Christian Contemporary Music Goes Big

Christian Contemporary Music -- CCM, as it's known in the biz and among fans -- refers to music that lyrically discusses Christianity, whose artists define themselves by their Christian faith. Usually, the music is released by Christian-genre record labels and get airplay on CCM radio stations. In the past few decades, though, the genre has exploded in popularity, finding fans both in and outside of religious communities, not to mention tapping into an increasing Christian youth culture.

Some bands are overt in their beliefs, singing lyrics that directly name Jesus or other symbols of Christianity. Other artists are sometimes embraced by CCM radio stations and fans, but are considered crossover artists. Mary J. Blige, Daughtry and The Fray are all getting some CCM media love, but are on mainstream record labels and charts. Other artists, like Jessica Simpson and Ashlee Simpson got their start in church. Jessica actually got her first big break with a Christian label that eventually folded. But while Christian and other faith-driven music is old news, the boom in popularity of contemporary Christian acts and their growing crossover appeal are a recent phenomenon. So why so much growth, and why now?

The emergence of CCM as a term for this distinct musical genre, industry and culture is considered to have started in the 1960s, referring to pop and rock that came out of the so-called 'hippie Jesus movement.' Over the next few decades, artists like Bob Dylan might have invoked spirituality, but rock remained largely the domain of vice-driven artists like Motley Crue.

In the 1980s, as emo and punk emerged, the mainstream and Christian genres began to draw closer. These genres -- in which artists are already singing about feelings, disenfranchisement and other issues close to the heart -- allowed Christian themes a wider musical scope in which to develop. As one writer noted:

"Consider the modern-rock and emo bands who dominate contemporary rock radio; they're full of earnest and rather clean-cut young men who often seem more interested in the power of love than the power of lust. So what difference would it make if those plaintive lyrics were about a Him instead of a her?"

Mainstream artists like U2 and Bob Dylan have sung about faith in their songs on mainstream labels, so the stretch to faith-based lyricism isn't always so big. Especially when the lyrics don't explicitly mention religious figures or symbols.

As the genre has evolved and expanded, so have the fans. In recent years, there is an increasing focus on young people and religion, groups like Ron Luce's Teen Mania at the helm of the trend, if not perfecting it totally. In March 2006, Luce's group threw a large-scale rally/concert in San Francisco. The event was one of a multi-city tour in which Luce preached and acts like rapper KJ-52 performed.

While the tour was a one-off type of campaign, the crowd who attended consisted largely of young people who are eschewing mainstream artists who they believe don't share their values. And the growing audience is a solid slice of the musical market share. Groups like MercyMe, for example, had 'I Can Only Imagine,' a huge hit that crossed ganres. The hit single sold more than 600,000 copies of their 2001 release, 'Almost There.' Those numbers are comparable to mainstream artists.

So now, as labels are struggling for money and desperate for a new business model, accessing the droves of CCM fans may not seem like such a big reach -- or one they can't afford not to try.