THE TOP TEN! We are finally here. And we're kicking it up a notch. In this top tier, you're going to see what I consider to be the best the decade had to offer. These are classics, cornerstones of the CCM world, staples that should be on anyone's top songs playlists, and a few songs that are severely underrated. These songs helped shape my understanding of what great music can do, made me excited about new music, and shook my world when it came to my expectations of what I would and wouldn't like.
And man, I had a HARD TIME finalizing this top ten.
At number 10, a Michael W. Smith song, but not the one you're thinking of.
Aside from the bad grammar, "You're Alright" has got to be one of the best MWS songs ever crafted, or at least in the top 3. I remember hearing this song played live on the Go West Young Man tour, and it was exciting (and honestly, any songs where Chris McHugh plays drums, as he did on that tour, deserves a special place of honor in music history), but I still prefer the album version.
"You're Alright" felt completely at place inside The Big Picture, an album that seemed to be aimed at the teenage and pre-teen market, but the message in this song rings more timeless than the others.
To learn how He loves you
Is to learn to love yourself
And live the life He's livin' in you
And what others think of you
Could never measure to the wealth
Of what He's paid and given to you
I have made many friends in my lifetime who struggled with this issue of self-esteem. It's one thing to not think highly of yourself because you don't want to come off as arrogant or prideful, but it's another to recognize the amazingness that God has created in you. This song tackles that ideal almost effortlessly, and the music to back it up provides the best possible tone—upbeat, energetic, and joyous. It's the closest thing to a beach party song that came out of the 1980s CCM world, and I love the ever-living crap out of it.
Musically, there's the tasty guitar riff that sets up the song, the rhythmic stabs in the chorus that provide a great backdrop for the vocals, and the drum beat is steady and kinetic. But HOW ABOUT THAT GUITAR SOLO, ladies and gentlemen?? Oh, the ending guitar coda is a thing of beauty, something that was so lacking in mid-'80s CCM artists' music. It was great to hear a pop artist like MWS embracing a more aggressive guitar sound on this record (see also "Wired for Sound" and "Goin' Thru the Motions").
On an album that musically was ahead of its time, "You're Alright" felt like a throwback to a simpler time in rock n' roll history, and it showed that good Christian music could be a whole lot more fun than people thought.
Seriously, just listen to it. I could go on and on about how and why it's a great tune, but you'll feel better if you just listen to the song.
Go on, I'm done.
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #21
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #20
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #19
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #18
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #17
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #16
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #15
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #14
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - Honorable Mention
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #13
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #12
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #11
There Is No Box.
Zach
And man, I had a HARD TIME finalizing this top ten.
At number 10, a Michael W. Smith song, but not the one you're thinking of.
Aside from the bad grammar, "You're Alright" has got to be one of the best MWS songs ever crafted, or at least in the top 3. I remember hearing this song played live on the Go West Young Man tour, and it was exciting (and honestly, any songs where Chris McHugh plays drums, as he did on that tour, deserves a special place of honor in music history), but I still prefer the album version.
"You're Alright" felt completely at place inside The Big Picture, an album that seemed to be aimed at the teenage and pre-teen market, but the message in this song rings more timeless than the others.
To learn how He loves you
Is to learn to love yourself
And live the life He's livin' in you
And what others think of you
Could never measure to the wealth
Of what He's paid and given to you
I have made many friends in my lifetime who struggled with this issue of self-esteem. It's one thing to not think highly of yourself because you don't want to come off as arrogant or prideful, but it's another to recognize the amazingness that God has created in you. This song tackles that ideal almost effortlessly, and the music to back it up provides the best possible tone—upbeat, energetic, and joyous. It's the closest thing to a beach party song that came out of the 1980s CCM world, and I love the ever-living crap out of it.
Musically, there's the tasty guitar riff that sets up the song, the rhythmic stabs in the chorus that provide a great backdrop for the vocals, and the drum beat is steady and kinetic. But HOW ABOUT THAT GUITAR SOLO, ladies and gentlemen?? Oh, the ending guitar coda is a thing of beauty, something that was so lacking in mid-'80s CCM artists' music. It was great to hear a pop artist like MWS embracing a more aggressive guitar sound on this record (see also "Wired for Sound" and "Goin' Thru the Motions").
On an album that musically was ahead of its time, "You're Alright" felt like a throwback to a simpler time in rock n' roll history, and it showed that good Christian music could be a whole lot more fun than people thought.
Seriously, just listen to it. I could go on and on about how and why it's a great tune, but you'll feel better if you just listen to the song.
Go on, I'm done.
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #21
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #20
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #19
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #18
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #17
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #16
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #15
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #14
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - Honorable Mention
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #13
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #12
Top CCM Songs of the 1980s - #11
There Is No Box.
Zach
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