"If you think about it," says Christian Music Monthly's Mark Weber, "you've heard Switchfoot and MercyMe singles on secular radio. They've taken Christian music mainstream. Casting Crowns is still very much inside the Christian music bubble, yet they've proved that 'the church' (aka Christian music buyers) loves them as their debut sold about one million discs."
While black gospel and praise & worship continue to be powerful categories of Christian music, there has definitely been a measurable shift towards rock, alternative, hip-hop, R&B and other styles of music particularly popular with younger consumers.
Also helping boost Christian music to the mainstream were several American Idol contestants who sold a lot of discs in 2004. "Idol" contestants whose Christian beliefs were prominent in their appearances on the Fox-TV hit show made their way to the charts, with Clay Aiken, Ruben Studdard, George Huff and R.J. Helton among the "Idol" finalists with charting gospel records in 2004. Aiken's Merry Christmas With Love and Studdard's I Need An Angel (both sold at Christian retail through Provident Label Group) ended 2004 at the #2 and #12 spots respectively on Christian SoundScan's Overall Albums chart for the year.
Black gospel remained the second best-selling category of gospel music and its younger artists made headlines and were among the strongest sellers in 2004, including Israel & New Breed, Smokie Norful and Kierra "Kiki" Sheard. Israel & New Breed's critically acclaimed Integrity Gospel release Live From Another Level debuted at #1 on Billboard's Gospel Chart after its first week of sales, and number three on Billboard's Heatseekers Chart. It ended the year at #5 on the gospel charts. Recently Grammy and Stellar nominated, Israel & New Breed performed for an estimated 40,000 at a December Madison Square Garden event. EMI Gospel's Norful was named Billboard's Top Gospel Artist in 2004, for the second straight year, as his debut CD I Need You Now and his September 2004 sophomore release Nothing Without You kept Norful among the top-sellers all year. Fellow EMI Gospel label mate "Kiki" Sheard, the 17-year-old daughter of black gospel legend Karen Clark-Sheard, did what no other new gospel artist has ever accomplished in the SoundScan era. Her I Owe You debuted at both #1 on the gospel chart and Billboard's Heatseekers chart in August.
Among all the highlights, however, Switchfoot, MercyMe and Casting Crowns are the resounding sales success story for 2004, confirmed by Billboard, crowning the bands as the top three Christian artists for 2004 in the trade magazine's year-end issue.
Switchfoot's The Beautiful Letdown was the #1-selling album on the Christian SoundScan Overall Albums chart for 2004, thanks in part to Sparrow Records and Switchfoot's new relationship with Columbia Records, which brought greater mainstream exposure to the San Diego-based band. The album has been on the Billboard charts for more than 87 weeks, including 31 weeks at #1 on the Christian Albums chart. Switchfoot has been a critic and fan favorite in gospel music since they released their first record, The Legend of Chin in 1997, followed by two more critically acclaimed releases, New Way To Be Human and Learning To Breathe (these three records, which remain with Sparrow Records, were re-released this fall as the compilation: Switchfoot the Early Years - 1997-2000). But it was Columbia's push of "Meant To Live", a single that peaked at No. 5 on Billboard's Adult Top 40, and "Dare You to Move", which is No. 18 this week on Billboard's Hot 100 that brought Switchfoot national attention and a surge in both their Christian and mainstream retail sales. Switchfoot also has had five #1 songs at Christian radio from The Beautiful Letdown with "More than Fine", "Meant to Live", "Gone", "Dare You To Move" and "This Is Your Life".
"When I first heard Switchfoot's record," says Weber, "I was impressed, and it takes a lot for a Christian rock band to impress me. Switchfoot's music and lyrics were top-notch. They also had a theme that connected with me and a lot of other listeners: that life is both beautiful and a letdown.
