Christian music has taken really off in the last decade, and it is fun to explore the many different genres of “Best Christian Music Being Played”. Times have changed in the Christian music scene with new artists like Brandon Heath, Rush of Fools, and Lincoln Brewster topping the Christian Adult Contemporary charts recently. Although talking about ranking on the charts sounds competitive, Christian music is the only genre that encourages a sense of people drawing together rather than an expression of raw individualism.

The forms of Christian music will basically follow the other musical genres fairly close. Even gospel singing, the original popular Christian music, shares its roots in blues music. Then, there is Christian music that has its musical basis in rock and roll, in country, metal, you name it. The music sounds the same as secular music, but the content of the lyrics is vastly different.

Broadly speaking, Christian songs express a person’s hope of salvation and faith in God. They can tell a story of an individual going on a downhill slide and getting the strength to reclaim their life through faith in God. Or a Christian song can be about how great heaven is going to be compared to how basically unrewarding this life is on earth. Christian music is mostly written to express one’s belief in their religious lifestyle, and offers listeners a chance for learning, worship and an overall listening experience in accordance to their Christian beliefs. Whatever the message, it has its roots in the life of Christ within an individual and its musical basis in the local culture.

Country music has a very strong Christian leaning. Historically country music has always been about the trials of life and love, and often refers to the fact that we are being watched by God. Christian country music is greatly influenced by Gospel music. Glen Campbell, a country music star for longer than most people have been alive, often includes Christian music in his repertoire. Tennessee Ernie Ford was another country music great who was recognized for his recordings of gospel songs.

If Gospel music does not fill your sole with spirit, then I am not sure what can! Christian Gospel music is uplifting, inspiring, and fun to listen to. When most think of gospel music, churches in the south come to mind. In fact, gospel music has been thought to have started during times of slavery in the late 1800s. The genre of gospel became more defined and gained popularity in the first quarter of the twentieth century, and is now listened to worldwide. Gospel music is known for its strong vocals surrounded by electric guitars, bass, and drums. Gospel music thrives today and is certainly considered a staple of Christian music.

Christian rock music covers a lot of ground with many different sub-genres contained within the rock category. The “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll” explosion in the 1960s certainly made many Christians wary of jumping into the rock scene, but by the early 1970s Christian rock bands began to separate themselves from a demonic image, and instead produced Christian lyrics with rock tones. Today many bands are considered Christian rock artists, some more devoted to the Christian title than others, and some are considered a “bridge” between the secular and Christian crowd. Once confined only to the churches, Christian music has now gone almost completely mainstream, and thanks to the efforts of stars like Amy Grant and Kirk Franklin, experts say faith-based music will become even more popular as the new millennium progresses. Although some might not realize this, the band U2 was a catalyst for Christian rock in the 1990s based on their enormous success beginning in the 1980s. Christian Rock continues to play a key role in the Christian Music movement.

Christian hip hop, or gospel rap, is a unique genre of Christian music. Due to the often sinful nature of mainstream rap lyrics, it has been a tough road for Christian rap artists to gain popularity. However, beginning in the 1990s Christian rap has become popular with the younger generation looking for an uplifting form of music that reflects their urban lifestyle. The most popular innovators among Christian hip hop artists would likely be DC Talk, who took the music scene by storm in the late 1980s before making a switch to a more pop sound in the mid 1990s. Christian hip hop is a fabulous way for Christians to spread their faith to kids from the street and other youth looking for a fresh music genre.

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