It’s no secret that college students are big music fans; quiet hours were not established for nothing. It is only natural then given the vast amount of music we stream into our ears we college students are quite selective about the music to which we listen.
Those college students inclined to listen to songs with more meaningful lyrics than the typical fare about dancing all night at the club may be disappointed with the lack of variety played on Christian radio stations. Most of the stations not only play a very narrow selection of music completely ignoring a treasure trove of fresher sounding Christian songs but they also play much the same music as they did two years ago and two years before that. Unbelievably many Christian artists have been living right under our noses showing up on MTV and on secular radio stations. This list of artists — both Christian artists with a mainstream appeal and secular artists with a faith-based background — comprise a comprehensive collection of artists whose music transcends secular/Christian boundaries.
The Rocket Summer — Although this one-man band composed of singer/instrumentalist/writer/producer Bryce Avary has songs that can be interpreted in a purely secular way such as the cheerful piano-infused power pop tune “So Much Love many of The Rocket Summer’s other songs clearly have a Christian influence. Songs such as Do You Feel” and “Break It Out” indicate a desire for making life meaningful. According to Avary The Rocket Summer’s most recent album “Of Men and Angels has a consistent theme about facing trials with an optimistic outlook that comes through faith in God. Avary, who is frequently involved in philanthropy and counts Jesus among his inspirations for his songs, started out on a mainstream record label to reach a broader audience before eventually switching to a Christian label.
This Providence — This pop punk band is technically secular, but the band members have a Christian background that shows through not only in the band name but also through a few of their songs such as My Beautiful Rescue which has a Christian message about God’s love and redemptive powers.
Relient K — Relient K has been on the Christian music circuit for quite some time, churning out CD after CD with clever ideas, tongue-in-cheek humor and meaningful lyrics. While their energetic, often piano-heavy power pop sound, led by singer Matt Thiessen’s clear-as-a-bell voice, has landed them appearances on MTV, thanks to mainstream songs such as the summery Must Have Done Something Right many of their songs also reveal the band’s Christian faith. I Need You” is ambiguous enough to appeal to mainstream listeners while still being at its core a song about God. On the more explicitly Christian end “Deathbed” is an ambitiously long song featuring guest vocals from Switchfoot’s front man Jon Foreman chronicling one man’s journey to Christ and the afterlife. “For the Moments I Feel Faint one of Relient K’s older songs, is a simple song that states, Never underestimate my Jesus” as Thiessen sings about how Christ gives him strength.
Underoath — Underoath is a metal band with Christian undertones. Though they have a mainstream sound their lyrics focus on the need for God. Some of their songs have shown up on Christian compilation CDs and they are known to pray before every show.
RED — RED is an alternative rock/metal band with a mainstream sound. Many non-Christians have heard of them and enjoy their music since many of their songs have crossed over onto secular radio but they also have a Christian background that is evident in their lyrics.
Country Music — Country music is one of the only genres where popular songs will explicitly talk about God. On one end of the country music spectrum are songs such as “Save a Horse Ride a Cowboy which clearly does not have a Christian message, but many country songs are very open about spirituality. Faith-centered country songs include Randy Travis’ Three Wooden Crosses” (among many more of his songs) Josh Turner’s “Long Black Train Brooks and Dunn’s Believe Jimmy Wayne’s I Love You This Much” and Tim McGraw’s “One of These Days to name a few.
This is only a very short list of artists whose music cuts across the divide between secular and Christian — if I were to list every artist who fits the description, this article would probably take up the whole newspaper. Hopefully these artists and others will inspire you through not only their music but also their faith.
