Avalon: The Greatest Hits | ||||
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Greatest hits album by | ||||
Released | February 10, 2009 | |||
Recorded | 1996–2009 | |||
Genre | Contemporary Christian music, inspirational | |||
Length | 73:29 [1] | |||
Label | Sparrow | |||
Producer | Brown Bannister, Charlie Peacock, Tedd Tjornhom, Shaun Shankel, Chris Harris | |||
Avalon chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [2] |
Avalon: The Greatest Hits (2009) is a greatest hits album by Contemporary Christian music vocal group Avalon. Titles appearing on the album include fan-favorites[ according to whom? ] "Give It Up", "Adonai", "Can't Live A Day", "All", and "You Were There", as well as "Testify To Love", the latter of which became the longest-running No. 1 Adult Contemporary song in the history of the CCM Update AC chart. [3] Also included is then-new recording and radio single, "Still My God". The song garnered immediate attention and success, eventually becoming Avalon's 21st career #1 radio hit. [4] In addition, the song peaked at #2 on Radio & Records' Soft AC/Inspo chart.
Avalon: The Greatest Hits is the third greatest hits album released by Avalon alongside record label Sparrow Records, the first being 2003's offering Testify To Love: The Very Best Of Avalon. Avalon: The Greatest Hits marked the end of the quartet's career with Sparrow, [5] fulfilling a contract that spanned over a decade. Despite this, the group soon after released a new, studio album on E1 Music, aptly titled Reborn , on September 15, 2009. [6]
# | Title | Writer(s) | Original Album (Year) | Length |
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1. | "Testify to Love" | Paul Field, Henk Pool, Robert Riekerk, Ralph Van Manen | A Maze of Grace (1997) | 4:45 |
2. | "Give It Up" | Mark Heimermann, Grant Cunningham, Rikk Kittleman, Michael Passons, Janna Long | Avalon (1996) | 4:10 |
3. | "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" | Cunningham, Matt Huesmann | A Maze of Grace (1997) | 3:39 |
4. | "Still My God" | Adam Smith, Stephan Sharp | New Recording | 4:32 |
5. | "Take You at Your Word" | Field, Cunningham | In a Different Light (1999) | 4:41 |
6. | "Can't Live a Day" | Joe Beck, Connie Harrington, Ty Lacy | In a Different Light (1999) | 4:46 |
7. | "The Glory" | Jim Cooper, Regie Hamm | Oxygen (2001) | 5:03 |
8. | "Wonder Why" | Cunningham, Huesmann | Oxygen (2001) | 4:02 |
9. | "Adonai" | Don Koch, Lorraine Ferro, Stephanie Lewis | A Maze of Grace (1997) | 4:01 |
10. | "New Day" | Long, Lydia Gott, Jody McBrayer, Tedd Tjornhom | Testify to Love: The Very Best of Avalon (2003) | 3:26 |
11. | "Everything to Me" | Chad Cates, Sue Smith | Testify to Love: The Very Best of Avalon (2003) | 4:48 |
12. | "I Don't Want to Go" | Jess Cates, Yancy Wideman | Oxygen (2001) | 5:24 |
13. | "All" | Tjornhom, Ian Eskelin, Brian White | The Creed (2004) | 3:47 |
14. | "You Were There" | Ben Glover | The Creed (2004) | 6:52 |
15. | "Orphans of God" | Twila Lebar, Joel Lindsey | Stand (2006) | 4:29 |
16. | "In Christ Alone" | Stuart Townend, Keith Getty | Faith: A Hymns Collection (2006) | 5:04 |
Rebecca Jean Fink, known professionally as Rebecca Jean or Rebecca St. James, is an Australian American contemporary Christian singer, songwriter and actress. She began performing in Australia in the late 1980s and released her first full-length studio album in 1991. She was signed to ForeFront Records in 1993, releasing her major label debut the following year.
Sanctus Real is an American Christian rock band formed in Toledo, Ohio, in 1996. The group is composed of Chris Rohman, Mark Graalman (drums), and Dustin Lolli. The band is best known for their number one singles "Lead Me", "Forgiven", "Whatever You're Doing", "I'm Not Alright", "Don't Give Up", "We Need Each Other", "Everything About You", and "The Fight Song". Since 2002, they have released five albums through the Sparrow Records label, an independent EP This Is Love, and "Changed" on Framework Records.
Avalon Worship, originally known as Avalon, is an American contemporary Christian vocal quartet from Nashville, Tennessee, formed in 1995. The group has earned multiple RIAA-certified gold records. The group consists of Janna Long, Greg Long, Jody McBrayer, and Dani Rocca.
Michelle Wright is a Canadian country music artist. She won the Canadian Country Music Association's Fans' Choice Award twice. In 2011, Wright was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
James Merrill Brickman is an American pop songwriter, pianist and radio host. Brickman has earned two Grammy nominations for his albums Peace (2003) for Best Instrumental, and Faith (2009) for Best New Age Album. He won a Canadian Country Music Award, a Dove Award presented by the Gospel Music Association, and was twice named Songwriter of the Year by SESAC. Billboard lists 22 of his albums reaching No. 1 on the New Age chart, and 16 of his songs reaching Top 10 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Four of his albums were certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Luigi Alfredo Giovanni Sacco, known professionally by his stage name Lou Christie, is an American pop and soft rock singer-songwriter known for several hits in the 1960s, including his 1966 US chart-topper "Lightnin' Strikes" and 1969 UK number-two "I'm Gonna Make You Mine".
American singer Amy Grant has released 20 studio albums, 11 compilation albums, 5 live albums, and 84 singles. Considered one of the pioneers in the contemporary Christian music genre, Grant was also the first major Christian artist to successfully cross over into the mainstream.
ZOEgirl was an American Christian teen pop and pop rock band formed in 1999. The group comprised Chrissy Conway-Katina, Alisa Childers and Kristin Swinford-Schweain. They were signed to Sparrow Records from 1999 to 2006 and released their debut single "I Believe" in 2000. This song and their self-titled debut album ZOEgirl helped them become Sparrow's fastest selling artist of all time. With All of My Heart, the lead single for Life, was the group's only No. 1 Christian contemporary hit radio (CHR) single and led to the group receiving a GMA Dove Award for New Artist of the Year in 2002. By the end of 2003, over one million albums from ZOEgirl were sold.
BeBe & CeCe Winans are an American gospel/R&B music brother and sister duo. BeBe and CeCe Winans are the seventh and eighth of the Winans family's ten children, most of whom have had gospel music careers. Together, they have received several awards, including three Grammys.
Selah is a contemporary Christian vocal trio consisting of Todd Smith, Allan Hall, and Amy Perry. The group has been featured on The 700 Club, Hour of Power, and TBN.
Phillips, Craig and Dean is a contemporary Christian music trio composed of pastors Randy Phillips, Shawn Craig, and Dan Dean. Since forming in 1991, the group has sold over two million units. They have also received ten GMA Dove Award nominations, winning four, including Praise and Worship Album of the Year in 2007 for Top of My Lungs, and Inspirational Album of the Year in 2010 for Fearless.
A Maze of Grace is Avalon's second album, released in December 1997. It contains the hit single "Testify to Love", which has become the group's trademark song, the longest-running Adult Contemporary song in the history of the CCM Update AC chart. The album was Avalon's first to be certified Gold by the RIAA. Shortly after the release of the album, Nikki Hassman left the quartet to pursue a solo career with Sony Records.
Testify to Love: The Very Best of Avalon is Avalon's seventh release—the group's first greatest hits collection—and is titled appropriately after the quartet's hit, "Testify to Love". It is the first album showcasing Melissa Greene, who replaced Cherie Adams, and the last album featuring founding member Michael Passons. Although mostly consisting of previous radio hits, three new songs were added—"New Day", "Everything to Me", and "Pray", with a bonus Christmas song. "Wonder Why" has an alternate opening from the original album version.
"Made to Love" is a song by contemporary Christian singer tobyMac from his third album, Portable Sounds. It was released as the album's lead single on December 26, 2006. This was also included on the compilation album, WOW Hits 2008.
American contemporary Christian singer-songwriter Steven Curtis Chapman has released 17 studio albums and 82 singles, in addition to 4 holiday albums, 3 compilation albums, and 3 video releases. He has sold over 11 million albums, and 10 of his albums have been certified gold or platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Reborn is Avalon's thirteenth release and their ninth studio album. It is the first album featuring Amy Richardson as a member of Avalon and the first full album to feature Jeremi Richardson. It also marks the first album with E1 Music as Avalon's new record label. Released on September 15, 2009, Reborn contains the radio singles "Arise" and "Alive"; "Arise" peaked at the No. 1 position on Billboard's Soft AC/Inspirational National Airplay radio chart in late 2009, garnering Avalon their 22nd career No. 1 hit.
During his career as a singer and composer, Pat Boone released 63 singles in the United States, mostly during the 1950s and early 1960s when Boone was a successful pop singer and, for a time, the second-biggest charting artist behind Elvis Presley according to Billboard. Boone has had over 25 singles reach the top 20 on the U.S. singles charts, including the number-one hits "Ain't That a Shame" (1955), "I Almost Lost My Mind" (1956), "Don't Forbid Me" (1957), "Love Letters in the Sand" (1957), "April Love" (1957), and "Moody River" (1961). "I'll Be Home" (1956) reached No. 1 in the UK. He set a Billboard record, which he still holds, for spending 220 consecutive weeks on the charts with one or more songs each week.
"Never Alone" is a song written by Gary Burr, Sarah Buxton, and Victoria Shaw and recorded by American songwriter and pianist Jim Brickman. Originally recorded with American country music singer Sara Evans on vocals for his 2006 album, Escape, it was famously re-recorded with American country pop trio Lady Antebellum for its release as a single. This latter version was released to digital retailers through Savoy Records on February 20, 2007 and impacted American adult contemporary radio that spring. Lady Antebellum’s female vocalist, Hillary Scott, is sometimes credited individually alongside Lady Antebellum.
Jimmy White is an American singer-songwriter and record producer.
Cory Hunter Asbury is an American Christian musician, worship pastor, songwriter, and former member of the Bethel Music collective.