Bible - for example, we love our big Christmas festivities. But not everything's all fine and dandy in the Bible. The book of Job is about a man in the depths of despair, who lost everything he had and even began to think that God had deserted him. Ever read the book of Jeremiah? It predicts many calamities and can be depressing at times.
     God knows all about suffering. Jesus spent 40 days in a desert with no food and the devil for company. He sweated blood in anticipation of his crucifixion, which is known to be one of the most brutal ways to die. And It wasn't just any ordinary crucifixion - He also took upon himself the weight of the world's sin, with God's wrath attached.
     Most people celebrate Christmas, but not nearly as many people commemorate Good Friday, the anniversary of Jesus's brutal death. I also fall into the trap of concerning myself only with happy things – I often try to ignore sadness. Sometimes it's like I'm trying to deny the fact that there even is sorrow, though in my own life I hit rock bottom all too often, writhing in the grip of dark depression. I've said to myself, "I'll just publish the happy half of my writing and keep the bitter parts to myself."
     And perhaps that's one of the reasons people dislike Christianity – we come across as do-gooders with our heads in the clouds, showing off our shiny hope and joy, without the simplest acknowledgment that we're still broken sinners who still feel pain.
     Love, hope, and joy is great of course. But sometimes we don't leave any room for Christian mourning and Christian sorrow. Sometimes we present to the world an image that seems to trivialize the bad times of life. At least I do.
     So what should we do? We can't throw away our love, hope, and joy. But I think we could acknowledge sadness more – recognize that there is a time and place for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:4). For example, the well-known Christian song Tears of the Saints by Leeland expresses sadness for the lost, and the lesser-known Lament by the Christian band NewWorldSon is downright mournful. Why? Because sometimes hope seems bleak and instead of joy there is misery.
     We should also get involved in ministries that reach out to people who are broken and in misery. Some good organizations that do this are Love is Louder, Gospel For Asia, and the International Justice Mission.
     Of course, there needs to be a balance. Most of the sad Psalms in the Bible end with a reminder that God is in control and He will redeem us. The book of Job ends with the protagonist getting back twice of what he lost, and also shows us how his suffering was part of a much bigger picture. God will always pull through (Isaiah 40:28-31). We may not understand, may not see any hope in our future, and may not even be delivered until after death. But still God will never fail. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. - Matthew 5:4

     We live in a broken world. Mourning is a fact of life. Don't ignore it, gloss over it, or trivialize it. Feel free to be sad without thinking that you're putting God aside. But always keep in mind that one day there won't be any mourning - in heaven. God is in control, and God is good.

Music!

Secular Music

     Ah, secular music. It speaks to the soul, and tries to imagine that there is meaning to life, which is denied from the world by atheism... and some songs almost get it right! For example, Only Girl (by Rihanna), Firework (by Katy Perry), or Just the Way You Are (by Bruno Mars). To be honest, I am a big fan of many different types of music, regardless of which religion the musicians adhere to.

     Unfortunately, secular music is a mixed bag, and some of it gets downright filthy. For example, the song Take it Off  by Ke$ha practically sums up what's wrong with society. It has a great sound, it's catchy – hey, I even liked it at first! But the message is disgusting. Like everything sinful, this song looks exciting at first, but turns out to be vulgar.

Christian Contemporary Music

     I ♥ contemporary Christian music! Why? Because it's great modern-day music without the filth of sin attached. Instead of glorifying sexual immorality and crime, it glorifies God! Well, at least most of it does. I'm going to "profile" some artists.

     There's Tobymac, my favourite artist, who strives to let God shine through his work while at the same time producing outstanding music. He describes his music as a "blend of pop, hip hop & rock with Christ-centered lyrics."

     Jars of Clay, Newsboys, Brit Nicole, and many other artists featured in WOW albums explicitly proclaim Christ as King. The Newsboys in particular I find very good, because they blur the line between the Christian Contemporary and Praise and Worship genres.

     Stellar Kart is very straightforward about Christ. The result is sometimes inspirational and sometimes just cheesy.

     Manafest is a good Canadian rock-rap band. Their song Bounce is among my all-time favourite songs!!

     Thousand Foot Krutch (TFK) has some good hard rock, but sometimes they lose their Christian vision. Their line, "sometimes I feel like a monster, sometimes I feel like a saint," just about sums up their music. They have some good reflections, but they have also referred to God as a drug and a disease in their songs. The problem is that those words imply sin and decay, and are just disrespectful toward God. I still listen to them, but with caution because of their dubious theology. Oh, by the way, they're a Canadian band too!

     Skillet is perhaps one of the best rock bands of the century! Ya, I'm a panhead. Their experiments with symphonic rock have been a great success, giving their band a very cool, unique sound. However, their latest album Awake ventures away from Christian themes and sounds very much like a secular album – that can be good or bad, depending on your point of view. Personally, I wish they wouldn't abandon Christian themes.

     Some people say that rock music is evil, and thus there can't be Christian rock music. I completely disagree. Music is a method of communication – it all depends on what someone communicates through it. Most rock music does communicate evil stuff, but most Christian rock music does not!

Praise and Worship

Praise the Lord with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. Psalm 33:2-3  NIV

     Praise and worship is music in it's purest form – in other words, it is what God designed music to be. The verse above tells us how to praise God. It says to make music with a harp and ten-stringed lyre. Well, Psalms was written thousands of years ago, and those were the modern instruments back then. If it was written now, it would probably say, "Praise the Lord with the electric guitar, drums, bass, and synthesizer!" And it also says to sing a new song – not just the same, boring old hymns and Gregorian chants ;)

     Imagine for a moment what it would be like if all music was made to glorify God... if Taio Cruz's song Dynamite was made to praise the Lord! It'd be dynamite! Or what about Maroon 5's Misery? That's a gr8 song – it would also become eternal.