8 Great Christian Rock Songs (For People Who Hate Christian Rock)

5. “Walking in Memphis” by Marc Cohn

No list like this would be complete without Marc Cohn’s 1991 classic.  I only have two things to say about it:  one, the line “She said, ‘Tell me, are you a Christian, child?’ And I said, ‘Ma’am, I am tonight,'” is possibly the most succinct description of my own personal faith there ever was; and two, damn, son, that piano.

4. “Is This the End?” by Creed

Yeah, I put a Creed song on here.  No, I’m not sorry.  I’ll fight you.

Creed always got a bad rap, in my opinion, because their lead singer was a huge douche.  Although, maybe we shouldn’t be so hard on him, because he has a legitimate mental illness and being ableist is so not what Jesus would have done.

Regardless, lead singer Scott Stapp made no secret of his Christian faith, but despite what some people think, Creed was never a “Christian rock” band.  This is a B-side from their Human Clay album, and I absolutely love it.  Mark Tremonti’s minimalist guitar makes for an absolutely groovy and haunting backdrop, and I’ll be damned if the contrast between the intricate, choreographed verses and the almost stupidly simple chorus isn’t effective as all get-out.

If you’ve ever lost a friend or lover and didn’t want to, the direct question asked by the chorus, “So, is this the end for us, my friend?” is absolutely heartbreaking.  There’s a wonderful beauty in simplicity, and the message of hope in the bridge carries the song to the next level.

Bonus:  you can listen to a live acoustic version here with somewhat different lyrics and a completely different feel that is just as good as, if not  better than, the original.