My Top 15 Favorite "Christian" Music Albums (in order)

I hesitate to refer to any music as "Christian," because it is a qualifier that I believe should only be applied to a person who confesses Jesus Christ as Lord and commits to following him. Christians can make music, but music cannot be Christian. Nonetheless, there is a market known as "Contemporary Christian Music" (CCM). My choices for favorite albums may go beyond the traditional (and I think, arbitrary) bounds of CCM.

This list is limited to music I actually own (legally, of course [1]). Click the album title for a YouTube clip of my favorite song from the album (if I have one in particular).

1. Sufjan Stevens "Seven Swans" (2004) or "Come On Feel The Illinoise" (2005) (tie)
2. **NEW** (updated 1/5/13) Lecrae "Gravity" (2012)
3. Jars of Clay "Much Afraid" (1997)
4. Gungor "Beautiful Things" (2010)
5. David Crowder* Band "Church Music"(2009)
6. Flame "The 6th" (2012)
7. Caedmon's Call "40 Acres" (1995)
8. Mat Kearney "Nothing Left To Lose" (2006)
9. Fair "The Best Worst-Case Scenario" (2006)
10. Poor Old Lu "The Waiting Room"(2000)
11. Jars of Clay "Redemption Songs" (2005)
12. U2 "The Joshua Tree"(1987)
13. Johnny Cash "American IV" (2002)
14. NEEDTOBREATHE "The Outsiders" (2009)
15. Switchfoot "The Beautiful Letdown" (2003)
16. John Reuben "The Boy Vs. The Cynic" (2005)

Honorable mentions: Orange County Supertones, Skillet, Relient K, DC Talk, Third Day, Switchfoot, Anberlin, Leeland, Kutless, Stellar Kart, Sixpence None The Richer.

Please comment about other albums that may be in your top 15.

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[1] To see my position on digital piracy, read here.