March was the month of thinking that there may not be any good music coming out of the USA with my ‘Import Charge’ playlist. Don’t worry though, in July I will be addressing that very question. But for this month I will be smashing a perceived stereotype of a specific genre of music with my ‘Easter Eggs’ Spotify playlist. This month is Easter and so it’s the time of year where if you attend to church, you may at least think of ‘church music’ more than normal. Some people would say they could never listen to Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) because it would put them to sleep. That sentiment included me at one point in time.
But there are a lot of people that have been finding out that the sound “expected” from CCM can’t be further from reality with some sub-genres of that type of music. For example, bands like Skillet have over 300 million listens on Spotify to their most played song, ‘Monster’. The driving beat of the music is something that is great material for being on your workout playlist. In fact this entire playlist has enough heart pumping music for almost 90 minutes of hitting the gym.
My own experience with CCM shattering my expectations came from Dan, a friend of mine, who is now a pastor of his own church. When working out I always liked a more upbeat sound so would put on music in the vein of AC/DC or Rush (which I still do at times). Then Dan turned me on to my first CCM rock band, P.O.D.. After hearing them, I went out and purchased a couple of their CD. Not to long afterward I had my first opportunity to see them in concert. Their show was in a small venue in Pittsburgh named Metropol. They were the headliner with the then lesser known band named Lincoln Park. I also attended an outdoor multiday/multi-stage festival called Purple Door. This festival showcased Christian rock and metal bands where P.O.D. was one of the headliners.
If you’re a person that puts in the earbuds when working out or just like some upbeat music occasionally, check out some of the bands in this month’s Spotify playlist, Easter Eggs. If you like this kind of music and new to CCM, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Also if you really are a person who enjoys exploring as many different bands as possible to open up the possibilities of hearing something totally new, again this is worth a listen. I’m always of the opinion that if I’m not willing to give something a try, I may miss my next favorite artist.
open.spotify.com/playlist/5vSIhGETrGPLiakBsFUQaz?si=x5xX5JoSTqWCAxk3kHn_lg
I hope you have a happy Easter! Remember I am always open to an email with an idea for a new group to check out or for future playlist theme suggestions. Check back next month when my May theme is ‘Homegrown’.