Born in a staunch Christian family, Christian songs have been a part of our daily routine even when spiritual inclination was the last thing that was on my mind. As Johann Sebastian Bach once remarked, “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.” It is the popular refrain of most fundamentalist Christians, who believe that ‘Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life’. And it is the crux of any Christian song that you will hear ever in your life. And just in case you’ve assumed at this point that the insinuation is against Christianity and it beliefs, think again! Live and let live is the way to go, really… It’s interesting to note how music has evolved into different genres although the method of composition and instruments used are the same. And Christian songs are no different! From an industry standpoint, Christian music is broadly classified into three sub-genres such as traditional Gospel music, Southern Gospel music, and Contemporary Christian music. Traditional Gospel music is what you’d hear in the churches also known ‘praise and worship’ songs along the lines of Bach’s quote mentioned above. Some notable artists who are also pastors in their own churches are Bob Fitts, Don Moen, Paul Overstreet and Ron Kenoly. When it comes to the quality of music composition and lyrics, it’s as good as anything you’ll find but the difference is that its purpose is take you closer to God, spiritually speaking. It’s truly a heart felt song while capturing and conveying the essence of Christianity in a personal way that can be an enriching experience to the listener. Yet another genre is Southern Gospel which includes some of the best singers I’ve heard in my life mainly because most music is quartet-driven meaning people singing melody and harmony in the parts of soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Almost every album cut in this sub-genre emphasizes the voices rather than the music and the message it carries. Notable artists are the Imperials and Bill Gaither Trio that really brought Southern Gospel to the mainstream. These musicians were strongly influenced by old time preachers especially from an era that was characterized by the phrase ‘Gimme that old time religion’. Here’s a hymn ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’ sung by The Imperials in quartet-style: Yet with the changing times, the message of Christianity hasn’t changed at all in all its simplicity, although it has been presented in its contemporary form through Christian Contemporary Music. Artists like DC Talk, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant and a host of other names form the powerful force behind this genre of music that is responsible in reaching out to a larger audience than other genres of Christian music have done in the past. Here’s a live version of Steven Curtis Chapman’s ‘Speechless’ all guns firing: And even though the musical landscape of Christian music has changed a lot in the New Millenium, there’s still a lot of great music from the past and present that you can listen to and enjoy over the internet, perhaps to spend some quiet time with the Lord. Even George Carlin (being anti-religious as he was) once said: “The only good thing about religion is the music’. I rest my case!