The Newsboys Broke My Heart

DISCLAIMER: This blog post will be mentioning mostly old-school Christian music trivia. I apologize if you have no idea who or what I'm talking about, or more likely, could care less. But if you decide to plunge into this post, your experience will be much more enjoyable if you follow all of the hyperlinks. Even if you think you know what I'm talking about, click them anyway. I put a lot of work in those. Good luck!

PROLOGUE

The good Lord always said to forgive those who've wronged you. I've heard countless messages on how important it is to forgive and move on. Messages on how bitterness and resentment can eat away at you from the inside and leave nothing left, but a shell of who you once were.

That being said, I will never forgive the Newsboys for what they did. And by never, I mean never. I am astoundingly bitter and angry towards them. I am shocked and offended and hurt. And I'm 75% certain Jesus hasn't forgiven them either. I will carry this resentment with me to the grave.

CHAPTER 1: THE STORY

Who are the Newsboys? Good question. Here's their Wikipedia page. If you're too lazy, then just know that they're a Christian rock group from Australia that got their start in the '80's and are still going strong. But they're more than just a band. These guys have been a staple, a cornerstone, in the Christian music community since they started. Plus, they're not just a cornerstone in the overall Christian community but an incredible influence on me personally.



My good-looking parents

I adored the Newsboys. In fact, they were the first "real" band I became a fan of. I remember being in elementary school where the only music I listened to was Psalty's Kids Praise and Mr. Donut Man. That stuff was awesome by the way. It was all pre-VeggieTales. But then I discovered "big people" music. Music that wasn't sung by a group of five year-olds. And the first cassette I got from the wonderful Donald and Karen Hirtzel? The Newsboys' "Going Public" album. The one with "Shine" on it. That album was freaking awesome.

As I began to immerse myself into music, I started going to concerts as well. And one of the first concerts I ever went to? Newsboys at Kingdom Bound. I was like 13 and it was amazing. I was in awe. They were incredible both in the studio and live. I had every single album of theirs. Every single one. Correction: my little brother technically owned the "Not Ashamed" album, but we shared it.

CHAPTER 2: THE GLORY DAYS

I wish I could describe to you how great it was to be a fan of the Newsboys in the '90's and early 2000's. They were so awesome. They could do no wrong. I even liked their "Love Liberty Disco" album. If you had to listen to one song by the Newsboys, this is it:

Probably their best song ever. Sung by their bassist, Phil Joel. Which reminds me of another way this band had an impact on my life. I started learning the bass guitar when I was 16 and Phil Joel was my inspiration. He was so cool (still is). He was a surfer dude, he'd play bass barefoot on stage, and held the bass like it was a double bass. I emulated him (without the long hair) perfectly. I wanted to be just like him. I'll never forget one show I went to where he sang a medley of Entertaining Angels and Jason Upton's "No Sacrifice." It was life-changing.

You're probably wondering, if this band was so great, what on earth happened? Well, let me tell you. It all started the day Peter Furler left.

Peter Furler was with the band from its inception (sans Leo DiCaprio). He was their drummer and then when the original lead singer, John James, left, Furler stepped up to the microphone (pun intended). And the Newsboys continued to be awesome. In fact, I believe they got better. In the Peter Furler era, their best albums came out, including "Thrive" and "Step Up to The Microphone".

Needless to say, I was devastated when Peter Furler said he would be stepping down. I may have cried a little. But I was optimistic. I mean, this is the Newsboys were talking about here. They're incredible. They'll have a brilliant solution and continue to be awesome... ....right?

CHAPTER 3: THE DOWNFALL

Boy, was I wrong.

They picked Michael Tait to be the front man. Yes, that Michael Tait. As in, dc Talk's Michael Tait. I won't get into dc Talk here. That's a blog post for another day. Plus, it's too depressing to think about. I listen to the "Jesus Freak" album religiously (pun intended once again) even to this day. But to enlighten you, dc Talk was another juggernaut of a Christian rock group. They were huge, just like the Newsboys. But the beauty of these two bands was that they were separate. There were the Newsboys and then there was dc Talk. Not together. Never together. It's like putting Mick Jagger and David Bowie together. It should never, ever happen. Ever.

But they did it anyway. And it was awful. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure Tait is a great guy. But there's a reason why he was the third-most important member out the the three members of dc Talk. It's like when A.J. from the Backstreet Boys went solo. No one cared. Have any of you heard Tait's solo work? Of course not. You have better things to do, like file your nails or organize your sock drawer.

So now we have the latest version of the Newsboys. As a small blessing, Peter Furler came back as a producer and to aid in songwriting, but that's it. No singing or playing. And instead we have a 45 year-old in tight leather pants trying to sing the Breakfast Song. It's insulting. I won't even try to find a video of him singing it because I'm pretty sure God will smite me for doing so. And the albums they've come out with in the last couple of years have been sub-par. They're lacking the brilliant metaphors and wit that we have come to expect out of this group. And the stage presence they had is gone as well. It seems that now they rely more on their reputation to carry them along than anything else. Simply put, Tait tries too hard and fails miserably.

EPILOGUE

Well, there you have it. And now on with some damage control. I want to apologize first to my readers for having to endure my ranting. Second, I'm sorry, Michael Tait, for being so mean. But you should of known better. And when you leave the Newsboys, can you get dc Talk back together? Thanks. Third, I'm sorry, Newsboys, for refusing to listen to your music for the last three years. But I'm giving you the silent treatment like a 15 year-old girl would.

I'm holding onto hope because the Newsboys' long-time guitarist, Jody Davis, came back after a five-year hiatus, so maybe Peter Furler will do the same. Maybe the archangel, Gabriel, will come to him in a dream and tell him to stop being lame and get back up there and save the day. Please stand with me in fervent expectation.

Let's throw Thanksgiving a pity party

Let's face it, Thanksgiving got the holiday shaft.

Try to remember the time when you actually cared about Thanksgiving. When you actually cared about those poor Pilgrims coming over on the Mayflower, and then being starving, cold, and miserable, and then finally the Indians (excuse me, I mean Native Americans) coming to the rescue. And now, to commemorate the Native Americans (what a mouthful, is that why Chris Columbus called them Indians?) being awesome, we have a holiday. We learned that all in school, probably when we were like five years old, and it was cool because we got to spend the weeks before Thanksgiving drawing cornucopias, tracing our hands to make drawings of turkeys, making Pilgrim hats and paper feathers to stick in our hair, etc. Ah, the halcyon days of youth!

But once you get to an age where it looks ridiculous doing arts & crafts, it all goes down the tubes. Thanksgiving is no longer anything special.

For those of you who might want to argue with me, let's review what could possibly make Thanksgiving a great holiday. Here are some possibilities and why they're wrong:

1) Religion

It's not a religious holiday. Yeah, I know, the Pilgrims came to the new world to escape religious persecution. But Thanksgiving wasn't formed the day they stepped off the boat. It was founded on what happened after a horrific winter where everyone pretty much died. It's more of a celebration that they survived. Plus, no one goes to church on Thanksgiving. We either participate in the Turkey Trot, a Turkey Bowl, cook, or, if we're in NYC, attend the parade.

2) Santa Claus

We don't get presents. Which is not cool. Santa doesn't come on this day. Knowing this is almost as devastating as when I realized that Paul Revere does not come galloping on his horse into town to deliver presents on Independence Day.

3) Weather

In Buffalo, the weather always sucks on Thanksgiving. Rare is it where we can look out a window and see a beautiful, snow-covered landscape. I can remember only one year we actually had snow. And maybe one year where it was sunny and warm. Most of the time it's raining. And it's not a pleasant summer rain. It's a freezing, awful rain. Everything is muddy and gross and cold.

4) Music

There are no Thanksgiving songs. Seasonal songs don't count because most of them include snow and if you didn't skip #3, then you know that we don't get snow. In case you don't know what a seasonal song is, think of "Sleigh Ride".

5) Traditions

99% of American families have only two traditions with Thanksgiving. Food and football. Except those aren't traditions. This is America and that's all we do - eat food and watch football. Thanksgiving isn't any different. Now we just have an excuse to pig out and watch the Detroit Lions lose in the middle of the week.

6) Family

OK, I'll admit, it is nice to see the family, but that's just me. So many people I talk to don't stop complaining about having to see the in-laws or complaining about how many stops they need to make during the day. Plus, obviously, you will see them all in a month anyway for Christmas.

The bottom line is, because of these factors, no one really cares about Thanksgiving. We could of called it anything, as long as people can still eat & watch football on a random Thursday, we're all OK. And if Thanksgiving was so important, why on earth does it not get its own day, like Christmas? The third Thursday of November? Really?!?? The holiday really got boned on that one. At least Easter has a little logic involved. Something about a full moon, Lent, Jesus, vampires, or something. And who picked Thursday, anyway? Random.

All that being said, I'm glad we have Thanksgiving because I'm a pig, I like watching football, I like my family, and I still secretly draw turkeys using my hand as a stencil. And of course, there are always extenuating circumstances as to why maybe, in your specific situation, Thanksgiving is especially special. But for the collective America, it's safe to say that Thanksgiving got the shaft.

The Best and Worst Christmas Films Ever

It's about a week until Thanksgiving, so you know what that means! It's Christmastime! But really, it is. Local Buffalo radio stations like 102.5 and 96.1 have been playing seasonal music for a couple of weeks now, every retail store in America is decked out in decorations, homeowners are beginning to decorate their houses, etc, etc. And of course this stirs up some anger and irritation in people where they begin to rant and rave about how "it's too early" and "it's not even Thanksgiving yet". But not me. Personally, I love listening to Christmas music all year round. A close friend and I have been notorious for driving around Buffalo, belting out Faith Hill's "Where Are You Christmas" in July. 

I remember the movie Garden State with Zach Braff (what ever happened to him anyway?), where Natalie Portman's (the girl who turns into a swan in a later movie) character has a Christmas tree up at her house all year. That's my kind of girl. I love this time of year. So if the world starts early with Christmas, I'm on board.

But I digress. I have a purpose for this post, I truly do. Just bear with me.  Let's say that we live in a cruel, terrible world where an ordinary citizen is only allowed to watch a total of three Christmas movies each holiday season. OK, OK, stop weeping. It's merely a hypothetical situation. In the real world, we have ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas (yay!). So no worries. But back to imaginary land... You have to pick 3 movies. That's it. What would you choose? You don't have to worry because I have incredible taste in Christmas films. Below is the absolute best three Christmas movies of all time. And for good measure, below is also the absolute worst three Christmas movies of all time. And trust me, the good ones are great, and the bad ones are god-awful.

P.S. These are also Jesus' top 3 and bottom 3, so you can't argue with me. He told me himself.

THE BEST

3) The Santa Clause
This movie is fantastic. Tim Allen at his best (when he's not Buzz Lightyear). The entire movie is hilarious and is universal. As much as I loved it as a kid, I know I will love it just as much as a middle-aged man. This is the movie that my brother would beg for us to watch when it was his turn to pick the movie. And that was in June. And we were totally OK with it. If you don't like this movie, you probably don't have any friends.
Watch the trailer here

2) Elf
This movie was a pleasant surprise. It has been a long time since a great Christmas movie has come out before Elf did. In fact, I believe the last great film was #3 on our list. And that's a nine year difference. And Jon Favreau (the man behind the Iron Man movies) blesses us with this instant classic. Elf is freaking amazing. Will Ferrell is a genius actor. He was absolutely perfect for the role. And getting Sonny Corleone, I mean, James Caan, in it was also a brilliant move. I could outline some of the best scenes, but there are too many. A friend and I were quoting this movie together and laughing just thinking about the scenes. That's how good it is. This movie will be a timeless classic for many, many years. Just like #1 on the list.
Watch the trailer here

1) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
OK, just to clarify which Rudolph movie I'm talking about, this is the 1964 stop-motion TV special with Burl Ives as Sam the Snowman. The other ones, I am proud to say, I have never seen. And I don't plan to. Because this version, the Burl Ives one, is 47 years old and is as amazing today as I'm sure it was when my father saw it when it first aired (because he's old).  Plus it has Burl in it. And Burl is fantastic. I will have this a movie my kids see when I'm a parent and I hope they continue the tradition.
Watch clips here

Because you all will complain, here are some honorable mentions: National Lampoon Christmas Vacation, Home Alone, It's A Wonderful Life, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, White Christmas, and A Muppet's Christmas Carol.

THE WORST

3) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2: Cousin Eddie's Island Adventure.
For the record, the longer the title, the worse the movie will be. It never fails. Case in point: this wanna-be Christmas flick. Chevy Chase intelligently stayed away from it and so the starring role went to Randy Quaid (the crazy pilot from Independence Day). I never saw it (thank the dear Lord), but I have heard from a trusted source that it's pretty darn bad. So I will continue to stay away from it.

Watch the trailer here. Oh wait never mind. The movie was so bad, I can't even find a trailer video for it.

2) Fred Claus
Most of you probably haven't seen this. Good for you. It's got Paul Giamatti playing Santa and Vince Vaughn playing his idiot brother. And speaking of idiots, this movie idiotic. It's so lame. The comedy is few and far in-between. I can't believe Rachel Weisz wanted to do this and yet wouldn't do a third Mummy movie (I still haven't forgiven her for that).
Watch the trailer here

1) Eight Crazy Nights
Let's just forget that this is technically a Hanukkah movie. It's still the same season. Question: What do you get when you add an animated movie, a musical, and Adam Sandler?  Answer: A crappy movie. The movie is crude, dirty, and pointless. And it's not even funny. It's a complete waste of time. And the animation drew the Adam Sandler character to look like the actual Adam Sandler. Didn't the creators of A Scanner Darkly do the same thing? And look how that turned out! They never learn...
Watch the trailer here

Some honorable mentions: Frosty Returns, Bad Santa, Jack Frost, Christmas with the Kranks, and Four Christmases.

Now you know which movies to watch this season, and which movies to buy DVD copies of and then burn ceremoniously in your backyard. Let me know if I missed something or if you actually think that Fred Claus was funny (because it wasn't).

Why Facebook is destroying America (and the world)

So why is Facebook destroying everything we know and love?

One word: Accountability.

The biggest issue with Facebook is that no one is accountable for their actions on this blessed/cursed social networking site. People can just post, comment, link, like, tag, etc., etc., etc. whatever they want at any time they want, wherever they want to. And seldom are there repercussions for those actions.

I suppose if a dude posts that he got totally wasted last night, he might not nail that job interview the next day, or if the girl posts provocative photos, her father might ground her. That stuff is obvious. But what about the more seemingly trivial posts and comments. The ones that seem harmless. Who's watching out for those? No one. Absolutely no one.

What posts I'm talking about, you ask? Here's a list for you:

1) Any posts from someone who has seven more posts for the day. No one is that interesting. Please stop.
2) The dude who posts full chapters of the Bible. How about you just tell us the reference and we'll look it up ourselves.
3) The girl whose only posts are song lyrics. If you can't think of anything to say, log off.
4) The girl who comments on every post of every single friend she has, every day. You're trying way too hard and no one likes you.
5) The person who posts 50 pictures from the downtown drinking fest they were at last night. If there's anything more unattractive than you, it's you when you're drunk.
6) The person who comments on photos or posts from years ago. No one else wants to reminisce. You just brought up a time we probably all want to forget.
7) Girls whose only photos of themselves are with the "duckface." It is rarely, if ever, attractive. Just smile. You'll be surprised at how gorgeous girls can be if they would just smile.
7b) Guys who do the duckface. You need to be taken out back and shot
8) People who use Facebook to constantly gripe about every issue they have. If your grandmother is in the hospital, then yes, you can let us know. If you're fighting with your 7th boyfriend in the last 3 months, we could care less.
9) Disastrously bad spelling. You most likely have a full keyboard in front of you and some form of spellcheck. Type like someone who spent at least one day in school.

And my favorite...

10) People who put hashtags in their posts. I'll make this very simple for you people. HASHTAGS ARE FOR TWITTER. They don't work in Facebook (if you even know what they're for). So you can stop.

My last issue is for those that can say that they don't do any of the above, yet do something just as wrong. A wise man once said, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." I'm calling out all you enablers out there. The ones that comment and applaud these wrongdoers, telling them that it's ok to use Facebook in such a delinquent way. It is the friends of these misusers of Facebook that have an obligation of holding them to a higher standard.

So to answer the question, who's holding these people accountable?

We all should.

FEEDBACK: Do you have another issue with how people use Facebook? Please share below!

Halloween is the best holiday EVER

OK, I don't really think that Halloween is the best holiday ever. I was just trying to get your attention. You see, as Christians, we have no idea how to handle this holiday. As in other topics such as this, we end up going on one extreme side or the other.


Being totally honest, I feel like Halloween has gotten the shaft by Christians. I know that Halloween has less than stellar origins. All of this talk of druids, paganism, and sacrifices make it a little unnerving to people. Plus, the whole idea of scary stories, costumes, and darker decorations is contradictory to the light, innocent pastel colors of other holidays that make people feel warm and fuzzy. Sometimes I wonder if Christians don't like to celebrate it simply because it's the one major holiday that doesn't have religious origins. 

I have to admit though, I like Halloween. And it comes down to two reasons: 1) I love candy and 2) I love Fall (maybe also because I love toilet papering houses).

Let me be frank, who really cares of the origins of Halloween? When two adorable little kids dressed up as a princess and a teenage mutant ninja turtle show up at your doorstep, yelling out "trick or treat" in singsong voices, are you going to scream at them for being heathens, leave them with a copy of the Gospel of John, and anoint them with oil? Of course not! You're going to give them each a couple of fun-sized Kit Kat bars (my personal favorite) and send them along. And you'll smile, thinking about how desperate they are to eat that deliciousness but mom won't let them because she has to check for razor blades first.

Well guess what, Halloween-hater, you just unwittingly endorsed Halloween. Your argument is invalid.

The only other point I have is how Halloween can be a time to appreciate the season. Fall is by far my favorite season (I'll probably save most of the gushing for a separate post). The colors, apple cider, cool evenings, pumpkins, etc, it's the best. When I think of Halloween, I think of Fall. It's a beautiful time of year and a way to celebrate it without thinking about psycho family members, Black Friday, and icy roads.


Bottom line, if you have a serious beef with Halloween, lighten up. In this day and age, no one is sacrificing virgins, or worshiping goats. Instead, we're dressing up as ghosts and Spiderman, and getting loads of candy. We're chaperoning kids down streets for hours. We're chasing punk teenagers off our property with a water hose. We're carving pumpkins and drinking hot apple cider (ew). We're watching Nightmare on Elm Street for the eightieth time and still freaking out. We've secretly DVRed Casper (not me, I swear). Let's enjoy it!


Here's a video for some smiles. (I apologize for the random song playing over it)

The fail-proof formula to see if you're getting into heaven

One of the greatest theological debates of our time is in answering the question, "How does one get into heaven?" A valid question, indeed. While this may be looking at it too "black-and-white," most people fall into one of two categories. Good works or grace. Some of the other labels are "the law or grace", "religion or relationship", "Old Testament or New", etc. Well, I'm not here to judge one or the other. In fact, Pastor Robert Morris has a great teaching on how both are relevant today. Regardless of what side of the fence you're on, I have developed a infallible, mathematical formula to determine your eternal destination. You can thank me later.

For the "grace" people, the formula fairly straightforward.

----
Accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior = Heaven-bound
----

Simple and to the point. Hard to get confused. Sure, there's a bit more to it, but read Romans and John to start off and you'll be OK.

For the more "law-abiding" ones, it gets a bit harried. Wish me luck as I try to type this out.

----
(The age you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior) + (The number of Republicans you voted for) + (How many church-approved instruments you play) - (The number of times you held the hand of a girl or guy outside of marriage) / [(The number of boyfriends or girlfriends you had before marriage - How many kids you have that are following the Lord) + (The number of tattoos on your body - Your average tithe amount)] + (How many Bible college classes you've taken - How many non-Bible college classes you've taken)   =   Heaven-bound 
----

Let's face it. We're all screwed.



EDITOR'S NOTE: I would also like to point out that if you did not vote for Bush in both the 2000 and 2004 elections, you have a zero chance of making it past the Pearly Gates. George is Jesus' home-boy.

The Top 10 Christian Songs Of All Time

I've been a Christian virtually my entire life. My parents became Christians when I was two years old and so, as far back as I remember, I've been going to church, living in a Christian house, and the like. My parents have always been awesome. But they did have some pretty firm rules while growing up (of which I am grateful). For instance, I wasn't allowed to watch PG-13 movies until I was 15 and every other TV channel was blocked. Included in that was what kind of music I was allowed to listen to. To give you an idea, I though the rapper Eminem spelled his name "M & M".

Consequently, the only music I listened to was Christian music. And I've always loved music and so naturally, I listened to a lot of Christian music. Truth be told, compared to all of the music out there in the world, Christian music represents of very small percentage. Furthermore, most Christians were like me and only listened to that kind of music. So it comes to no surprise that we'd all gravitate to a few songs that really appealed to us. Additionally, because of the relatively low output of songs year after year, some of these songs we loved remain our favorites today. Almost to the point of obsession.

I now have the great privilege of listing what I believe to be the top 10 Christian songs of all time. And boy, was it fun writing this up. This is mostly subjective, but I am doubtful that anyone will dispute that any of these songs deserves to be up here, just maybe in a different order.

I had a couple of issues to address in writing this, however. The first dealt with the inclusion of some straight-up worship songs. Do they deserve immunity from getting roasted (however lightly)? Maybe yes, maybe no. I decided to compromise and limit the worship songs to only a few. The other issue I came across was selecting songs that were written in the early 1980s or earlier. I'm sure there were some great ones from those days, but none that I can think of (besides #2 on this list) that have lived on as much as these have and as powerfully.

So sit back and enjoy the show!

THE LIST

10. He Reigns - Newsboys 

In the 1990s and early 2000s, I don't think there was a more popular Christian band than the Newsboys. They were phenomenal musicians and songwriters, and their live shows were epic. It was no surprise that when they released their first worship album, Adoration, in 2003, the world freaked out. People were hoping for the Newsboys to do this for a long time. And the best song on the album was titled "He Reigns." It was a solid song; classic Peter Furler singing about people all over the world declaring that God reigns. It was rocky enough to make the radio airwaves and worshipful enough to find its way into churches, albeit for a short time.

Listen/Watch here. P.S. I love Phil Joel's hair.

9. Christmas Shoes - Newsong

I'm sorry, but I just HAD to put this song on the list. I couldn't resist. Most of you know this song as the super sappy, depressing, Christmas song about a poor boy, his dying mother, and a pair of shoes. Newsong even had the audacity to have little kids sing the ending refrains of the song. It pulled at everyone's heartstrings, including the mainstream media, and became a sensation. On local radio, it was played every fifth song on Star 102.5 during the Christmas season. It became movies (starring Rob Lowe!), plays, and more. It came out in 2000 and is still going strong today. I don't believe we'll ever escape its omnipresence. Or its cheesiness.

Listen/Watch here.

8. Voice of Truth - Casting Crowns

Casting Crowns came out of nowhere. One minute they're a no-name youth band from a small church, the next thing you know, they're playing to sold-out crowds across the country. And it all started with their first, self-titled album. Voice of Truth was a solid track. Appealing to people of all ages. It was cool sounding enough, but had deep enough lyrics that made it popular with just about everyone. I thought it was awesome when I was 16. And my parents thought it was awesome in their 40s. That song and that album cemented Casting Crowns' place in the Christian music community as a powerhouse not long after its release.

Listen/Watch here.

7. Shout to the Lord - Hillsong/Darlene Zschech
Quite honestly, I'm a little nervous to be talking about this song. I'm afraid if I make fun of it, I will become a pariah in the Christian circles. I'm not entirely sure why people are absolutely crazy about this song, but they are. A little background first: the song came out in Hillsong's prime. Unfortunately, Hillsong has been overshadowed by their little brother, Hillsong United, for a few years now, and they have yet to come out with a solid album like they did in the mid- to late 90s. But those mid-90s songs were super popular. Not only "Shout to the Lord," but also "All Things Are Possible" and "This is How We Overcome," to name a few. Ah, fond memories. But "Shout to the Lord", I'm convinced, will never die. The song came out in 1994 and is still in CCLI's top 25 list, at number 14, no less. That's impressive. Plus, the American Idol contestants did it only a few years ago and it made iTunes' top 10 list for a few weeks. Personally, I think it's a bit dated, but one can't discount its influence and popularity.
Listen/Watch Hillsong's version here.
Listen/Watch American Idol's version here. I apologize that the first person you see in the video is Ryan Seacrest.

6. Jesus Freak - dcTalk
Now this is my kind of music. I was a HUGE fan of dcTalk in their heyday. If they ever came back, I would jump back on that bandwagon. And this song, I believe, is their best ever. Or at least in the top 3. The song represented the rebellious side of Christians (if there is one). It was challenging, loud, and fun. It was one of my first cassette tapes when it came out in 1995 and I still have it to this day (plus on CD). Plus, the whole album was amazing. I guarantee I still have the whole album memorized.
Listen/Watch here.

5. Breakfast - Newsboys
Speaking of epic, classic, Christian songs, how can you forget the Breakfast song by the Newsboys? I don't think people realize how influential this song is. For hundreds of years, people have viewed Christians as stuffy, prudish, holier-than-thou snobs. And then the Newsboys come out with a hilarious, catchy tune that shows the world that Christians can be fun too. All while teaching that they don't serve breakfast in hell. What a great lesson for kids and adults alike. It also did a good job loosening up those Christians that truly were a bit stuffy.
Listen here.

4. You Raise Me Up - Josh Groban
I have to be straight with you all. I hate this song. I never liked it. But for some reason, everyone else did. Let the record show that Josh Groban didn't write this. A guy named Rolf Lovland did. But it was Groban's version that made it such a hit. The girls liked it for Josh Groban (he's so dreamy), my choir teacher in high school liked it because it made for a good concert tune, and Christians, I believe, liked it because the whole world liked it. There's nothing like a Christian song getting validation from the secular world for it to suddenly become popular (see #1). I read reports that said it was one of the most covered songs of all time. Good for Josh, the only one-hit wonder on the list.
Listen/Watch here.

3. Here I Am to Worship - Tim Hughes
This worship song can be roped in there right alongside number 7 on the list, "Shout to the Lord." - a worship song that will never die. For whatever reason, this song really hit home for millions of Christians. It even sounds good in Spanish. A little more recent than "Shout to the Lord", coming out in 2001, but yet another song that has power behind it that will move people for years to come. And I have to admit, I haven't heard it in a while and then at the DC*B show I went to last year, they played it and it sounded incredible. I guess all a song like that needs is a little touching up and it will just keep on playing. It also introduced Tim Hughes to the world as another excellent British worship leader like Matt Redman or Martin Smith.
Listen here.

2. Amazing Grace - Traditional Hymn
It was tough not making this song number 1, but it certainly deserves the number 2 slot. Can you think of a more popular worship song? The song is truly immortal. It's the one worship song that will be accepted by super conservative Methodists and crazy Pentacostals alike. Old people adore it, and young people graciously accept it (especially since Chris Tomlin did a remake of it). Nevertheless, everything about the song is incredibly awesome. The story behind it, the words of it, etc. There's something about it that, even though it is almost 250 years old, it still resonates in the hearts of Christians across the globe. On top of that, the song's history was made into a major motion picture.
Listen/Watch Chris Tomlin's version here.
Watch the Amazing Grace movie trailer here. It stars Mr. Fantastic and Albus Dumbledore

1. I Can Only Imagine - MercyMe

No question that this song is number one. The main reason? It's the only Christian song to be downloaded more than 1 million times. Plus, everyone was obsessed with this song. I remember being at a MercyMe concert and as soon as the opening notes on the piano started playing, the reaction was deafening. It was the loudest I've ever heard a crowd at a Christian concert. I'll never forget when this song went viral in mainstream circles. It's sad that it happened under extremely tragic circumstances. Major radio stations across the nation played this after the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster occured on February 1, 2003. It became a bigger hit than ever before. But for good reason. It is truly an amazing song. I get chills to this day listening to it. Don't deny it, you do too.

Listen/Watch here.

Honorable Mentions

Shine - Newsboys

Who Am I - Casting Crowns

Dare You to Move - Switchfoot

Blessed Be Your Name - Matt Redman

Colored People - dcTalk

How Great is Our God - Chris Tomlin

So there you have it. The list. I'd appreciate any comments. Let me know if I missed something. I'm sure I did. But it sure was fun. It brought back a lot of fond, sometimes cheesy, always wonderful memories.

References:

CCLI

YouTube

Wikipedia

As an aside, in my research for this post, I came across this website. It was incredibly entertaining. The author believes that "Imagine" by John Lennon and "Fix You" by Coldplay are both worship songs. I encourage you to visit the site and laugh along with me at its ridiculousness.