The very first CCM Magazine Album sales chart

The classics on here include the 2nd Chapter of Acts titles, Dallas Holm, Keith Green, B.J. Thomas, Don Francisco, Phil Keaggy, DeGarmo & Key, Andrae Crouch, the Imperials.

 

Very interesting, Brad. My real exposure to CCM didn’t start until the next fall, when I heard “Watergrave” by The Imperials on the Sail On album (#21). I probably have nine or ten of these albums. Some truly Classic stuff there.

 

thanks Bradley!

 

That looks like a great year! I didn't tune in until '82 or '83 but I heard most of the music on that list.

To this day I'm still listening to How The West Was One and Love Broke Through consistently. And I need to spin that Don Francisco record again soon. I have to be in a certain mood to listen to Keith Green but he's definitely a rare talent.

 

This chart represents a true golden age of the CCM genre.

 

I remember that Mike Warnke album. Didn't it later emerge that he made up his entire testimony and was essentially a fraud?

 

Yes it did. Mike Warnke Alive also an excellent album for its comic value even though the testimony is a fraud.

He's still around, BTW. MikeWarnke.org – Just another WordPress site

You can download this album at Jester in the Kings Court – MikeWarnke.org

 

I am not familiar with all of the albums but the few I am familiar with I really like even to this day.

 

You ought to check out more of these albums as so much of this stuff holds up extremely well as great music for many believers and non-believers alike.

 

I agree. I've seen The Imperials, Phil Keaggy and 2nd Chapter of Acts live. They were all great.

I always enjoyed Andrae Crouch although I don't know a lot about his catalog. Al Green was also making awesome Christian music starting around that time.

2 years later, in 1980, some of my favorites released albums. Ed Raetzloff (Southern Rock) and Bryn Haworth (Blues rock?).

And I also have to mention, The Talbott Bros. (1974 - surprisingly early) , and John and Michael with their own excellent solo projects

 

Start with Andrae's Light Records material

 

Oh yeah I forgot about Mike Warnke! He was a really engaging performer...too bad about how it all turned out.

 

Took me a sec to realize we weren't talking hockey here. I'm guessing this chart probably could've started a little earlier?

 

It was 1978 that CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) Magazine was launched.

 

Thank you Brad for sharing that vintage CCM Sales chart, Phil Keaggy is pretty prominent on that list!

 

Yes he is prominent on that chart, deservedly so.

 

Was there an expansion in radio stations programming CCM or something happening in the churches at this time? Just wondering, it's not a world I know much about.

 

Yes indeed there was. The genre was a response to the late 60s Jesus Movement and this was about the time the genre really started to go mainstream and that many Christian radio stations would switch to CCM. It is still big business as most CCM labels are owned by the majors and even some CCM started to cross over to mainstream AC stations. This was also the time when Christian bookstores started appearing in every community. Many mainstream rockers and pop stars at the time started moving on to CCM as well.

 

One of the songs on the #12 album on this chart:

 

From the #6 album on this chart:

 

From the #15 album on this chart:

 

Now the title track from the #1 album on this chart:

 

Out of this stack I have Keith Green, Don Francisco, Best Of Andre', and Mike Warnke. I was a big fan of Warnke. He should have quit the grift and become Sam Kinison before before he showed up. He was a hell of a storyteller. The problem is his testimony was a big fantasy. THAT is a no no. He saw easy marks and "love offerings".
And I hate saying that because I can't help but LIKE the blowhard.
Never thought I would never be talking about Mike Warnke here.........

 

You ought to get the 2nd Chapter of Acts material and Phil Keaggy material plus Amy Grant's first album. Sail On is a classic as well.