A Brief History of Jesus Music

The phrase “Jesus music” is sometimes kicked around as a catch-all term for contemporary Christian or popular Christian music.  True Jesus music, however, refers to faith-based music of a particular genre from a specific time period: primarily, 1970s folk/rock.  This music evolved into contemporary Christian music as the music industry picked up and capitalized on its popularity.

The History of Classic Jesus Music

Jesus music evolved out of the Hippie Movement.  It was natural that many followers of this philosophy of peace and love became followers of Jesus Christ.  Because music was such a big part of the lives of hippies, these new Christians sought to continue enjoying quality music, only with a new outlook.  Many musicians who were born again played the same style of music that they had been, only with a new message of their salvation.  Most of the original Jesus music was rock, as this is the music that was naturally enjoyed by the hippie counterculture of the times.  Rock music was the voice of the rebellious young people of the 1970s, and so Jesus music became the voice of young Christians of the 1970s.  Music festivals emerged, as popular gatherings like Woodstock and Monterey were signs of the times.

The term “contemporary Christian music” came into use in the mid 1970s, but some of the original musicians and fans continue/d to use the original term, “Jesus music”, as this term is more expressive of a particular style.  As the movement expanded, all genres developed their own branch of Christian music.  For this reason, the umbrella of contemporary Christian music may include any and all genres, from rap to metal.

Jesus Music Lives On

Some of the same artists who were creating faith-themed music back then are still producing tunes in the contemporary Christian world.  Randy Stonehill, Randy Matthews, and Nancy Honeytree are a few of the musicians who have continued to minister through their songs.  As the music industry has developed over the last few decades, there are numerous Christian artists from which to choose.  CDs are much easier to find in Christian bookstores and online, and there are even music videos to modern Christian songs that share faith-based messages.

If you are looking for a more in-depth treatment of Jesus music, you will find helpful information at one-way.org.  If you are searching for other related terms, such as sheet music Jesus, you may want to visit musicnotes.com.

Sources:

one-way.org/jesusmusic/index.html

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_music