Jesus music, known as gospel beat music in the United Kingdom, is a style of Christian music that originated on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. This musical genre developed in parallel to the Jesus movement. It outlasted the movement that spawned it and the Christian music industry began to eclipse it and absorb its musicians around 1975.
James Michael Palosaari was an American evangelist and performer, one of the leaders in the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s and 1970s.
Newsboys are a Christian rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia, by Peter Furler and George Perdikis. Now based in Nashville, Tennessee, the band has released 17 studio albums, 6 of which have been certified gold. As of 2023, the band consists of lead vocalist Michael Tait, drummer and percussionist Duncan Phillips, keyboardist Jeff Frankenstein, electric guitarist Jody Davis, and bassist Adam Agee. In addition to performing music, the band has appeared in the films God's Not Dead, God's Not Dead 2, and God's Not Dead: A Light In Darkness.
Petra is an American music group regarded as a pioneer of the Christian rock and contemporary Christian music genres and was, for many years, regarded as the "world's most popular Christian rock band". Formed in 1972, the band took its name from the Greek word for "rock". Though it disbanded formally in 2006, incarnations have played reunion shows in the years since and released two albums in November 2010, and in November 2017. In 2013, it reformed with a new drummer, Cristian Borneo, and recorded a new song titled "Holy is Your Name", before going back on tour.
Steven J. Camp is an American contemporary Christian music artist and pastor. In the tradition of Martin Luther's Ninety-five Theses, Camp sent out his own 107 theses on Reformation Day, 1998, calling for a reformation in contemporary Christian music: calling Christian musicians to make direct, uncompromising music that confronts the world with the message of the scriptures.
Douglas Theodore Pinnick, sometimes stylized as dUg Pinnick or simply dUg, is an American musician best known as the bass guitarist, co-lead vocalist, and songwriter for the hard rock and progressive metal band King's X. He has performed on 15 albums with King's X and recorded four solo albums. Pinnick has also participated in numerous side projects and has multiple guest appearances to his credit. He is recognized for his unique vocals, and heavily distorted bass tone. Pinnick often plays bass with a guitar pick, though he has also been seen using his fingers.
Saved is the twentieth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on June 23, 1980, by Columbia Records. Saved was the second album of Dylan's "Christian trilogy". It expanded on themes explored on its predecessor Slow Train Coming, with gospel arrangements and lyrics extolling the importance of a strong personal faith.
Russell Taff is an American gospel singer and songwriter who grew up in Farmersville, California. He has sung a variety of musical styles throughout his career including: pop rock, traditional Southern gospel, contemporary country music, and rhythm and blues. He first gained recognition as lead vocalist for the Imperials (1976–81). One of his best-known performances is the song "Praise the Lord". He has also been a member of the Gaither Vocal Band, and occasionally tours with Bill Gaither in the Gaither Homecoming concerts. As a solo artist and songwriter, Taff is known for the 1980s anthem "We Will Stand". Taff has received various Dove and Grammy awards either as a solo artist or part of a larger musical group, most notably the Imperials.
One Bad Pig is a Christian punk and metal crossover band from Austin, Texas, which formed in 1985. The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music describes them as "quite possibly the most popular hard-punk act ever to arise within the Christian music scene." They were known for their mischief and irreverence on stage, as reflected even in their reunion at Cornerstone in 2000.
Holy Soldier was a Christian glam metal band from Los Angeles formed in 1985.
Come and Join Us is the second studio album of the Christian rock band Petra. It was released in 1977.
Washes Whiter Than is the third studio album by the Christian rock band Petra. It was released in 1979 amidst major line-up changes that saw all but one of the founding band members leave.
On Fire! is the tenth studio album of the Christian rock band, Petra. It was released in 1988 by StarSong.
Hotline is the third album by the Christian rock band White Heart and the band's first with Gordon Kennedy on guitars and the last with both lead vocalist Scott Douglas and on the Home Sweet Home label. The first radio single "Jerusalem" features lead vocals from both Douglas and lead guitarist Kennedy and became a top five hit on Christian radio and was co-written with the Christian rock duo DeGarmo and Key. Hotline peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Top Inspirational Albums chart.
Shallow Water is the debut album by Servant, and also served to launch the new label Tunesmith Records in 1979. The gatefold jacket opened to reveal a photo of the cover scene being washed away in the tide. The album was originally issued in Canada on red vinyl, but later pressings were in standard black.
Rockin' Revival is the second album by Servant, released by Tunesmith Records in 1982, and was also the first album with Matt Spransy in the lineup. The original cover featured a picture of a revival meeting using a fisheye lens, but was later replaced by a number of concert photographs. The songs "Ad Man" and the high-energy "I'm Gonna Live" both quickly became concert staples. In 2011, Rockin' Revival was added to the "CCM's 500 Best Albums of All Time" blog at No. 176.
World of Sand is the third album by Servant, released in 1982 on Rooftop Records.
Walls of Glass is the debut solo album by former Imperials lead singer Russ Taff, released in 1983 on Myrrh Records. After he left the Imperials in 1981, Taff started work on his first solo album featuring songs that he co-wrote with his wife Tori and his guitarist and songwriter James Hollihan Jr. "We Will Stand" was released as the first single and became his first Christian radio hit topping the Christian AC chart for 15 weeks. The song is ranked at number 29 by CCM Magazine's 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music. Taff won his first solo Grammy Award for Best Gospel Performance, Male at the 26th Grammy Awards. At the 15th GMA Dove Awards, Taff won his third Male Vocalist of the Year title, his first as a solo artist. "We Will Stand" was nominated for Song of the Year twice at the Dove Awards in 1984 and 1985. Walls of Glass reached No. 5 on the Billboard Top Inspirational Albums chart.
This Year's Model is the 32nd studio album by Christian music vocal group The Imperials, released in 1987 on Myrrh Records. This is the first album to feature new members Jimmie Lee Sloas and Ron Hemby, replacing long-time tenor Jim Murray and lead singer Paul Smith. It was a change in direction as This Year's Model's sound was more rock-oriented alienating long-time fans of the Imperials' four-part harmony of their early years. The track "Power of God" became a theme song for Christian bodybuilders the Power Team and new younger fans began to come to Imperials concerts. Production duties were done by Brown Bannister, who produced their previous album Let the Wind Blow (1985) with songwriting contributions from fellow CCM acts Pam Mark Hall, Chris Eaton and Paul Smith who co-wrote the lead single "Wings of Love". This Year's Model peaked at number 3 on the Billboard Top Inspirational Albums chart.
Free the Fire is the 33rd studio album by Christian music vocal group The Imperials released in 1988. This is their third and final album on the Myrrh label and after more than 10 years, their final album overall on Word Records. The Imperials would switch over to Star Song Records for their next album Love's Still Changing Hearts (1990). It is also the last time for the lineup of Jimmie Lee Sloas, Ron Hemby, David Will and Armond Morales from their previous album This Year's Model (1987) as Sloas left the group in 1989 to focus more behind the scenes as a bass guitar player, producer and songwriter and would go on to form the Christian Rock band Dogs of Peace with former Whiteheart guitarist and vocalist Gordon Kennedy. It was a reunion of sorts as the Imperials reunited with Bill Schnee who produced their 1982 album Stand by the Power and the husband and wife team of Michael and Stormie Omartian with music and lyrics on the title song. Baritone singer David Will sings lead on the Cliff Richard track "Better Than I Know Myself" from Richard's 1981 album Wired for Sound. Free the Fire debuted and peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Top Inspirational Albums chart.
