As a longtime critic of the oft-mediocre splinter of Christian music known as worship, I thought it only fitting to spend some time reflecting on and pointing to the standouts. In no particular order, here’s my thirty-three favorite worship-based albums of all-time. Now, it may be helpful to note that all-time is really the span of what is known as modern CCM, said to have begun in 1969 through today. Leaving the list unranked is a flat out rarity for this ranking nerd, but I thought I’d go the easier route this time around. Besides, outside of perhaps a Top 10 I don’t think I really could do it justice. Also, I’m not going to include many compilation albums, though some are so strong they couldn’t be excluded.
Why these albums, and what was my criteria you ask? Well, these are ones that I have stood up to the age test best, the ones I keep coming back to. Not only were they popular in their day, but I still look at them with favor and listen to them to present day. Also, I may raise a few eyebrows on what I consider a “worship” album, or what I hold up as “great” but hey, to each their own. These are also intended to run the gamut or toe the line of corporate worship-type albums and personal devotional-type albums. I do believe we need a healthy dose of both. I tried to balance sales and artistry as best as possible as we know one doesn’t always mean the other is true, and vice versa. But again, this is essentially more a favorites list than a stab at an objective best or greatest list.
So here we go…at the request of a friend, (and 33 because it’s his favorite number) here’s my picks for my 33 Favorite Worship Albums of All-Time.
John Van Deusen – I am origami pt. 2: Every Power Wide Awake (2018)
My love for this psalm-like indie album of journal-entry level prayers only continues to grow with each listen.
Future of Forestry – Union (2019)
A fully instrumental album, I have used this record of epic tunes to meditate and refocus on Christ many times over the last few years.
David Crowder Band – A Collision (2005)
Personally I think this is DC*B’s magnum opus with layers of depth going as deep as you dare into physics, numerology, etc.
Various Artists – Glory Revealed (2009)
I’m a sucker for Scripture songs and I’d suggest there is none better than this bluegrass-tinged album helmed by Mac Powell and Author/Speaker David Nasser.
Kings Kaleidoscope – Becoming Who We Are (2014)
I warmed to this one late, but it’s a truly excellent modern take on a few hymns as well as many instant classic originals.
Rivers & Robots – Discovery (2018)
Not sure how I missed out on these UK worshippers until this one but now I’m all-in. Chill vibes. Introspective lyrics.
Gungor – Beautiful Things (2010)
Taking some cues from early DC*B, Gungor swung away from corporate style worship music to the indie vibes intended for personal use. The title track would make any list of great songs in the genre as far as I’m concerned.
Hillsong United – People (2019)
One of the most recent to make this list but I’m firmly convinced they fully put it all together to release their most complete album with People.
Chris Tomlin – Arriving (2004)
He gets a lot of grief from me and others for more recent output, but between Not To Us and Arriving, I think Tomlin was at his peak. “How Great Is Our God” and “Indescribable” are here and the deeper cut are quality.
Rich Mullins – A Liturgy, A Legacy, A Ragamuffin Band (1993)
Perhaps not a worship album in the strictest sense, but Mullins did something with this album not typically done. He used a pop/CCM platform to release a liturgically structured and yet still accessible album. Well done.
Delirious – Cutting Edge 1 & 2 (1995)
This is probably the album that started the worship industry snowball effect. Several iconic songs like “I Could Sing of Your Love Forever” and “Did You Feel the Mountains Tremble?” are present.
Citizens – A Mirror Dimly (2016)
Lyrically poignant rock n’ roll worship.
Leeland – Sound of Melodies (2006)
I’ve been high on this one ever since it’s release. One of the great debut albums of the genre.
Tommy Walker – Never Gonna Stop (2001)
The soundtrack to my Bible College years. “He Knows My Name” and “Never Gonna Stop” still get regular play.
Waterdeep – Enter the Worship Circle (1999)
Low-key sitting on couches in a living room styled acoustic worship.
Maranatha Singers – The Love of An Awesome God (1988)
I grew up listening to the Maranatha Singers due to my parents and this is the one I still remember most.
Derrick Haddon – Lost & Found (2002)
Gospel/R&B collide in the best way possible. “The Joy Of The Lord” and “Stand Still” get me singling along every time.
Vineyard – Change My Heart (1996)
Chock-full of classic tunes like the title track, “Holy And Anointed One,” “More Love, More Power,” “Light The Fire Again” and more.
Passion – Better Is One Day (1999)
So many classic songs. Although I would eventually lose interest in this collective later on, I truly enjoyed their first decade of music and artists.
Hillsong – Shout To The Lord (1996)
The world-wide popularity of the title track is the strongest song overall, but there are several other solid tunes like “Let the Peace of God Reign” and “Power of Your Love.”
Michael W. Smith – Worship (2001)
Maybe it’s responsible for the glut of worship albums that came after it…maybe it’s to fault for the narrowing of the industry…maybe. Regardless, it’s a strong covers album of the live variety.
Third Day – Offerings (2000)
Was it this one, or MWS’s Worship that turned record executive heads to move the entire industry this way? Either way, Third Day had long had vertically-centered tunes on their 90s albums so it feels like a more natural progression from their southern rock.
Phil Wickham – Cannons (2007)
Much like pals Shane & Shane I worn out his catalogue in the 00s. This is his strongest overall album in my opinion. “True Love” still gets to me and there’s several other high quality tunes.
Sonicflood – Self-Titled (1999)
I have a love-hate relationship with this album. I’ve decided to just embrace my love side and get over it. Although it’s hard to un-hear the Third Eye Blind’s “Semi-Charmed Kinda Life” when listening to biggest hit “I Want To Know You.” “Carried Away” is probably my favorite overall tune.
My Epic – Behold (2013)
A post-hardcore band releases a worship-centric album full of ambiance and wonder? Indeed, and it’s a top album of the teens coming in at #45 on this list: 100 Best Albums of the 2010s
Beautiful Eulogy – Worthy (2017)
Theologically rich hip-hop.
Shane & Shane – Pages (2007)
In the 00s this duo would have been in my top 10 most listened to without question. This is what I think is their best album. Passionate tenor, gorgeous harmonies, scripture based lyrics.
Various Artists – Exodus (1998)
This is such a great worship complication. “My Will,”, “Brighten My Heart,” “Agnus Dei”, “Salvation Belongs To Our God,” and “Draw Me Close” make up my favorites.
CeCe Winans – Alone in His Presence (1995)
Smooth gospel that’s tender and timeless.
Petra – Petra Praise: The Rock Cries Out (1989)
Early adopters, legacy band Petra adds a worship bent to their classic rock sensibilities. Highly important and influential.
Matt Redman – 10,000 Reasons (2011)
Redman’s best? Most complete? My favorite anyway.
Delirious – King of Fools (1998)
“I wanna go deeper/but I don’t know how to swim…” this is clearly U2 influenced in all the right ways.
Andrae Crouch – Finally (1982)
Industry icon. Really you could pick any of his albums and I’d be fine with it. Very influential artist and a must in any conversation about greatest of the genre.
The Stats:
Albums Released between 1969-89: 3
Albums released between 1990-1999: 9
Albums Released between 2000-2009: 11
Albums Released between 2010-2019: 10
How about you, what are your favorite worship albums?
Lastly, here’s a running playlist of my favorite worship tunes across the years: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6BWtuynnHwFDyAS3OxY7z3?si=iHBSK3cjQC-UYN-jzbCkUw
Happy listening! – Josh
joshbalogh 
It’s hard to rank worship albums. There’s a tension between writing songs that can be used for corporate worship, and wanting to express worship creatively as an artist. To me many worship songs are more meaningful when played on my guitar or sung in a communal setting, so I’m not likely to revisit the albums those songs came from all that often – but that’s not a bad thing. (Less positive is the fact that playing it safe seems to be more commercially viable than taking artistic risks…)
delirious and David Crowder Band were the two bands that consistently set a high standard artistically. As I’ve said before glo is my favourite worship album of all time, can’t believe you’ve snubbed it again 🙂
DCB have 4 albums that can be considered epic worship albums, with A Collision also being my personal favourite – it has a 3-song sequence (Do Not Move-Come Awake-You Are My Joy) which is the absolute high water mark for any worship album ever, as far as I’m concerned.
There’s a short list of other albums that maintain that kind of artistic beauty and creativity throughout (apologies that I repeat myself in some of these comments!) – LitLegRag by Rich Mullins, Ghosts Upon the Earth by Gungor (Beautiful Things has some outstanding tracks, but for me GUTE just flows beautifully from start to finish), Becoming Who We Are, and Every Power Wide Awake (John van Deusen reminds me a bit of mid-2000s Sufjan, which is an excellent thing) – after less than half a year this has firmly established itself in this list!
Other worship albums that I’ve been listening to a lot lately are Discovery (Rivers & Robots), The Joy of Being (Citizens), Evergreen (Audrey Assad) and A Seed, A Sunrise (Caroline Cobb), which is my favourite Christmas album of recent years (and it doesn’t sound Christmassy at all, so you might like it!)… Freedom by Michael W. Smith has always been to me what Union is to you… Matt Redman will always be played in our home, last year’s album was a bit of a dip but he’s been very consistent over the years, with Unbroken Praise my personal favourite, and The Father’s Song a nostalgic favourite (that late-90s drumming!)… I also have a huge appreciation for Keith & Kristyn Getty’s dedication to writing theologically rich corporate worship songs, and their live album (at the Gospel Coalition) brings together really nicely most of the songs that have worked their way into church life (at our home church in Northern Ireland a Getty song will usually be part of the set list!)
I love it when artists use their own unique style (and God-given creativity!) to make worshipful music, rather than adapting their style to sound more like (generic) worship music – which almost inevitably leads to a step down, artistically. Here are a few of my absolute favourites in that regard:
– a lot of U2, especially their 80s output and “Beautiful Day” (which I’ve heard someone call their Easter Sunday song, after the more Good Friday feel of 90s U2)
– scattered songs throughout Switchfoot’s discography, and about half of Hello Hurricane (also love Jon Foreman’s solo work, probably more than recent Switchfoot actually…)
– The Gray Havens in epic (Lord of the Rings) mode, as in “Ghost of a King”, “Shadows of the Dawn”, “At Last, the King” – I do love them in their more whimsical (The Hobbit) mode too, as in most of Fire and Stone
– dc talk: worshipful songs like “Consume Me”, “Into Jesus”, “Mind’s Eye”, and more prayerful/confessional songs like “In the Light”, “What if I Stumble”, “The Hardway”
– Future of Forestry: really enjoy the Something Like Silas and Twilight era, but the standouts for me are later songs like “Slow Your Breath Down”, “Someday”, “You”, and their absolutely epic version of “O Come O Come Emmanuel” (and that first Advent EP in general)
– early Mutemath: “Peculiar People” is my favourite (why can’t more worship sound like this?), and their self-titled has many worshipful moments. There is a part of me that would have loved for them to continue in this vein, but I think then they wouldn’t have been true to themselves, so I’m glad they didn’t (same applies to post-GUTE Gungor) – I still love the 4 albums that came after this…
– Newsboys-style worship (rather than “Newsboys: The Worship Albums”) in songs like “Beautiful Sound”, “In Wonder”, “Your Love Is Better Than Life”
– Jars of Clay: so many beautiful, worshipful moments punctuate their albums, including the closing track of my all-time favourite album (“Hymn” and Much Afraid)
– Paper Route: my all-time favourite song (“Glass Heart Hymn”) is basically a psalm of lament. There’s so much spiritual yearning in other songs like “Dance on Our Graves”, “Balconies”, “Calm My Soul”, “Are We All Forgotten”…
Sorry this turned into a long, rambling comment – I think about this stuff a lot 🙂
Blessings, Chris
PS Thanks for ruining I Want to Know You for me – how had I never picked up on that?
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