Christian Rock Part 1: The Past

Christian Rock is sort of the forgotten genre. The genre that everyone doesn't want to classify or even realize it exists. Their fine with Gospel, Contemporary Christian, but start having bands with a rock or alternative sound, nope, can't be Christian.

Their wrong.

There are so many Christian Rock artist out there, that I could probably write at least a 30 page paper on it...but this is a blog, so I'll condense.

Christian Rock actually emerged in the 1980s with bands such as Stryper, Degarmo and Key, Larry Norman and Petra.Back then these bands were cutting edge, driving wedges in churches, causing uproar, that some still carry on to today....but if you listened to these bands now, you'd think they were nothing more that Contempary Christian artists...Well let me tell you Christian Rock has changed substantially...but I'll save the present day for my next blog, part duex.

I interviewed two different people that really focused on the past christian rock. Steven Green, program manager for 105.9, The River, and JP Fugate, a local Pastor.
Both told of stories about wanting to start Christian Rock programs on Christian radio in the 1980s and being told no by these Christian stations, who called the music satanic.

Green was able to get a program on Christian station, WAYE in Birmingham, Alabama, called The Alternative.

Fugate wasn't as lucky with the local Christian stations in the '80s. He was offering to buy air time, even down to 30 minutes, but they all told him no. He ended up being able to get a show on WLRS in the mornings for a few hours.
It's sad that back in the '80s that Christian stations were shunning it's own music, but the secular, or "of the world" stations allowed it on there.

The picture below is of Stryper. This is a recent photo, because they recently reunited as a band after like a 15 year break...their 1980s pic was just a little too scary.