Top 10 Christian Songs I Hate to Love
Wednesday August 20, 2008
Categories: Christian music
My friends and I have been having fun lately emailing a list back and forth of what are the best of the worst Christian songs we grew up listening to. You know, those songs that are enjoyable, with lyrics you...
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I liked that Amy Grant song, but it definitely has that "insider" tone to it...not a good choice for spreading the Good News, that's for sure.
It goes way back to 1977, but Gary Paxton, who had big pop hits like Alley Oop,Along Comes Mary, and Hurray For Hazel, came out with a lulu of a dud called, "Will There Be Hippies In Heaven?"
I'm a Christian but must live on another planet. I've heard of exactly one of these songs.
Great list, You should have put some of the old veggie tales tunes on here though.... like where is my hairbrush?..... I'm only 20 and I've sung 7 out of these 10. I've lived the youth group life to its fullest. lol
I personally love the song "FRIENDS" it was sang when my daughter went off to live with her dad, also was sang @ my grandmother's funeral. This song to me is one of the greastest gospel songs I've ever heard next to the song "Where was GOD?"
Good call on nearly all of these---except for the fact that Michael W. Smith's early album's and the entirety of Carmen's recorded songs belong here too, though there's only so much you can do with ten songs. Two unmentioned groups that produced a lot of good music but several howlers too: Stryper and Petra.
I can't believe that "Baby Baby" by Amy Grant wasn't mentioned, now that's cheese.
Another rotten song is "God Is Love" by Cindy Morgan. She mentions "blowing bubbles with your mouth". She can't even pronounce the word LOVE in the song, she instead says, "Our God is la la la la la la la la."
Finally, "I Smile" by Russ Lee is one of those songs I cringe at hearing. His whiny voice coupled with a bad song whose chorus doesn't put a smile on your face.
Friends and Fat Baby were favorites of mine. I guess they really are cheesy when you think about it. I think "Friends" just got way too much play...overdone and worn out. "Fat Baby" was a novelty song to begin with. I don't know any of the other songs, but then, I'm 50 and got out of the CCM scene for years. I may have heard the Randy Stonehill song, I'm not sure. He did one called "Shut de doe" that was cute/silly. There is also the great Keith Green song "So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt" which I always loved... listening to it now, it really sounds corny.
Some of the songs are cheese. Some of the songs I still like to hear and sing today. The Bishop made the decision to close some of the churches in our Diocese and the church I attended was one of the chruches closed. It closed August 10th, 2008, after 68 years. I was one of 8 people who sang in the choir and my sister was the lead soloist and my brother-in-law was the music director, they sang the song "Friends" as a gift to our fellowship, everyone tried not to cry, but the tears just flowed as the two of them sang and they kept their eyes closed to get through the song. "Well its time to let you go in the Fathers hands we know that a life times not to long to live as friends". Our choir was small but mighty and all our voices blended well together. We sang a lot of Christian songs that were not sung in most Catholic Churches and that is unusual for a Catholic church. Then again we were not a typical Catholic Church. The song "Friends" will always be special to me. Another song I like is by Point of Grace called "How You Live". "Its not who you knew, its not what you did, its how you live". Even if the songs are cheese they still make me smile, laugh and fill me with hope and a stronger faith.
to me FRIENDS by Michael W Smith is a true song friends are friends forever if the lord the lord of them if the lord is in your life you will have good friends that will help you when you are down and out i know when i go to church and had a bad week and the devil comes at you like he always dose i can go to church see my FRIENDS and there smileing faces does my heart good i praise GOD every day for them may GOD bless you much love jackie
Am I showing my age or does anyone remember Keith Green's "So you wanna go back to Egypt"? If I had a dime for everytime I uttered "Manna again!?" to what was being served in the cafeteria, I could have paid off all my old student loans tenfold.
c'mon! shine is a great song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey ! I'm 40yrs old and I still like christian Rap and Gospel I enjoy listening to Carmen songs for years. I like hearing the testomonies lyrics in the Rap songs because their real stuff!! Keep on, Keep on for JESUS... Bless u
Cherie B.
hehe, i love CCM and Christian rock, but i have to admit, there's often enough cheese to give one a heartattack.
At one time I would have take issue with this lyrical testimony to
relate & fulfill generational gaps..it is a God thing to me..He chooses to be in touch with all generations,all needs, all answers to
???s whatever religious environment generational variety & diversity
pose to seek their individual, even at times peer pressured doubts
of an answer !!! pass the faith on..ask for open ears to hear..for
avenues,roadways,places of worship that don't threaten..for respect!!
regardless of color,creed,decor,satanic challenges,disrespect of God
that eye to eye..one on one seeking Gods support..any angels want to
volunteer, or committed Christians ?? God answer the door..
Dont be so mean. Christian music can help us in our ups and down. if your ashame of what your doing means you dont love yourself and you dont belive in God.
God Bless
REGINA UY
I enjoy all Christian music.Some of the oldies and even more of the newbies. I think as long as we are getting God's word out,and it is making people want to come to a true knowledge of Who He is and that Satan is not in control, We are doing the right thing.
No weapon formed against us will prosper. Keep on Believing. He keeps on Working.
Love ya Carmen, You are a Great man of God.
Keep on keeping on.
Lori
Texas
On behalf of Amy, who couldn't be here tonight, I accept this award. I want to thank my parents, God, overweight children everywhere, and the Apostle Paul whose words in his letter to the Hebrews inspired the lyrics.
One note of correction. Amy sang the song during the Johnny Carson era of the Tonight Show. I too was stunned by her choice of material that night given the song's inside-humor-evangelical-wink-wink lyrics. But six months later when the royalty check arrived for that quarter I forgave her.
Rod Robison
"Fat Baby" lyricist
This is great. I am a big fan of Christian music, but I can definitely relate to those songs that you really hope won't pop up on the "shuffle" feature of your iPod when friends are over. I think that certain Rebecca St. James songs are also worthy of this list.
Christian music has been a great inspiration to me! I even love some of those songs on the list, but sometimes they just elicit a little sigh and an eyeroll before changing the song.
Thanks for the humor!
Rod, a brilliant pianist at a relative's church banged out "Fat Baby" (coincidentally) on request after the service last Sunday. Sorry, no royalty check this time.
Can't totally agree with the posted list but music definitely has a season and I personally can't stand listening to the old stuff. For the most part CCM has always been a substandard ripoff (stylistically) of whatever's popular in the secular market at the time.
We still sing "Big House" at the camp I work at...
"Breakfast" by Newsboys I don't even know why I like it...
It's a rather new song, and I hate to admit that I actually like it... because it is for children... but..
"Rainbows" by Hillsong.. for kids...
I hate to disagree on one of them but "Friends" by Michael W. Smith will be an eternal favorite for me. It not only reminds me of our high school graduation but of a dear classmate that passed away that same year while on a field trip to Cancun. We sang this at his funeral.
How about "Noah" by David and the Giants? or Petra's "Beyond Belief" or is that too old school???
To add my own:
Steve Taylor's Meltdown and It's the 80's by Daniel Amos
How about the beautiful "play on words" songs from Point of Grace:
Saving Grace:
A song about saving a little girl named Grace.
"Its all about saving grace
All about living love
Being jesus to those he came to save
Sharing life and giving our own away
Its all about serving god
All about saving grace"
And "The Great Divide":
"There's a bridge to cross the great divide...
There's a cross to bridge the great divide..."
I remember when listening to "Christian" music that wasn't hymns played on the church organ and piano consisted of Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, DeGarmo & Key, and Sandy Patti. They must have done a lot of talking in between songs back then because there wasn't much in the rotation.
Petra (Greg X. Volts era), Steve Taylor (Tuesday was Christian skate night at the skating rink in Crown Point, IN and we skated to everything this man ever sang), and a few others only came to me via Columbia House.
In my early 20's I was introduced to the Newsboys, DC Talk, Audio Adrenaline and if you thought Stryper was cheese try Tourniquet (lots of potential to measure up to Metallica, but somehow the screeching was always out of tune, but it came in handy a few years ago when I had some rude neighbors with loud music. I proved that I could play something louder and more annoying.)
These days there are so many "Christian" music artists and bands that I can't keep track. But I'm okay with that. I enjoy being able to sing along with deeply spiritual songs some days and others I just want to head bang to non-offensive lyrics. Me likes the variety.
Cheesy lyrics are not reserved for Christian music though. Most secular music is completely lacking in this area too.
If you seek true lyrical talent, you must look to Weird Al.
For the record, the Cartoon Song is my least favorite and my choice for most annoying song. It was cute the first time I heard, but once was enough.
Oh, I have to disagree with "Big, Big House" and "Cartoon Song." I love those to death.
Breakfast by Newsboys
"When the toast is burned,
And all the milk has turned
And cap'n crunch is wavin' farewell.
When the big one finds you
May this song remind you
That they don't serve breakfast, in hell"
Might want to consider Mark Farner of GFR covering his own song "Some Kind of Wonderful" and changing the lyrics to give it a more religious feel making the song even cheesier than the original. Even with that being said it's a catchy song and I would only recommend it from the anonymity of the internet.
bhaha. this is hilarious... mos def... Who's in the house by carmen gets major nod for cheese factor!! I remember going to a kids camp [not youth] as a worker and the speaker pulled out this song and did a stupid [like flailing crazy man] dance to it I was embarrased...it was that bad!!
Ok now I LOVE breakfast by newsboys... its a classic...I despise the cartoon song! I just cringe everytime I hear it! AND you have to admit DC Talk got better with age...I still listen to supernatural cd...
Every song written for the honor of God has a place and a purpose. I would rather enjoy the variety and see the good in them. Different types of music touches the hearts of different types of people in different generations and different walks of life. There is no good in complaining about them.
big house nearly drove my wife and I crazy, but we love it because our daughter sang it all the time. Sher died when she was 14
So, you complain about a song because it mentions "Regis Philbin", you criticize a Newsboys song because of one line, even though the rest of the song is encouraging Christians to live a life that makes you "Shine, make 'em wonder what you got, make 'em wish that they were not, on the outside looking bored." And you cavetch about the "Cartoon Song" even though its a KID'S SONG. I'm sorry, but your pathetic. You're simply using this as a chance to bash bands and songs you personally don't like. Lame.
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