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 4th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
Jeremy Camp’s Stay
July 4th, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Choosing one CD is very difficult for me because I’m a music addict. Lately, I’ve been loving Maroon 5, Switchfoot, One Republic and Sugarland. I usually just burn compilation CDs for road trips because it’s too difficult to narrow down the CD stack. I’d love to win one of the new Third Day CDs. I love them! Thanks for the chance!
Happy 4th!
July 4th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Anything by Passion Conferences, Third Day, Jars of Clay, and Jennifer Knapp!
July 4th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Casting Crowns all the way!!!
July 4th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Lately — Casting Crowns!
July 4th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Happy Fourth of July! I love such eclectic music and it what I listen to depends on my mood. If I am going on a long road trip, it needs some pizazz to it. I really like Phil Collins and Genesis. Please enter me in your
delightful CD drawing. Many thanks, Cindi
July 4th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
Love the Brook Hills “Awaken” cds from 2007. Thanks for the giveaway!
July 4th, 2008 at 5:56 pm
Michael W Smith- Worship
July 4th, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Since most of our roadtrips tend to be in the summer, I’d have to say anything by Jimmy Buffet as long as it’s fit to play in front of the little ones!
July 4th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
It’s an old one – the Left Behind soundtrack.
Would love Third Day, and I do have a US address.
July 4th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Okay, the country girl comes through in this response… Who can drive down the road without a little King George, aka George Strait?
July 4th, 2008 at 7:36 pm
James Taylor. . .and therefore Chris Rice too. :)
July 4th, 2008 at 8:36 pm
Well, my first thought was Neil Diamond! Then I asked my husband. His response? Weird Al. Wouldn’t you want to be on that road trip?
July 4th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
It would have to be Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ album “Into the Great Wide Open.” I’ve spent many trips singing along to their songs. Thanks for the giveaway!
July 4th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
My go to man is Steven Curtis Chapman.
July 4th, 2008 at 9:19 pm
Casting Crown and Creed are my favorite to listen to.
July 4th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
I just really started listening to Christian music. I started with your recommendation of Monk and Neagle, love, love, love it and was looking for more CDs to buy. THANKS for your list.
Now if I really had to pick only 1 CD it would have to be Journey, Greatest hits. Thankfully that will never happen. I have over 3,000 songs loaded on my Zune, everything from Monk and Neagle to Conway Twitty to Queen.
July 4th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
For this road trip it was Hillsong Mighty to Save, but I love Caedmon’s Call for road trips in general!
July 4th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
U2 BABY! Bono is going to be one of the worship leaders in heaven!
July 4th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
OK, I’m being honest — though I love Christian music (and all kinds of music) my favorite is Broadway —- and the one CD I would take is the sound track from “Wicked”. But you can’t just listen to it, you have to roll down all of the windows and belt it out while listening. Trust me, even though you get many, many, many strange looks, it’s SO worth it!
PLUS, it embarrasses the heck out of your children!!!!
:)
July 4th, 2008 at 10:28 pm
I would definetly have all 5 of my Sara Groves CD’s but my Third Day CD’S would be right along in the mix. I actually got to stand in line and meet/greet & get their autographs/pictures a few years ago. They were so nice and even though there was a one item limit to get signed they were gracious enough to sign my brother-in-laws CD who didn’t get to come due to aiding my sick sister. I didn’t even have to ask them to, they just did it joyfully!
Megan(FAN)
July 4th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
HUGE HUGE HUGE Third Day fan here. I ALWAYS have third day in the car, but also, on LONG road trips, gotta have a mix tape (ipod actually) of some good old 80′s songs.
And of course, a bit of Hannah Montana, and High School Musical thrown in for my little one….
July 4th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
Well. I don’t usually enter the contests. But I have to enter this one because it got me thinking about the last time I took a road trip.
I went down south to meet some new friends, if you know what I mean.
And the CD I listened to almost nonstop was Bryan Adams Greatest Hits.
July 4th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Jack Johnson – any really – but if I could bring only one I’d bring On and On
July 4th, 2008 at 10:49 pm
My new favorite would have to be BarlowGirl, their first CD (sorry can’t remember the title). Love them and their message!
Blessings
Sue
marklovessue@numail.org
July 4th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
Currently the most important CD we need for a road trip is one my husband made for my son with lots of kiddy songs. However, if I was alone it’s have to be either David Crowder or Shane and Shane.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Oh I love any Watermark. Christy Nockels is my absolute favorite. But if I was with my husband we would probably have Newsboys or Third Day on.
July 4th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Robbie Seay Band-Give Yourself Away
oh and Veggie tales for the 3 yr old crowd!
July 5th, 2008 at 12:13 am
A homemade mix of 70′s & 80′s songs that my husband made…does this count? :) Thanks for the giveaway!
July 5th, 2008 at 2:21 am
Passion
or
SCC
or
Hillsong/Hillsong United
or
Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Paul Baloche, David Crowder
oops, way more than one – but that’s the glory of the iPod’s shuffle feature!
July 5th, 2008 at 6:55 am
classic fifties make their way into our road trip …..lately we listen to 10th Avenue North a lot!
July 5th, 2008 at 7:12 am
the soundtrack from saturday night fever…. and u2 anything.
July 5th, 2008 at 8:10 am
Too hard to decide!
But I love The Eagles Greatest Hits because they remind me of driving cross country in the baby blue station wagon as a kid.
Rest in peace, Pontiac Safari.
July 5th, 2008 at 8:13 am
Andrew Peterson!
July 5th, 2008 at 8:15 am
I sure hope it’s not too late to get in the contest. I love Third Day! They are probably my favorite Christian group.
I’ve been listening to Cobie Caillat recently and I like her style.
July 5th, 2008 at 8:28 am
Strong Tower CD by Kutless!
July 5th, 2008 at 8:39 am
I would like to be entered to win on of the CDs too. Thanks.
July 5th, 2008 at 8:50 am
My favorite is one no one has ever heard of, and you can’t get it anymore on CD (it’s out of print). But oh wow, I checked, and you CAN get it on iTunes. Go figure.
So my favorite is “Thifty Mr. Kickstar” by Dryve. Despite the download rates, the best song is “Rain,” which is hands down my favorite worship song ever. I got to see them perform it live before they broke up. It’s long on the CD and longer live. It starts slow and builds, sounds a little country although they’re definitely a ROCK band. LOVE IT. I remember listening to “Rain” one day, really getting into it, and it began pouring down rain. Kinda like a God thing or something. ;-)
The rest of the album is great too; don’t get me wrong. It’s what I call a “desert island” disc (if you had to choose 10 albums to be stranded with on a desert island, what would you pick?). It’s been on my list since it came out, oh, 15 years ago.
July 5th, 2008 at 8:58 am
Roadtrip with or without kids?
With: any Toby Mac, all my kids from age 3-15 LOVE him.
Without: classic Petra…oh, yeah Baby!!
July 5th, 2008 at 9:01 am
Oh, I would soooo love to win this. A CD that I find myself popping in over and over through the years would be Selah’s 2004 CD Hiding Place. The signature song My Hiding Place is one of my top most worshipful songs. I can truly be in the presence of the Lord when that song is on. However, I love any really exalting music!!
Blessings,
Trixi
July 5th, 2008 at 9:14 am
If I’m traveling with my kids, it’s the High School Musical soundtrack or perhaps now Camp Rock. Makes everybody happy.
If I don’t have to worry about what they think, I usually put on the country playlist from my iPod. Big ole mix of Rascal Flatts, Kenny Chesney, and a ton of others.
July 5th, 2008 at 9:14 am
I love (anything) SCC. But his new Cinderella is my favorite road trip choice (car ride, now with rising gas prices!)
Stephanie
July 5th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Depends on who is in the car with me – kids, they like country, hubby, he wants oldies, by myself, Brooklyn Tab with the Crabb family!
July 5th, 2008 at 9:55 am
My WOW CDs for sure!!! I have all of them and love them so much b/c they are such a great mix of all my fav songs.
July 5th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Growing up my dad would always put a Hal Ketchum tape in on long trips, now it doesn’t seem like a road trip w/o Hal.
July 5th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Matt Redmans’ “Blessed Be The Lord” CD.
And any of the Chris Tomlin’s CD. (mine is a compilation of my favorites of him put together by friend. Same with Casting Crowns)
July 5th, 2008 at 10:59 am
I kept changing my my every time I read another comment. So many favorites!
But this week, I’m headed to a Florida beach, so I’m taking Jimmy Buffet.
July 5th, 2008 at 11:04 am
David Crowder Band’s “Illuminate” cd is one of my all time favorites, as is Third Day’s “Offerings,” both of them.
July 5th, 2008 at 11:14 am
Good choices. Third Day is always in our top 10 for trips of any kind!
July 5th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Road Trip to the Beach- Beach Boys Greatest Hits
Road Trip to family Christmas- Amy Grant Home for Christmas
Road Trip anywhere else- Mandisa or Jimmy Buffett (they are very similar, you know.)