The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Eight

The Greatest Christian Albums Ever. That surely is a mouthful. Over the past seven posts we have looked at CCM Magazine's attempt back in 2001 to attempt to create a list that would accomplish that grand aim. On the whole I think they did a good job, but, ten years later, I think it is time that we tried again.

The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music, 2001

• 30 - Heart in Motion, Amy Grant, A&M/Myrrh, 1991
• 29 - Dry Bones Dance, Mark Heard, Fingerprint, 1990
• 28 - Humans, Bruce Cockburn, True North/Columbia, 1980
• 27 - Big Town, Ashley Cleveland, Atlantic, 1991
• 26 - Secret of Time, Charlie Peacock, Sparrow, 1990
• 25 - Orphans of God, Various Artists, Fingerprint, 1996
• 24 - This is Another Day, Andrae Crouch & The Disciples, Light, 1976
• 23 - Love Song, Love Song, Good News, 1972
• 22 - Jars of Clay (aka Frail), Jars of Clay, Essential, 1995
• 21 - The Big Picture, Michael W. Smith, Reunion, 1986

A good selection this time around, though I have a small gripe with Number 22, (more on that later). Amazon pulled a no-go on Ashley Cleveland and Love Song. Cleveland's link directs to Google Shopping.


Love Song was one of the first Christian Rock bands out there, preceding Petra by just a couple of years. They grew out of Calvary Chapel's Jesus Music era of the Late 1960's and Early 70's, which grew into the CCM industry we now have. Founding Member Chuck Girard, who went on to a moderately successful solo career in the Late 70's and Early 80's, has a link to a bit more modern CCM in that he is the father of Alisa Childers, one of the members of the Christian Dance Outfit Zoegirl.

Jars of Clay. Maybe they are not the most successful Christian Band out there, but they certainly are the most well known. When their debut came out on Essential Records back in 1995, it created quite the Buzz in Christian Circles, for all the right reasons. To put it quite simply, "these guys were good." It was a kind of Folk-Rock that had not been heard before, and presaged great things for the band. Though the Band got more polished as time went on and they hit a few road bumps along the way (personally, I feel that If I Left The Zoo is an album that should have been left unmade. Whenever a producer throws out all your songs and substitutes his own, you should fire the producer. But that's just me. They righted themselves with The Eleventh Hour and really hit their stride with The Long Fall Back to Earth. Their latest release Jars of Clay Presents: The Shelter (aka Shelter Project) is a Folk-Rock masterpiece that should remind listeners of everything that caused them to fall in love with Jars in the first place. This is where you belong.

Two posts remain, and then we begin the task of a new list for a new millennium. As always, I am Awaiting Your Reply.

Related Posts:

• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?
• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Two
• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Three
• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Four
• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Five
• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Six
• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Seven
• The Greatest Christian Albums Ever?, Part Nine
• The 10 Greatest Christian Albums Ever?