Picking a Top 10 Favorite Bands of All-Time for this longtime music fan wasn’t easy, but I’m pretty happy with where I landed. I think that this ranking will likely hold true going forward. I endeavored to be as true to ranking these favorites based off of their average album rank, but you will notice a few inconsistencies. In those instances it’s simply a band who I enjoy more individual songs by than another or just listen to more overall. Here we go!
I didn’t become fully aware of the Beatles until my college years, though I had heard isolated songs like “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” and their complication album 1 which released in 2000. Since, I’ve come to love as many as 50 of their songs while appreciating many others. They are more a songs than albums band for me, but I consider Abbey Road, Sgt Peppers, and Hard Days Night as all-time great albums. Great band! Top 50 Beatles Songs, How The Beatles Changed Music
Please Please Me – 4 Stars
With the Beatles – 3.5 Stars
A Hard Days Night – 4.5 Stars
Beatles for Sale – 4 Stars
Help! – 4 Stars
Rubber Soul – 4.5 Stars
Revolver – 4.5 Stars
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – 5 Stars
The Beatles (White Album) – 4 Stars
Yellow Submarine – 3.5 Stars
Abbey Road – 5 Stars
Let it Be – 3.5 Stars
Average of Discography = 4 Stars
I don’t care if people hate Coldplay, and look down on my taste because I dig them…they are just perfectly in the zone for what I enjoy. Mostly. You’ll notice that my fandom of their work begins to dip after album six—though I always find a song or two to latch onto. Other Coldplay related blogs here: Every Coldplay Song Ranked, Ranking Coldplay
Parachutes – 5 Stars
Rush of Blood to the Head – 4.5 Stars
X&Y – 4 Stars
Viva La Vida – 5 Stars
Mylo Xyloto – 4 Stars
Ghost Stories – 4.5 Stars
A Head Full of Dreams – 3 Stars
Everyday Life – 3.5 Stars
Music of the Spheres – 2.5 Stars
Average of Discography = 4 Stars
Caedmon’s Call falls into the category of formative band during my formative years alongside others you will see on the list. I love the acoustic base of their work, the B3 Hammond organ, introspective and thoughtful lyrics…it’s all just…perfect. There are four incredible albums in this discography and I’m happy to finally be able to get their self titled on vinyl. 40 Acres is a record I’m always in the mood for, and will always be my favorite CC album. Top 20 Songs of 20 Artists: Caedmon’s Call
Self Titled – 5 Stars
40 Acres – 5 Stars
Long Line of Leavers – 4.5 Stars
In the Company of Angels – 4 Stars
Back Home – 4 Stars
Share the Well – 4.5 Stars
In the Company of Angels II – 3.5 Stars
Overdressed – 4 Stars
Raising Up the Dead – 3.5 Stars
Average of Discography = 4.22 Stars
These southern alt/rockers are in the conversation for Top 5 bands of the 2010s. They have such a strong catalogue, and put on one of the best live shows I’ve had the pleasure to see. Additionally, there is a consistency to their work that I appreciate. As a lyricist, Bear continually hits the mark.
Daylight – 4 Stars
The Heat – 4 Stars
The Outsiders – 4.5 Stars
The Reckoning – 4.5 Stars
Rivers in the Wasteland – 4.5 Stars
Hard Love – 4 Stars
Out of Body – 4.5 Stars
Into the Mystery – 4 Stars
Average of Discography = 4.25 Stars
The most recent band to make the list as most of the others started in the 90s, and/or have had long careers spanning 5+ albums. When it comes to crafting modern day alt/pop/rock songs this duo is hard to top. Add the masterclass world building/story behind the last few albums and an insane live show and you have the recipe for greatness. To me, Blurryface is a masterpiece. Top 20 Songs of 20 Artists: Twenty One Pilots
Self Titled – 4 Stars
Regional at Best – 3.5 Stars
Vessels – 4.5 Stars
Blurryface – 5 Stars
Trench – 4.5 Stars
Scaled & Icy – 4 Stars
Average of Discography = 4.25 Stars
Jangle Pop with tight harmonies, catchy melodies, great rock guitar moments, and relatable lyrics. I love this band and their all-too-brief body of work. I wish they’d made more music, but I’m very grateful for what I have. Every PFR Song Ranked, PFR Songs: A Top 20 Ranking
Pray for Rain – 4 Stars
Goldie’s Last Day – 4.5 Stars
Great Lengths – 5 Stars
Them – 4.5 Stars
Disappear – 4 Stars
Average of Discography = 4.4 Stars
Sixpence None the Richer is a great band. Unfortunately, many music listeners would give them the dreaded one-hit wonder label, thinking that their smash pop hit “Kiss Me” is the pinnacle of their work. While it’s certainly their most known/streamed song, I would contend that it is far from their best, and really an outlier to their overall sound. The three album stretch of This Beautiful Mess, S/T, and Divine Discontent are superb. Ranking Sixpence None The Richer, Every Sixpence None the Richer Song Ranked
The Fatherless & The Widow – 3.5 Stars
This Beautiful Mess – 5 Stars
Self Titled – 5 Stars
Divine Discontent – 4.5 Stars
The Dawn of Grace – 4 Stars
Lost in Transition – 4 Stars
Average of Discography = 4.33 Stars
A recent run through their discography revealed a new found love for Forget & Not Slow Down, an album I had previously appreciated, but didn’t fully connect with until this year. I just decided after much deliberation that it is a 5 Star album. The rest of the catalogue is also brilliant ranging from goofy pop/punk to mature piano-infused pop. The run of records from 2 Lefts to Forget & Not Slow Down is nearly perfect.
Self Titled – 4 Stars
The Anatomy of Tongue in Cheek – 4 Stars
Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right…But Three Do – 4.5 Stars
MmHmm – 5 Stars
5 Score and Seven Years Ago – 4.5 Stars
Let it Snow Baby…Let it Reindeer – 4 Stars
The Bird & the Bee Sides – 4 Stars
Forget and Not Slow Down – 5 Stars
K is for Karaoke – 3.5 Stars
Collapsible Lung – 2.5 Stars
Air for Free – 4.5 Stars
Average of Discography = 4.13 Stars
What a discography! Aside from a minor misstep of Native Tongue, (which still has several great songs) they nearly always land a good to classic album with me. I own them all, though none on vinyl yet. The Beautiful Letdown is their magnum opus thus far, and I don’t seeing it being surpassed. And they put on a great live show full of energy. Another consistently solid band. Every Switchfoot Song Ranked (Updated), Ranking Switchfoot Albums (Updated 2022), Switchfoot – Interrobang Album Review
The Legend of Chin – 4 Stars
New Way to Be Human – 4.5 Stars
Learning to Breathe – 4 Stars
The Beautiful Letdown – 5 Stars
Nothing is Sound – 5 Stars
Oh! Gravity – 4.5 Stars
Hello Hurricane – 4.5 Stars
Vice Verses – 4.5 Stars
Fading West – 4 Stars
Where the Light Shines Through – 3.5 Stars
Native Tongue – 3.5 Stars
Interrobang – 4.5 Stars
Average of Discography = 4.29 Stars
Jars of Clay. I’ve loved them since first hearing/seeing the “Flood” music video, singing “Love Song for a Savior,” rocking out to “Liquid,” and being moved to tears by “Worlds Apart.” Then Much Afraid, and every album since has taken time to adjust to, some taking longer than others to fully “get” or appreciate. But love them all I do. I own everything I’ve been able to get my hands on, other than a few select and still desired rarities like the Frail demo and the Stringtown album. I can always return to Jars when I need a lift, or if I’m feeling chill/melancholy. I’ve also blogged about them most of any band artist and seen them live the most of any band. Every Jars of Clay Song Ranked, Ranking Jars of Clay
Self Titled – 5 Stars
Much Afraid – 5 Stars
If I Left the Zoo – 4 Stars
The Eleventh Hour – 4.5 Stars
Who We Are Instead – 4.5 Stars
Redemption Songs – 4 Stars
Good Monsters – 4.5 Stars
Christmas Songs – 4.5 Stars
The Long Fall Back to Earth – 4.5 Stars
The Shelter – 4 Stars
Inland – 4.5 Stars
Average of Discography = 4.45 Stars
I’d course I’d be remiss if I didn’t drop a few honorable mentions that just missed. So here are five…
House of Heroes
Downhere
The Newsboys (1992-2009)
Dctalk
Audio A (1992-2005)
joshbalogh 
1. Keith Green
2. Newsboys/Peter Furler
3. Rich Mullins
4. David Crowder Band/Crowder
5. Steve Taylor
6. Phil Keaggy
7. Jennifer Knapp (sadly)
8. Third Day
9. Burlap to Cashmere
10. downhere
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I love all these artists as well, to a slightly lesser extent. So many great ones of the genre!
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Where’s Petra??
How can Petra not be in anyone’s Christian top 3??!
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Never been a fan. Iconic to the genre of course just not my cup o tea.
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Ok, they were influential in my faith when I first got saved. So they’ll always have my number one spot!
Have a great night, brother!
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You too!
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