hmmm post nko my favorite top 10 thought provoking christian artists... Those artists na dili kaayo iplay sa K-Love or any mainstream christian radio cause these artists tackled issues like ***, single parenting, suicide, hypocrisy (both christians and unbelievers), agnosticism, and real problems from a biblical perspective...
1.
Derek Webb (of Caedmon's Call)- his upcoming album too controversial that INO/SONY is pulling it from release. Now he's fighting to get this album out in the masses.
2.
Jon Foreman (of Switchfoot)- naa sya 4 EPs titles Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring and early 2009 he collected some songs from those EPs and made it an album.. his most controversial song is a song called Instead of A Show which talks everything from the big production "worship service" to christian hypocrisy..
3.
The Fray- this wasn't played on CCM before they got very famous. Their second album was co-released by Epic and INO now, home of Sandy Patti, MercyMe, and Derek Webb. INO is owned by SONY so it was not that hard to co-released it. But the point is prior to them becoming famous, mainstream CCM criticized them their sometimes dark themed abuot saving a guy from suicide etc... All of The Fray's members are youth ministers who started playing worship before they found their calling as counselors which resulted in their musical direction singing about real life problem...
4.
Justin McRoberts- a folk rock artist who once toured with Five Iron Frenzy and The W's. He even appeared on one of Five Iron Frenzy's song
(" the question isn't are you gonna die, you're gonna die/ Will you be done living when you do")
5.
Sixpence None The Richer- their depth has been overshadowed by their hit song Kiss Me.
6.
Steve Taylor- a popular artist in the 80's and as a producer in the 90s onwards. He is responsible for Sixpence None The Richer's mainstream success (i.e. their self titled album with that hit song mentioned above). He is also famous as Newsboys' co-writer and producer and recently directed the film The Second Chance starring Michael W. Smith.... His 80's and early 90s materials were too controversial for CCM market that CCM bookstore actually pulled his albums and he decided to retire from singing and focus instead on producing.
He also owned the label Squint Entertainment (now defunct) featuring artists like Sixpence None The Richer, The Insyderz( yes he produced Skalelluia!), Waterdeep, Burlap to Cashmere, and discovered Chevelle.
7.
Andy Gullahorn- ("there's a billboard for a quick divorce/ cause we don't try to fix anything anymore"). He produces artists like Andrew Peterson, Andy Osenga, and co-write with his wife Jill Phillips
8.
Rich Mullins- famous for writing the worship anthem Awesome God. But beyond that song he is almost banned from CCM for singing sensitive topics like ***, drugs, and murder (of course he ain't glorifiyng these. he is telling a story instead)
9.
Larry Norman- recorded with EMI in his early days (this was before CCM was even born) and his 2nd album Only Visiting This Planet was produced by The Beatles' producer Geroge Martin and among it's fans includes eric Clapton, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney. There's even a
rumor that John Lennon and Paul played together on the song Why DOn't You Look Into Jesus but is uncredited...
10. Todd Agnew- his song
My Jesus says it all
honorable mention:
Andrew Peterson
Phil Wickam
Bebo Norman
Waterdeep
The Elms
Johnny Cash