10 popular Contemporary Christian songs

The song Place in this World, from the Go West album, peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and crossed over onto the Pop charts hitting number five in the 1990s. It was co-written with Amy Grant and is a very popular Christian song. The song helps people contemplate what their place in this world might be. You Are My King (Amazing Love) was written by Billy James Foote. It was recorded by the Newsboys on their album Adoration: The Worship Album. The worship song was released as a single in 2003. This was album number 10 the Newsboys released, and it was their very first worship album. "I Can Only Imagine" was released in 2001 as the album's lead single. It received significant airplay on Christian radio formats before crossing over to mainstream radio formats such as adult contemporary and Top 40 in late 2003 and into 2004. The song was written and composed by Bart Millard. It was inspired by the death of Millard's father and poises the question of what it would be like in Heaven standing before God.View the list »
On July 26, 2011, the RIAA certified the single “Who Am I” as gold, signifying sales of over 500,000 units.This was Casting Crowns’ first certified single. On 2005, the song won two Dove Awards: Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year, at the 36th GMA Dove Awards. It was also nominated for Worship Song of the Year.According to the Casting Crowns website it says the following:Over the past eight years, Atlanta based Casting Crowns has consistently delivered music that points believers back to what truly matters.With the song Who Am I the band has truly delivered on what matters, glorifying God. 

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Until the 1960s when you mentioned the words, Christian and music in one sentence, it made people think about organs and hymnals.

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When Contemporary Christian Music, CCM, came on the scene it was a result of the “Jesus movement” of the latter 1960s and early 1970s.

During this era, many young people were coming to the faith, believing in Jesus. These converts, several which were “hippies,” became known as ‘Jesus People.’ It was during the 70s when Christian music started coming into its own.

As the “Jesus Movement” started producing fruit it changed these young people’s hearts. Many gave up drugs and the things the hippie movement brought about. These new converts began to write songs about what Jesus meant to them and how he had changed their lives.

CCM has come a long way from those early days and now produces music sung by many award-winning artists. The songs these musicians and vocalists play and sing have inspired thousands of lives for the better.

View the list
  • On July 26, 2011, the RIAA certified the single “Who Am I” as gold, signifying sales of over 500,000 units.This was Casting Crowns’ first certified single. On 2005, the song won two Dove Awards: Song of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year, at the 36th GMA Dove Awards. It was also nominated for Worship Song of the Year.According to the Casting Crowns website it says the following:Over the past eight years, Atlanta based Casting Crowns has consistently delivered music that points believers back to what truly matters.With the song Who Am I the band has truly delivered on what matters, glorifying God. 
  • "I Can Only Imagine" was released in 2001 as the album's lead single. It received significant airplay on Christian radio formats before crossing over to mainstream radio formats such as adult contemporary and Top 40 in late 2003 and into 2004. The song was written and composed by Bart Millard. It was inspired by the death of Millard's father and poises the question of what it would be like in Heaven standing before God.
  • You Are My King (Amazing Love) was written by Billy James Foote. It was recorded by the Newsboys on their album Adoration: The Worship Album. The worship song was released as a single in 2003. This was album number 10 the Newsboys released, and it was their very first worship album. 
  • The song Place in this World, from the Go West album, peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and crossed over onto the Pop charts hitting number five in the 1990s. It was co-written with Amy Grant and is a very popular Christian song. The song helps people contemplate what their place in this world might be. 
  • Cry Out to Jesus is a song written and recorded by Third Day. It was released as a single from the band's 2005 album Wherever You Are. Mac Powell had this to say about the song from Third Day’s website: "In each verse of Cry Out To Jesus, there are specific people in my mind, when I sing each line, they are directly connected with someone I know."
  • This song was written by Laura Story and according to Chris it was a last minute song. It made it to the Arriving album at the last minute. As the finishing touches were being added to this album, the song Indescribable was shown to Chris that Laura had demoed. According to Chris he fell in love with it "because of the grandness and otherness it paints of God. Yet at the same time, this all-powerful God knows the depths of our hearts. Amazing God.” 
  • This song is a retelling of the story of Christ's climb to Calvary. It was written by Billy Sprague and Niles Borop. According to CCM Magazine Patti wanted to record this song as soon as she heard it. Patti said, "I think the challenge for a songwriter is always to find a new way to say the same story. When 'Via Dolorosa' came along my path, I was just blown away because it did just that. It told the story but in a new and fresh and incredibly artistic way." Via Dolorosa in Latin means, "The Way of Suffering." Tradition says this was the path Christ walked on his way to being crucified. 
  • "Stomp" is a song that was recorded and released in 1996 by Kirk Franklin and God’s Property. It featured Cheryl James and  Kirk Franklin. It was one of the most successful gospel songs of the 1990s. It also appeared on Billboard’s mainstream Rhythm and Blues chart getting a lot of airplay in 1997. The song stormed up the charts, and the video played on MTV. It has become an anthem of victory that many Christians have blared on their radios.
  • In the song Redeemer, we have a combination of lyrics, scripture and story, which tells about redemption found throughout the bible. The song Redeemer won a Dove Award in 2001 for Best Songwriter. Nicole had this to say about the song: "I wrote 'Redeemer' one day (as) I was sitting on my little couch in my music room, and I was reading the book of Job.” She said it took her a year to finish the song once she had started writing it. 
  • Bassist Tim Foreman (Jon Foreman's brother) remarked that Dare You to Move was "a defining song" for the band. Once the band had finished recording this song they all knew that it would be a very special. Foreman also said the song was an attempt to face the gap, with honesty, between who I am and who I want to be. 
View the list

, Dothan Christianity Examiner

Joseph has been writing for 33 years from the heart, he draws from his life's experiences to help others learn from his successes and failures. In 2008 Joseph received a diploma from SMTI, an institute with high standards that develop and train helps ministers for work in the ministry. In early...

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