Contemporary Christian music (CCM), also known as 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 who 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, electronic dance music, R&B-influenced gospel, and country styles.
Planetshakers is a contemporary worship music band, a central part of Planetshakers Church in Melbourne, Australia.
Hillsong United is a worship collective that originated as a part of Hillsong Church. Formed in 1998 as part of Hillsong's youth ministry, the band consists of several rotating worship leaders from the church, including Joel Houston, Taya Smith-Gaukrodger, Matt Crocker, Jonathon Douglass, Brooke Fraser, Jad Gillies and Benjamin Hastings. Due to several songs written by the youth ministry, Hillsong Worship leader Darlene Zschech recommended that they record an album, which resulted in their debut extended play, One, which was released alongside the Hillsong Worship album Touching Heaven Changing Earth. Since then, the group has released fourteen live albums, as well as five studio albums. The band composes songs and performs in church services as well as concerts on worldwide tours.
Kari Brooke Jobe is an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter. Since her first album in 2009, she has received two Grammy Award nominations and ten Dove Award nominations, six of which she won.
Release the Panic is the fourth studio album by American Christian rock band Red. It was released on February 5, 2013 through Essential Records and Sony Music. It was produced by Howard Benson. The first song released from the album, "Release the Panic," was released on Friday, November 9, 2012 on their official VEVO channel on YouTube. The first single from the album, "Perfect Life," was released on November 29, 2012 on their official VEVO channel on YouTube.
Elevation Worship is a contemporary worship music collective from Elevation Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. The collective leads worship in weekend church services at Elevation Church, as well as performing concerts and tours around the United States. The collective has sold over 2.5 million albums in the United States.
Natasha Tameika Cobbs Leonard is an American gospel musician and songwriter. She released the extended play Grace in 2013 with the hit lead single "Break Every Chain". The EP reached No. 61 on the Billboard charts.
William Henry Murphy III is an American gospel recording artist and pastor. He started his music career in 2005, with the release of All Day on Epic Records. This album was listed on the Billboard Gospel Albums chart. His second album, The Sound, was released in 2007 on Central South, and was listed on the Top Gospel Albums chart as well. He self-released We Are One in 2011. This album was listed on the Top Gospel Albums chart, along with the Heatseekers Albums chart. His fourth album, God Chaser, was released in 2013 on Verity. The album reached the Gospel Albums chart, as well as the Billboard 200. Murphy is pastor of the dReam Center Church of Atlanta, which he founded.
William David McDowell is an American gospel musician. He started his music career, in 2009, with the release of, As We Worship, by Entertainment One Music. This album would chart on three Billboard charts Gospel Albums, Independent Albums and Heatseekers Albums. His second album, Arise, was released in 2011 with Entertainment One. The album charted three Billboard charts again, this time The Billboard 200, Gospel Albums and Independent Albums. His third album, Withholding Nothing, was released in 2013, with Entertainment One. This album would chart on three charts The Billboard 200, Gospel Albums, and Independent Albums. He was nominated for Grammy Award for Best Gospel Album, for his third album.
Steffany Dawn Gretzinger is a Christian music singer-songwriter and former ensemble vocalist with Bethel Music, based in Franklin, Tennessee. She released her first solo album, The Undoing, with Bethel Music in 2014. The album was a Billboard magazine breakthrough release, reaching number twenty on the Billboard 200, and also gained top five status among Top Christian and Independent albums in September 2014.
Lets Go is a live album from Planetshakers. Planetshakers Ministries International and Integrity Music released the album on September 11, 2015. They worked with Joshua Brown, Russell Evans, and Mike Pilmer, in the production of this album.
Have It All is the eighth live album and twelfth album overall by California based Bethel Music. It was released through the group's imprint label, Bethel Music, on March 11, 2016. It was produced by Chris Greely and Bobby Strand, and mastered by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC.
Right Here is a studio album from Charles Billingsley. StowTown Records released the album on March 4, 2016.
Hillsong Young & Free is an Australian contemporary worship music group from Sydney, Australia, where they started making Christian music in 2012 at Hillsong Church. They have released four live albums: We Are Young & Free (2013), Youth Revival (2016), III Live (2018), and All of My Best Friends (2020); they have also released four studio albums: Youth Revival Acoustic (2017), III (2018), III (2019), and III (Reimagined) (2019). Additionally, the group have released three EPs: This Is Living (2015), We Are Young & Free - EP (2015), and Out Here on a Friday Where It Began (2021).
Briana Babineaux, who goes by the stage name Bri, is an American urban contemporary gospel artist and musician. She started her music career, in 2015, with releasing a live album, Keys to My Heart (2016), by Tyscot Records. This album charted on three Billboard magazine charts.
Housefires is an American worship band from Atlanta, Georgia. Forming in 2014, they have released five live albums.
Brian Mark Johnson is an American contemporary worship musician and worship pastor. He is the president and co-founder of Bethel Music, as well as a member of its Artist Collective and is one-half of the husband-and-wife worship duo, Brian & Jenn Johnson. He is also a senior worship pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, California, and a Senior Overseer of WorshipU, an online school of worship under Bethel Music which he co-founded with Jenn Johnson.
Josh Baldwin is an American Christian singer, songwriter and worship pastor. A member of the Bethel Music collective, Baldwin also serves as a worship leader at Bethel Church in Redding, California.
Jennifer Louise Johnson is an American Christian worship singer, songwriter and worship pastor. She is a co-founding member of Bethel Music, and is one-half of the husband-and-wife worship duo, Brian & Jenn Johnson. She is also a senior worship pastor at Bethel Church in Redding, California, and a Senior Overseer of WorshipU, an online school of worship under Bethel Music which she co-founded with Brian Johnson.
"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 worldwide including charting hit versions by Michael W. Smith, Mandisa, Leeland and Passion.
