The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music — #44: Amy Grant, Behind The Eyes (1997)

Intro

Appearing at #44 in The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music, Amy Grant’s Behind The Eyes (1997) captures a moment when craft and conviction aligned in unexpectedly intimate ways. Coming after massive crossover success, it remains a touchstone for how faith can be whispered through story-songs, not only proclaimed in anthems.

The Album in Context

By the late ’90s, Amy Grant was no stranger to the spotlight, yet Behind The Eyes turns the camera inward. Instead of radio-chasing production, the record leans into organic textures—acoustic guitars, piano, subtle percussion—and lyrics that feel pulled from late-night journal entries.

These songs sit in the tension between heartbreak and hope, tracing the complexity of relationships, aging, and spiritual weariness. Rather than resolving every question, Grant allows the ache to stay in the room, trusting listeners to hear God’s nearness in the honesty itself.

Within CCM and the broader pop world, the album quietly expanded what a “Christian” project could be—less about tidy resolutions, more about walking with God in seasons when prayers feel fragmented and the future uncertain. It offered a vocabulary for lament, processing, and slow healing.

Standout Songs

• “Takes a Little Time” — A gently propulsive pop song that admits how long it can take for wounds to mend, pairing catchy hooks with a deeply pastoral message.
• “I Will Be Your Friend” — A tender promise of presence in the middle of storms, weaving themes of covenant love and Christlike loyalty into a modern ballad.
• “Like I Love You” — A reflective track that wrestles with expectations, disappointment, and the longing to be known, delivered with understated, disarming vulnerability.

Why It Matters

Artistically, Behind The Eyes showed that Amy Grant’s gifts ran deeper than radio singles and holiday standards. The album’s spacious production, carefully crafted melodies, and emotionally precise lyrics demonstrated a mature songwriter willing to risk subtlety over spectacle.

Historically, it offered both CCM and mainstream audiences a different model for faith-informed pop—one that made room for grief, questions, and unfinished stories. In doing so, it helped countless listeners feel seen in their own seasons of transition, divorce, disappointment, and slow rebuilding.

What’s Next

Tomorrow on The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music countdown, we continue with #43 — Point Of Grace, Life, Love, And Other Mysteries (1996). Be sure to catch the companion podcast episode of The CCM Professor with Greg Rice, where we connect the dots between these landmark recordings.

Soli Deo Gloria!

This post is part of the series The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music, celebrating the artists and recordings that defined a generation of faith-filled creativity.

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