Straight Ahead | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | April 6, 1984 | |||
Recorded | 1983–1984 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | Contemporary Christian music | |||
Length | 38:36 | |||
Label | Myrrh | |||
Producer | Brown Bannister | |||
Amy Grant chronology | ||||
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Singles from Straight Ahead | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Cross Rhythms | [2] |
Straight Ahead is the sixth studio album by Christian music artist Amy Grant, released in 1984.
Straight Ahead was the follow-up to Grant's ground-breaking 1982 album Age to Age . Containing songs that were more aggressive than the ones found on Age to Age, Straight Ahead was not as commercially successful as its predecessor. Nonetheless, it still topped Billboard's Christian album chart for 61 weeks, knocking Age to Age from the number-one position. The song "Angels" was also a No. 1 Christian radio hit for 13 weeks, and won a Grammy Award for "Best Gospel Performance, Female." Straight Ahead would be certified gold in 1985. The song "Thy Word" is based on Psalm 119:105. [3]
In 2007, Straight Ahead was reissued and digitally remastered by Grant's new record label, EMI/Sparrow Records. The remastered edition is labeled with a "Digitally Remastered" logo in the 'gutter' on the CD front. [4]
Straight Ahead was the first Christian album to chart on the Billboard 200 chart. A&M reissued it in 1985, just as Grant was appearing on the Grammy Awards performing "Angels".
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Where Do You Hide Your Heart" | Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith | 3:57 |
2. | "Jehovah" | Geoffrey P. Thurman | 5:57 |
3. | "Angels" | Grant, Brown Bannister, Gary Chapman, Smith | 4:10 |
4. | "Straight Ahead" | Grant, Chapman, Smith | 3:47 |
5. | "Thy Word" | Grant, Smith | 3:19 |
6. | "It's Not a Song" | Robbie Buchanan, Chapman | 3:27 |
7. | "Open Arms" | Grant, Chapman, Bruce Hibbard | 3:22 |
8. | "Doubly Good to You" | Rich Mullins | 3:12 |
9. | "Tomorrow" | Grant, Chapman, Hibbard | 3:24 |
10. | "The Now and the Not Yet" | Pam Mark Hall | 3:36 |
Production
Music videos were released for "Angels" in 1984 and "It's Not a Song" in 1985.
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1984 | Top Contemporary Christian | 1 |
1985 | The Billboard 200 | 133 |
Year | Chart | Position |
---|---|---|
1984 | U.S. Billboard Inspirational Albums | 3 |
1985 | 1 | |
1986 | 8 |
Chart (1980-1989) | Rank |
---|---|
US Billboard Top Contemporary Christian [5] | 11 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Canada (Music Canada) [6] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United States (RIAA) [7] | Gold | 500,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Year | Winner | Category |
---|---|---|
1985 | Straight Ahead | Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year |
Year | Winner | Category |
---|---|---|
1985 | "Angels" | Best Gospel Performance, Female |
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