Toby Mac Earns 1st #1 Christian Album on Billboard 200 since 1997!

I can't even begin to tell you how big of news this is for CCM!  This is only the 3rd time a CCM artist has hot #1 on the Billboard 2000... ever!  And really, its only the second because everyone is counting LeAnn Rimes You Light Up My Life- Inspirational Songs as a Christian album but we all know she was just using the Christian market to make money.  SO really Toby Mac's Eye On It joins Bob Carlisle and his Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace) album from 1997 as the only two Christian albums to every debut at the top of the all genre Billboard 200 sales chart! AND what's even cooler is that Toby Mac did it without a mainstream crossover single- meaning that virtually 100% of the sales came from Christian Music buyers!  I guess Toby's just living up to the statement he made back in 1997 when DC Talk's single "Just Between You & Me" was getting played on mainstream radio: "If I crossover, I'm going to carry The Cross over!"  Thank you Toby Mac for not selling out and proclaiming Christ for all to see (and hear)!

Notes: CCM has come very close to the #1 Billboard 200 slot quite a few times:
- Toby Mac actually peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 with his last album, 2010's Tonight so it is quite appropriate that his new one takes the top spot!
- Casting Crowns debuted at #2 TWICE; in 2007 with The Altar & The Door (blocked by that pesky High School Musical Soundtrack) and again last year (2011) with their latest record Come to The Well (this time kept from the top by Adele's mammoth of an album 21). Their highest selling debut, Until The Whole World Hears, was released along side some big named mainstream artists and debuted at #4 in 2009.
- Skillet debuted at #2 with their last album Awake in 2009 on the strength of hit singles "Monster" and "Hero".  They later topped the mainstream Rock charts with the single "Awake & Alive", making history as the first song to top the Rock chart featuring a female vocal (drummer Jen Ledger duets with John Cooper).
- Underoath crossed over to mainstream rock on their 2006 album Define the Great Line but continues to have hit songs on Christian Rock radio.
- Red surprisingly stormed into the Billboard 200 at #2 in February of 2011 mainly due to their mainstream touring exposure.
- David Crowder Band also peaked at #2 early last year with their fair well album Give Us Rest, a testament to the band's faithful fan base and good will.
-Quite a few CCM albums have hit the top 5 on the Billboard 200 but two are of note to me:
          -Switchfoot's Nothing is Sound was actually predicted to debut at #1 on the chart but sales were stalled due to record label EMI's decision to include anti-burning software in the CD, causing many young people to boycott the album. The lack of a major hit single from the record also didn't help matters and Nothing is Sound ended up being somewhat of a disappointment for the band, saleswise.
         - DC Talk followed up here mega-hit Jesus Freak with their 1998 album Supernatural which debuted above Marilyn Manson and eventually was certified platinum and was the group's last studio album to date.
       - POD debuted at #6 the week after September 11th with their classic rock record Satellite shortly after their hopeful single "Alive" peaked at #1 on mainstream rock radio (as well as on MTV's TRL and CCM Rock radio). Satellite became an album of great encouragement and hope for many in the wake of the terrorist attacks.

TobyMac Earns First No. 1 Christian Album on Billboard 200 Since 1997 Read more at http://www.billboard.com/news/tobymac-earns-first-no-1-christian-album-1007930952.story#rwpsv5T1rGGYwFVI.99