Craig & Christian Music

Blue Mountain  is the album Brandon Heath was always meant to make.  While Heath could have easily released another slickly produced collection of the thinking man's pop songs he is known for, the singer-songwriter has instead opted to dig a little deeper and has created the best album of his storied career.  Bathed in country and bluegrass instrumentation with subtle yet effective hip hop beats and replete with descriptive lyrical imagery and storytelling, Blue Mountain  takes listeners on a complete life journey from its beginnings ("Love Will Be Enough For Us", "Blue Mountain") to its last breath ("Dyin' Day". "In the Dust", "Paul Brown Petty", "He Pain It All") and everything in between ("Love Does", "Jesus in Disguise", "Hands of the Healer", "Diamond", "The Harvester"). "The Harvester" opens Blue Mountain  with a jubilant bang as producer Dan Muk...

We already discussed the Superstars of CCM last post but there is a group of artists right behind the big guys that are quickly rising in the ranks within the Christian Music community.  These young artists are fresh and relevant to the next generation of CCM consumers and could very well find themselves within the Star list after their next album release, if they play there cards right, of course. So here's our list of the Top 10 Artists On The Bubble in Christian Music. These are the artists who have exploded onto the scene in the last couple of years in a big way and are becoming fixtures at radio retail and the tour circuit as well as within the hearts and ears of the Christian Music fan.  We'll see which of these guys rise and which ones fall into obscurity in the next few years.  Check out my suggestions on how they can remain relevant and push themselves into the Star category. 1. Mandisa - This former American Idol  finalist has really blown u...

2012 saw some interesting movement in stardom within Christian Music; however, the big names remain virtually the same, albeit in different positions than usual on the list.  My ranking of the CCM stars includes data from album sales, single sales, radio airplay, concert draws, awards and all around hype and recognition. Of course the real litmus test of a star is their impact on the listener and their love for the Lord but since there is no way for mere mortals such as us to measure these accomplishments, we must look at which artists have the greatest reach. Check out the list and discuss your favorites in the comments section below! 1. TobyMac - With a plethora of Gold and Platinum albums, dozens of hit singles, multiple Grammy Awards and shelves full of Dove Awards (including Artist of the Year and Song of the Year honors) both as a solo artist and with DC Talk to his credit, TobyMac has been a star in CCM for years.  However, 2012 brought the artist formall...

Matthew West has quietly become a major player in Christian Music.  He has had the #1 song of the year at radio not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES in the last decade ("More", "You Are Everything", and "The Motions") and "Strong Enough" may make it a fourth time for 2012 if radio keeps it up.  However, while he has been nominated for a few Grammys, he has yet to win a single Dove Award (Christian Music's highest honor).  In fact, none of his #1 singles were even nominated for Song of the Year!  This was especially criminal after the release of his career record The Story of Your Life  in October of 2010.  Not only was it his highest selling album and featured two huge radio hits ("My Own Little World" and "Strong Enough"), it also received some of the best reviews of his career.   The Story of Your Life  was inspired by letters he received from fans. When he sent out the request to fans for stories from their lives, he...