80s Inspirational Christian Music
• some 80s Christian songs to remember
  • • FRIEND OF THE FATHER
    • SOMEONE WHO CAN
    Carol Lawrence
  • • FROM THE START
    Diane Hull
  • • BOUNDLESS LOVE
    Farrell & Farrell
  • • I CAN SEE HEAVEN
    Terri Gibbs
  • • YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO LOVE ME
    • LOVE SONG FOR NUMBER 2
    Mickey & Becki Moore
  • • CAN YOU REACH MY FRIEND
    • THE HEART OF THE MATTER
    Debby Boone
  • • LATELY
    • I MAY NOT ALWAYS BE THERE
    Morris Chapman
  • • I LOVE YOU MORE EVERYDAY
    • ONE DAY AT A TIME
    Cristy Lane
  • • I’LL FLY AWAY
    • HEAVENLY SUNSHINE
    Rick Powell Orchestra
  • • YOUR KINDNESS
    • STRENGTH OF MY LIFE
    Leslie Phillips
  • • WHAT SIN?
     • IF I NEVER SEE A MIRACLE
     Morgan Cryar
  • • SOMEWHERE IT’S SNOWING
     Stephanie Boosahda
  • • PRAISE THE LORD
    The Imperials
  • • WE NEED THE LORD
    Karla Worley
  • • LET YOUR LOVE FLOW THROUGH ME
    • NO REGRETS
    Rodger Strader
  • • ONLY ONE LIFE
    The Parschauer Sisters
  • • FRIENDS
    Michael W. Smith
  • • OH SO WONDERFUL
    Dana
  • • MY LITTLE TUNE
    • I AM WILLING LORD
    • LORD YOU’VE GIVEN ME SO MUCH
    Joni Eareckson Tada
  • • GIVE YOUR HEART A HOME
    • HE’S ALIVE
    • GOT TO TELL SOMEBODY
    Don Francisco
  • • KEEPIN’ MY EYES ON YOU
    • THE WARRIOR IS A CHILD
    Twila Paris
  • • I WISH YOU JESUS
     • THIS LITTLE CHILD
     • THIS IS THE DAY
     • THE LANGUAGE OF JESUS IS LOVE
     Scott Wesley Brown
  • • THERE IS A SAVIOR
    • MORNING LIKE THIS
    • FACE TO FAITH
    • VIA DOLOROSA
    Sandi Patty
  • • BECAUSE HE LIVES
    • ROCK OF AGES MEDLEY
    Don Marsh Orchestra
  • • JESUS IN YOUR HEART
    Connie Scott
  • • ONE MORE SONG FOR YOU
    • MAJESTY
     Carmichael Strings
  • • HE WILL CARRY YOU
    • KEEP THE SON IN YOUR EYES
    • WHEN ANSWERS AREN’T ENOUGH
     Scott Wesley Brown
  • • JESUS NEVER FAILS
    • GENTLE HANDS
     Truth
  • • RISE AGAIN
    • I SAW THE LORD
    Dallas Holm
  • • I’VE JUST SEEN JESUS
    • MORE THAN WONDERFUL
    Larnelle Harris & Sandi Patty
  • • SING YOUR PRAISE TO THE LORD
    • ANGELS
    Amy Grant
  • • TOUCH OF THE MASTER’S HAND
    Wayne Watson
  • • THE WEDDING DAY
    • THE ARMY OF THE LORD
    Harvest
  • • GOD STILL MOVES
    • CIRCLE OF TWO
    • TURN YOUR HEART TOWARD HOME
    Steve & Annie Chapman
  • • SOLDIER OF THE LIGHT
    Andrus, Blackwood & Co.
  • • PEOPLE NEED THE LORD
    • BROKEN AND SPILLED OUT
    Steve Green
  • • WE WILL STAND
    Russ Taff
  • • CARRY ME
    • MY GOD
    Christine Wyrtzen
  • • MY SOUL DESIRE
    Deniece Williams
  • • MY PRAYER FOR YOU
    • DAY OF THE LORD
    • SWEET SURRENDER
    • TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE
    Dion DiMucci
 ‘50s & 60s  •  ‘70s  •   ‘80s  •   ‘90s  •   ‘00s


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80s Christian music timeline


  • 1980
    • Zondervan acquires Benson Music for $3.6 million.

    • The New Benson Company is formed by Zondervan along with Paragon Associates, Inc.

    • Bob MacKenzie of Paragon is named president of the New Benson Company.

    Sources:
    —The House of Zondervan: Celebrating 75 Years by James E. Raurk, Copyright Zondervan 1981, 2006
    —Billboard Sept 27, 1980, Oct 19, 1985
  • 1980
    • Ralph Carmichael  buys Word’s half of Light/Lexicon from ABC.

    • Tempo Records of Kansas City closes it’s doors in Mission, KS because of financial problems
    (Billboard Sept 27, 1980).
  • 1981
    • Brentwood Music  is founded by Jim Van Hook with $500.

    • Home Sweet Home Records is founded by Chris Christian in Nashville, Tennessee, and later moves to Dallas.
  • 1982
    • Sony and Philips finalize the compact disc.

    • Compact Discs go on sale in Europe and Japan.
  • 1982
    • Reunion Records is founded.

    • Amy Grant marries Gary Chapman.

    • Light Records was sold by Ralph Carmichael to John Ward, an Orange County, CA developer, with Carmichael remaining as President
    (Billboard Oct 2, 1982).
  • 1982
    Keith Green  dies in a plane crash.
    Keith Green
  • 1983
    • Compact Discs go on sale in the U.S.

    • Amy Grant’s Age To Age becomes first gold album on a Christian label by a solo artist.
  • 1984
    • Bob MacKenzie and Bill Gaither end their business partnership with the sale of Paragon's 49% interest in Benson to Zondervan, but they remain very close friends.

    • Stryper‘s debut album, The Yellow and Black Attack ,  is the first Christian metal album.
    Stryper
  • 1984
    • Urgent Records is founded in Los Angeles with only one artist: Phillip Sandifer. (In 1988, the label moved to Austin, Texas.)

    1985
    • Amy Grant has CCM’s first secular crossover hit with Find A Way.
  • 1985
    • John W. Peterson, composer of of more than 1,000 Christian songs and some 35 cantatas with over 9 million copies sold, is inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
    John W Peterson
  • 1986
    • Jarrell McCracken  departs Word after the ABC merger with Capital Cities.
  • 1987
    • U2’s The Joshua Tree album wins a Grammy.
    The Joshua Tree - U2
  • 1988
    • CDs outsell vinyl LP records for the first time.

    • Zondervan Publishing House is purchased by Harper & Row for $56.7 million.

    • Word moves from Waco to Dallas.
  • 1988
    • Leslie Phillips leaves Christian music after a concert that didn’t go well, and changes her name to Sam Phillips.
    Leslie Phillips
  • 1988
    • ForeFront Records is founded in Nashville by Dan Brock, Eddie DeGarmo and Ron Griffen. Artists include dcTalk, Rebecca St James and Audio Adrenaline.
• • •
ARTIST PHOTOS TOP OF PAGE (L-R):
Farrell & Farrell, Chris Christian, Amy Grant, Rodger Strader, Leslie Phillips, Larnelle Harris, Sandi Patty, Steve Green,
Deniece Williams, Morris Chapman, Karla Worley, Don Francisco, Twila Paris, Keith Green, Cynthia Clawson, Bill Gaither, Gloria Gaither,
Scott Wesley Brown, Connie Scott, The Imperials, Mickey & Becki Moore, Debby Boone.
• • •
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