MARCH / APRIL 2020
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OPINION
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Australia’s Top 25 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.
10,000 Reasons What a Beautiful Name Praise the Name (Anástasis) Who You Say I Am In Christ Alone How Great Is Our God This Is Amazing Grace Build My Life How Deep the Father’s Love Raise a Hallelujah Living Hope Cornerstone This I Believe (The Creed)
14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25.
Glorious Day Great Are You Lord Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone) Reckless Love The Lion and the Lamb Good Good Father Come to the Altar Blessed Be Your Name How Great Thou Art Man of Sorrows King of My Heart Only a Holy God
Daniel Thornton leading worship at Strong Nation Church in Windsor, northwest Sydney.
What on earth are we singing? DANIEL THORNTON There’s no question that what we sing as Christians says something about us. So, what have you been singing? Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI) is the largest licensor of churches around the world. Churches report the songs they use, and twice a year CCLI releases the results and distribute royalties to song owners. CCLI recently released the April 2019 reporting period data (songselect.ccli. com/search/results?List=top100). So, this is what you’ve probably been singing; it’s short-listed opposite for your convenience. So, what do the 25 currentlymost-sung songs reveal about Australian Christians at this moment in time? They are singing recently written songs, the median year being 2014. The newest on the list, “Raise A Hallelujah” (from the Bethel stable), was only released on YouTube in January 2019, but quickly found its place in the worship sets of churches through the immediacy of streaming media sites. Two other songs have made it into the list for the first time, “Living Hope” and “Only a Holy God.” There are only two Australian producers represented on the list,
Hillsong, of course, and “Only a Holy God” comes from CityAlight out of St Paul’s Castle Hill, NSW. This relative newcomer to the industry is finding a popular niche among mainline churches who want to bridge the gap between hymns and contemporary congregational songs. Six of the top 25 are from Hillsong, a few less than they have historically accounted for. Five songs (or six if you count “Living Hope,” co-written by Phil Wickham and Brian Johnson) are from Bethel, which has become a hub for a collective of worship leaders and artists over the last decade. Wickham has another song on the list, “This Is Amazing Grace.” Among the other North American sources, three songs come from Chris Tomlin/Passion, two of which – “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)” and “How Great Is Our God” – have charted highly through CCLI for over a decade. “Good Good Father” could be additionally attributed to Chris Tomlin, since his recorded version (2015) of the original Housefires song gave it a substantial boost in profile. However, the original (co-)writer of the song Pat Barrett has gained his own prominence and has followed up with another globally prominent CCS, “Build My Life.” Rounding out
the North American influence is one song (“O Come To The Altar”) from Elevation Church, which has had a few global contemporary congregational song successes in the past couple of years. Five songs are from the UK, which include four of the oldest songs on the list, “How Great Thou Art” (1949/1953), Stuart Townend’s “How Deep the Father’s Love” (1995), “In Christ Alone” (2001) co-written with Keith Getty, and “Blessed Be Your Name” (2002) from Matt and Beth Redman. The other UK song is also co-written by Redman, “10,000 Reasons,” which has remained as the number one (or number two) song on the CCLI charts for the past five years. The contemporary congregational songs (CCS) no longer in the top 25 include the classics, “Here I Am to Worship” (2004), “Mighty to Save” (2006), and “Shout to the Lord” (1993), all of which have had long and illustrious seasons at or near the top of the CCLI charts. Most songs fit into the category of Praise/Thanksgiving (76%), while 20% are Prophetic/Declarative and 4% are primarily Worship. In terms of the key words and themes across the top 25, “love” is the most common, occurring in 14 songs. There are some interesting ties for
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The second person of the second place. “Darkness,” “heart,” Godhead gets the great majority “name” and “praise” occur in 11 of references and the only direct songs, with “sin” following close address. Fourteen songs (56%) use behind in 10 songs. The notion of “sin” would “Jesus,” thirteen use “Son,” eleven be seldom heard in many use “Lord.” “Christ” or “King” are contemporary sermons, but for both utilised in nine songs, seven some reason it is easier to sing use “Saviour,” and there are a about than talk about. It is a word scattering of other terms including that summarises the general “Lion,” “Lamb” and “Messiah.” In malaise of humanity and provides fact, only two songs (“Good Good a contrast to, and meaning for, the Father” and “Reckless Love”) saving work of Christ. don’t reference or address the “Darkness” provides a similar second person of the Godhead, to find out more panoptic word covering all that while intimate lyrics in CCS are is wrong with humanity and visit the fbbc.org.au overwhelmingly only directed world and is contrasted by a variety to Jesus. There is much more to Jon - 0452 319from 169my analysis, however of words like “hope,” “joy,” “life” and unpack “peace.” These are words thatcontact@fbbc.org.au also you didn’t sign up to read a thesis. Do these observations of appear fairly regularly in CCS lyrics, contemporary congregational along with some less predictable songs represent your faith? They ones, such as “breath(e),” undoubtably represent Australian “forever(more),” “grave,” “heaven,” are seeking a part-time pastor. Christianity at large – a Christianity and “sun.” Youth and Children, they Also of interest is the way Families, in expressed within the broader which these songs address God. culture of consumerism To grow their Ministry with and Eight songs utilise the term “Father” celebrification, yet evidently focused for God, much higher than in on God (Jesus) in their worship. If such songs areHill, discipling years past, even though it’s only a backgrounds in Castle NSW.the church, cultural are you satisfied descriptive term rather thanof a direct peopleChristian from diverse with how you’re being discipled? address to the Father. Twelve songs is a Bible-believing community You have a voice. use the term “God” while “Holy Dr Daniel Thornton is Spirit” is referenced in only one Faith Bible Rev Baptist Church (FBBC) Head of Arts and Director of song, “This I Believe (The Creed).” CLASS (Centre for Learning “Spirit” doesn’t fair much better And Scholarship Skills) at with only one additional reference Alphacrucis College. in “How Great Is Our God.”
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