It’s not hard to demonstrate that Christian rock is often… even usually… cheesy, derivative, and shallow. Much of it sounds like commercials for Jesus rather than artistic endeavor.
But there are exceptions, although I’d prefer to take the modifier “Christian” off of those songs and just call them Songs… Good Songs.
On April 16, The New York Times ran a column by Daniel Radosh, who identifies himself as a secular Jew, author of Rapture Ready: Adventures in the Parallel Universe of Christian Pop Culture.
Here, Radosh offers a list of 10 Christian rock songs worth hearing. And I’m very pleased by some of his choices. The comments on that page include some familiar names too, like Nick Purdy.
Can you name ten Christian rock songs that would qualify as great rock songs?
And if you were going to list five dos and don’ts for Christians who are songwriters, what would they be?
Thanks to David Buckna for the link!
Great to see mewithoutYou on that list-they’re a genuinely great band; really unusual. I think just about every song on their album “Brother, Sister” is a great rock song.
I guess, if it’s okay to put in songs by bands who don’t like being called “Christian bands”, I’d say Switchfoot’s “Daisy” and “The Shadow Proves the Sunshine” are two great “Christian” songs.
So I guess U2 is off the list? Haha.
Recent albums by Switchfoot (“Oh, Gravity”, Jars of Clay (“Good Monsters”, and Delirious (“Kingdom of Comfort”) have all shown a lyrical maturity which until recently has been woefully absent in “Christian music.” JOC’s “Oh My God” is as tightly wound and convicting as anything I’ve heard in a long time. And Switchfoot flat-out rocks with passion and drive, regardless of label.
Hmm, although they only ever made one album, I think that Chasing Furies has provided some of the best rock songs Christian music can lay claim to. It’s difficult to name one particular song, so I’ll just plunk down on “Thicker”, the opening track and the song that first pointed me to this sadly defunct band. Another defunct Christian band with great lyrics is Ballydowse — I particularly enjoy “Birth (A Drunkard Reel).” Waterdeep also had a few good songs.
Dos and don’ts?
DO explore a variety of styles
DON’T just stick to “worship” and pop full of cheesy emotions and ridiculous runs
DO try to find ways of stating things apart from the obvious — sometimes a metaphor has so much more truth than a bald statement
If you’re going to write worship songs, DON’T just make them about how you feel or what you want to do to for God
DO be willing to focus on the rough stuff of life
DON’T overproduce your music
DO go out of your comfort zone to seek inspiration
DON’T necessarily make your music “safe and fun for the whole family” (but also don’t try to shock just for the sake of shocking)
DO everything for the glory of God
DON’T think that you can only be glorifying God if you sing just bash ’em over the head Christian music ala the local Christian radio station
Steve Taylor – Moshing Floor
Whiteheart – Invitation
Dryve – Rain
Dryve – Manifold
(“If I could stand up and know… twang“)