Favorite Albums of 2005

[Brwn_eyes0511]

The label answer is getting a little closer that to what I'm asking about, but then the question becomes, why sign up with a "Christian" label? Why do these artists choose to restrict themselves to a "Christian" music audience (because, once you label yourself as a "Christian" musician, that's largely what you're doing) rather than just put their music out there for the whole of the population to discover?

Like they are going to be that picky about who is signing them!!! Would you turn down any label deal? And also her label is promoted by Sony/Epic, which actually just started with her new record that came out Tuesday. So hopefully this means they are going to try and push her into the larger arena occupied by Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant, MercyMe, Swithfoot...ect....

1) Kanye West is one of the biggest "secular" music stars in the world right now, and he had a HUGE hit single last year with the song "Jesus Walks," the chorus of which is, "(Jesus Walk)/God show me the way 'cause the Devil's tryin' to break me down/(Jesus Walk with me)/The only thing that I pray is that my feet don't fail me now/(Jesus Walk)/And I don't think there is nothing I can do now to right my wrongs/(Jesus Walk)/I want to talk to God but I'm afraid 'cause we ain't spoke in so long." Incidentally, the song also grapples with this same idea of yours, that the music industry won't embrace a song about Jesus. But the song's massive success proves that idea dead wrong.

A rap artist who thinks that "President Bush doesn't care about black people"... Yea he is really going to appeal to a large Christian audience.

2) Sufjan Stevens is an artist who is very open about his Christianity, and a number of songs on his album Illinois are religious in nature. Critics have almost universally praised the album as one of the year's best, and it's become a commercial success by most independent music standards.

A person I have never even heard of! Aren't they sort of in the "limited" boat as well...If you have never heard of Sara and I have never heard of this person.

from Willie Nelson's 1976 gospel album The Troublemaker

Country artist....

to John Coltrane's 1964 masterpiece A Love Supreme.

the early 1960's....

You seem to have this dichotomous idea of the music world where there are self-labelled "Christian" artists who write songs about their religion, and then there are "secular" artists who write only about secular matters. But this simply isn't the case. There are many "secular" artists on "secular" labels who write music that deals with generally religious and/or specifically Christian themes and issues. And since this is the case, and everybody seems to be co-existing rather nicely, my question is why some artists feel the need to segregate themselves as "Christian" artists, shutting themselves off from the broader music industry.[/QUOTE]

Because it is a large conspiracy to make you all angry.

And in case you haven't noticed there are a lot of Christian artist are ARE well known and have made it in the secular music world. Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, MercyMe, Switchfoot, Staci Orrico, etc...

And look this isn't some sort of judgmental call on anyone’s part. I listen to ALL types of music. I just think it is unfair to criticize the Christian music industry. If you don't like it then don't listen. I just find it hilarious that it is more accepted in today’s world to sing about "f*cking" then it is to sing about the love of Christ.