by Idyllwilde

Created on: May 01, 2008

In the past, one of the greatest challenges for Christian bands was, well, to create palatable music. Most of it sounded like the musician(s) had a message, so they tried to put it to music. Apart from Amy Grant, one would be hard put to think of any good music of that genre for teens. But it didn't take long for the record industry to find out that there was a market out there; people wanted to listen to Christian music.

Soon talented musicians realized that they could sing about their spirituality, still sell records and 'be cool'. Some really incredible music came out of the woodwork; music that did not sound like eating soap. For the hard-rockers there is Petra, Stryper and Creed; there is Christian hip-hop (Nuwine, KJ-52), Christian rap (Kre8tor, L.A. Symphony and Pettidee), Christian country (The Oak Ridge Boys and Daniel Ray) and Gospel. Moving right along, you can add Modern/Alternative (Remedy Drive, Run Kid Run and the wonderful Sixpence None the Richer), Pop/Contemporary (Jaci Velasquez, Justin Unger and Big Daddy Weave) and countless Inspirational and Instrumental titles.

One of the most talented and versatile singers on the racks is Jennifer Knapp. This woman has an unbelievable talent; from folk to country to rock to bust-a-gut grinding Alternative Rock, she never fails to meet the highest musical standards. Sara Groves is another incredible listen, albeit more on the folk/pop side and you can't help but bellow along once you press the 'play' button. One of the big slammers in Christian music is Praise and Worship. These groups blast you out of your seats. Some of the biggest and most exciting are Hillsong, Paul Baloche and some incredible Christian-mix albums.

Music is an incredibly important aspect of most teen's lives, much of the time it defines who they are as a person and where they fit into the social order among their peers. There are so many secular and immoral practices and teachings in the world surrounding kids that it is important that they have positive and enjoyable thoughts to fill their minds with. When life gets to hairy, teens tend to put on the headphones and tune out; what is streaming between their ears does not have to add to their confusion and the hardships of adolescence. There is music worth listening to!

Their is such a plethora of Christian music out there now it would be hard not to find a music library of great variety and talent. Turn on the radio to hear the different genres, or listen to the samples at music stores. And remember, you don't have to be a Christian to enjoy some cutting-edge music!

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