1 “Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?”

Abstract

Newsweek's recent feature story on Christian music, "Jesus Rocks!" (July 16 issue) was informative, but surprisingly lacking in perspective. While it gushed about rap, roots-rock and metal music being played by bands with overtly Christian messages, the tone was breathless, as if the writer couldn't really believe it. The prose read as if the Christian rock scene was somehow new, only recently-created so that record companies could cash in. After all, we are informed, the annual market here is nearly three-quarters of a billion dollars and for every 10 country albums sold, "seven Christian CDS fly off the shelf."