Contemporary Christian music (or CCM—and occasionally "inspirational music") is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith. Today, the term is typically used to refer to the Nashville, Tennessee-based pop, rock, and praise & worship Christian music industry, currently represented by artists such as MercyMe, Casting Crowns, Jeremy Camp, Third Day, Matthew West, tobyMac, Chris Tomlin, Brandon Heath and Aaron Shust and historically by artists such as Amy Grant, Jars of Clay, dc Talk, Steven Curtis Chapman, Newsboys and Michael W. Smith. The industry is represented by the Billboard Christian Albums, Hot Christian Songs Hot Christian AC (Adult Contemporary), Christian CHR, Soft AC/Inspirational, and Christian Digital Songs charts. On the iTunes Store, the genre is represented as part of the Christian & Gospel genre.
However, not all modern music which lyrically identifies with Christianity is part of the Nashville Contemporary Christian Music industry. Alternative genres such as punk, hardcore, heavy metal, and hip hop groups deal explicitly with issues of faith but are normally not considered CCM. Also, several mainstream artists such as The Byrds, Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Elvis Presley, Kanye West, Creed, The Fray, Evanescence, Lifehouse, U2, and rapper DMX have dealt with Christian themes in their work but are not part of the CCM industry.
Read more about Contemporary Christian Music: History, Controversy
Famous quotes containing the words contemporary, christian and/or music:
“Literature that is not the breath of contemporary society, that dares not transmit the pains and fears of that society, that does not warn in time against threatening moral and social dangers—such literature does not deserve the name of literature; it is only a façade. Such literature loses the confidence of its own people, and its published works are used as wastepaper instead of being read.”
—Alexander Solzhenitsyn (b. 1918)
“Here we have bishops, priests, and deacons, a Censorship Board, vigilant librarians, confraternities and sodalities, Duce Maria, Legions of Mary, Knights of this Christian order and Knights of that one, all surrounding the sinner’s free will in an embattled circle.”
—Sean O’Casey (1884–1964)
“The music of an unhappy people, of the children of disappointment; they tell of death and suffering and unvoiced longing toward a truer world, of misty wanderings and hidden ways.”
—W.E.B. (William Edward Burghardt)