Yesterday I received an email from a reader named Mary.
Here’s what it said:
You obviously love music and I do too, I just haven’t really listened to Christian music since Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith and Carman were practically my only choices. I’m a huge fan of country music and that’s pretty much all I own. I would really love to find some good Christian music to listen to though, I’ve been very convicted lately about what enters my heart through my ears and eyes, and I’m hoping you can help.
Here is the question:
If you had to choose 10 cd’s to take on a cross country road trip (no more than 10!) what would you choose?
Thanks so much!
Oh, Mary – you’re exactly right. I’m slightly obsessed with the music. And about five years ago I really got convicted that I needed to pay more attention to what I was listening to. I still listen to a wide variety of stuff – I like all sorts of music and find it difficult to listen to any one genre exclusively – but I have to say that listening to Christian music on a regular basis has had a huge – HUGE – impact on my thought life.
Also: thanks for the reminder about Carman. Took me right back to youth group circa 1987. Good times.
Anyway, here are the first ten CDs that I thought of when I read your email:
Pages
Alive Forever
The Best of Passion (So Far)
God Speaking
Glory Revealed
A Grateful People
The Twenty-First Time
Tell Me What You Know
Recollection: The Best of Nichole Nordeman
So Far: The Acoustic Sessions
So those are my ten. Until I think of the next ten. And since I’m a huge believer that we shouldn’t let the old hymns fall by the wayside, I’d also suggest having a couple of CDs that feature hymns. Here are two of my favorites:
Greatest Hymns
Hymned No. 1
Not to mention that there is one more CD we should all own because IT IS A CLASSIC, PEOPLE and never goes out of style:
Amy Grant: The Collection
Which brings us to thirteen CDs. There you have it. I did the best I could, Mary.
Finally.
I will also tell you that I’ve been listening to the latest Third Day CD for the last few days, and it is EXCELLENT. It’s called Revelation, and I actually have ten (TEN!) of them to share with you, the internets.
So if you’d like to win one of the new Third Day CDs, leave a comment that tells me your favorite road-trip CD. Doesn’t have to be Christian music – any kind of music will do.
Happy 4th, y’all!
This giveaway is now closed.
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Anything by Travis!
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Kenny Chesney…LOVE IT! Any of them…any of them…
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:45 pm
For some odd reason BlackHawk music says ROAD TRIP to me.
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:46 pm
Phillips, Craig and Dean: Top of My Lungs and James Taylor’s Greatest Hits
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:48 pm
any of the “seeds” CDs…my kids love them and since they are all Scripture, help me to keep my mind focused on things other than the fact that i am on the road with 2 children who love to annoy one another.
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:50 pm
I only listen to Christian music on my Sirus radio. However, if I had to choose a favorite CD, it would be probably anything by Mercy Me.
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:51 pm
I cannot get enough of David Crowder band!!! (Although Best of Passion (so Far) is a close 2nd)
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Oh – just one favorite? I’m not sure I can do that! And if I listed them all, well I might just break your blog with more content than your comments can handle!
On our most recent road trip, we were kicking it with Phil Wickham, David Crowder Band, and Passions God Of This City.
Can’t wait for the latest Third Day cd!
July 3rd, 2008 at 3:54 pm
Rich Mullins, especially the Jesus Record/demo. And anything by Nichole Nordeman. She has such great lyrics, and such a beautiful voice, and she’s so stinking pretty…I want to BE Nichole Nordeman, not just listen to her. :)
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Okay, this is probably not what you were expecting, but my favorite road trip CD is “Stadium Jams” – you know, We Will Rock You, Who Let the Dogs Out, Pump Up the Jam, Oh Yeah – the classics! Actually, when my niece was 15 months old, 4 of us took her on a 16-hour road trip and Who Let the Dogs Out was the only thing that kept her happy and us sane the whole time (think Friends/Baby Got Back)!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! Now I have somewhere to start with my shopping. And you are so welcome on the Carman reminder. Could you really forget….”Who’s in the house? J C!”
Thanks too for listing the hymn cd’s. I recently purchased a hymn cd because they never sing the old hymns at our church and I want my son to hear them. The problem is that it’s a very old fashioned choir type cd. For a girl that grew up in an Assembly of God church with one rockin’ pianist, this just isn’t working for me.
Since I’m still on my country kick, I’m going with Pat Green for road music. His style is defniately windows down, arm hanging out the window kinda music.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:02 pm
I’ve mentioned them before and if Mary happens to read this she would LOVE 33Miles They are just amazing and pretty much sound like Rascal Flatts,but totally amazing Christian lyrics. Loved your choices of music, too! Also, I didn’t comment on your previous posts b/c I was late reading them, but I will say that I laughed and cried while reading them OUTLOUD to my dh as we are on a roadtrip right now! Just love you, Sophie :)
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Sierra is a favorite road trip group for me. Unfortunately they haven’t had anything new in a while. (though you can still get their older stuff)
Thanks for the giveaway.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
There is always 2 or 3 passion cds playing in our car…
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Journey, baby, Journey.
Circus life, under the big top world.
We all need the clowns to make us smile…
Through space and time-
Ahem.
Sorry. Got a little carried away there.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Deep Forest is always on our road trip pile!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Yay! Third Day!!
My road trip favs would be (in no particular order):
Shawn McDonald: Scattered Pieces
Shane and Shane: Carry Away
DC Talk: Supernatural (classic, in my book)
Nichole Nordeman: Woven and Spun
I could go on.. but anyway!
I just got the Pages by Shane and Shane but haven’t had a chance to really listen to it yet. Can’t wait though! I love them!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:07 pm
My favorite–any cd by Third Day and Casting Crowns. Gotta love them! :)
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:07 pm
Steven Curtis Chapman Speechless is a classic. It stays in the CD holder in my car and gets pulled out regularly along with Alive Forever by Travis =)
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Sara Groves – any of her CD’s especially Add to the Beauty and All Right Here. Also love Mark Schultz – Stories and Songs or Broken and Beautiful
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Just ONE! Anything by Michael Card…it’s all good. My other picks would be Speechless by Stephen Curtis Chapman, Short Term Memories by Chris Rice, For the Record by Bruce Carroll, and Out of Breath by Go Fish. Thanks for making my laugh and making me think. Your blog is something I look forward to reading whenever I get a chance to sit down.
Blessings,
Terri in AZ
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:11 pm
My new favorite cd is Coldplay’s latest, Viva la Vida. So that would be my pick for the next road trip!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Right now we have a lot of kiddie music playing in our car on any road trip.
Mary – if you love country, try Aaron Watson. He’s a Texas artist, strong Christian, and a great guy with a terrific family. He has a gospel album called Barbed Wire Halo.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:12 pm
Casting Crowns! Oh the Lyrics those boys can write!
They are my favorite right next to Third Day!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:13 pm
We like to take James Taylor with us on road trips.
Smiles!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:15 pm
Along with Alive Forever I really like Living Proof Live 3 (so much so that I was praying there would be a Living Proof Live 4 at Deeper Still). It has Shackles on it – enough said!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:15 pm
This list looks great!
We love Rich Mullins, Phil Keaggy, and Fernando Ortega.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:15 pm
We love to listen to Seal on roadtrips…great to sing along with.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:16 pm
“Radio Skies” by Kelleigh Bannen! Check it out; she’s incredible.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:17 pm
Garth Brooks’ Double Live is hard to beat on a long drive.
Have a safe and happy 4th!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Ok, my favorites are an Eagles Live CD as my secular choice and Steven Curtis Chapman’s Speechless. But in reality on a road trip, I’d probably have to listen to VBS music and Disney GirlsRock. :)
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:19 pm
I love some good ole’ praise music. I think David Crowder would be my first choice.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:20 pm
My favorite road trip CD is a Christian mix that my best friends husband made for her about 6 years ago before they were even dating and she copied it for me (ya follow?) Anyway, it has everything from I Can Only Imagine to classic hymns to the christian version of Lean on Me that was done in the 80’s by that band…oh what were they called?…anyway, yeah that’s my favorite. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE Third Day so please include me in your giveaway. Thank you and b-bye :)
–That is if we aren’t listening to Doodlebops or nursery rhymes or Awesome Bible Kids…
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:24 pm
Right now, any road trip we take nowadays involves a little “Psalty” 24/7. Thankfully, that blue singing songbook is quite bearable (and I actually love it). Otherwise, you’ll catch me listening to early Caedmon’s Call, Third Day or Jars. What can I say? I’m totally stuck in the 90’s.
I’d LOVE to win that new CD!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:24 pm
I really like Christian music and Third Day is one of my favorites!! For a road trip though my family and I really like anything by John Cougar, not much can beat a really loud rendition of Rockin’ in the USA!
-Laura
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:26 pm
My new favorite is “Go” from the Newsboys. Love it love it!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:27 pm
hmmmm. travelling home for the weekends when i was in college, i always picked my most sing-along-able CDs. singing helped me stay awake :). anything by weezer, blessid union of souls, waterdeep, and definitely third day were often in the rotation then.
now, i am an XM listener–flight 26 and the message are my top 2 channels.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Road Trip essentials for The Gang: anything Keith Urban, Rascal Flatts, Little Big Town, Amy Grant’s hymns collections, or Jars of Clay’s Redemption Songs. Love me some James Taylor but the kids protest after one round!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:29 pm
I love anything by the Passion Worship Band! Hope you have a great 4th as well!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:29 pm
Allison Krauss. And Jars of Clay. How come nobody talks about Jars of Clay? Their hymns album is The Best Ever.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I love love LOVE Christian music.
That being said, on a road trip with my favorite gals, Journey’s Greatest Hits is my JAM!!
Also, because I can never pick just one, Avalon’s Testify to Love (Greatest Hits) is fun if you like to belt it, and you’re in a car where no one likes to sing the same part, Praise Him!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Third Day (ANY! Love them all!)
Bon Jovi
High School Musical 1 & 2 (yes, I’m an adult!)
Hootie and the Blowfish
Any old MWSmith
Van Halen
Daughtry
Boston
Petra
Altar Boys *think the 80s*
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:35 pm
We love all of the Seeds Family Worship music (though it’s on the Ipod, not CD’s!) But I do tend to jam out to some Third Day when it’s just momma in the car by herself….
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:35 pm
The Fray reminds me of driving between Austin and Houston with my hubby!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Really, right now I love me some Monk and Neagle. They just mix it up so the whole CD lifts you up without every song sounding the same. Terrific!
Not that I wouldn’t switch their CD and give Third Day some time too…
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I prefer a good mix tape, but if I had to pick one complete cd, Janis Joplin’s Greatest Hits would work.
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:40 pm
This so doesn’t fall into the Christian genre, but no road trip is complete without Jimmy Buffett’s “Songs You Know By Heart”. It’s makes me dance in my seat!
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:43 pm
anything on channel 20 (pop), 21 (more pop), or 32 (christian) on xm radio will make any road trip fly by!
thanks :)
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Todd Agnew – Grace like Rain
July 3rd, 2008 at 4:44 pm
Crack me up. I’m on the flip side. After years of Christian music, and Christian music only, I switched to country. “Gone country…look at them boots…She’s gone country…back to her roots…”
Well anyway. When I DO listen to Christian music, Sara Groves is DA BOMB.
Look, I said that like I was cool or somethin’.