Craig & Christian Music

2018 was a year of transitions in CCM. For the first time I can remember, I've included FOUR EP's on my year end list and one double album! In fact, my #2 album of the year is Tenth Avenue North's The Things We've Been Afraid to Say  which probably would have been #1 had it been a full-length record. But in the end, Rend Collective makes their first appearance on my year-end chart (and at #1!) with their phenomenal album Good News . There isn't a bas song in this bunch and I can imagine singing about half of these every Sunday morning for years to come... I just wish they had the same promoters as Chris Tomlin or Hillsong to get their music out there and onto worship set-lists and radio! 1. Rend Collective- Good News 2. Tenth Avenue North- The Things We've Been Afraid To Say EP 3. Lauren Daigle- Look Up Child 4. for King & Country- Burn the Ships 5. Blanca- Shattered 6. Francesca Battistelli- Own It 7. Audrey Assad- E

2017 wasn't exactly a banner year for CCM which is probably why it took me so long to publish this list but there were three particular albums that stood out as classics: Mandisa's magnum opus Out of the Dark  and MercyMe's surprisingly upbeat Lifer   were full of emotion, biblical truth and hooks but it was Nichole Nordeman's comeback full-length album Every Mile Mattered  that blew me away! Filled with nostalgia and wisdom, Nichole reflects upon her past while never losing sight of eternity and the Gospel. "Dear Me" is worth the price of the album alone but the whole album speaks truth into hard and often impossible situations with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Romans 8:28. Now that you've had over a year to listen through 2017's CCM albums, what do you think of my list? 1. Nichole Nordeman- Every Mile Mattered 2. Mandisa- Out of the Dark [Deluxe Edition] 3. MercyMe- Lifer 4. Tauren Wells- Hills & Valleys [Deluxe Edi

Casting   Crowns  Albums Ranked:    1. The Altar and the Door-  Song for song this is the best collection of CC songs on one album. The set was a bit brief (only 10 tracks including two covers) but every song was good. 2. Casting Crowns-  The high-points on this project include the best singles of CC's career but the back half of the album just felt a little under-baked (Glory/Life of Praise in particular) and this same issues remained with CC for several albums running. 3. Come to the Well-  The most well rounded record of CC's career that was well focused on the theme of the project and full of juicy lyrics to ponder for days. 4. The Very Next Thing-  Another solid record from CC that fits into the modern CCM landscape but kept the core of who they were as ministers and artists. 5. Lifesong-  A worthy sophomore album with a few truly excellent songs (Praise You In This Storm, In Me, Does Anybody Hear Her) but, despite several great musical moments felt fair

Jeremy   Camp   has become a household name in CCM. Jeremy's testimony of walking by faith despite losing his first wife to cancer in his early 20's to his whirlwind second-chance romance with Benjamin Gate lead singer Adie Liesching made Camp an artist everyone wanted to root for. Despite his edgy rock beginnings and gravely voice, Camp has become a staple of Christian AC radio and a mainstay on the sales charts and festival circuits. On top of a booming musical career, Jeremy also became an ordained minister and pastors a church. In his 16+ year career Camp has sold 4.5 million albums and according to his website has scored 41 No. 1 hits on Christian Radio across all formats (Contemporary Hit Radio, Hot AC, Rock, and Inspirational Charts- the same songs have topped multiple charts- he's only released 27 official singles and not all of them have gone #1). His album, Beyond Measure, contributed six back-to-back No. 1 hits, including the track "Let It Fade" whic

I would love a greatest hits album from Matthew! He could call it "Hello My Name Is... Matthew West... The Greatest Hits" Dream Tracklist: 1. Hello My Name Is 2. More 3. The Motions 4. Strong Enough 5. Only Grace 6. You Are Everything 7. Broken Things 8. Grace Wins 9. Next Thing You Know 10. Day One 11. My Own Little World 12. Do Something 13. All In 14. Forgiveness 15. Mended (radio version) 16. When I Say I Do (new studio version please) 17. History 18. Something to Say (radio version) 19. The Beautiful Things We Miss 20. The End Come on Matthew- Make it happen!