Christian

Today’s Christian and gospel music might be mistaken for any other genre if it weren’t for one crucial difference: the message. The music connects artists and listeners to their most deeply held beliefs, so it's no surprise that it unfolds in a huge range of deeply personal expression—from thrashing heavy metal to sleek EDM. And still, many of these sounds grew out of the oral traditions of church pulpits and plantations of the American South, where people stomped their feet and clapped along in call-and-response cries for salvation. These heady benedictions are still perfectly suited for gospel music's most enduring feature: earth-shaking vocalists, like Mahalia Jackson or Mavis Staples, who sing of pain, loss, and redemption. Radio popularized gospel by the '20s, and musicians from other genres, including jazz and blues, embraced elements from old spirituals and translated them for secular expressions. Groups like The Carter Family used carefully crafted harmonies on hymnal-based songs to enrapture country and folk audiences, and by the '40s stars like Sister Rosetta Tharpe (gospel’s first crossover artist) rivaled their secular counterparts in terms of influence and popularity. The sold-out stadiums of multi-band extravaganzas like Creation Festival are proof that the border between faith-based and secular music has only become more nebulous over time. This process began when artists like Little Richard, Elvis Presley, and Sam Cooke fused messages of faith with the propulsive rhythm of rhythm & blues, soul, and early rock 'n' roll. Christian music of the ‘80s and ‘90s included musicians of every style, like Randy Travis (country), Amy Grant (pop), DC Talk (rap-rock), and Jars of Clay (heavy rock). Countless performers since—from Switchfoot to The Fray—have brought songs of faith to the top of the charts. Although rock and folk have remained central to musical ministries (like Australia’s massively popular Hillsong megachurch), riff-grinding Christian metal bands like Florida’s Underoath, dance visionaries like the God’s DJs collective, and rappers like Lecrae have emerged from the underground to attract international audiences.