My Top 40 Christian Songs of 2014

               My Top 40 Christian Songs of 2014

   A lot of good songs this year. My criteria are similar to my album criteria; performed and written by professing Christians about distinctly Christian themes as defined by me sice it is my blog :). Also, if the song got played a lot on Christian radio, it has to be very good to make my list because I am either sick of it now or it means it probably was never very cutting edge. With that in mind, here goes. I will try to include links so you can hear them.

40. Almost Home  - Guardian
        If you like the band The Almost or Decemberadio check out Guardian. I do hate the squeaking of metal guitar strings on acoustic songs though which keeps this song lower than it could have been.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjmGyMDfgkQ  17:17 mark

39. The World You Want - Switchfoot  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQevo3OfR4A

38.  Hurricane - Shonlock  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQJejmUaGGY

37. Future Back - Fellowship Creative  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSHModt1ey0

36. Difference Maker - Needtobreathe  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2LtB9KLf98

35. My Lighthouse - Rend Collective 
        Trite, tiresome but easy to play on the guitar and youth groups like to sing it
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPtIv2lnkTY

34.  Born This way - Thousand Foot Krutch  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygnR71KX0f8  It rocks and so do they - because they were born that way.

33. Fightback Soundtrack - We Are Leo  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6441-_I1Xvo

32. Untraveled Road - Thousand Foot Krutch  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSD5vSSGLOM

31. Cage - Manafest  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FhZtWntOzTg

30. Do Life Big - Jamie Grace  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXmgbTeY0xU

29. Walk On Water - Family Force 5  The guys try to do something CCM friendly. Thanks!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OLwCk4Jw-4

28. Oceans - Digital Age  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pi9If3vt83c
      My last year band/album of the year did some rehersal songs releases (coincidentally released the same week Crowder released his CD) and they killed Oceans with screaming passion towards the end. Their two songs are sort of like a workout routine - warm up, intense, cool down

27. Boldly I Approach The Throne (Art of Celebration) - Rend Collective https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QDnVD7gu5Y

26. The Takeover - Fellowship Creative  (Worst band name of the year award)

25. Beyond This World - Shonlock  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-Hv6Ta2z3s

24. Everybody Get Up - Rapture Rukus  (2nd worst band name)  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbIQ8viFCrU  WARNING!! Lyrics PG13  (but hilarious)

23. White Boots - Jamie Grace   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y0Q0mw1zv4s   Abstinence!

22. Edge of My Life - Manafest  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtaLTVeYKGg

21. Fix My Eyes - For King and Country https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM-Bf9gE0gw  Even radio couldn't ruin this song but it did drop it down quite a bit

20. The Moment - Manafest  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkAihH8VUw8

19. Just a Friend - Jamie Grace featuring Manwell of Group1Crew  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiJ71ZLkUSk  Manwell is awesome. He makes any song sound good!

18. Shine Like the Morning - Lights of Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3l_diXYd4A  First of 5 techno dance sounding worship songs

17. All Rise Jesus Majesty - Digital Age https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6_O8mqoFm4  Let it build; don't give up on it! Looking forward to rocking out to this in church - someday...

16. Keep Goin' - Group 1 Crew featuring Capital Kings https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EytmhFuqmX0  Manwell again. Capital Kings make everything sound better ,too.

15. When we Come Alive - Switchfoot - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMmTRwuvMiw  Heard this one too many times too. Still great

14. Closer To Your Heart - Desperation Band  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFYdQEYCKO8

13. Oh Your Love - Planetshakers  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ucUvDqdJJ4

12. Holy (Strengthen My Weary Arms) - Willet https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN_Pm1VDKAo  Under produced, singer is off occasionally, words boldly Biblical, out of nowhere talks about "a thief in the night"... Awesome. 70s Jesus music throwback

11. You Came to My Rescue - Passion  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AjKkezp49o  Christy Nockels finally gets the good song and a breath taking performance! (always sounds like she is out of breath - but I think that is a cool sound)

10. Chasing You - Bethel Music  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCGJUcor30M  Are you sure this isn't Abba?

9.  Amnesia - We Are Leo

8. VIP - Manic Drive featuring Manwell  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nbnHlfvR7k   If you like Russel Wilson check out this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwpD-daFx8U

7. To The Dreamers - For King and Country - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujrcvpw9Zcc  Sounds a little like Imagine Dragons but that isn't a bad thing

6. Caught in the Middle - Bellarive  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEtwjLvpoOM

5. I Like to Win - Shonlock  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2jXoEDyJEM  Don't you? We do!

4. Wasteland - Needtobreathe  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se2C3v1a7OY

3. Let it Out - Switchfoot  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vl9focF2tvg 

2. Commodity - Remedy Drive  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0PWtCWiKKc  Do yourself a favor and download the 5:21 version off the CD

1. Run Wild - For King and Country featuring Andy Mineo  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lky7U8ygU78 At first I wasn't sure I liked this but the more I listened to this the more impressed I became with the words, talent, uniqueness of it