The View From Wisconsin

When you listen to today's gospel music - stuff from the last 20 years or so of Christian music, the kind of music they play on K-LOVE and Contemporary Christian stations - you can forget easily that CCM didn't just happen overnight.

In fact, here are 40 songs from the first 20 years (approximately) of the "Christian Rock" era - 1972 to 1992. Some of the artists listed here are no longer active in making music (including the dearly departed Larry Norman). Others are still going strong today. Some of these songs I remember listening to regularly in HS and college; others I only know tangentially but never got to hear back then because there was no such thing as Christian Rock radio.

As you listen to the music on these videos - and I'll admit, some of them aren't exactly the best in the world - keep in mind not only how much Christian music has changed over the years, but how much it has stayed the same. Especially when the focus is still on Christ.

Alleleuia, Christ Is Coming – DeGarmo & Key
Calling On You – Stryper
Destined To Win – DeGarmo & Key w/Jesse Dixon
Easter Song – Keith Green
El Shaddai – Amy Grant
Friends – Michael W. Smith
God Gave Rock 'n Roll To You – Petra [Original Version]
Gods Of Men – Randy Stonehill
Great Is The Lord – Michael W. Smith
I Want To Be A Clone – Steve Taylor
In The Kingdom – Whitecross
Lead Me On – Amy Grant
Living In Laodicea – Steve Camp
Love's Not A Feeling – Don Francisco
More Power To Ya – Petra
Old Man's Rubble – Amy Grant
Praise The Lord – The Imperials
Praise Ye The Lord – Petra
Reach Out – Stryper
Rise Again – Dallas Holm & Praise
Sail On – Chris Christian [Imperials version]
So You Wanna Go Back To Egypt – Keith Green
The Champion – Carmen
The Coloring Song - Petra
The Warrior Is A Child – Twila Paris
There Is A Redeemer – Keith Green
Trumpet Of Jesus – The Imperials
Via Dolorosa – Sandy Patty
We Are The Reason – David Meece
We Will Stand – Russ Taff
What A Difference You Made In My Life – B.J. Thomas
Where Do You Hide Your Heart – Amy Grant
Why Should The Devil Have All The Good Music? – Larry Norman
Wish We'd All Been Ready – Larry Norman
Stranger to Danger - Mylon LeFevre & Broken Heart
People In A Box - Farrell & Farrell
Place In This World - Michael W. Smith
Bread Upon The Water - The Imperials
Crimes - Resurrection Band
Get Ready - Sweet Comfort Band

A note on those last six songs: They are NOT the songs I think of when I hear the names of the artists/bands, but they were the only videos I could find. That needs to be kept in mind about CCM from the 1970's and 80's - before Stryper, not a lot of it was making it onto MTV or other mainstream music video outlets.