5 Great Christian Rock Bands


I know…I really, really know that Christian rock bands catch a lot of flack for their lyrics and holy roller attitudes but in all fairness people love their music.  That is to say that everyone loves their music…until they find out that Jesus is their gang leader.  First off I would like to say that whatever floats your musical boat is alright.  You will eventually find other people willing to float along with you.  Even though personally I’m not a huge fan of Christian rock I still think it needs at least some kind of recognition for at least standing their ground.  And believe it or not, some of the best rock bands out there started out as these evangelical crusaders of the cross!  Take Halestorm for example.  Ever see some of their earlier lives?  Yeah…let’s just say the power of Christ compelled them!

Skillet

I was fortunate enough to see Skillet at Welcome to Rockville in 2012!  I have been aware of their music for a while and I do like many songs by them.  “Monster” is a great song, “Comatose” and “Falling in the Black” are also noteworthy.  So far, Skillet has been a wonderful find from my later college days!

Decyfer Down

Similar to Skillet but with a harder edge, I totally dig this band!  This band is so close to mainstream they can taste it and they were in my hometown not too long ago!  “Fading” and “Crash” are two very great rock songs!  I highly recommend Decyfer Down to you guys!

Creed

Yep, couldn’t get away without putting them on this list!  When mentioning those bands whom everyone loved until they found out they were Christian rock…I was thinking of Creed.  They hit it mainstream big with their singles “One” and “Higher” but hit that proverbial rock in the road when doing a live and Scott Stapp outwardly demonstrated bizarre antics on stage.  After a commitment to sobriety the band is touring again and hopefully people move beyond that “Christian rock phobia”!

Flyleaf

And enter the “helicopter for God”!  The lead singer (at the time I saw them in 2010) Lacey Sturm, would spin around while belting out the song “All Around Me”!  Hence the clever nickname we gave her.  This band is pretty mainstream nowadays even with a new singer so you have probably heard this band once before as well.

Sixpence None The Richer

Surprised?  So am I!  If you listened to mainstream radio at all in the in 2000’s than you have totally heard this band!  They’re not really “rock” per se but they have seen mainstream radio which is more than I can say for others.  They became huge with their single “Kiss Me” and they also did a fabulous version of “Don’t Dream It’s Over” by Crowded House! I was shocked to know they have strong ties to Christian Rock!

So for all you holy rock bashers out there…grow the fuck up!  Music is music bitches!  If you want peole to get the music you listen to, then get what everyone else is getting too!  The world is far too awesome to close your ears along with your mind!

4 thoughts on “5 Great Christian Rock Bands”

  1. Thanks for the blog post on Christian Rock…but let’s stop the “Creed is Christian Rock”…they aren’t…same goes for Evanescence, 12 Stones, Paper Tongues, The Fray, U2…et al. They have faith…but it’s the same as being a plumber…you aren’t a “Christian plumber”…you are a plumber that is a Christian. Now, there are some plumbers that tout that they are Christians in there ads…but that’s the extent of it. Both are going to be able to fix a leaky pipe. Right? 🙂
    Just like the Neon Trees are Mormons…some bands have members that have a certain faith…it doesn’t make them a “Mormon Rock” band.
    There are bands like that, and bands that embrace their faith.
    You got a few of them on here (Skillet, DD) but you are missing out on Thousand Foot Krutch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdnTSXUWd3E), Project 86 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKGtfOrtJ1s), Family Force 5 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJ344IqA8Vk), Disciple (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvRqqawd6VI) and Fireflight (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWRJAHaOrYg).
    There’s also Switchfoot (which has had a lot of success in the mainstream) and Anberlin (who has had minor success) along with P.O.D. and Brian “Head” Welch (whose band is now called Love & Death).

    And Sixpence? Nah. They haven’t been a “rock” band since Tess Wiley left the group in the mid-90s for the cd “This Beautiful Mess.” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2xmuN7vwSo) That was a rock cd…they are a pop group now that started as a Christian Rock band. Matt Slocum of Sixpence gets his rock groove out with his other band Love Coma anyway.

    Thanks for the post and the chance to share what I hope you think is some pretty good rock

    ~Spike Chiquet, DJ YES-FM (Toledo, OH)

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    • Hey thanks for the info on the bands! Since I only published 5 bands from the list I needed to get some on the list that most people would recognize. I’ve seen at least Skillet live once before as well. I typically get the information on my bands from Wikipedia sites and the bands main pages. This list was actually compiled from a combination of memory and these sites.

      It was this site http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_rock_bands where I got all this information from. If you would like to take a look I find most bands amazing. And yes I love Firelight…they happen to be home-based not far from where I live!

      Thanks for the input! I’ll try to explore some more of the bands you recommended as well!

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