By way of celebrating the first 50 years of modern CCM I figured I’d make a (mostly) objective list of the “100 Greatest Albums of Christian Music.” Here it is without the commentary. All 100 albums that I think make up the best of the genre so far. If you’d like to catch up on the individual posts you can get caught up here. The 100 Greatest Albums of Christian Music 1969-2019 Part 1 of 5, 100 Greatest Albums of Christian Music 1969-2019 Part 2 of 5, 100 Greatest Albums of Christian Music (1969-2019) Part 3 of 5, 100 Greatest Albums of Christian Music (1969-2019) Part 4 of 5, and lastly, 100 Greatest Albums of Christian Music (1969-2019) Part 5 of 5 I have listened to each album, read other reviewers thoughts, and taken into consideration their reputation to this present day. Much of that info came from a few books, and other lists that I will link at the end of the last installment for comparison. I also have been listening to, collecting, reading about and reviewing Christian music for the last twenty-five years as a fan, so this is highly personal to me. There are so many bands and albums I wanted to include strictly because I love them that didn’t make the cut. For my more fan favorite decade lists you can find them here: 100 Best Albums of the 2010s 100 Greatest Christian Albums of the 00s 100 Greatest Christian Albums of the 90s
Also, full disclosure, a couple in the category of favorite may have slipped into the mix, (couldn’t help it!) but I have done my very best to be objective with this list being an attempt at a true Greatest/Best of all-time. If an album made this list it’s for a few reasons. 1. It was an important album in the history of the genre 2. It was largely considered a top album of its year and/or decade 3. Though it may sound dated to its time, it still stands up in the present day 4. It crossed over and had impact in the mainstream music world 5. It sold well. Notice sales is the last and least important of the criteria though still an important metric.
In addition I tried to mix in a bit of every decade (1969-2019) inside each grouping of ten, because I didn’t want all the older legacy albums that didn’t release in my formative years to fall at the bottom. It was more important to me that an artist was present on the list over where they were ranked, but I did try to be as fair. Lastly, there will be no bands that impacted CCM but never existed inside it. So before you Jesus freak out that artists like U2, Bruce Cockburn, MuteMath, Lifehouse, Tweny One Pilots, and Bob Dylan aren’t present, I just wanted you to be prepared this is not that that kind of list. There are also no compilation or best of albums here either. In addition, I only allowed for artists with longer careers to have more than two albums make the list. This was all in the name of including as many deserving albums as possible.
Lastly, be sure to check out the stats, the 25 Honorable mention albums, the other lists I used to help compile mine, and leave a like, comment or even share this if you enjoyed the read. Pass it along to someone else you think would too!

1. Jesus Freak – Dctalk – 1995
2. Only Visiting This Planet – Larry Norman – 1972
3. A Liturgy, A Legacy, A Ragamuffin Band – Rich Mullins – 1993
4. Self-Titled – Jars of Clay – 1995
5. Lead Me On – Amy Grant – 1988
6. The Beautiful Letdown – Switchfoot – 2003
7. For Them Who Have Ears – Keith Green– 1977
8. Take Me To Your Leader – The Newsboys– 1996
9. The End Is Not The End – House of Heroes – 2008
10. Crooked – Propaganda – 2017

11. A Collision – David Crowder Band – 2005
12. Sixpence None The Richer – Sixpence None The Richer – 1997
13. Relient K – MmHmm – 2004
14. This Means War – Petra – 1987
15. To Hell With The Devil – Stryper – 1986
16. Love Broke Thru – Phil Keaggy – 1976
17. Free At Last – Dctalk – 1992
18. This Beautiful Mess – Sixpence None The Richer – 1995
19. Speechless – Steven Curtis Chapman – 1999
20. Satellite – P.O.D. – 2001

21. Motor Cycle – Daniel Amos – 1993
22. Age To Age – Amy Grant – 1982
23. Awaiting Your Reply – Resurrection Band – 1978
24. The Everglow – Mae – 2005
25. Anybody Out There? – Burlap to Cashmere- 1998
26. Jesus Record – Rich Mullins – 1998
27. Cities – Anberlin – 2007
28. I 2 Eye – Michael W. Smith – 1988
29. Chase The Kangaroo – The Choir – 1988
30. Winds Of Heaven Stuff Of Earth – Rich Mullins – 1988

31. Going Public – Newsboys – 1994
32. Comatose – Skillet (2006)
33. Welcome to Paradise – Randy Stonehill – 1976
34. 10 Songs – Adam Again – 1988
35. Upon This Rock – Larry Norman – 1969
36. Much Afraid – Jars of Clay – 1997
37. No Compromise – Keith Green – 1978
38. Crimson & Blue – Phil Keaggy – 1993
39. Great Lengths – PFR – 1994
40. Self-Titled – All Star United – 1997

41. They’re Only Chasing Safety – Underoath – 2004
42. Rebel – Lecrae – 2008
43. Body & Soul – Jon Gibson -1989
44. Secondhand – Mark Heard – 1991
45. Brother, Sister – Mewithoutyou – 2006
46. The Praise Album – Maranatha Singers – 1974
47. I Predict 1990 – Steve Taylor – 1987
48. Life In General – MxPx – 1995
49. Don’t Censor Me – Audio Adrenaline – 1993
50. The Rebirth of Kirk Franklin – Kirk Franklin – 2002

51. Don’t Wait For The Movie – Whiteheart – 1986
52. Keep On Singin’ – Andre Crouch & His Disciples – 1971
53. Alarma! – Daniel Amos – 1981
54. Mylon – Mylone Lefevre – 1970
55. Heart In Motion – Amy Grant – 1991
56. Third Day – Third Day – 1996
57. Wide Eyed & Mystified – Downhere – 2006
58. Silver – Starflyer 59 – 1994
59. Behold – My Epic – 2013
60. Sound Of Melodies – Leeland – 2006

61. Mercury – The Prayer Chain – 1995
62. Into the Sea – Attalus – 2015
63. The 77’s – The 77’s – 1987
64. Mercury & Lightning – John Mark McMillan- 2017
65. Heaven – BeBe & CeCe Winans – 1988
66. 40 Acres – Caedmon’s Call – 1999
67. Straight On – Degarmo & Key – 1978
68. Immigrants Daughter – Margaret Becker – 1989
69. Almost There – MercyMe – 2001
70. Silence – Blindside – 2002

71. The Great Adventure – Steven Curtis Chapman – 1992
72. Outdoor Elvis – The Swirling Eddies – 1989
73. Love Song – Love Song – 1972
74. Stay – Jeremy Camp – 2002
75. Welcome to Diversity – Tobymac – 2004
76. Circleslide- The Choir – 1990
77. Beyond Belief – Petra – 1990
78. How The West Was Won – 2nd Chapter of Acts – 1977
79. Lie Down In The Grass – Charlie Peacock – 1984
80. Kansas – Jennifer Knapp (1998)

81. Phil Keaggy and Sunday’s Child – Phil Keaggy – 1988
82. She Must And Shall Go Free – Derek Webb – 2003
83. Meltdown – Steve Taylor – 1984
84. One More Song For You – The Imperials – 1979
85. The Warrior Is A Child – Twila Paris – 1984
86. Sin Disease – Scaterd Few – 1990
87. Beauty Will Rise – Steven Curtis Chapman – 2009
88. The Big Picture – Michael W. Smith – 1986
89. Because He Lives – Bill Gaither Trio – 1971
90. Go West Young Man – Michael W. Smith – 1990

91. Sticks & Stones – The 77s – 1990
92. Drawing Black Lines – Project 86 – 2000
93. Love, War, & The Sea Between – Josh Garrels – 2011
94. Look Up, Child – Lauren Daigle – 2018
95. King Of Fools – Delirious – 1997
96. Light For The Lost Boy – Andrew Peterson- 2012
97. I am origami Pt. 2: Every Power Wide Awake – John Van Deusen – 2018
98. GLM (Gut Level Music) – The Altar Boys – 1986
99. Kaleidoscope Superior – Earthsuit – 2000
100. Falling Up – Falling Up (2015)
There it is folks in all it’s glory, the complete list sans commentary. Also, by way of transparency here are some stats about my list and some links to a few other lists you should check out that I used to source mine.
Lastly, there’s a few honorable mentions (in no particular order) that just missed the list but we’re definitely worth mentioning.
15 from 69/70s = 15% of the list
22 from the 80s = 22% of the list
32 from the 90s = 32% of the list
22 from 00s = 22% of the list
9 from 10s = 9% of the list
A few other lists I researched from that you should check out: https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?c=10498,
https://hmmagazine.com/top-100-christian-rock-albums-of-all-time/
https://ccms500bestalbums.wordpress.com

25 Honorable Mentions (No Particular order):
God’s Property – Kirk Franklin (1997)
Cymbal Crashing Clouds – Ben Shive (2011)
Heavenly Place – Jaci Velasquez (1996)
Stereotype B – Kevin Max (2001)
Not meant as a CCM release…existing somewhere in no-man’s-land, but it’s a fantastic euro/rock release all the same. Holds up well.
Victims of the Age – Mark Heard (1982)
Bloom – Audio Adrenaline (1996)
This one stung to leave off but it came down to only one Audio A album being able to make it, and it had to be Don’t Censor Me.
Self-Titled – Casting Crowns (2003)
Probably should have made it near the end of the list.
Fathom – Mortal (1993)
The Art Of Translation – GRITS (2002)
Wakened By The Wind – Susan Ashton – 1991
I’m bummed I couldn’t find a way to wedge this album onto the list. Ultimately it was a cut due to the amount of 90s inclusions already present. A fantastic album nonetheless.
Conceived in Fire – Living Sacrifice (2002)
Supertones Strike Back – O.C. Supertones (1997)
Perhaps the best-known ska based release of the wave of ska popularity for that brief time period in the 90s. This album is loads of fun and very nostalgia for me.
Caedmon’s Call – Caedmon’s Call (1997)
Tunnel Vision – Tunnel Rats (2001)
Waiting Room – Poor Old Lu (2002)
Morning Like This – Sandi Patty (1986)
In her main era in the 80s and 90s there weren’t many better or more recognizable singers.
Lovin’ the Day – Out of Eden (1994)
Christian radio just wasn’t ready for them in their heyday, ahead of their time.
Albertine – Brook Fraser (2006)
One of the most prolific worship tune writers, her second solo pop album is a flat out gem. “Faithful” is a lifetime favorite tune.
Arriving – Chris Tomlin – 2004
ERACE – Gotee Brothers (1997)
An important album then, and maybe even more so now. Probably should have found a way to get this one on the list. Let’s say it’s #101.
Rocket & A Bomb – Michael Knott (1994)
Self-Titled – Chagall Guevara (1991)
Not intended to be a CCM release other wise it would definitely be top 25.
Flyleaf – Flyleaf – (2005)
Another non-CCM release but an outstanding album with mainstream impact for sure.
Worship – Michael W. Smith (2001)
There might not have been as many albums with as big of an impact on the CCM genre as a whole as this one. Maybe Sonicflood’s 1999 worship covers album, maybe Third Day’s Offerings I and II, and a few Delirious albums could make the claim but this one turned the entire genre toward worship/pop when it sold like crazy. If you consider that a good thing or not may depend on your musical taste, but it is what it is.
Zeal – King’s Kaleidoscope (2019)

No, seriously; where’s your list? Only one SCC album in the top 50 and it’s not “The Great Adventure”? Sixpence high on the list? No Third Day in the top 50 but Burlap to Cashmere? I know you said “mostly subjective” but take out the mostly. Seriously, The Maranatha Singers? Dude…
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Haha. Did you read the parameters I was working with and the encouragement to not hung up on where an album was ranked as much as if it was in the list at all?! The way I structured the list was to make sure every grouping of 10 had each of the 5 decades represented atleast once to keep the list from being top and bottom heavy. Those parameters as silly or unnecessary to some as they may be had a big impact on what went where. Do keep in mind that there were hundreds of albums in consideration. I also didn’t want one artist to have 3-4 inclusions to the exclusion of some artists making it at all. Anyway, thanks for reading! I’d love to see what your personal list would look like so be sure to post it on the comments if you endeavor to do something similar!
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I’ve heard about 75% of the list so far. I still intend to make my own variant of this list but I will likely be more focused on albums I can make a strong case for artistically as top criterion though influence will also play a part.
The big omission to me is the Christian folkies. (Repp, Honeytree, etc.)
Without them, I’m not sure the more rock-oriented musicians would ever have happened.
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Any updates on your list?
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I think I might make it a goal to listen to the few albums on here that I’ve never heard and re-listen to the ones I’ve forgotten about.
Here’s the mini-snubs:
Different Lifestyles – BeBe and CeCe Winans
This album was their biggest. Whitney and MC Hammer were in their prime when they made appearances on this. And it’s still an amazing listen to this day. Just be prepared to get your new jack swing on.
Love Revolution – Newsong
These guys invented the indoor festival and they wrote about a pair of shoes. Respect.
Run Wild – For King and Country
This is new-ish, but if Propaganda made the top 20…
These dudes are on fire. The fandom is massive. Time to give the props.
Forgiven – Don Francisco
“He’s Alive” was just such a huge song for so many months, how can I deny? But I could make the same argument for Dallas Holm’s “Rise Again” or Barry McGuire’s “Cosmic Cowboy” (which if you haven’t heard you must listen to immediately)
Self-titled – Anointed
If we’re trying to get representation for the subgenres, this would have been a worthy addition. Anointed’s first three major releases were very solid.
Coming Up to Breathe – MercyMe
3 albums after “Imagine”, but defintely the peak as far as albums
Tales of Wonder – Whiteheart
This band was far bigger than people remember, but I think this is the most timeless of their catolog. (Highlands, Freedom and Powerhouse coming right behind.)
Kings Kaleidoscope getting a spot instead of their close musical cousins Citizens.
Here’s the list of heartbreaking mega-snubs:
Medals – Russ Taff
This one is so well known, I was actually expecting it in the top 20. Great album with multiple hits. Russ’s best of a few really great ones.
Mercy – Bryan Duncan
One of CCM’s great voices crashed the secular charts with the powerful “Love Takes Time” from this album.
The Sky’s the Limit – Leon Patillo
In the 80’s, this album was everyone’s guilty pleasure (just kidding…that was Carman). “J.E.S.U.S.”, “Love Calling”, the title track. They’re all 3 bops. Everyone knows.
Super-snubs:
I 2 (Eye) – Michael W. Smith
Really not having any MWS albums in the top 80 was a big surprise to me.
Keep On Singin’ – Andrae Crouch and the Disciples
Probably not the first thing you think of when you think of CCM, but if you’re really talking about *influence*, this is a top 10 album of all time. (Maybe I should do a “gospel” version of this list…but part of me doesn’t know quite how to draw that line.)
Wow, this comment is long. Anyhow, this was my favorite series of blog posts by anyone this year, including myself. Thanks.
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Wow! Very in depth objections, respect! Thank you for well-reasoned and rational arguments being made. I can’t say I disagree with any of your comments. I think Taff feel victim to needing a certain decade and wanting to get him in I chose a different album so he could make the list. Bryan Duncan is awesome and I love “Love Takes Time” it’s such a jam. Yeah, I think originally I had another MWS in the higher ranks…for king & country would make this list if I made it in 10 years. Still too early to judge their staging power though I do think they’ll be a “great” when all is said and done.
Thanks again for reading and such great observations!
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