This whole world of Christian rock music was unleashed on me from the very beginning of my music business life. Greeley Estates, the band I started with back in 2003, were Christians in a band playing loud, hard, screaming music inside churches. I can't tell you how foreign of an idea this was to me at the time. Yet, there were countless rock, hardcore or screamo shows going on across the Valley (Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, Glendale) with hundreds of kids and dozens of churches willing to house this "un-churchlike" music.
But the positive messages hidden behind the loud music and screams is what brought the kids, churches and a religion together. It was an odd local movement back in 2003/2004 that was also brewing in other cities. Take us to the present and the list of rock, hardcore, screamo and indie Christian bands (or Christians-in-a-band) have not only skyrocketed but have hit mainstream.
The list of bands that promote positive messages (sometimes not so positive imagery and actions) are growing profoundly. Below is a comprehensive list of rock bands that are Christian bands or Christians-in-a-band that cater to the Warped Tour-type crowd and I want you to help me build it!
I want people to leave comments with new bands (as I'm sure I have left off many) and I'm sure there will be plenty of debate on if a band should or should not be on the list. I've broken it down by genre's to make finding bands a little easier. Let's start the list (all bands can be listened to for free and bought on Amazon for under $10):
Movement Starters
- DC Talk - Listen/buy
- Further Seems Forever - Listen/buy
- Jars Of Clay - Listen/buy
- The Juliana Theory - Listen/buy
- Kings X - Listen/buy
- Number One Gun - Listen/buy
- Petra - Listen/buy
- Project 86 - Listen/buy
- P.O.D. - Listen/buy
- Sixpence None The Richer - Listen/buy
- Squad Five-O - Listen/buy
- Stryper - Listen/buy
- Watashi Wa - Listen/buy
Mainstream Acts
- Anberlin - Listen/buy
- Chevelle - Listen/buy
- Collective Soul - Listen/buy
- Creed - Listen/buy
- Evanescence - Listen/buy
- Flyleaf - Listen/buy
- Lifehouse - Listen/buy
- Owl City - Listen/buy
- Paramore - Listen/buy
- The Fray - Listen/buy
- U2 - Listen/buy
Hardcore/Metalcore/Screamo
- As Cities Burn - Listen/buy
- As I Lay Dying - Listen/buy
- Attack Attack! - Listen/buy
- August Burns Red - Listen/buy
- Becoming The Archetype - Listen/buy
New!
- Beloved - Listen/buy
- Blessed By A Broken Heart - Listen/buy
- Blessthefall - Listen/buy
- Blindside - Listen/buy
- The Chariot - Listen/buy
- Chasing Victory - Listen/buy
- Confide - Listen/buy
- Dead Poetic - Listen/buy
- Demon Hunter - Listen/buy
- The Devil Wears Prada - Listen/buy
- Emery - Listen/buy
- For Today - Listen/buy
New!
- Haste The Day - Listen/buy
- Ivoryline - Listen/buy
- Greeley Estates - Listen/buy
- Gwen Stacy - Listen/buy
- Inhale/Exhale - Listen/buy
- Living Sacrifice - Listen/buy
- Maylene & The Sons of Disaster - Listen/buy
- MyChildren MyBride - Listen/buy
- Nodes Of Ranvier - Listen/buy
- Norma Jean - Listen/buy
- Oh, Sleeper - Listen/buy
- Showbread - Listen/buy
- Soul Embraced - Listen/buy
- Still Remains - Listen/buy
- Underoath (pictured above) - Listen/buy
Rock
- All The Day Holiday - Listen/buy
New!
- The Almost - Listen/buy
- Amber Pacific - Listen/buy
- Between The Trees - Listen/buy
- Camera Can't Lie - Listen/buy
New!
- Cartel - Listen/buy
- Copeland - Listen/buy
- Dredg - Listen/buy
- Family Force 5 - Listen/buy
- Kutless - Listen/buy
- Lovedrug - Listen/buy
- Mae - Listen/buy
- MuteMath - Listen/buy
- Newsboys - Listen/buy
New!
- Nevershoutnever - Listen/buy
- Paper Route - Listen/buy
New!
- Relient K - Listen/buy
- The Rocket Summer - Listen/buy
- Secret & Whisper - Listen/buy
- Skillet - Listen/buy
- Story of the Year - Listen/buy
- Switchfoot - Listen/buy
- This Providence - Listen/buy
- Thousand Foot Krutch - Listen/buy
- Thrice - Listen/buy
Punk
- Comeback Kid - Listen/buy
- Five Iron Frenzy - Listen/buy
- Hawk Nelson - Listen/buy
- Kiros
- MxPx - Listen/buy
- Run Kid Run - Listen/buy
- Slick Shoes - Listen/buy
- Stellar Kart - Listen/buy
Indie
- Brighten - Listen/buy
- Deas Vail - Listen/buy
- Eisley - Listen/buy
New!
- Jonezetta - Listen/buy
- Mewithoutyou - Listen/buy
- Pedro The Lion - Listen/buy
- Seabird - Listen/buy
New!
Unsigned (I need help with this category)
- Bearhug (AZ)
- Divided By Friday (NC) - Listen/buy
- Harp And Lyre (OK)
- Mike Goodrick (AZ) - Listen/buy
New!
- Raining And OK (AZ) - Listen/buy
Leave comments to add a band and your thoughts on the whole subject. I'll continually update the list.
23 comments:
Not sure if this is gonna be fun or a headache haha
May 16, 2010 at 1:19 PMI can't tell you how many times I hear people ask if such and such band is Christian or not so that is where the inspiration for this post came from. I hope to make this the most comprehensive list of bands for the Warped Tour-type crowd on the net.
Help me! :)
This is a really interesting list. You've missed out U2. And Jonezetta.
May 16, 2010 at 2:17 PMBekah...How the hell (no pun intended) did I not know U2 was a Christian band? lol I Googled it and read many articles about it, including a 60 Minutes interview. Wow. Good call!
May 16, 2010 at 2:36 PMI added both.
Thanks!
Mike Goodrick (unsigned) acoustic christian in a band (well solo artist)
May 16, 2010 at 3:16 PMmyspace.com/mikegoodrick
one that jumped to mind offhand is All The Day Holiday
May 16, 2010 at 9:54 PMif you're looking to fill out the list, go look thru the lineup at Cornerstone Festival the last few years
Unsigned bands: Weaver at the Loom, Linden (not positive on linden but i believe they are) the Driveback
May 17, 2010 at 8:55 AMSigned: Camera Can't Lie, Newsboys
Seabird
May 17, 2010 at 12:50 PMJust FYI David Bazan (pedro the lion) now sings entire albums denouncing religion.
May 17, 2010 at 4:00 PMI added 9 bands today. I didn't add Linden, The Drive Back or Weaver at the Loom because I couldn't find anything on them being a Christian band or Christians in a band.
May 18, 2010 at 8:21 AMDefinitely add Tyrone Wells!!
May 18, 2010 at 9:09 AMHelpful list, thanks for starting it!
July 11, 2010 at 10:27 PMHere's a rapper from my church. Very talented and giving some of his music away free.
Jordan Santana at http://jordansantana.com or http://jordansantana.bandcamp.com/
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July 20, 2010 at 10:28 PMTry AEthereal. They are a pretty new band. They are hard rock unsigned band. They are all Christians. Their website is http://www.AEtherealMusic.com if you want to know more.
October 24, 2010 at 4:13 PMDon't know if this list is still active, but here is one my favorites...
February 2, 2011 at 6:19 PMhttp://www.entrustedband.com/
Future of Forestry-amazing christian band!
February 26, 2011 at 8:06 PMFlood23, Trees of Eden, One Way Home, Ilia, Sleeping Giant, Gungor, Michael McClead, The Prayer Chain, Forevertree
March 22, 2011 at 6:34 PMDude.... This is one of the best lists you will find.
www.christianbandsyoushouldknowabout.blogspot.com
Most things here seem to be old...so I'm not sure if this site is running anymore, but....
March 22, 2011 at 11:50 PMWe need to work on the "Movement Starters" list here folks. Number One Gun? When are we saying the "movement" started? Because they should definitely not be in the same place as Stryper haha
For me, I would say this all started pre-2000, and even though Project 86 is one of my favorite bands of all time, and they technically started in like '98...I'm still not sure I'd put them at the start.
I'd say: Remove those two from the "Movement Starters" and move Newsboys, Five Iron Frenzy, MxPx and Living Sacrifice up to the top, Because they all were definitely from the '90s. Also, add Ghoti Hook and Guardian to that list.
Everyday Sunday is an awesome christian rock band.
August 19, 2011 at 4:07 PMmore for the list
January 24, 2012 at 4:59 PMthe classic crime
destroy the runner
ESO charis
the fall of troy
Falling up
horse the band
inhale/exhale
lifehouse
luti-kriss
O.C supertones
owl city
pillar
project 86
red
rush of fools
the showdown
spoken
zao
I noticed you didn't have any place for Rap or hip-hop really but there are bands like "Grits" but they might classify as mainstream
Sanctus Real, and Lightswitch are 2 good Christian rock bands to add
March 19, 2012 at 9:59 PMThere is almost certainly no god. Stop being Christian.
April 11, 2012 at 9:50 AMBurden Of A Day. In my opinion one of the best bands i have ever heard. Very underrated.
July 1, 2012 at 11:18 PMDefinitely should add Memphis May Fire to the Hardcore/Metalcore section. A really great band
July 25, 2012 at 2:11 AMPost a Comment
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