Artist Playlists
- Australia's long-running Newsboys paved the way for the mainstream success of modern Christian rock. Founded in 1985 by Peter Furler and George Perdikis, the group toiled for nearly a decade before finally hitting it big with 1994's Going Public; their deeply spiritual pop-rock anthems would keep them in the charts for decades to come. Furler stepped down in 2009 to focus on his career as a songwriter, but the group quickly bounced back when DC Talk singer Michael Tait joined for 2010's Born Again, one of their biggest hits ever.
- Dig into Newsboys' records and you'll find that the energetic faith permeating their big hits gives way to music that's far more contemplative. Peter Furler's fragile falsetto is woven into haunted ballads like “Fall On You”, a soul-kissed look at salvation; “Always”, a tearful rebuke of divorce; and “The Orphan”, an alt-rock-inspired worship piece swathed in guitars that tremble like outstretched arms yearning for the Lord's embrace.
- Newsboys' barrier-smashing mix of Christian pop and rock has spawned an army of like-minded renegades. For KING & COUNTRY expand on their ability to graft worship-kissed hooks to stomping backbeats (“Priceless”); Building 429 pick up on their gift for hopelessly upbeat dance pop infused with soul-quaking expressions of faith (“Impossible”); and Hawk Nelson import the band's ebullient vocal gymnastics into their harmony-rich pop-punk (“Diamonds”).
- Newsboys are always looking to soak up fresh musical flavours. The triumphant riffs and big drums on their early records are indebted to the pop-rich arena rock that Petra perfected on hits like “Beyond Belief”, while the band's later embrace of ecstatic crescendos and epic choruses reflects their love for U2's spiritually longing alt-rock (“Where the Streets Have No Name”) and Hillsong Live's swelling worship vocals (“Mighty to Save”).