Tuesday Playlist: Billy Joel

Can't really explain why (well, I could....but you don't really want to know) but this past weekend I found myself setting my iPod to "Billy Joel" and just letting it play. I even bought a few hidden gems I had been missing since the days when I owned most all of his albums. I have been a fan of Billy since the mid 70's, and my wife is one of his biggest fans. I first saw Billy in concert when he was the opening act for The Beach Boys in Greensboro back in 1974. We have seen him numerous times since, including twice in one week in April of 1994 in NC and with Sir Elton John in Chicago in 2001. We love Billy. 

Listening to so many great songs made me wonder if I could possibly narrow the list to a Top 10. It was quickly apparent that the answer was NO. So instead, I set my trusty iPod to shuffle and let it pick 10 great Billy Joel songs for you today. Hope this will bring back some memories for you as well- or send you searching for some great new (to you!) music! Sing us a song Billy- you're the Piano Man!

1. Matter of Trust (from the album The Bridge)
2. The Ballad of Billy the Kid (from Piano Man)
3. The Longest Time (from An Innocent Man)
4. Entertainer (from Streetlife Serenade)
5. We Didn't Start the Fire (from Storm Front)
6. This Night (from An Innocent Man)
7. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant (from The Stranger)
8. You May Be Right (from Glass Houses)
9. Just the Way You Are (from The Stranger)
10. Prelude/Angry Young Man (from Turnstiles)

CCM Thursday: Third Day Top 10

Way back in 1996 I sat in my office at FUMC-Kissimmee and opened my latest box of goodies from Interlinc, the great music ministry that I always counted on to keep me up to date with the latest in Christian music and videos.  Every time I received a box from them it was like Christmas morning had arrived early.  On this particular occasion, one of the CDs I received had a picture of a bus on the front, and the words Third Day.  Something about the cover art caught my eye, and I immediately popped this unknown band into my office stereo system.  The first song grabbed my attention.  The second song- Forever (see video at bottom) - just blew me away!  I was hooked on Third Day, and I have never looked back.


Over the years I have seen Third Day perform live on several occasions.  I once sat on stage while they performed at a National Youth Workers Convention (bring back the "Peanut Gallery," YS!) and guitarist Mark Lee and lead vocalist Mac Powell came over and visited with us.  I later ate lunch with them in Pittsburgh- well, we ate in the same restaurant!  :)  But mostly, I have loved their music, and used many of their songs for programs and lessons.


So here are my choices for a Third Day top 10. There are so many great songs to choose from;  I feel certain I will have left out some favorites.  There are 4 songs on the list from their first album- and there could have been more.  It's one of my favorite albums ever!  Please feel free to add yours in the comment section.  I didn't include any songs that were not originally done by the band, such as God of Wonders and songs from the 2 Offerings projects- even though I love those songs so much.  From their early "hey they sound like Hootie & the Blowfish!" days to their current status as CCM royalty, their faithfulness to making great music in the name of Jesus has never waivered.  We "Gomers" thank you very much.  Now let the debating begin!


10)  40 Days  (From the 2001 album Come Together) - Classic southern rock with a message.  One of my "go-to" pull me out of a funk songs.
  9)  Thief  (From the 1996 album Third Day)  - One of the great Good Friday songs ever written, told from the perspective of one of the thieves crucified with Jesus.  Awesome.
  8)  Don't Give Up Hope (From the 2010 album Move) - "Don't give up faith, don;t give up hope, there;s always something better waiting around the corner..."
  7)  I've Always Loved You (From the 1999 album Time) - They've always had the unique ability to write songs from the perspective of Jesus.  Love this song.  
 7+)  My Hope Is You (From the 1997 album Conspiracy #5) - A simple truth told in song.  My only hope is Jesus.
  6)  Revelation (From the 2008 album Revelation) 
  5)  Show Me Your Glory  (From the 2001 album Come Together) - How can you listen to this song and not want to worship God?  "Send down your presence, I want to see Your face..."
  4)  Love Song  (From the 1996 album Third Day)  - Hearing Jesus sing, "Just to be with you I'd do anything; there's no price I would not pay" still brings tears to my eyes.  A beautiful, haunting love song from our Savior.
  3)  Consuming Fire (From the 1996 album Third Day) - "1,2,3,4,5,6..."  Chill bumps every single time.  My favorite Third Day song to hear live, and one of the great modern worship songs.  There's an awesome live rendition on Offerings 1.
  2)  Forever (From the 1996 album Third Day) - My very first favorite Third Day song is still might close to the top of my list.  Check out the lyrics on the video below.  Incredible.
  1)  Cry Out To Jesus (From the 2005 album Wherever You Are) - An amazing song that speaks to everyone.  No matter how dark the night, no matter how deep the valley, Jesus is always there.  As hard as it was to pick a Top 10, picking #1 was actually pretty easy for me.  A brilliant song.


So there you have it.  Enjoy the video, and let me know which of your favorite songs I missed.  Blessings to you all!

CCM Thursday: Geoff Moore & the Distance Top 10

Me & Geoff, 1996

I first met Geoff Moore and the Distance while standing in line to get a table at a restaurant at the 1995 National Youth Worker's Convention in Nashville.  I didn't know much about their music, but they were really nice guys.  After meeting them, I heard them play at the NYWC and loved them.  I bought several CDs and took them back and began playing them for the youth of FUMC-Kissimmee, and they liked them as well.  The following year at the NYWC in Anaheim, Geoff and a make-shift band lead by the incomparable James Ward did a killer rendition of Home Run.  That's when the picture you see here was taken.  The following summer we hosted GMD in Kissimmee for an amazing live show (that lost $7,000- you can read that story here).  Then at the 1997 NYWC in Philadelphia they presented all of us that had been in youth ministry for 20 years or more with a framed copy of the lyrics to Geoff's song, Only A Fool.  Mine still hangs on my wall.  I used their songs as themes for summers, camps, retreats and Bible studies.  You can see why I feel such a connection to this band, and why I was so excited when my Twitter feed just blew up yesterday when I asked for suggestions for this list.  So here is my own personal Geoff Moore & the Distance Top 10.  Please feel free to correct me in the comment section!


10) Free  (From the 1997 album Threads) - This remake of a song from The Who and their classic album Tommy gets a spot just based on the fact that Kissimmee was the first time they had ever played it live- and they KILLED it.
   9) Evidence of God (From the 1995 album Home Run) - A great song about seeing God's handiwork around us every day.  "Look around you- SEE the evidence!"
   8)  Live To Tell (From the 1993 album Evolution) - This song, about letting our lives speak of our love for Jesus, was the theme song for the most ridiculous youth trip I ever led.  (Click here for that story!)
   7)  When All Is Said and Done (From the 1993 album Evolution) - An amazing song that says exactly the things I hope are said about me when my life is said and done.  This song was mentioned by many of the folks who responded on Twitter.   
   6)  Tell Me Again (From the 1995 album Home Run) - "Tell me again of the old, old stories...I don't want to forget, so please tell me again."  Not one of GMD's more popular songs, I sang it in worship at 6 different churches over the years.  I couldn't leave it off this list.
   5)  Life Together (From the 1993 album Evolution) - A song of friendship and community that always takes me back to my own high school days and my youth group- 16 years before it was written. "To my mother we were known as the gang..."
   4)  Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music? (From the 1993 album Evolution) - This cover of the great Larry Norman classic introduced a new generation to Larry's music.  And when the guys played this live, the house came down!!!  Geoff Barkley's keyboard solo always blew me away...
   3)  Home Run (From the 1995 album Home Run) - A challenge to every Christian to get out of the stands, get off our butts, and PLAY BALL!!!  I love this song.  Plus I wore a green GMD baseball hat for years after this song came out- until it died of wear and tear!
   2)  Friend Like U (From the 1992 album Friend Like U) -  Just a fun and infectious song that I happen to know you can form a pretty mean conga line to!  A video of this tune featuring pictures from my youth groups throughout the years can be seen at the bottom of this post.
   1)  Only A Fool (From the 1997 album Threads) - "Show me the big in the small, show me the beauty in the call, show me the road that I must choose, and I'll take the job only a fool would do..."  I still can't listen to it without strange liquid leaking from my eyes.  An amazing song about the kind of ministry we are all called to...if you don't know this song, FIND IT!
Also receiving votes:  The Vow, Listen To Our Hearts, Scattering, Desperate Man, Evolution, Threads, Good To Be Alive and Heart To God, Hand To Man.  Special mention goes to Geoff's great love song, If You Could See What I See.  I tried to get him to come sing it at the wedding of Brian & Jill Painter Watson, but I didn't have that much clout!  :)  Now enjoy the video!

CCM Thursday: Steven Curtis Chapman Top 10

Any list of the most faithful, successful, influential and award winning Christian artists of all time will feature the name Steven Curtis Chapman (SC2) right near the top.  Since the release of his first album in 1987, SC2 has dominated the charts and the Dove Awards with his music.  His 1992 project, The Great Adventure, was one of the albums that got me believing that Contemporary Christian Music could be great.  I took youth groups to see him on a couple of occasions, and one of my favorite concert events ever was seeing SC2 and my friend (and his best friend) Geoff Moore share a stage and tell stories about their relationship and song-writing.  I have used his music in worship (Speechless and Let Us Pray), to teach lessons and to inspire action in students.  His catalog is so huge that this Top 10 list is limited to songs from albums released before 2003- but there are still some HUGE hits left out.  As always, I'd love to hear from you.  And be sure to scroll down past the list to hear a special medley of Steven's early hits.  It was a bonus track in The Great Adventure Fan Fun Pack, which also featured a video.   Dive in!  :)


10)  I Will Be Here - (from the album More To This Life, 1989)  I sang this song in at least 3 weddings, so it has to make the list!
  9)  Fingerprints of God - (from the album Speechless, 1999)  I gave my son Will a t-shirt with lyrics from this song and "God's fingerprints" on it when he was little.
  8)  Facts Are Facts - (from the album Heaven In the Real World, 1994) Amazing chorus with an amazing promise.
  7)  The Walk - (from the album Signs of Life, 1996)  Micah 6:8 "It all comes down to the walk..."  
  6)  No Better Place - (from the album For the Sake of the Call, 1990) "Jesus came to bring us life in the here and now..."
  5)  Live Out Loud! - (from the album Declaration, 2001)  "Wake the neighbors!"
  4)  For the Sake of the Call - (from the album For the Sake of the Call, 1990) If you are in ministry (professional or otherwise), this song should be close to your heart.
  3)  Dive - (from the album Speechless, 1999) One of the great "GO FOR IT!" songs ever written.
  2)  Lord of the Dance - (from the album Signs of Life, 1996) "I am the dancer, I need the LORD of the dance!"  And the instrumentation- simply brilliant!
  1)  Prologue/The Great Adventure - (from the album The Great Adventure, 1992) The soaring instrumental Prologue sounds like the soundtrack of a great western and leads straight into the classic "Saddle up your horses!" opening.  Check out the video of my 28 years in youth ministry to hear it all together!


So there's my list.  What did I leave out- I mean besides his rap duet with Toby Mac, Got 2 B Tru? Now THAT is a song for the Jukebox of Cheese!  Let me hear from you!

CCM Thursday: Audio Adrenaline Top 10

Few bands had the impact on my student ministry that Audio Adrenaline did.  From the minute I heard Big House right up until today, the boys of Audio A have both inspired and entertained me.  At FUMC-K (and other places) we sang Get Down, Hands & Feet and of course Big House in our youth meetings, and Darin Miller did a beautiful acoustic version of Walk On Water in worship there.  Underdog served as an inspiration for some students who were gymnasts at the Union Church of Hinsdale and would listen to the song just before each competition.  We used their great high-energy songs Worldwide and Church Punks as discussion starters at Wesley Memorial UMC, and Blitz was FUMC-K's theme for the rocking summer of 1998.  I can count at least 7 times a group of mine saw them live (they just OWNED Night of Joy), and they NEVER disappointed.  As you can tell, limiting myself to 10 songs from this group will be tough.  But here we go...

10)  Never Gonna' Be As Big As Jesus  (From the album Bloom; 1996)
  9)  Dirty  (From the album Worldwide; 2003)
  8)  Underdog  (From the album Underdog, 1999)
  7)  Good People  (From the album Bloom; 1996)
  6)  Rejoice  (From the album LIFT; 2001)
  5)  Chevette  (From the album Some Kind of Zombie; 1997)
  4)  Get Down  (From the album Underdog; 1999)
  3)  Ocean Floor  (From the album LIFT; 2001)
  2)  Big House  (From the album Don't Censor Me; 1993)
  1)  Hands & Feet  (From the album Underdog; 1999)

So there you have it. I left out some classics, including We're A Band, My God, Mighty Good Leader, Beautiful, DC-10 and Leaving 99.  Which of your favs didn't make the list?  Let me hear from you!

Because of Jesus,

CCM Thursday: Newsboys Top 10 (Twice!)

Today's Top 10 is a little different. I wanted to honor the great band Newsboys, who had such a huge impact on my youth groups at FUMC-Kissimmee and Wesley Memorial UMC.  But they are an ever evolving band, and have lots of newer music I am not aware of.  In fact, you may not know that they are currently on their third different lead singer (following John James and Peter Furler)- Michael Tait of dc Talk fame!  So I asked my Twitter friend Jennifer Wethington, a self-proclaimed Newsboys freak (her Twitter name is @LuvLibertyDisco) to send me her Top 10 list.  Here it is, complete with explanations!

10)  Take Me To Your Leader- Always reminds me of the good ol' days when Duncan played the keyboards.  (Take Me To Your Leader, 1996)
9)   I Cannot Get You Out Of My System -the music video = awesome  (Not Ashamed-1992)
8)   One Shot -I enjoy the lyrics so much, specifically the Facebook/Twitter part! (Born Again- 2010)
7)   Born Again -I love hearing this song live, and SHOUTING the chorus!! ( Born Again -2010)
6)   Lost The Plot - So passionate. (Take Me To Your Leader- 1996)
5)   Elle G. -It made me cry  (Going Public- 1994)
4)   No Grave -Love the message!  (In the Hands of God- 2009)
3)   Say You Need Love - "Heard it said you're an accident, biological mistake; So you're a love child, who could say it better; a physical grace, a perfect display."  Powerful.  (Love, Liberty, Disco- 1999)
2) Take My Hands (Praises) - This song, no joke, changed my life. It started my love for Newsboys; it started my love for music. (Adoration: The Worship Album- 2003)
1)   Love Liberty Disco - Not only is this my all-time favorite song, it's a part of who I am.(Love, Liberty, Disco- 1999)

An awesome list, Jennifer, and I think you so much for sharing it.  But I have to admit you left off a few that I just have to mention.  So here's how my old school list would look:

10)  Love, Liberty, Disco - I too, love this one- although not as much as Jennifer.  :)  And who could forget the Airdome Tour- with no Airdome!  Right, FUMC-K?
9)  Not Ashamed - First Newsboys song I ever heard.  Awesome message.  (Not Ashamed- 1992)
 8)  Entertaining Angels - This song (and video) gave me hope all was not lost after John James left the group. (Step Up To the Microphone- 1998)
7)  Take Me To Your Leader-  Again, I agree with Jennifer. Also my favorite Newsboys album, and #3 on my CCM Countdown!
6)  Fad of the Land-  A great rocker about steering clear of false idols and fads.  (Thrive- 2002)
5)  Wherever We Go - "Wherever we go, that's where the party's at..."  Great song.  (Go - 2006)
4)  He Reigns - One of the truly great songs of praise ever written.  (Adoration: The Worship Album- 2003)
3)  It Is You-  One of my favorite worship songs in Tampa and Waycross.  (Thrive- 2002)
2)  Breakfast-  I dare you not to sing (and whistle!) along.  Great live.  (Take Me To Your Leader- 1996)
1)  Shine -  "Make 'em wonder what you've got..."   Loved singing this with youth groups and trying to make all the words fit.  One of the top 5 videos ever!  (Going Public- 1994)  
    
And the amazing thing is we've still left out a lot of classics!  Did we miss your favorites?  Let us hear about it!  Our lists my disagree, but we totally agree on one thing- Newsboys have made a ton of great music, and they are not done yet!  Thanks again, Jennifer.  I'm off to listen to Born Again!

Because of Jesus,
 

CCM Thursday: dc Talk Top 10

A while back on this very blog I did a countdown of the 50 contemporary Christian albums (1972-2007) that had the most impact on my life and ministry.  As I struggled to rank the projects from #50 down to #1, the only spot that was never in question was #1.  It would be Jesus Freak from dc Talk, and it was a no-brainer.  Two other dc Talk projects- Free At Last and Supernatural- also appear in that countdown (click here to see it in its entirety).  In the 1990s no song had the impact on youth groups across USAmerica that Jesus Freak did.  So my list of the Top 10 dc Talk songs is really more about numbers 10-2 than it is about #1. 

Although I had heard a few of their early rap songs (Nu Thang), I first became really aware of dc Talk when I saw them open for Michael W. Smith around 1992.  They were playing stuff from Free At Last, and I could not believe how good they were.  I gave away tons of copies of that cassette tape at Springfield Friends Meeting back in the day.  Many songs from Toby, Mike and Kevin had a huge impact on my youth group at FUMC-Kissimmee from 1994-2000.  Some of my guys made a music video featuring Lean On Me.  One of my really intelligent high school guys had always really struggled with his faith until the song Mind's Eye explained his own feelings to him.  We sang In the Light, Colored People, Lean On Me and Into Jesus at youth.  I used Since I Met You for my FUMC-K slideshow on this blog.  We attended the Jesus Freak Tour and the Supernatural Tour.  And we used curriculum form Interlinc to host a special Jesus Freak event.  I think half of the students had Jesus Freak t-shirts.  It's no exaggeration to say that dc Talk was an important part of that ministry.

So here we go.  My favorites, plus a couple that received Twitter votes that I might not have otherwise included.  Your favorite not here?  Comments and complaints are welcome...

10)  Consume Me  (From the 1998 album Supernatural)   
  9)  My Will  (From the 1999 various artists album Exodus)
  8)  Time Is...  (From the 1995 album Free At Last) 
  7)  Lean On Me  (From the 1992 album Free at Last)
  6)  What If I Stumble?  (From the 1995 album Jesus Freak)
  5)  Luv Is a Verb  (From the 1992 album Free At Last)
  4)  The Hardway  (From the 1992 album Free At Last)
  3)  Supernatural  (From the 1998 album Supernatural)
  2)  In the Light  (From the 1995 album Jesus Freak)
  1)  Jesus Freak  (From the 1995 album Jesus Freak)
  Honorable Mention:  Colored People;  Mind's Eye;  It's Killing Me;  Red Letters;   Like It, Love It, Need It;  My Friend (So Long);   Jesus Is Still Alright   

So there you have it.  I tweeted Toby, Mike and Kevin and asked them for their favorites, but I never got any responses.  So it's up to us!  What did I miss?  Let me hear from you!

Because of Jesus,

CCM Thursday: Jars of Clay Top 10

In 1995 the unknown band Jars of Clay released their first album, called Jars of Clay.  Creative, huh?  It wasn't long before a single from that project was sweeping the nation.  Flood was played on Christian radio, regular radio and had a video in heavy rotation on MTV.  Jars of Clay had arrived.  That debut CD became a favorite at FUMC-K, with songs like Liquid, Love Song For A Savior, Like a Child and Flood joining the "songs we knew by heart" playlist.  And I began a love affair with their music that has lasted until today.  It wasn't always easy to love them.  In the beginning, seeing them live was almost painful. In fact, when our praise band at FUMC-K would stand around between songs acting like they didn't know what was next, we called it "Claying"- because that is exactly what JOC did on stage.  They got ever it and became one of my favorite concert acts ever.  And through it all, there was always the music.

In 2001 I entered a contest on their website and won a Baby Taylor guitar with the logo of their The Eleventh Hour album burned into the body.  A picture of me playing it is a right.  As I right today I can tell you that one of favorite Tweeters in Dan Hasseltine, lead singer of the band since the beginning.  I asked on Twitter last week for people to name their favorite Jars songs, and the answers were predictable and nearly all from that first album.  If you check out my Top 50 CCM Countdown you will find that there are 3 JOC projects listed; two of them are in the top six.  Their debut album is NOT ranked highest.  Limiting myself to 10 songs will not be easy.  In fact, I didn't- there was one tie.  So anyway, without further delay, here are my top 10 favorite Jars of Clay songs.  As always, I 'd love to hear your opinions.  Feel free to argue with me, correct me, or simply add on.  Let's do it!

10)  Crazy Times (From the 1997 album Much Afraid)
  9)  The Valley Song (From the 2003 album Furthermore)
  8)  Flood (From the 1995 album Jars of Clay)
  7)  Revolution (From the 2001 album The Eleventh Hour)
  6)  God Will Lift Up Your Head (From the 2005 album Redemption Songs)
  5)  World's Apart (From the 1995 album Jars of Clay)
  5)  Work (From the 2006 album Good Monsters)
  4)  Collide (From the 1999 album If I Left the Zoo)
  3)  Love Song For a Savior (From the 1995 album Jars of Clay)
  2)  Dead Man (Carry Me) (From the 2006 album Good Monsters)
  1)  Like A Child (From the 1995 album Jars of Clay)
        Honorable Mention:  Tea & Sympathy, Unforgetful You, Good Monsters,
        Sinking, Liquid, Waiting For the World To Fall

So there you go.  I'm going to get destroyed for putting Flood so low on the list, but hey- it's my list!  Have a blessed day everyone!

Because of Jesus,

CCM Thursday: Michael W.Smith Top 10

From time to time over the coming months I am going to be picking one of my favorite Christian artists and sharing with you my favorite songs from their catalogues.  We will kick it off today with the one and only Michael W. Smith.  This can be fun, but only if you, dear readers, will argue with me!  Leave comments letting me know which choices you loved, which ones you hated, and what I left out.  My favs from MWS are older (like me), so I would especially like to hear from you about some of your more recent favorites.  You will also notice the absence of songs from his live Worship albums.  Those songs are mostly covers of songs from other artists, so they were not considered, even though I love those albums.  If you prefer to communicate through Twitter or e-mail (Youthguy07@aol.com) that's cool too.  So here are my Top 10 Smitty favorites!


10) Old Enough To Know (1986)
  9)  Emily  (1987)
  8)  Missing Person  (1998)
  7)  I'll Lead You Home (1995)
  6)  Pray For Me  (1988)
  5)  Rocketown  (1986)
  4)  Place In This World  (1990)
  3)  This Is Your Time  (1999)
  2)  Secret Ambition (1988)
  1)  Friends  (1983)   (What?  You were expecting Lamu?  :)  A no-brainer!)

So there you have it- now tear it apart!  What's missing? I look forward to hearing from you all!

Because of Jesus,