2009 Music Awards
10. DAVID CROWDER BAND: Remedy
2007, Modern rock, Christian praise & worship
Purchased new from Sound & Spirit for $6.59
Amazon.com sales rank: 7,936
Available at iTunes? Yes
My third David Crowder Band CD, and my third one to make the awards. He makes top notch worship albums, and this one is no exception.
Read more to see why I like it so much...
9. PAINTED ORANGE: Out Of Egypt
1996, Alternative, Christian thematic
Purchased used from Amazon third party for $3.91
Amazon.com sales rank: 266,937
MP3 tracks at Amazon? No, but their first album is
Available at iTunes? No, but their first album is
I discovered this album on someone’s blog! It has sounds that are reminiscent of The Cure, INXS, and other bands with danceable alternative rock.
Read more to see why I like it so much...
8. ANDY HUNTER: Colour
2008, Dance, Christian thematic & worldview
Purchased new from Amazon.com for $14.99
Amazon.com sales rank: 116,356
Available at iTunes? Yes
Highly disappointing for an Andy Hunter album for two reasons: There’s little high energy dance music here, and the lyrics are weak. His musicianship is outstanding as always, though.
Read more to see why I like it so much...
7. DEEP EFFECT
2005, Dance, Christian thematic
Purchased new at Amazon for $15.49
Amazon.com sales rank: 715,981
Available at iTunes? Yes
Desperate for all the Christian dance music I can get my hands on, I managed to find this CD. It’s mostly instrumental, but the songs with lyrics clearly focus on Christian themes.
Read more to see why I like it so much...
2005, Power pop, Christian thematic
Purchased new from Sound & Spirit for $6.59
Amazon.com sales rank: 510,572
Available at iTunes? Yes
It’s rare that a Nashville CCM album done by a producer with assigned songwriters would make my list, but I like the energy and the songs on this one.
6. THE GLORIOUS UNSEEN: Tonight The Stars Speak
2007, Modern rock, Christian vertical
Purchased new from Sound & Spirit for $6.59
Amazon.com sales rank: 108,743
Available at iTunes? Yes
This is my update for Something Like Silas’s “Divine Invitation.” Gorgeous floating guitars and deeply worshipful lyrics. An album to seek God with.
Read more to see why I like it so much...
4. DREAMLAB: Worship Revolutions, Mix 1
2009, Dance, Christian praise & worship
Purchased new at Amazon.com for $11.98
Amazon.com sales rank: 101,434
MP3 tracks at Amazon? No
Available at iTunes? Yes
I’ve worn out all my other electronic dance worship albums, so I was definitely glad to see this one released. These are beautiful, high quality versions of popular worship songs.
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2. VARIOUS ARTISTS: Moonlight Cathedral
2004, Gothic, Christian thematic & worldview
Purchased used from an Amazon third party for $14.88
Amazon.com sales rank: 602,282
MP3 tracks at Amazon? No
Available at iTunes? No
A compilation of gothic music, a mixture of electronic and guitar based, all with a dark and beautiful mood.
2001, Pop punk, Secular
Purchased new at Amazon.com for $3.33
Amazon.com sales rank: 43,690
Available at iTunes? Yes
I was a huge Go-Go’s fan in the 1980s, but I put off purchasing this album, doubting that it would be as good. I was wrong...it’s awesome!!!
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1.BON VOYAGE: Lies
2008, Synthpop, Christian worldview
Purchased used from Amazon third party for $5.95
Amazon.com sales rank: 168,694
Available at iTunes? Yes
Bon Voyage’s third album and the third to be #1 or #2 on my awards list. Very different in sound from their previous two, it’s still thoroughly Martinesque and delightful.
11. NORWAY: The Essence Of Norway
1999, Synthpop, Christian thematic & worldview
Purchased used from Amazon 3rd party for $3.69
Amazon.com sales rank: 295,515
Available at iTunes? Yes
Produced by Ronnie Martin (Joy Electric) on his record label, this is a mediocre and at times cheesy synthpop album. Yet I kept listening to it. There’s something catchy about it.
Go to full review...
12. MARY-KATHRYN: Dreams & Visions
2007, Adult album alternative with world beat flavors, Christian thematic
Purchased new from Amazon.com for $18.49
Amazon.com sales rank: 138,824
Available at iTunes? Yes
A gentle yet musically rich album, very well produced, filled with sounds that evoke a sense of world places.
Go to full review...
13. PLUMB: Chaotic Resolve
2006, Alternative, Christian worldview
Purchased new from Amazon.com for $8.99
Amazon.com sales rank: 13,306
Available at iTunes? Yes, plus iTunes exclusive remixes of the song “Cut” from this album
As with Plumb’s early albums, this fourth CD continues with themes of darkness in life. The music is mostly somewhat heavy and somber rock, but there are some other styles.
Go to full review...
15. DANIELSON FAMILY: Tell Another Joke At The OI’ Chopping Block
1997, Offbeat alternative, Christian thematic
Purchased new from Amazon.com for $13.48
Amazon.com sales rank: 151,819
Available at iTunes? Yes
My desperation for something completely different finally turned me on to this album I’ve had for years.
Read more to see why I like it so much...
14. t.A.T.u.: веселые улыбки
2008, Electronic pop, Secular
Purchased new from Amazon 3rd party for $19.97
Amazon.com sales rank: 52,368
Available at iTunes? Yes
Translated as “Happy Smiles,” the Russian duo t.A.T.u.’s third album is decidedly more electronic than their previous albums, a sound I like very much. The emotions are more subdued, but still deep.
Read more to see why I like it so much...
Music Central is a sub-website of J Lee Harshbarger’s personal website. To visit other sub-websites, click the links below.
Note: Please see the web page “Annual Music Awards” for a complete description of the way the awards are chosen (qualifications to be on the list, criteria for ranking) and for what the various data here mean (i.e. lyrical theme categories, Amazon.com rankings, etc.). The list below contains only a brief synopsis of each album. For my full review of the album, click on the album cover picture. This page’s Amazon rankings are as of January 10, 2010.
ABOUT THE 2009 AWARDS
I was quite poor in 2009, so I acquired very few CDs. Of the 15 CDs on this list, 9 of them I got with gift cards given to me. Four of the CDs on this list I got in 2008; one I even bought in 2006. I guess it will be like that until richer days.
But poverty isn’t the only issue. I had a lot of trouble finding current Christian music that interested me, so I found myself digging into history, thus some albums from the 1990s show up because I just discovered them or got hooked onto them.
The top 8 albums on this list were significantly stronger than the bottom 7; they were the ones I was really enthusiastic about.
NOTE: ONLY 1st 5 FULL REVIEWS ARE AVAILABLE SO FAR, so 6-15 “read more” links won’t work.
This page was first published March 21, 2010. A new hit counter was added on July 15, 2012. Before the reset, this page had 167 hits.
