Contemporary Christian music, also known as CCM, Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christian faith and stylistically rooted in Christian music. It was formed by those affected by the 1960s Jesus movement revival began to express themselves in other styles of popular music, beyond the church music of hymns, gospel and Southern gospel music that was prevalent in the church at the time. Initially referred to as Jesus music, today, the term is typically used to refer to pop, but also includes rock, alternative rock, hip hop, metal, contemporary worship, punk, hardcore punk, latin, EDM, R&B-influenced gospel and country styles.
Michael Whitaker Smith is an American musician who has charted in both contemporary Christian and mainstream charts. His biggest success in mainstream music was in 1991 when "Place in This World" hit No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Over the course of his career, he has sold more than 18 million albums.
Contemporary worship music (CWM), also known as praise and worship music, is a defined genre of Christian music used in contemporary worship. It has developed over the past 60 years and is stylistically similar to pop music. The songs are frequently referred to as "praise songs" or "worship songs" and are typically led by a "worship band" or "praise team", with either a guitarist or pianist leading. It has become a common genre of music sung in many churches, particularly in charismatic or non-denominational Protestant churches with some Roman Catholic congregations incorporating it into their mass as well.
Third Day was a Christian rock band formed in Marietta, Georgia during the 1990s. The band was founded by lead singer Mac Powell, guitarist Mark Lee and Billy Wilkins. Drummer David Carr was the last band member to quit, prior to the band’s farewell tour in May and June 2018. The band's name is a reference to the biblical accounts of the resurrection of Jesus on the third day following his crucifixion. The band was inducted in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame on September 19, 2009. They have sold over 7 million albums in the United States and had 28 number one Christian album chart radio hits. Their fans are known as "Gomers" after a song on their second album about Gomer.
The 36th Annual GMA Dove Awards, also called the 36th Annual GMA Music Awards, were held on April 13, 2005 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2004. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee and was hosted by Steven Curtis Chapman, CeCe Winans, Rebecca St. James, Smokie Norful, Darlene Zschech and Israel Houghton.
The 34th Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 10, 2003 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2002. The show was held at the Gaylord Entertainment Center in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by CeCe Winans and Steven Curtis Chapman.
The 33rd Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 25, 2002 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2001. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Yolanda Adams and Kurt Warner.
"Here I Am to Worship" is a song written by Tim Hughes and was released as the title song of his debut album Here I Am to Worship. The song is a popular worship ballad. It is commonly sung at Christian churches, festivals and youth gatherings. The song was ranked No. 1 on the Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) two years in a row and was still ranked on their Top 25 Songs list in 2016.
Paul Joseph Baloche is an American Christian music artist, worship leader, and singer-songwriter. A native of Maple Shade Township, New Jersey, Baloche was the worship pastor at Community Christian Fellowship in Lindale, Texas for 26 years. He and his wife, Rita left Texas in January 2015, moving to New York City to be nearer to family. Baloche composes on piano and acoustic guitar, favoring guitar when leading worship. His wife, Rita Baloche, is also a Christian songwriter. Baloche is one of the writers for Compassionart, a charity founded by Martin Smith from Delirious?.
Mac Powell, originally from Clanton, Alabama, is an American singer, songwriter, producer, and musician who formed the Christian rock band Third Day with guitarist Mark Lee, with both of them being the only continuous members of the band prior to their disbandment in 2018. Powell also delves into country music, having released several independent country albums. As of 2021, he continues his career in Christian music as a solo artist.
Leeland is a Christian rock band from Baytown, Texas. The band was formed in 2004, although lead singer Leeland Mooring had been writing songs beforehand. Leeland consists of Leeland Mooring, and Casey Moore. The band's original line-up included Jeremiah Wood (guitar), who left the band in late 2006 and was replaced by guitarist Matt Campbell in early 2007, Jack Mooring (piano), Mike Smith (drums) and Jake Holtz (bass).
The 35th Annual GMA Music Awards were held on April 28, 2004 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2003. The show was held at the Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Deion Sanders and Yolanda Adams.
Matthew Guion Maher is a Canadian contemporary Christian music (CCM) artist, songwriter, and worship leader from Newfoundland, Canada, who lives in the United States. Three of his nine albums have reached the Top 25 Christian Albums Billboard chart and four of his singles have reached the Top 25 Christian Songs chart. His notable writing credits include "Your Grace Is Enough", "I Will Rise", "Because He Lives (Amen)", "Christ Is Risen", and "Lord I Need You". Maher has been nominated for nine Grammy Awards in his career and was awarded the Songwriter of the Year at the 2015 GMA Dove Awards. He is a practicing Catholic.
The 32nd Annual GMA Dove Awards were held on April 5, 2001 recognizing accomplishments of musicians for the year 2000. The show was held at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville, Tennessee, and was hosted by Michael W. Smith.
A New Hallelujah is a live album by Christian recording artist Michael W. Smith. Released in October 2008, this is Smith's third album of worship music, and his fourth live album. It was recorded on June 20, 2008 at Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas. A DVD version of the album was released in March 2009 along with additional bonus features: Behind The Scenes: A New Hallelujah including four new tracks from the live concert.
Top Christian Albums is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that ranks the best-performing Christian albums in the United States. Like the Billboard 200, the data is compiled by Nielsen Soundscan based on each album's weekly physical and digital sales, as well as on-demand streaming and digital sales of its individual tracks. The chart was introduced on the magazine issue dated March 29, 1980, under the title "Best Selling Inspirational LPs". The current name was adopted on August 16, 2003, in an effort to "streamline" chart titles. The first number-one album was Candle's Music Machine. Amy Grant's Age to Age, released in 1982, topped the chart for 85 consecutive weeks, the longest for any album on the chart.
Decades of Worship is Christian singer Michael W. Smith's third compilation album, after The First Decade (1983-1993) and The Second Decade (1993-2003), released in 2012. The album mostly comprises Smith's live and studio worship music in the years 2001–2010. It also includes a remastered version of "Great Is The Lord" from his 1983 debut, Michael W. Smith Project as a bonus track.
Sovereign is an album by Christian recording artist Michael W. Smith released on May 13, 2014 through Capitol Records. The album debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 1 on the Christian Albums chart.
Lead Us Back: Songs of Worship is the twelfth studio album from Third Day. Essential Records released the project on March 3, 2015. The album was released in two versions: a single-CD version with a white cover, and a deluxe edition, two-CD set with a black cover.
"Way Maker" is a contemporary worship song written by Nigerian gospel singer Sinach and released as a single on 30 December 2015. The song has been covered by a number of Christian music artists including Michael W. Smith, Mandisa, Leeland, Christafari, Passion, Darlene Zschech and Bethel Music.
