Introducing the 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music
Welcome to CCM Professor’s daily countdown of the 100 Greatest Songs in Christian Music—one song per day with history, context, and why it still matters.
Tag: Contemporary Christian Music
#1: Amy Grant — Lead Me On (1988)
The definitive CCM masterpiece—emotional honesty, pop excellence, social awareness, and a career-defining artistic statement.
Our Great Savior
Intro
Appearing at #1 in The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music, Lead
The Greatest CCM Hymns Albums — Hymn1: Michael W. Smith, The Hymns (2019)
A reverent, spacious return to classic hymnody from a defining voice in CCM.
Intro
More than two decades after his landmark Hymns project, Michael W. Smith
HYMN4: Maranatha! Music – Praise Hymns (1985)
A warm, accessible, contemporary-styled collection of traditional hymns reimagined for modern worshippers.
Intro
During the mid-1980s, Maranatha! Music was shaping the early praise-and-worship movement. *Praise Hymns* bridged the gap between the traditional
The Greatest CCM Hymns Albums — #5: Various Artists, Our Hymns (1989)
A late-’80s snapshot: leading CCM voices interpreting traditional hymns with sincerity and signature style.
Intro
At #5, Our Hymns (1989) captures something special: the hymn tradition
The Greatest CCM Hymns Albums — #6: Various Artists, Hymns & Voices (1995)
A curated compilation that gathers multiple CCM voices around the church’s most enduring hymn texts.
Intro
Some hymns albums win their place through a single artist’s
The Greatest CCM Hymns Albums — #7: Sandi Patti, Hymns Just for You (1985)
A hymn-centered classic from one of CCM’s defining vocalists—warm, orchestral, and deeply reverent.
Intro
At #7, Sandi Patti’s Hymns Just for You (1985) is a
Honorable Mention — HM1: Charles Billingsley — Marks of the Mission (2000)
Passionate contemporary worship—vocal power, modern arrangements, and songs of calling and discipleship.
Intro
As an Honorable Mention in The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music, Marks of
Honorable Mention — HM2: Larnelle Harris — I Can Begin Again (1989)
Orchestral gospel excellence—soaring vocals, inspirational anthems, and messages of restoration and new beginnings.
Intro
As an Honorable Mention in The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music, I
Honorable Mention — HM3: Phillips, Craig & Dean — Lifeline (1994)
Harmony-rich worship-pop—accessible praise, heartfelt vocal blend, and songs that shaped ’90s church music.
Intro
As an Honorable Mention in The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music, Lifeline (1994)