Top 50 Christian Artists Currently on eMusic.com

eMusic.com can be a cost affordable way to augment your music library.  The hitch: the majority of the artists are independent.  Here are our current 50 favorites in no particular order.

Thousand Foot Krutch
Delirious?
Disciple
Kutless
Stryper 
Guardian
Manafest
Newsboys
Fireflight
Superchick
The Choir
Relient K
Jars of Clay
Stephen Christian
7eventh Time Down
Philippa Hanna
Pillar
Starfield
Sonicflood
Planetshakers
Jaci Velasquez
Rend Collective 
Brooke Fraser
newworldson
Dogs of Peace
Phil Keaggy
Holy Soldier
Adam Again
Shout
Danny Gokey
Holly Starr
Capital Kings
Beckah Shae
The Katinas
The Union of Sinners and Saints
Anthem Lights
Peter Furler
KB
Mark Schultz
newsong
Michael English
Crystal Lewis
Cindy Morgan
Clay Crosse
John Elefante
Ginny Owens
Kevin Max
Stu G
Michael Sweet
Martin Smith
Liaison

Plus a few bonus ones:

Tim Miner
Charlie Peacock
Marc Martel
Magdallan

Winter Jam #4 of All World Tours

Once again ranking among the biggest first quarter tours in the world, the Winter Jam Tour Spectacular brought its 2017 Eastern U.S. run to a close earlier this month. Christian music's largest annual tour landed at #4 on Pollstar’s “1Q YTD Worldwide 2017 Ticket Sales Top 100 Tours” chart, it was recently announced, ahead of tours by such artists as Twenty One Pilots, Drake and Guns N' Roses.

Hitting a total of 46 cities from January through April, Winter Jam played to more than 27,000 people at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, marking not only one of the tour’s largest crowds to date, but the last concert ever at the historic venue. In addition, sellouts continued at St. Louis' Scottrade Center; Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis; Verizon Arena in Little Rock, Arkansas; and the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, among numerous leading arenas. 

Showcasing 10 Christian music artists, Winter Jam featured Crowder, Britt Nicole, Tenth Avenue North, Andy Mineo, Colton Dixon, Thousand Foot Krutch and NewSong.  The tour was also highlighted by a special appearance from “Duck Dynasty” television star Sadie Robertson, as well as a message from acclaimed author, speaker Tony Nolan.

An array of special guest artists and athletes appeared in various cities during Winter Jam’s first quarter outing, including Matthew West, Lauren Daigle; “Duck Dynasty’s” Willie & Korie Robertson; “American Idol” alum Danny Gokey, Francesca Battistelli, Jordan Feliz, Zach Williams, Atlanta Braves great Otis Nixon; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Chris Conley; and Nashville Predators captain Mike Fisher.

“This has been such a special year for Winter Jam,” said Eddie Carswell, tour creator and NewSong founding member. “The fantastic lineup, the packed arenas and the special guests who joined us made it an incredible tour, but the best part—as always—is seeing so many people come to Christ through this ministry each year.”

Thousand Foot Krutch's Trevor McNevan Records Song For the #1 Movie in the Country

Thousand Foot Krutch lead singer Trevor McNevan recently shared on Facebook a few days ago that he recorded a theme song for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie "Out Of Shadows."

"I had the privilege of singing and writing a rhyme for the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles theme song for the new movie "Out Of Shadows" (June 3rd) along with my good buddy Phil X and an incredible cast of players!  Hearing the verse lyrics and the melody brought back so many memories!! Hilarious. Had a blast!"

The movie premiered at the top of the box office earning over $35 million.

TFK's upcoming album releases June 17th.

TFK Continues Its Climb Up Rock Charts

TFK continues its rise into mainstream arenas with sales as an independent artist that the major labels aspire to ascertain. With well over one-million albums sold, more than one-million likes on Facebook, featured performances on major rock festivals internationally, numerous sports programming placements and hundreds of millions of streams online (300,000+ weekly at Spotify alone), Thousand Foot Krutch has also scored two back-to-back Billboard Hard Rock No. 1 albums (OXYGEN:INHALE,The End Is Where We Begin), and nine Active Rock radio hits.

The most recent hit single from OXYGEN:INHALE, "Untraveled Road," has not only topped SiriusXM Octane's Big Uns Countdown for two non-consecutive weeks, but for the first time in seven years, launches TFK this week into the Top 20 at both BDS Mainstream Rock (at No. 20) and Mediabase Active Rock (at No. 19) charts as the song continues to climb. "Untraveled Road" follows the album's No. 1 hit "Born This Way."

Having already hit No. 2 on the iTunes Rock Song sales chart and racking up more than 1.2 million views and 10,800 likes on YouTube, "Untraveled Road" has further been embraced by the sports entertainment world to fire-up faithful fans. Adopted by the NHL's Ottawa Senators as their 2014-15 anthem and used as the "pump-up" video for the Montreal Canadiens' 2014-15 season, the song was also played for the crowd April 13 at PNC Park after the Pittsburgh Pirates' Corey Hart hit a home run, helping lead his team to a home opener win against the Detroit Tigers.

"'Untraveled Road' is about not being afraid to take the first step, or be the first voice," says McNevan. "It's about having the courage to be unashamed, and the faith you need to take a step before you can see the ground. The 'untraveled road' is symbolism for being at a crossroads, and having to decide which path you're going to take. Sometimes it takes everything."

Thousand Foot Krutch Joins Alice Cooper to Benefit Teen Center

Top-selling rock band Thousand Foot Krutch jump starts its holiday season, performing during Alice Cooper's annual Christmas Pudding benefit event Dec. 13 in Phoenix, AZ at Comerica Theatre. The event benefited Alice Cooper's Solid Rock's teen center in Phoenix, a non-profit charity that provides free music and free dance lessons to teenagers (alicecoopersolidrock.com). The event also featured Alice Cooper, Nils Lofgren, P.O.D., Jonny Lang, Night Ranger and more.

Touring in support of its second consecutive No. 1 selling Billboard Hard Rock album, OXYGEN:INHALE, released Aug. 26, the event with Cooper followed tour dates in Russia that saw capacity crowds in every venue.

While on tour, TFK is playing fan favorites and hits from OXYGEN:INHALE like "Born This Way," which is Top 10 at Under The Radar, No. 22 at Active Rock, No. 23 at Mainstream Rock and continues to climb all three charts.

Thousand Foot Krutch's "Oxygen: Inhale" Is a Breath of Fresh Air in Top 10

Thousand Foot Krutch's latest release "Oxygen: Inhale" debuts at #7 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.  Simultaneously, it lodges in at #2  on the Top Current Rock Albums chart (just behind the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack at No. 1), No. 6 on the Top Internet and No. 1 on the Top Christian/Gospel Albums charts. The recording also spent most of last week at No. 1 on the iTunes Rock chart and hit No. 5 on the iTunes overall Albums chart. The fan funded album gives TFK their highest ever position on the Billboard charts.

 Driving the successful debut in part is the recording's lead single, "Born This Way," which hits No. 34 at Active Rock this week. NASCAR and SEC colleges also crank up the song's volume on ESPN through mid-December as the single continues to roar up the radio charts. The song further picks up well-over a quarter-of-a-million views and 4,000+ likes on YouTube pushing TFK's YouTube channel views to over 1,100,000 last month alone, a record for the band.

Lead singer Trevor McNevan has this to say about the new record:  "We wanted to make a raw rock record. We decided to strip away all the background sounds and popular over-production, so that what you hear are just the instruments and the voice."

"To me, the words are as important as the melody," McNevan says. "The song has to say something important, to connect with the audience on a deeper level. I had this image of prostitutes, addicts, business men/women, people from all walks of life, holding up a sign that reads 'Breathe Through Me.' Love includes everyone. We were called to love one another, help and support one another, and to walk through life together."

Winter Jam Once Again Crowned World's Biggest Tour

For the fourth consecutive year, Winter Jam tops Pollstar's First Quarter Year To Date Worldwide Ticket Sales chart - Top 100 Tours, surpassing all other 2014 first quarter tours, including Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Beyoncé, Michael Bublé, Imagine Dragons and Justin Timberlake. Hitting major arenas around the country from January through March, Winter Jam saw 34 sellouts this year, with a combined total audience of more than 550,000 people—the tour's largest attendance in history.

Founded and hosted by NewSong and headlined by multi Grammy-nominated Newsboys and Grammy-winning hip-hop artist Lecrae, this year’s all-star line-up also featured Tenth Avenue North, Thousand Foot Krutch, Plumb and Colton Dixon.

"It's been 19 years of continued growth for Winter Jam," says Roy Morgan, Winter Jam promoter. "It's amazing to look back and see how God has orchestrated the smallest of details to grow and use this tour to deliver His message of love and Hope to literally millions of people."

NewSong’s Winter Jam 2014 Tour Spectacular was highlighted by multiple industry-leading innovations and Christian music firsts including the Winter Jam 2014 Dome Spectacular

More than 30,000 people attended the tour’s February stop at Atlanta’s Georgia Dome, marking the biggest single event in Winter Jam’s 19-year history. Featuring Guinness World Record-holding high wire artist Nik Wallenda’s tightrope walk across the Dome, the event also included appearances from Reed Robertson of "Duck Dynasty," Grammy-nominated David Crowder and University of Georgia head football coach Mark Richt.

Despite record-breaking inclement weather around the country, causing the cancellation of one of the tour’s 48 slated shows, Winter Jam played to capacity crowds at Chicago’s Sears Centre Arena; Houston’s Toyota Center; Scottrade Center in St. Louis; Cincinnati’s U.S. Bank Arena; and Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, among numerous other sold-out events.  

Carrie Underwood Joins Thousand Foot Krutch for Surprise Performance at Winter Jam

Carrie Underwood joined Thousand Foot Krutch for a surprise performance of "Let The Sparks Fly" for a capacity crowd at Winter Jam in Tulsa OK.

Thousand Foot Krutch's Trevor McNevan's Back Injury

Thousand Foot Krutch frontman Trevor McNevan has been sharing details of his recent healing while on TFK's current "War Of Change" headline tour:

"A few weeks ago, after the Super Bowl, I was walking from my living room to my kitchen and out of no where, my back literally felt like it shattered. A few days later it was so bad I couldn't even move; it was the worst pain I've ever felt in my life. I tried to make it down the stairs to head to the hospital and blacked out. My wife had to call 911 and ambulance me into the hospital. It was crazy! They ran a bunch of testing over the course of a few days, and the doctor said I had an irregular case of degenerative disc disease. He said my 2 options were to stay on heavy pain meds and muscle relaxers for the rest of my life or to have a back surgery that in most cases resulted in a wheel chair. My wife and I were like 'what?!!' We believe in a big God, so weren't going to accept that. So we started praying. The band, our friends and family started praying. People around the world were praying (I sent out a tweet) - it was amazing. The next day I went for a ride somewhere with my wife, just to get out of the house, I was going stir crazy! On the way back, at a random moment, I was instantly healed! I felt all of my strength and energy come back in an instant; it felt like I could run a marathon! I turned to my wife and said, 'I think I was just healed...' It was amazing, man. So thankful! God's so good."

Disney's Night of Joy Turns 30

"Disney cares about the family like we care about the family," says Brandon Heath, one of the Christian artists who performed this weekend at Walt Disney World's 30th annual Night of Joy. "It's a common goal that we have to enrich families. They can come enjoy the rides and attractions, and they can enjoy great music."

Third Day, Chris Tomlin, Casting Crowns, Francesca Battistelli, MercyMe, Chris August, Royal Tailor, Red, Disciple, Thousand Foot Crutch, NEEDTOBREATHE, Lecrae, Kutless, Dara Maclean and Yolanda Adams were among the acts performing at three different stages Friday and Saturday nights (Sept. 7-8) at Disney' Magic Kingdom.

It's been three decades since Disney launched the first Night of Joy with a line up that included Scott Wesley Brown, David Meece, Shirley Caesar, Leon Patillo, Benny Hester, Petra, Phil Keaggy and Sheila Walsh. Since then the festival has become one of Christian music's premiere events drawing fans from all over the world with an audience heavily populated by church youth groups. During the event, Disney hosts a special lounge for youth pastors where they can interact with artists.

Casting Crowns frontman Mark Hall and fellow Casting Crowns members Juan DeVevo and Hector Cervantes were surprised with a huge Stars Wars cake recognizing their birthdays. Third Day's Mark Lee and Mac Powell, Moriah Peters, and members of Red and Royal Tailor were on hand to sing and celebrate.

Hall, who has long been known as a big Star Wars fan, recently auctioned off his collection to benefit charity. "We raised about $20,000 selling my collection," he told Billboard. "We sold the Han Solo desk, the emperor's chair, helmets and paintings and all sort of stuff I accumulated over the years. My son and I started a collection several years back. I'm trying to teach my son: 'Stuff is cool, but ultimately people are more important than stuff.' To prove that to him I said, 'hey man, I really felt like God is wanting us to do this.' So it was something we did together and he got to see that you can have your hobbies, but it needs to lead to something bigger. The money went to World Vision and we supported water efforts in Rwanda."

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Thousand Foot Krutch Featured on TV and Enjoys Career Best Sales

Going independent has energized THOUSAND FOOT KRUTCH as its momentum continues to build following the release of the band's 5-star acclaimed, seventh studio album, The End Is Where We Begin. After entering at No. 1 on the Hard Rock, No. 3 on Alternative and Independent and No. 14 on the Top 200 Billboard charts, the recording continues to sell 41% ahead of its previous best selling album while Canada's favorite modern rockers get ready to launch their stadium shaking rumbles on main stages across North America during this festival season.

Billed as a top headliner for the first time at Christian music's largest festival, Creation Festival, for its 34th annual event (6/29, www.creationfest.com/ne), as well as headlining for the first time Creation 2012 Northwest (7/19, www.creationfest.com/nw), TFK is also featured on the main stages at 8 other festivals. The band will also be featured on the Uproar Festival along with Shinedown, Godsmack, Staind, Papa Roach, POD and others.

"TFK's The End Is Where We Begin is ahead of the last album's sales by 41%, which is unheard of today!" exclaims Shawn Fowler. "Digital singles' sales numbers are even stronger; up 64%. And the festival season is sure to drive that upward momentum as the recording continues to be featured at all the major retail outlets."

In addition to the festivals, TFK is gathering significant radio airplay across multiple formats. Its adrenaline-infused Active Rock single, "Let The Sparks Fly," hit No. 2 this week on SiriusXM Satellite Radio's Octane Big-Uns Countdown (www.siriusxm.com/octane) as its CHR No. 15 and climbing single, "Be Somebody," became the second-highest radio spin-gainer last week in the format.

The band also continues its string of sports entertainment song placements, including new songs from The End Is Where We Begin on ESPN (NASCAR, NCAA basketball), EA Sports NHL 2013 releasing this fall and, most recently, "War of Change" was named as the official theme song for WWE's "Over The Limit" pay per view event happening May 20 (www.wwe.com/music). WWE programming reaches nearly 16 million people per week in the US alone and 14 million more monthly online. "Light Up The Sky" further became the soundtrack for the L.A. Kings' (NHL) playoff reel (http://ht.ly/aFciK).

Thousand Foot Krutch Charts at #14 With Indie Release

Thousand Foot Krutch's biggest debut ever hits No. 14 on Billboard Top 200, No. 1 on multiple Retail Charts and sales tracking 72% ahead of last CD.

Announcing their independence from label life last year, TFK raised money through Kickstarter, then released  its seventh studio album, The End Is Where We Begin, to not only wide critical acclaim, but also its biggest sales debut ever. Since its release last week, the album reached #6 on the iTunes® Top 10 Albums chart, climbed to #2 on the iTunes Rock chart (No. 1 in Canada) and earned the #8 spot on the Rock Singles Chart while capping the week with it highest ever chart position on the Billboard Top 200 at No. 14 with 23,659 albums sold, marking a 72% sales jump over the band's previous best-selling album, Welcome to the Masquerade. The album also landed at No. 1 on the Hard Rock Billboard charts.

The new CD has already had song placements on ESPN (NASCAR, NCAA basketball), WWE and EA Sports NHL 2013 releasing this fall.

The new album is a testament to the bond the band has with its fans. Thanks to the TFK armies across the globe, who helped fund the album through Kickstarter and allowed the band to self-release, TFK has achieved their greatest successes to date.

"Since day one we've actually been uncomfortable with the term 'fans' because these people mean so much more to us," says TFK front man Trevor McNevan. "They're the friends and family of the band, so to speak, and I think they've grown to trust us over the years, which is something that's been built between us and not manufactured."

Red Headlines 20-City 'Redvolution Tour' In 2012

Two-time GRAMMY nominated rock act RED kicks off its second headlining tour in five months, the “REDvolution Tour,” on Feb. 10. Visiting 20+ cities domestically, with special guests Thousand Foot Krutch, Manafest, Nine Lashes, and KIROS, the tour will also include a run of “RED only” dates throughout Europe
in April.

A year since releasing its acclaimed third studio project, Until We Have Faces, RED continues to make massive career strides, venturing out on back-to-back headlining tours. Following its popular fall “Kill The Machine Tour,” RED sets the stage for an all-new endeavor, the “REDvolution Tour.” Kicking off two weeks from Friday, the tour will visit more than 20 cities across the U.S., including major markets Washington, D.C., Dallas, Las Vegas, and Phoenix, among others, through late March.

And for the first time, RED will headline its own European tour, taking the show abroad to cities in The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Russia and Ukraine. Please refer to the tour itinerary following this release for additional information, or visit redmusiconline.com for an updated list of tour dates.

Red Sizzles at the Masquerade

Coming off a 10 day tour with Breaking Benjamin, Thousand Foot Krutch and Chevelle, RED played to an intimate crowd at the Masquerade. Even though Breaking Ben isn't a Christian band, they provide a lot of exposure for Christian bands like their recent tour mates. Likewise, RED had several up and comers open for them in Atlanta.

Carrie Underwood Places Christian Songs on her iTunes Playlist

Carrie Underwood lists four Christian songs on her iTunes playlist: Casting Crowns' 'Praise You in this Storm,' PCD's 'Revelation Song' and two tracks from Thousand Foot Krutch's new album "Welcome To The Masquerade."

Check out what she has to say:

"Fire It Up": "I love love love this band. They can do it all! Awesome. Trevor has amazing vocals paired with GIANT guitars. Makes me jump around the room!"

"Already Home": "Once again, I love this band. This song is just great ...enough said!"

"Praise You in This Storm": "There are times in everyone's lives where things aren't so good and it becomes easier to blame our problems on others. This song reminds us to praise God even in the worst of times, and we'll get through it because He's always with us."

"Revelation Song": "Awesome song"

Thousand Foot Krutch, Fireflight win Taco Bell Feed the Beat contest

Taco Bell's inaugural "Best of the Beat" winners were announced this week as part of the restaurant's Feed the Beat program.

Of the three bands who won, two are openly Christian bands: Thousand Foot Krutch and Fireflight. Included in the top six was Christian rock band Underoath.