This year was a banner year for Christian music, which is exploding in popularity. The most wonderful thing about Christian music as a genre is that it does not adhere to one style. All over the world people have been writing faithful tunes in a myriad of styles to suit any musical palate. In case you missed them, we’ve assembled a short list of some of the most important musical stories of the year.
1. Avril Lavigne crosses over to Christian music with latest Top 5 single
Canadian singer/songwriter Avril Lavigne just dropped her first single in half a decade and it’s already sitting at number 5 on the Christian Billboard chart. That’s right, the famed pop-punk idol has crossed over into the Christian music genre with her latest release, “Head Above Water.”
2. MercyMe’s Bart Millard says new movie ‘I Can Only Imagine’ is a “redemption story worth being told”
The movie is a touching work that explores the themes of redemption, faith, and the triumph of the human spirit. J. Michael Finley, who plays Bart, gave an especially thrilling performance for his big screen debut.
We had an opportunity to sit down with Bart and ask him a few questions about his story and the making of the motion picture.
3. Watch this Irish priest rock British talent show with cover of R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts”
Father Ray left the room speechless after his audition on Britain’s Got Talent, an occurrence more rare than receiving four “yeses.” As his rendition of R.E.M’s “Everybody Hurts” ended, the entire auditorium was silent until Simon Cowell led the crowd in a standing ovation. He was then universally accepted by the panel of judges.
4. Andrea Bocelli reimagines the Ave Maria
Andrea Bocelli dropped his newest album, Sì, and since then he has become the first classical artist to reach #1 on the Official UK Album charts since the Three Tenors, in 1994.
5. The TOP 30 Catholic Music Artists of 2018
This year saw a lot of remarkable recordings released by faithful musicians all over the world, in just about every genre. Though there may be differences in styles, they share themes of faith, love, and hope, which unites them as Catholics and as artists.
6. Lose yourself in the absolute beauty of sacred choral music
The Catholic faith has a deep-seated tradition of downright gorgeous music that goes back over 1,000 years. In fact, the advancement of music in Western civilization was primarily driven by the desire to create beautiful hymns in order to better honor the glorious name of God.
And today we celebrate...