Old school CCM

I had so much fun last week with Hair Metal Day that we've got to keep the party going.  This week we're going to talk about our favorite old school CCM artists.  I'm going to get it started with a list of 10 CCM bands.  No particular order... 

NOTE: By "old school", I'm thinking maybe before 2000.  Before dctalk's Jesus Freak would be even better.  And no, you won't get any extra credit for mentioning Third Day!

And for all us metal freaks, next week we're doing a separate Christian metal week!

10 KILLER Old school CCM artists:

1. Russ Taff - I bet I've listened to "The Way Home" more than almost any record I own.
2. The Choir - One of the most innovative bands to come out of our market ever.  And let's don't forget At the Foot of the Cross...
3. Jacob's Trouble - Great live band - I saw them at least 20 times in concert.
4. Liaison - Really good songwriting that stands the test of time.
5. White Heart - We used to cover "Desert Rose" when we first started out.  Then in about '96 we shared the stage with WH at a festival in Illinois.  They invited Mac to sing "Desert Rose" with them.  Nothing short of awesome.
6. Lost Dogs' - For me, it doesn't get any better than their first two records.
7. Wes King - Great guitar player, great singer.  Extra points because he's from Winder, Georgia!
8. Rich Mullins - I think Liturgy, Legacy and a Ragamuffin Band is one of the best records ever.  If not the best period.
9. The Prayer Chain - If there were a prize for best Christian alternative rock band ever, these guys would win.  Unfortunately they were like five years ahead of their time.
10. Dakota Motor Company - Downright infectious.  You can't listen to this stuff and not be happy.

(OK, I left out a gazillion great artists I know.  Phil Keaggy, Poor Old Lu, The Throes, LSU, Adam Again, The 77's, this sounds like a lineup from Cornerstone '93...)

What about you?  Who are some of your favorite old school CCM artists?

(My contribution to Watercooler Wednesday!)

Comments

[Randy]

Dakoda Motor Company was awesome and they are reuniting with Davia! Of course I was infatuated with her but the music was good and Peter was an excellent guitar player/song writer.

[Erik]

I dont kno that i can list my top 10 but number one would be:

Jacob's Trouble!

One of my favorite bands of all time!

[Melanie]

Jars of Clay is definitely at the top of the list. I still love them. :)
I saw Randy Stonehill live once at a prolife rally. I hadn't thought about him until it was mentioned. I looked him up on Wikipedia, and didn't realize he was from Stockton - not so far in Sacramento. That may explain how prolifers were able to get him for a rally at that particular location.

And I really loved Jesus Freak, especially their take on Larry Norman's "I Wish We'd All Been Ready."

Mylon LeFevre is good stuff. I haven't listened in so long I don't even remember what's on the tape I have. Mainly this is because it is on a tape. I should remedy that.

Rich Mullins was pretty much amazing.

I loved Watch the Lamb by Ray Boltz.

I'm going to have to think about this a lot.

[Diane (Yippy)]

Never Amy Grant and never MWS. My brother had a crush on Amy Grant, and that alone nauseated me. I didn't like any CCM and gave up on Christian music altogether until DCtalk's Jesus Freak. I remember making everyone who got in my car sit and listen to it cranked. Then I discovered Jars, and then, drumroll, Third Day. I thought it was so cool that there was a Christian vocalist who didn't sound typically CCM. I can't believe the bands that are out there now. I'm loving Myriad. We never had this kind of creativity or the choices in the 70s & 80s back when I cared. Everything I heard sounded like a Maranatha praise album. I think 2nd chapter of Acts was the only Christian album I bought, because of one rockin song. :)

[SueQ]

Rich Mullins
The Winans
Newsboys
Audio Adrenaline
Jars of Clay
dcTalk
Point of Grace
Amy Grant
4Him
Kathy Troccoli
Clay Crosse
Jaci Velasquez
Rebecca St. James
Susan Ashton

[big worm gomer]

1) STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN
2) THIRD DAY
3) MICHAEL W. SMITH
4) RICH MULLINS
5) PFR
6) NEWSBOYS
7) JARS OF CLAY
8) CHRIS RICE
9) PHILLIPS,CRIAG&DEAN
10) DC TALK

[CamelRider]

I had strange taste...so...
Commissioned
Take 6
Acapella

then...
Caedmons Call (still a fav)
Susan Ashton
Jennifer Knapp
Jacobs Trouble (still friends with drummer Jerry)

[Ron]

Great ?, although I can't add anything new to it.

In no particular order, my pre-2000 faves:
-Whiteheart
-PFR
-Petra
-Rich Mullins
-Keith Green
-Newsboys
-DC Talk (I proposed to my girlfriend - now wife - after one of their shows)
-Jars of Clay
-Phil Keaggy
-Geoff Moore & The Distance

[Paul J.]

DeWayne, thanks for mentioning Broken Heart. Now I feel better.
Dean - One Bad Pig RULES! Thanks for reminding me. Their front man, Paul Q-Pek, also put out an amazing solo disc...

[Tim]

Michael W. Smith
Phil Keaggy
Petra
Amy Grant

Other than those for I can't think of any. I didn't get into music until 98-99.

[JanetRN]

what I was really listening to back then(that was considered Christian) was Striper but I thought we were going metal/hair Christian later...(truthfully... it was only played during youth group...as soon as the leader left I was back to Judas Priest.. sorry God...if I'd only paid more attention/listened/ wasn't so stubborn ...)

[dean]

what... no One Bad Pig??

[Genna]

Omg Kelly that's so cool!!

Dude, no one mentioned Benny Hester! I used to love him!

I can't believe I forgot Seven Day Jesus! They got me through some really tough times. I love their music. And I saw someone mentioned Shaded Red, talk about OLD SCHOOL!

Does anyone remember Miss Angie? She was a nut, but so cool!

[Maggie]

I am SO going to have to go dig in my TAPES and let my kids hear some of this stuff! Wow. This reminded me that I convinced the skating rink I was working at that Bryan Duncan's "Whistlin' in the Dark" was cool enough for skaters. I sneaked in a bunch of this stuff!

Wow. This explains why I have no memory of music from high school...it was my transition point. Finally, a back to the 80s list that makes me go "Hmmm." Thanks!

[Angela]

Ahhh here we go! Sad thing is, these are the bands I still primarily listen to as I haven't had teh money for music since about '03. . .

Five Iron Frenzy (still is and always will be my favorite band!)
Switchfoot (the thumbprint cd was my first cd!)
Jennifer Knapp
Buck
Silage (now i listen to them when I need a laugh!!)
OC Supertones
Newsboys
Ginny Owens
Sixpence
Delierious
Element 101
Furthermore
Flight 180
MxPx
Slick Shoes

I think i could go on and on. . . These are the bands that introduced me to rock n roll!

[Carstairs38]

Okay, I'm going to throw some names out I haven't seen mentioned before. And some I have.

Don Francisco
David Meece
Evie
Sandi Patty
Susan Ashton
Rich Mullins
Acappella
Al Denson
Margaret Becker
4 Him

Mark

[Kelly]

Hehe me too Genna! I got their newsletter every month and one month he gave us his personal email to ask questions and we actually emailed back and forth quite a bit after that...too cool! But then he just kinda dropped off the face of the earth! :( I see that he's still going strong with Holy Homes...that's good! And I see that he also still makes appearances here and there...hopefully I can catch one sometime! It's so cool to see him mentioned several times here!

And might I add, Patrick, points for you for listing Seven Day Jesus! That's another one that NO ONE seems to know! *puzzled*

[Matt]

Everybody has mentioned some great artists, but what about Shaded Red? I really liked them. They did an awesome version of When God Ran.

[Gabriel Jones]

Carman, Degarmo and Key, Smalltown Poets, the Waiting, Bleach

but if you want one of the best

Keith Green

[Genna]

Forgot to mention that the first part of my last comment was in response to Kelly.

[Genna]

Oh yeah, I was in LOVE with him! I got to meet him a few years back when he was at my church.

My mom says the song "His Love is Strong" still reminds her of me!

Travis, you obviously didn't read all the comments because PFR was on my list.

Anyone remember Kirk Franklin? Guardian? Dime Store Prophets? The Waiting?

[ScW]

Hmmm... trying to find some that aren't mentioned already... hard... so most of mine are repeats.

David and the Giants
Pray for Rain
Painted Orange
Code of Ethics
Bash n the Code
Dakota Motor Co. (you're right, totally awesome)
Kim Hill
Choir (Circle Slide... freaky cool)
Whiteheart
Rachel Rachel (Dan Huff's reprised solo on Carry On just awesome...)

[MrsJason]

At first I didn't think I had a thing to offer on this post. I wasn't really into early CCM. But then Jason reminded me about a road trip we took back in '96. We found a Christian music store that had one of those "If you like (secular artist) you'll love (CCM artist)" posters on the wall. We bought several CD's that day.

Big Tent Revival/Open All Night became a constant soundtrack in our lives for a long while.

Carolyn Arends/I Can Hear You which had the song SEIZE THE DAY. I loved that song. I played it over and over.

[Dustin]

From way back, I used to listen to DeGarmo & Key and Kerry Livgren (Art of the State) before I was a Christ follower.

I in the mid/late 90's also loved Jennifer Knapp, Five O'Clock People (Third Day toured with them back in the day), Sunday Drive, and BTR.

[Zach Nielsen]

Dude,

I forgot about Liason. Those guys were good!

Kim Hill's Braveheart record is one of the best ever.

Wes King? Yes and yes

It doesn't get much better than Michael W. Smith, i 2 eye

Charlie Peacock's Love Life is one of the best Christian records I think ever as well.

z