Released Sept. 21, 2004, Arriving immediately became a top-seller, debuting at No. 39 on the Billboard Top 200. Six months later it re-entered the Billboard Top 200 and landed at No. 1 for the first time on SoundScan's Top Christian Albums retail chart in March 2005. A month later, Chris received his first GMA Music Award for Praise & Worship Album of the Year (for Arriving), which was also voted best album in the 2005 Christian Retailing Retailers Choice Awards’ Music category in July. To top all of that off, the album landed among the top five “Best Inspirational Albums of 2005” at iTunes, was named a “best of ‘05” on Napster’s home page and marks the first Gold release for sixstepsrecords.
“All of us at ‘sixsteps’ have been humbled by the favor that seems to be resting on Arriving,” said Louie Giglio, sixstepsrecords founder in a press release.
Peter York, EMI CMG Label Group president, said, “Chris is one of the most prolific and engaging songwriters of the modern church. His music has impacted, encouraged and inspired believers around the world. We look to the future with great anticipation.” In 2005, Tomlin also became R&R's most played artist on AC Christian Radio, while simultaneously capturing No. 1 at Inspirational radio on the year-end charts. Tomlin's fourth single from Arriving, "How Great Is Our God," released to radio Dec. 16 and has already earned a Worship Leader Praise Award for “Best Praise and Worship Song.”
Leading worship on the All Things New Tour with Steven Curtis Chapman and Casting Crowns last spring, followed by leading music fans during the summer festivals, and recently finishing the fall leg of his Indescribable Tour that saw 17 sold out nights, Chris Tomlin’s touring in 2005 put him in front of well over 500,000 people. After leading 18,000 during the Passion 06 collegiate gathering in Nashville in early January of this year, Tomlin continues this month on the Indescribable Tour with Giglio and label mate, Matt Redman.
“The Indescribable Tour was just that, indescribable...a powerful night of worship,” said promoter Cliff Reiser, Rush Concerts president. “From the beginning of the concert to the end, it was a truly audience participation event. Promoter's do not usually see shows...I took the time to see this one. It was a great example of what contemporary Christian concerts can be and the impact they can have.”
The Chris Tomlin tour "experience" was captured for the first time this year before a packed audience at Austin Music Hall. The live recording, Live From Austin Music Hall, released Dec. 26. The album features fan favorites like “Forever,” “Famous One,” and “Kindness,” as well as a brand new live version of “Indescribable” with Tomlin playing piano.
Tomlin is also featured on the best sellers, Music Inspired By: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, which released Sept. 27, and Passion: How Great Is Our God, which released April 12.
So far, 2006 is looking like another winner for Tomlin. Chris has gotten his first cover on CCM magazine and in February he released his first book The Way I Was Made!
- Arriving
- Live From Austin Music Hall
- Passion: How Great Is Our God
- Music Inspired By: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
- The Way I Was Made
