Being a Christian and avid listener of Christian music, I like to ask my friends if they listen to Christian music. Most people answer that they do a little, but when I start asking about their favorite musicians, they can’t seem to name very many. Whether they are Christian or not, there seems to be a trend of answers I receive. Some of these answers include, “Christian music all sounds the same,” “Christian music is limited to only talking about God,” “Christian music often sounds cheesy,” and “Christian music seems like it’s always a couple years behind the curve.” So much ridicule has been put on this market of music, I thought it would be a good idea to explain why all of these statements are misconceptions of how the music really is.
First, I’d like to tackle the misconception that all Christian music sounds the same. Often this idea comes from people who have done very little research on this type of music. Typically this idea stems from only knowing Christian music through the radio. While the radio is a good outlet for listening to lots of different bands in one spot, these stations have a particular style of music that the like to play. It wouldn’t make sense for them to have a huge variety of music coming from the same station. When people tune into these stations, they know what to expect; while that’s a good thing, it doesn’t provide a proper sample for Christian music as a whole. I’ve talked about this particular idea in a few of my other articles, so if you’d like more information, I’d recommend going to check out them; however, I’ll try to give you an example of how different bands in this style can be. Let’s just look at three bands who claim to be in the Christian market: We Are the City, Project 86, and Plumb. We Are the City, signed under Tooth & Nail Records, features a melodic, indie rock feel. Their song’s like “Baptism” and “Legs Give Out” really capture their unique sound. Project 86, currently on their own record label (Team Black Recordings), Features a heavy beat, strong guitar riffs, and intense, raspy lyrics to give them more of a hardcore rock sound that you can easily pump your fist to. Plumb, currently with Curb Records, features a much more electronic style beat with easy to follow lyrics that contain a deep meaning. These three bands are so different; and yet, they are all considered Christian Rock. Think of how many other artists there are in the same category/style and how much more different they could be!
I’d also like to point out the fact that I’m referencing Christian music as a style rather than a genre. I firmly believe that “Christian music” isn’t a genre. Christian music is a category where all the bands believe one central idea, that Jesus is their Lord, Creator, and Savior. This doesn’t force them to write music solely about this, but, since it is a part of their beings, it influences every word they write. Because of this, Christian music is a category which contains every genre of music inside it, depending on the artist. This also means that there is more to talk about in this style of music then people might think. As not only a Christian, but as a human being, you go through many things in a lifetime. Christian music has the same opportunities to talk about anything in life as any other person, except they come at it from a different perspective. I heard a statistic once that claimed 94% of songs created are about love (love of things, love of people, love of money, making love, etc.). Watch this video if you’re interested in that idea.
The last argument I’d like to refute is when people say Christian music sounds cheesy or is behind the curve/out of date. Honestly, this goes back to the lack of knowledge of the variety of bands in the Christian market. If your extent of knowing Christian artists comes from listening to the radio or remembering artists from your childhood, then you need to start doing some research. Newreleasetuesday.com or Jesusrock.net both have genre specific searching capabilities to help you find artists that play the kind of music you’re interested in. I’d really recommend taking the time to look into this. The music we put in our ears influences our thoughts and feelings more than we think.
I think it’s important to really dissect the difference between Christian music and between the secular market of music. To do this we will have to figure out why people listen to popular music versus why people listen to Christian music, what the qualities of a song are that make people enjoy it, then we will evaluate what exactly you are looking for to help you figure out where to go from here.
Christian music originated as praises to God in all times of a person’s life. We see some of the very earliest “Christian music” in Psalms when David would write about what he was going through; and no matter the circumstance, he would give God praise. Using this as a reference and moving all the way up to present day, we realize that people traditionally listen to Christian music to praise/worship God.
So, with that in mind, lets dive into the latter: why is secular music typically listened to? Obviously there are multiple reasons for why someone would listen. you can really get in depth and consider the lyrics, the type of beat, the cultural popularity, or the track record of the artists; but for the most part, people listen to secular music because they enjoy it. Some part of the song brings them some kind of happiness.
Finally, we have to figure out why you listen to music. When you listen to music are you looking to simply enjoy yourself, or are you looking to find music to worship our Creator? Here’s the awesome thing about it, if you’re looking for music to praise, Christian music is definitely the answer. If you’re looking for music to have a good time, secular music has that in mind, but there are also Christian artists that have this same idea in mind. Once you realize that there are Christian artists out there that are creating music for enjoyment, a whole new world of exploration is open to you. This is the biggest realization that Christians need to figure out.
Hopefully there was some nugget of advice in this article for you. The true idea I’m trying to get at is there is a vast array of Christian musicians out there. By no means do they all sound the same, it just takes a little research to find the ones you’re looking for. Thanks for taking the time to read! More coming soon.
Christ Buzz 
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