Rock That Doesn't Roll: The Story of Christian Music

Andrew Gill and Leah Payne

Rock That Doesn't Roll: The Story of Christian Music

Rock That Doesn’t Roll looks at how Christian music shaped the world we're living in now by telling individual stories from the peak era of the contemporary Christian …

Latest Episode

Listen on

More

Now Playing

Rewind: Jennifer Knapp's Journey
44:00
Latest Episode

Rewind: Jennifer Knapp's Journey

Wednesday, October 14

This episode was originally published in 2024. In 1999, ​singer-songwriter Jennifer Knapp was at the top of the Christian music world. Her debut album Kansas …

Listen Now View All Episodes

Recent Shows

View all →
44:00

Rewind: Jennifer Knapp's Journey

This episode was originally published in 2024. In 1999, ​singer-songwriter Jennifer Knapp was at the top of the Christian music world. Her debut album …

Play Now

What Listeners Say

4.6 from 53 reviews

I don’t care if I’m punk or ska or hardcore

What a great podcast! Now I feel like I’m not alone. There are dozens of us!!! Seriously though, I have really enjoyed revisiting Christian bookstore days and the evangelical bubble. I’m surprised to hear so many voices with similar experiences. This podcast explores the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all and the profound ways that it shaped us. If you grew up in a household (and church culture) that cautiously endorsed Christian music and tried to protect your teenage years from the evils of secular rock, this a podcast for you!

Father Olachea Apple Podcasts

Omygaaaaawd. JUST LISTEN, you’ll get it.

I feel responsible to write something insightful. BUT! OMYGAAAAAW! Just listen. If you came across this podcast, you were probably looking for it even if you didn’t know it. You’ll get it. You won’t regret it.

SheBopSheBop Apple Podcasts

‘90s Youth Group Kid 👋

I am so glad this podcast exists! I often look back on my youth group/youth choir years with mixed feelings. It is both cathartic and validating to hear these hosts unpack this era critically but with care. The first episode, well, rocked! Looking forward to more.

Yet Another Ashley Apparently Apple Podcasts

Like lifting up a rock…

…and finding the unexamined gremlins and curiosities of the music of my youth. Entertaining and fascinating!

Dangersandwich Apple Podcasts

To understand the power of CCM (for better or worse)

Looking forward to this deep dive into a music that shaped our family!

7xgrandfather Apple Podcasts

Subversive

I started listening to an episode about the Christian punk rock and ska era. I was so excited. It was very interesting and reminiscent. Then halfway through we started sneaking in gender ideology within the church. There’s a lot of subversive messaging in these podcasts. I was disappointed. You could almost tell by the NPR style editing that this was a potential outcome. Highly disappointed. Could’ve been great otherwise. Always sneaking sexual deviancy into Christianity. it should’ve been no shock. They were propping up the United Methodist Church early in one of these episodes. Also talking about how some Christian genres were just white colonialize versions of music that originated in other countries turned my stomach. This is a very leftist narcissistic academic podcast masquerading as a “hip” Christian culture commentary.

Coinymccoinface Apple Podcasts

Amazing Story!

Incredible story of religiosity, culture, and America. So well told. Definitely recommend!

New Number One Ronald Fan Apple Podcasts

A fun story

A throwback to an impossibly insular time. Thanks for telling the story.

DanHoisington Apple Podcasts

Memory lane

This is so great and funny and interesting! Brought me back to my high school youth group and the music I so desperately loved and wanted everyone else to love too. Once in a while I will listen again, but mostly it has stayed in the past. Recently, I tried to expose my kids to some of that music (Switchfoot, MxPx, and five iron frenzy, etc.) but they didn’t take to it. 😅 Anyway, great podcast!

Cassafras38 Apple Podcasts

Must Listen

This is an absolute MUST LISTEN if your relationship status with Contemporary Christian Music is anything adjacent to “It’s complicated”. The research is great, and the production quality is outstanding. I don’t resonate with all of the inferred views, but I learn a lot from the hosts (and the researchers) excellent work.

marcjolicoeur Apple Podcasts

I Didn’t Know I Needed This

Where in my brain have all these lyrics been hibernating? These episodes have been such a vivid flashback for me. A real joy of a listen about a time period that I probably wouldn’t have been prepared to revisit until this point of my life. And for the record, Switchfoot’s first album The Legend of Chin STILL HOLDS UP. They played at my high school when I was a Freshman in 1997/98 and it was a formative experience for me. They were barely older than we were 🤯

Hplert Apple Podcasts

Throwback

So many things i didn’t know about the music I loved growing up

mhale85 Apple Podcasts