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Encyclopedia > Christian Rock
Christian music
Stylistic origins: A variety of genres evolving from Jesus music.
Cultural origins: 1960s United States
Typical instruments: Electric guitar, Bass guitar, Drums, Keyboard, Synthesizers
Mainstream popularity: Continuous from 1990s
Subgenres
Christian alternative rock - Christian bubblegum pop - Christian electronic music - Christian hardcore - Christian hip hop - Christian metal - Christian punk - Christian rock - Christian soft rock - Christian ska - Cprog
Other topics
Christian entertainment industry - Christian girl group - Worship music

Christian rock (occasionally abbreviated CR) is a form of rock music played by bands whose members are Christian and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands. Much Christian rock has ties to the Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) scene, while other bands are independent.The Christian rock genre is most popular in the United States, although some Christian bands have worldwide popularity. Related subgenres of Christian music include Christian alternative rock, Christian metal, Christian industrial, Christian punk, and Christian ska. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Jesus music, also known as gospel beat music in the United Kingdom, is a style of Christian music which originated on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of the Jesus movement before the Christian music industry had begun to take... A musical instrument is a device constructed or modified with the purpose of making music. ... Left: Rosa Hurricane, a heavy metal-style solid body guitar. ... The electric bass guitar (or electric bass) is a bass string instrument played with the fingers by plucking, slapping, or using a pick. ... For other kinds of drums, see drum (disambiguation). ... Piano, a well-known instance of keyboard instruments A keyboard instrument is any musical instrument played using a musical keyboard. ... The term synthesiser is also used to mean frequency synthesiser, an electronic system found in communications. ... Christian alternative rock Christian bubblegum pop Christian hardcore Christian industrial Christian rap Christian metal Christian pop rock Christian punk Christian rock Christian soft rock Christian ska Christian worship music Cprog Categories: ... Christian alternative music is a form of alternative rock music lyrically grounded in a Christian worldview. ... Christian bubblegum pop (Christian bubblegum rock, Christian bubblegum music) is a genre of Christian popular music and Christian rock and roll. ... Christian electronic music is Christian music which employs electronic music. ... Christian hardcore is a form of hardcore and metalcore music and a subgenre of punk rock played by bands where the musicians promote Christian beliefs. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Christian metal is a form of heavy metal music and its many subgenres with Christian lyrics and themes. ... Christian punk is a form of Christian alternative music and a subgenre of punk rock with some degree of Christian lyrical content. ... Christian soft rock, also referred to as Christian lite rock, Christian easy rock, and Christian mellow rock, is a style of music which uses the techniques of rock and roll to compose a softer, supposedly more ear-pleasing sound for listening, often at work. ... Christian ska is a subgenre of Christian rock and ska. ... Cprog is a sub-genre of music that links progressive music styles with Christian music themes and lyrics. ... The Christian entertainment industry consists of a large number of sub-industries devoted to Christian entertainment. ... A Christian girl group, as the name implies, is a musical group featuring a group consisting usually of young female singers, singing mostly Christian pop and R&B songs. ... Worship music is a style of Christian music that is commonly used to denote songs that are used to worship God and set in a choral music style, usually with repeating, short, easily sung chorus parts. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... In music, a band is a company of musicians, or musical ensemble, usually popular or folk, playing parts of or improvising a musical arrangement on different musical instruments. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      A Christian () is a person who... Christianity percentage by country, purple is highest, orange is lowest Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch... Contemporary Christian Music (or CCM; also by its religious neutral term Inspirational music) is a genre of popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith. ... A genre is any of the traditional divisions of art forms from a single field of activity into various kinds according to criteria particular to that form. ... Christian alternative music is a form of alternative rock music lyrically grounded in a Christian worldview. ... Christian metal is a form of heavy metal music and its many subgenres with Christian lyrics and themes. ... Christian Industrial can be taken as either industrial music or industrial rock thats lyrics and themes are inspired and influenced by Christianity. ... Christian punk is a form of Christian alternative music and a subgenre of punk rock with some degree of Christian lyrical content. ... Christian ska is a subgenre of Christian rock and ska. ...

Contents

History

Christian response to rock music (1950s-1960s)

Rock n roll music was not viewed favorably by most fundamentalist Christians when it attained popularity with young people beginning in the 1950s. Although early rock music was often influenced by country and both black and white forms of gospel music, it was primarily derived from African American styles such as blues. White, religious people in many regions of the United States did not want their children exposed to what was viewed as "race music", with unruly, impassioned vocals, loud guitar riffs and jarring, hypnotic rhythms. Often the music was overtly sexual in nature, as in the case of Elvis Presley, who became controversial and massively popular partly for his suggestive stage antics. Individual Christians may have listened to or even performed rock music in many cases, but it was seen as anathema to conservative church establishments, particularly in the American South. Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... Fundamentalist Christianity is a fundamentalist movement, especially within American Protestantism. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Gospel music is a musical genre characterized by dominant vocals (often with strong use of harmony) referencing lyrics of a religious nature, particularly Christian. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that most often follows a twelve-bar structure. ... Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer, musician and actor. ... This article is 88 kilobytes or more in size. ...


In the 1960s, rock n roll music matured artistically, attained worldwide popularity and became associated with the radical counterculture, firmly alienating many Christians. In 1966, British act The Beatles, regarded as one of the most popular and influential rock bands of their era, ran into trouble with many of their American fans when John Lennon offered his opinion that Christianity was dying and that the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus now". The romantic, melodic rock songs of the band's early career had formerly been viewed as relatively inoffensive, but after the remark, churches nationwide organized Beatles records burnings and Lennon was forced to apologize. Subsequently the Beatles experimented with a more complex, psychedelic style of music and anti-establishment lyrics, while the Rolling Stones sang a song openly (sincerely or not) from the point of view of Satan. In sociology, counterculture is a term used to describe the values and norms of behavior of a cultural group, or subculture, that run counter to those of the social mainstream of the day, the cultural equivalent of political opposition. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... John Winston Ono Lennon, MBE (October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980), (born John Winston Lennon, known as John Ono Lennon) was an iconic English 20th century rock and roll songwriter and singer, best known as the founding member of The Beatles. ... This article is about the rock band. ... Sympathy for the Devil is a song by The Rolling Stones. ... This article is about the concept of Satan. ...


As the decade continued, the Vietnam War, the Civil Rights Movement, the Paris student riots and other events served as catalysts for youth activism and political withdrawal or protest, which became associated with rock bands, whether or not they were openly political. Moreover, many saw the music as promoting a lifestyle of promiscuous "sex, drugs and rock and roll", also reflected in the behaviour of many rock stars. However, there was growing recognition of the diverse musical and ideological potential of rock. Countless new bands sprang up in the mid-to-late 1960s, as rock displaced older, smoother pop styles to become the dominant form of pop music, a position it would enjoy almost continuously until the end of the 20th century, when hip-hop finally eclipsed it in sales. Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... Historically, the civil rights movement was a period of time around the world of approximately one generation (1954–1980) wherein there was much worldwide civil unrest and popular rebellion. ... A May 1968 poster: Be young and shut up, with stereotypical silhouette of General de Gaulle. ...


Roots of "Christian rock" (1970s-1980s)

Main article: Jesus music

Possibly the very first documented appearance of a rock band playing in church is Mind Garage in 1967, whose Electric Liturgy, finally recorded on RCA in 1970, gives them credibility as a cornerstone in the creation of the Christian Rock genre. In the 1970s, Larry Norman was a popular Christian rock musician who challenged a view held by some conservative Christians (predominantly fundamentaliststs) that rock music was anti-Christian. One of his songs, "Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?", summarized his attitude and his quest to pioneer Christian rock music. Christian rock band David and the Giants were a successful Christian rock band throughout the '80s. they released a string of hit albums like Under Control, Magnificat and Strangers to the Night. Jesus music, also known as gospel beat music in the United Kingdom, is a style of Christian music which originated on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of the Jesus movement before the Christian music industry had begun to take... Mind Garage at Mother Witherspoon 1967. ... Larry David Norman (born April 8, 1947 in Corpus Christi, Texas) is an American singer-songwriter considered the forefather of Contemporary Christian Music, an attribution which he denies. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline or one of the following guidelines for inclusion on Wikipedia: Biographies, Books, Companies, Fiction, Music, Neologisms, Numbers, Web content, or several proposals for new guidelines. ... Under Control is an album by David and the Giants released in 1985. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Strangers to the Night is an album by David and the Giants. ...


Still, Christian rock was often viewed as a marginal part of the nascent Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) and contemporary gospel industry in the 1970s and '80s, though Christian folk rock artists like Phil Keaggy and Bruce Cockburn had some success and Christian-identifying hard rock acts such as Stryper gained some fame during the 1980s. U2, a band composed mostly of Christians but which existed outside the Christian rock industry, became one of the most popular bands in the world by the late 1980s. Contemporary Christian Music (or CCM; also by its religious neutral term Inspirational music) is a genre of popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith. ... Phil Keaggy (born March 23, 1951 in Youngstown, Ohio[1]) is a guitarist and vocalist. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Stryper is a Christian metal band from Orange County, California, USA. Formed in 1983, they are pioneers in the mainstream popularization of Christian rock music. ... U2 (IPA: /ju. ...


Acceptance of the genre (1990s-present)

The 1990s saw an explosion of Christian rock, heavily inspired by the success of U2, as well as by the musical style of grunge bands such as Pearl Jam and Nirvana (who were not Christian bands). Many of the popular '90s Christian bands were initially identified as Christian alternative rock, including dc Talk, Newsboys, Jars of Clay, and others. Some also incorporated rap, punk or heavy metal. U2 (IPA: /ju. ... Grunge music (sometimes also referred to as the Seattle Sound) is an independent-rooted music genre that became a commercially successful offshoot of hardcore punk, thrash metal, and alternative rock in the late 1980s and early 1990s. ... Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990. ... Nirvana was an American rock band that formed in Aberdeen, Washington. ... Christian alternative music is a form of alternative rock music lyrically grounded in a Christian worldview. ... dc Talk (also DC Talk and dc talk) is a Christian rock band formed in the late 1980s in Lynchburg, Virginia by Toby McKeehan, Kevin Max, and Michael Tait. ... Newsboys is a Christian pop band. ... Jars of Clay is a rock band from Franklin, Tennessee. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Christian punk is a form of Christian alternative music and a subgenre of punk rock with some degree of Christian lyrical content. ... Christian metal is a form of heavy metal music and its many subgenres with Christian lyrics and themes. ...


By the late 1990s and early 2000s, the demise of Creed and the success of Christian-inspired nu-metal, emo and goth acts like P.O.D. saw a shift in the Christian rock scene. Indy rock bands on the label Tooth & Nail also gained wider influence and critical praise despite existing outside the industry. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Nu metal (pronounced new metal) is a musical genre that typically fuses influences from the grunge[1] and alternative metal of the 1990s with funk music, hip-hop, and various heavy metal genres, most often thrash metal and groove metal. ... Emo is a genre of rock music. ... Gothic rock (sometimes called goth rock or simply goth) is a genre of rock music that originated during the late 1970s. ... This biographical article does not cite any references or sources. ... Tooth and Nail is also the name of an album by Dokken. ...


Definitions

There are multiple definitions of what qualifies as a "Christian rock" band. Christian rock bands that explicitly state their beliefs and use religious imagery in their lyrics, like Servant, Third Day, SONICFLOOd and Petra, tend to be considered a part of the contemporary Christian music (CCM) industry and play for a predominantly Christian market. This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Servant was a Christian rock group based out of the Highway Missionary Society in Grants Pass, Oregon, which eventually became The Servant Community in Cincinatti, Ohio. ... Third Day is a Christian rock band formed in Marietta, Georgia during the 1990s. ... SONICFLOOd is a Nashville based CCM group and made their debut in 1999 with their self-titled album, SONICFLOOd. ... Petra, which means rock, massive in Greek, is a Christian Rock band formed in the 1970s. ... Contemporary Christian Music (or CCM; also by its religious neutral term Inspirational music) is a genre of popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith. ...


Other bands perform music influenced by their faith or containing Christian imagery, but see their audience as the general public. They may avoid specific mention of God or Jesus, or they may write more personal, cryptic, or humorous lyrics concerning their faith rather than direct praise songs. Such bands are sometimes rejected by the CCM rock scene and may specifically reject the CCM label, however many have been accepted as a part of the industry. Other bands may experiment with more abrasive musical styles, which until recently met with resistance from the CCM scene. However, beginning in the 1990s and 2000s there was much wider acceptance even by religious purists of Christian metal, Christian industrial and Christian punk. This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Look up cryptic in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Christian metal is a form of heavy metal music and its many subgenres with Christian lyrics and themes. ... Christian Industrial can be taken as either industrial music or industrial rock thats lyrics and themes are inspired and influenced by Christianity. ... Christian punk is a form of Christian alternative music and a subgenre of punk rock with some degree of Christian lyrical content. ...


Many rock artists including Creed, Evanescence and Blessed Union of Souls do not claim to be "Christian bands", but include members who openly profess to be Christians or at times may feature Christian thought, imagery, scripture or other influences in their music. Some of these bands, like Creed, played up the spiritual content of their music and were widely considered a "Christian band" by the popular media, despite their later disavowals of the label. Some bands reject the label because they do not wish to exclusively attract Christian fans, or because they have been identified with another particular music genre, such as heavy metal or indie rock, and feel more creative kinship with members of that scene. A creed is a statement or confession of belief — usually religious belief — or faith. ... Evanescence is a Grammy Award-winning American alternative rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1998 by singer Amy Lee and former guitarist Ben Moody. ... Blessid Union of Souls is an American rock band that was formed in 1991. ... Heavy metals, in chemistry, are chemical elements of a particular range of atomic weights. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ...


Evangelistic goals

Many Christian bands have an explicitly evangelistic goal: they hope to use their music to attract new converts to their faith.


Some musicians try to draw in non-Christian listeners by writing songs with an underlying Christian message. These bands include Relient K, Factor seven, and the now-defunct Sixpence None the Richer. This article is about the Christian rock band. ... Factor Seven is a band based out of Birmingham, Alabama. ... Sixpence None the Richer was a Grammy-nominated pop/rock band with roots in New Braunfels, Texas, eventually settling in Nashville, Tennessee. ...


Other bands do not necessarily call themselves Christian bands (though all the members are Christians), but have spiritual lyrics and say that their Christian faith affects their music. These bands include Paramore, Switchfoot, who have said they try to write music for both Christians and non-Christians alike who can both be affected and get something out it, and Anberlin, who have mentioned God in the music numerous times. Paramore is a pop punk band from Franklin, Tennessee. ... Switchfoot is a Grammy nominated alternative rock band from San Diego, California, United States. ... Anberlin is an alternative rock band hailing from central Florida that was formed in 2002. ...


However, the aims for making Christian music vary among different artists. Some Christian artists, such as Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Third Day, and By the Tree sing more explicit worship songs, incorporating lyrics that directly worship God. Many of these songs are played at more contemporary churches and are often used to lead congregations in worship. So rather than being evangelistic, they are acting as a ministry. Chris Tomlin is a Christian worship leader and songwriter from Grand Saline, Texas, United States. ... Matt Redman is a British Christian worship leader and songwriter, and was one of the main worship leaders associated with the Soul Survivor organisation. ... Third Day is a Christian rock band formed in Marietta, Georgia during the 1990s. ... By the Tree is a two-time Dove Award-winning contemporary Christian rock group. ...


Critique

Some critics of Christian rock complain that Christian music is highly derivative of mainstream pop and rock music trends and clichés, and that bands or labels set out to copy these styles without creating original sounds of their own.[citation needed] In many cases the implication is that the music of the Christian performances were created to be identical, but sanitized.[1] Shortcut: WP:-( Vandalism is indisputable bad-faith addition, deletion, or change to content, made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the encyclopedia. ... Shortcut: WP:-( Vandalism is indisputable bad-faith addition, deletion, or change to content, made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the encyclopedia. ... For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ...


Some critics feel bands market themselves to the Christian audience because the market is easier to enter.[citation needed] The competition in the Christian market is not as fierce, making it possible to gain huge success quickly. Some bands are accused of using the CCM industry to springboard into the "mainstream" as they prove to the record labels they can sell albums. Often these accused bands will quickly reject the Christian label they once embraced, causing controversy. This occurred with Creed and Evanescence(Though Evanescence did not actually admit to being Christian). This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Evanescence is a Grammy Award-winning American alternative rock band founded in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1998 by singer Amy Lee and former guitarist Ben Moody. ...


Another common critique of Christian rock and pop music that, to attract mainstream listeners, it avoids theological topics in favor of generic love lyrics. Amy Grant, for example, received criticism for her song, "Baby Baby" because it was not clear whether she was singing to God or to a good looking man in the music video.[2] Steve Camp, Christian musician and erstwhile Christian music commentator, complains that Christian music has become "yodels of a Christ-less, watered-down, pabulum based, positive alternative, aura-fluff, cream of wheat, mush-kind-of-syrupy, God-as-my-girlfriend kind of thing."[3] Others respond that expressions of unconditional love reminiscent of romantic love are consistent with God's idea of agape love and the tradition of the Biblical book Song of Solomon.[citation needed] This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Baby Baby is a 1991 single by Christian music singer Amy Grant. ... Steven John Camp (born April 13, 1955 in Wheaton, Illinois) is a prominent Dove Award-nominated contemporary Christian music artist with an adult contemporary pop sound. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ... Agapē (IPA: or IPA: ) (Gk. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library. ... For other uses, see Song of Solomon (disambiguation). ...


Some Christians have criticized Christian rock for inspiring complacency in listeners rather than challenging their faith or engaging with the non-Christian world around them.[citation needed] On the other hand, others have criticized Christian artists for what they feel was going too far in the other direction. Bruce Cockburn, a folk-rock artist with a primarily Christian audience, had a mainstream hit with 1984's "If I Had a Rocket Launcher", an enraged protest song about innocent civilians killed as a result of US foreign policies in Nicaragua. Richard Rossi was criticized for performing his gospel rock in bars and secular nightclubs. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Richard Rossi (b. ...


Festivals

See category: Christian music festivals


Festivals range from single day events to four day festivals that provide camping and other activities. Christian rock can also be heard at other Christian festivals that are not exclusive to rock, such as the Creation Festival (Which is not related to Creation Fest, see below) and YC Newfoundland and YC Alberta. Many events are held in Australia called Encounterfest, Jam United and EXOday. There are also many in the UK, including Greenbelt Festival, Soul Survivor, 'Ultimate Events' at Alton Towers, and 'Frenzy' Creation Fest, Woolacombe, Devon. Aerial view of the Creation Northeast festival Creation Festival is a series of popular Christian music festivals held in the United States. ... Creation Fest is a free Christian music festival, which takes place on the first weekend of August in Woolacombe, North Devon, England. ... The Greenbelt festival is an annual Christian festival in England, of arts, faith and justice. ... Soul Survivor is a Christian charity based in Watford, London. ... Alton Towers is one of the United Kingdoms most famous theme parks. ... Creation Fest is a free Christian music festival, which takes place on the first weekend of August in Woolacombe, North Devon. ...


See also

List of notable rock Contemporary Christian Music artists. ... The following is a list of music videos by any artist involved in the Christian Music genre. ...

References

  1. ^ http://troykennedy.typepad.com/newworship/2005/06/what_would_jesu.html
  2. ^ http://www.mindspring.com/~brucec/amygrant.htm
  3. ^ http://watch.pair.com/ccm.html

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Christian rock - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (1115 words)
There is a tendency among some Christian rock music fans to label rock music bands as Christian where their lyrics are seen as consistent with the fans' understanding of Christian belief, but this is generally not accepted by the contemporary Christian music industry.
Some critics of Christian rock complain that Christian music trends are clichéd derivative of rock music and pop music in that they copy these styles and trends without creating original sounds of their own.
Christian rock can also be heard at other Christian festivals that are not exclusive to rock, such as the Creation Festival and YC Newfoundland and YC Alberta.
  More results at FactBites »


 
 

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