Let’s Argue About Worship
(This post is part of Watercooler Wednesday, hosted by Ethos)
The Music section of Christianity Today online noted today that “modern worship music” could be considered 10 years old this year. In 1998, there were seminal releases from Delirious?, Sonicflood, Hillsong, Michael W. Smith and others that really kicked things off to where we are now.
They also put together a list of “The Ten Most Influential Worship Albums” from the last ten years. (Hmmm. According to who? You? God? CCLI? John MacArthur?) And, as is the norm with lists, there’s plenty of room to argue. The list (with iTunes links, and I’m not gonna take the time to show you album covers, sorry):
Cutting Edge - Delirious?
Sonicflood - Sonicflood
Exodus - Various Artists
The Heart Of Worship - Matt Redman
Hungry - Vineyard UK
Better Is One Day - Passion
WOW Worship:Blue - Various Artists (not on iTunes)
Worship - Michael W. Smith
Arriving - Chris Tomlin
Look To You - Hillsong United
Okay, my take? I can go along with Delirious?, Hungry, and Passion. And you probably can’t make a list like this without Tomlin. I’m not sure about the rest of them being the most influential. I sure would have had A Greater Song by Paul Baloche on there (to be fair, they do give it an honorable mention). And there’s no way one of the WOW projects would be on there. They were just money-making vehicles for the labels in my opinion.
But of course, that’s my perspective coming from my world. Yours?
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Comments
I think the key is “influential”, not best. By the time Baloche’s “Greater Song” album came out, modern worship had already been defined. It’s a good album but it didn’t help redefine worship.
I agree with Delirious? (but I would have chosen “Live & in the Can”) and Sonic Flood but several of the other guys should have earlier works on the list. It should be:
Matt Redman
“Passion for Your Name”
Vineyard UK
“Come Now is the Time to Worship”
Passion
“Live Worship for the 268 Generation”
Chris Tomlin
“The Noise We Make”
Hillsong United
“Everyday”
WOW is a compilation, Exodus was good, not great and MWS’ “Worship” album was basically just cover songs!
These should also be on the list:
Darrell Evans
“Freedom”
Paul Baloche
“First Love”
Hillsong
“People Just Like Us”
Most influential to me was Contagious, a local limited release of what became Third Day’s self titled debut album. Specifically the song Thief was the first song I ever listened to and broke down in worship. Before that moment, songs were just songs to me.
Great post. Just found you through Los’s site.
LOVE your blog and look forward to reading more soon.
hmmm…well the real thing is influention to who… for me….
delerious? - live and in the can
Paul Baloche - Open the eyes of my heart, greater song
Matt Redman - Facedown
David Crowder - Illuminate, Remedy
Vineyard UK - Hungry
Exodus, WOW anything and MWS make no sense to me
Passion - hymns
Charlie hall Porch and altar
Jeremy camp and Tim hughes first CD’s
Hillsong united - United we stand
Misty Edwards - Always on my mind
Brian & Jenn Johnson - I believe
Michael Neale - No greater audience
Vicky beeching - yesterday today and forever
Hold up…. Sonic Flood, Exodus, WOW, Michael W. Smith?
Sorry guys, but they were all playing catch up to the worship scene, not setting the trends.
Hillsong - Shout to the Lord
Another Passion album for sure - probably 268
and I’ve got to agree with Jeff T on Darrell Evans
I’d probably agree with Sonicflood and delirious?, but would add Lincoln Brewster’s debut to the mix. I agree with the Darrell Evans’ “Let the River Flow” record as well. “Passion Hymns” and Baloche’s “Greater Song” would probably top my list. Baloche, because he took a fledgling ‘youth oriented’ style to the masses (30+ crowd) because he had inroads into corporate worship services all across the heartland, not just the cutting edge churches. Passion Hymns, because it brought the theological depth of historical hymnody back into the modern church.
My 2 cents. Peace,
Third Day - Offerings should probably make the list.