Christian alternative music

Christian alternative music is form of religious music where the focus remains largely on the artistic expression of music, but from a Christian (often Protestant) perspective. This contrasts with mainstream Contemporary Christian music (CCM) in that CCM is often viewed as a tool for ministry, where the art of the music is not as important. Some of these bands border on the style of the Christian metal genre.

Christian alternative music has it's roots in the late 1960s, partly as a result of movements like the Jesus People and Jesus Music. Larry Norman was one of the first musicians in this genre to blend trend-setting rock and roll music with Christian themes. Another band which started in that era, Daniel Amos, quickly took Alternative Christian music to new heights. Although Daniel Amos started as an country act, within two releases, the band was taking the lastest new wave music to often-unappreciative Christian audiences.

In addition to Daniel Amos, some of the early, most influential Christian alternative bands have been Resurection Band later called Rez, Undercover, The 77s, Adam Again, The Choir, Lifesavers Underground, The Altar Boys, Steve Taylor and Vector. By the 1990s, many of these bands were forced to go independent because their music had been largely rejected by the mainstream Christian music industry and Christian radio. Mainly because their songs tended to be harder to understand, and often more controversial, than the typical CCM song.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Christian alternative music was dominated by artists like Jars of Clay, P.O.D (Payable On Death), Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline, MxPx and DC Talk.