Here’s the full more easily shareable list with links to the individual posts and commentary. Please share it with those who you think will enjoy it, disagree with it, agree…whatever! I hope you enjoyed the read, and most of all hope you were reminded of some great tunes. Thanks for joining me on the journey! Happy listening! – Josh
100 Greatest Christian Songs of the 90s Part 1 of 4, 100 Greatest Christian Songs of the 90s Part 2 of 4, 100 Greatest Christian Songs of the 90s Part 3 of 4, 100 Greatest Christian Songs of the 90s Part 4 of 4
Before we get too far into this perhaps it would be prudent of me to remind you of my pop-leaning musical taste. That is to say, if you’re looking for a wide range of genres or that list of hard rock tunes then this is likely not the list for you. There’s a sprinkling of rap, punk, alt rock, and r&b but this is mostly pop and pop/rock as it is my primary preference. Yes, many but not all of these 100 songs were radio hits or very well known at the time. I do truly believe many of these songs belong in the top 100 of the 90s conversation.
Regardless, these songs definitely have great personal meaning and fond memories attached to them. My hope in posting my Top 100 is to remind you of an old favorite you haven’t heard in ages or maybe introduce you to a few new (old) tunes I think are excellent. Here we go!
100-76
100. “Would You Die For Me” – Bride
99. “Basics of Life” – 4Him
98. “Blue Collar Love” – Starflyer 59
97. “Listen” – Cindy Morgan
96. “One Love” – Brent Bourgeois
95. “Things I Prayed For” – Eli
94. “Corridors” – John Elephante
93. “Draw Me Close” – The Katinas
92. “Chem 6A” – Switchfoot
91. “Biggest Part of Me” – Take 6
90. “One of These Days” – FFH
89. “Jesus Loves Ya” – Jon Gibson
88. “There is Only You” – Smalltown Poets
87. “The One I’ve Been Waiting For” – Out of the Grey
86. “River God” – Nichole Nordeman
85. “Forgive You” – Seven Day Jesus
84. “Testify to Love” – Avalon
83. “I Believe” – Wes King
82. “People Get Ready…Jesus is Coming” – Crystal Lewis
81. “Baby, Baby” – Amy Grant
80. “Waiting For Your Love To Come Down” – Susan Ashton
79. “Supertones Strike Back” – O.C. Supertones
78. “Thicker” – Chasing Furies
77. “Punk Rawk Show” – MxPx
76. “Kiss Me” – Sixpence None the Richer
75-51
75. “Monkeys at the Zoo” – Charlie Peacock
74. “I’ll Find You There” – The Kry
73. “Plastic” – Reality Check
72. “Dandelions” – Five Iron Frenzy
71. “Breathe Deep (The Breath of God)” – The Lost Dogs
70. “Seize the Day” – Carolyn Arrends
69. “Collide” – Fono
68. “Whole Again” – Jennifer Knapp
67. “Pour Me Out” – PFR
66. “Banquet at the World’s End” – Daniel Amos
65. “I’m Not Afraid” – Fleming & John
64. “Super Good Feeling” – Bleach
63. “Lean on Me” – Kirk Franklin
62. “Dive” – Steven Curtis Chapman
61. “Listen to Our Hearts” – Geoff Moore & The Distance
60. “In Christ Alone” – Michael English
59. “God is In Control” – Twila Paris
58. “Missing Person” – Michael W. Smith
57. “Say the Name” – Margaret Becker
56. “Steady Me” – Out of the Grey
55. “I’m Not the King” – Audio Adrenaline
54. “I Cry” – Russ Taff
53. “Speechless” – Steven Curtis Chapman
52. “One Deed” – Tony Vincent
51. “Shifting Sand” – Caedmon’s Call
50-26
50. “Liquid” – Jars of Clay
49. “Prophet, Priest, and King” – Smalltown Poets
48. “Possessed by Love – Jon Gibson
47. “That Kind of Love” – PFR
46. “Hard to Get” – Rich Mullins
45. “Basic Instructions”- Burlap to Cashmere
44. “I’ve Always Loved You” – Third Day
43. “Nervous” – Dryve
42. “Love” – Petra
41. “B.C.” – Plankeye
40. “The Hardway” – Dctalk
39. “Deeper” – Delirious
38. “All Fall Down” – Sarah Masen
37. “New Way to Be Human” – Switchfoot
36. “My Friend (So Long)” – Dctalk
35. “No One Knows My Heart” – Susan Ashton
34. “Everything Is Alright” – Mark Heard
33. “Frail” – Jars of Clay
32. “Lovely Day” – Out of Eden
31. “Love Divine” – Phil Keaggy
30. “For You” – Michael W. Smith
29. “The Great Adventure” – Steven Curtis Chapman
28. “La La Land” – All Star United
27. “This World” – Caedmon’s Call
26. “Some Kind of Zombie” – Audio Adrenaline
25-1
25. “The Love I Know” – PFR
24. “Worldwide” – Adam Again
23. “Love Takes Time” – Bryan Duncan
22. “Entertaining Angels” – The Newsboys
21. “Consuming Fire” – Third Day
20. “In the Light” – Dctalk
19. “Paradigm” – All Together Separate
18. “Stomp” – Kirk Franklin & God’s Property
17. “Nowhere Else” – The 77s
16. “Hands in the Air” – The Waiting
15. “Big House” – Audio Adrenaline
14. “Nod Over Coffee” – Mark Heard
13. “Jesus Freak” – Dctalk
12. “Flood” – Jars of Clay
11. “Shine” – The Newsboys
10. “Waiting for Godot” – Driver Eight
9. “Within a Room Somewhere” – Sixpence None the Richer
8. “Look at Me” – The Waiting
7. “What if I Stumble?” – Dctalk
6. “Dig” – Adam Again
5. “Hold Me Jesus” – Rich Mullins
4. “Lonely Moon” – Kevin Max Smith
3. “Worlds Apart” – Jars of Clay
2. “Sometimes By Step” – Rich Mullins
1. “Lost the Plot” – The Newsboys
There it is! What about you, what are your top songs from THE best decade of Christian music? List them in the comments! Below is the full playlist minus three songs not yet on Spotify. Enjoy!
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/48asvvtegs5rOG25fW5SxF?si=cj-pNSkpSxqdaQPnWlxH4g
Top 100 Christian Songs of the 2000s, Top 100 Christian Songs of the 2010s
You’ve probably already seen it but here’s my favorite list I’ve compiled so far…just in case: 100 Greatest Christian Albums of the 90s
joshbalogh 
Sweet list! Takes me back.
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Thanks!
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Thanks Josh, really enjoyed the countdown and I’ve been digging the playlist – though I’ve come to accept that I’m not going to become a big fan of early 90s CCM (Rich and Adam Again being the exceptions) – I was born a couple years too late!
My list would be dominated by Jars, dc talk and Rich, with a strong showing from Sixpence and Newsboys. Fade to Grey would be the #1 song on my list – you showed restraint in not including half the songs from Jars’ first two albums 🙂
So cool to hear that Lost Dogs song again – I’d only heard it once before when a guy at a conference my parents took me to as a kid sang it, and had us all join for the chorus. Left an impression, and I admire that guy’s boldness if he left the lyrics unedited!
Blessings, Chris
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Thanks Chris!
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I did this a few years ago, the whole top 100 but this will do for now!
20 Second hand Clothing- Eli
19 Tried to tell her- PFR
18 Tea & Sympathy-Jars of Clay
17 Kiss me – Sixpence none the richer
16 Truth & Consequences-Newsboys
15 Look me in the eye-Margaret Becker
14 My deliverer-Rich Mullins / DC Talk
13 Damaged-Plumb
12 Elle G-Newsboys
11 Stranded-Plumb
10 Free-Steven Curtis Chapman
9 Worlds Apart-Jars of Clay
8 To know you-Nicole Nordaman
7 If you want me to-Ginny Owens
6 Jesus Freak-DC Talk
5 Always-Newsboys
4 Within a room somewhere-Sixpence none the richer
3 To do your will-Helen Jayne
2 Place in this world -Michael W Smith
1 In the Light-DC Talk
And to weigh heavily into your Sixpence dilema of best album, there is not doubt This Beautiful Mess is far superier to self titled. Yes, Kiss me, Moving on, I cant catch you – Brilliant! But This Beautiful Mess is a masterpiece of the era even if it borrows a bit from the Cranberries. Its SO listened-to-able. And you can see above how I feel about Within a Room.
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Tough to boil down a decade of music to 100 songs. But you did a great job, even if there are some nits to pick.
I’m surprised there was nothing from True Believer by Phil Keaggy, (Probably better options from Crimson and Blue as well). Would have liked to see the W’s represented, as well as Big Tent Revival, Steve Taylor performances, and Reliant K.
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Yeah Relient K is more a 2000s and behind band. Nothing major label released in the 90s that I know of.
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You’re right, my mistake. I saw them on the first tour and thought it was ’99. Sometimes the memory goes…
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No problem! Happens to me frequently. Haha
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So glad there is a Spotify playlist for these. So many good songs I haven’t heard in a long while. I’ll be jamming to this list for a while. Thank you!
Stef
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always happy to supply song suggestions and discussions! Thanks for reading!
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I am trying to locate a 1990s Christian song which includes the words “I want to be a living example that my little boy can see”. I have searched everywhere. Can you help me?”
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I Want to Be Just Like You
Song by Phillips, Craig and Dean
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Yup!
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This should probably be changed to “My 100 Favorite Christian Songs of the 90s” because your top 25 has way too many songs and/or artists I’ve never even heard of. I will check them all out of course! I just think if it’s a greatest list I should know the majority of artists and songs. Your number one isn’t even the best Newsboys song let alone the “Greatest Christian 90s song” of all time. I’m ok with a couple sleepers but more than half is too many. I enjoyed reading through the list though bro!
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Interesting. I’d love to keep dialogung kn this because in your comment I find myself on the exact opposite side of other criticism that there isn’t enough independent/rock/alt selections present. Is that what you mean too or are you saying the list has too many obscure songs?
Just FYI in making this list I was trying to include a wide variety of music with the genre known as CCM. I was going for an intersectionality pop, rock, ska, rap, r&b, alternative styles. In addition I was looking for that sweet spot between songs most would widely consider “great” and my personal favorites. There was intended to be some overlap there too. Also, while I wanted to include as many iconic radio played songs as possible I was trying to balance that as well. Just because it was in radio doesn’t make it great, nor does that mean it isn’t. Same with the indie bands and lesser known that never made it to radio. Make sense?
Now you have me curious…which of the artists on the list are you unfamiliar with?
Anyway, Thanks for the read and follow! I’m always happy to discuss Christian music and my most loved/listened to decade. Blessings!
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I am trying to locate a 1990s Christian song which includes the words “I want to be a living example that my little boy can see”. I have searched everywhere. Can you help me?”
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No need to email me. I found it! Phillips, Craig & Dean…”I Want to Be Just Like You.” A great Father’s Day song! Gid BLESS you!
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Great song…glad you found it!
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Great list and definitely worth the wait but my only complaint is, with so many of these songs written by Steve Taylor, why no Steve Taylor performance? Thanks for doing this. Scott
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That’s a great question! Taylor’s own “Lament of Desmond R. G. Underwood–Frederick IV” was a last second cut from the list to get another artist an inclusion. I figured since Taylor was included indirectly with songwriting credits it would have to suffice. Album wise though, Squint is top 100 and def. included on my top albums of the 90s list. Thanks for reading and commenting!
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No doubt Squint is a winner. I whole also enter into contention “Finish Line”, “Jesus is for Losers”, “I Want to be a Clone” & the ever controversial “I Blew Up the Clinic Real Good”.
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