My Ultimate Christian Hipster Playlist

At the official Hipster Christianity book release party last Friday night in L.A., I wanted to set the ambiance by playing music that represented a thorough (though not comprehensive) selection of the best counter-cultural, indie, rebellious, and quirky Christian music of the past 50 years. Special thanks to my friends Zach Malm and Jason Newell for providing me with many of these tunes. Here’s the playlist in full and in more-or-less chronological order, from the 60s to contemporary.

• Agape, “Rejoice”
• All Saved Freak Band, “Sower”
• Chuck Girard, “Anthem”
• Larry Norman, “Why Don’t You Look Into Jesus?”
• Bob Dylan, “I Believe in You”
• Crusaders, “God Lives”
• Earthen Vessel, “Get High”
• Love Song, “Welcome Back”
• Malcolm and Alwyn, “Say It Like It Is”
• Omni, “All For the One”
• Parchment, “Green Psalm”
• Springs of Joy, “Springs of Joy”
• Dwayne Omarr, “Devastating Revelation”
• The 77s, “The Lust, The Flesh, The Eyes And The Pride Of Life”
• Amy Grant, “Love Will Find a Way”
• DC Talk, “That Kinda Girl”
• Collective Soul, “Shine”
• Over the Rhine, “And Can It Be”
• Danielson, “Be Your Wildman”
• Starflyer 59, “Do You Ever Feel That Way?”
• Sunny Day Real Estate, “5/4”
• Pedro the Lion, “When They Really Get to Know You They’ll Run”
• Poor Old Lu, “Digging Deep”
• The Prayer Chain, “Bendy Line”
• Sixpence None the Richer, “Within a Room Somewhere”
• Plankeye, “Someday”
• Bon Voyage, “West Coast Friendship”
• Viva Voce, “Heartstrings”
• Dear Ephesus, “Simpleton Walks”
• Switchfoot, “Sooner Or Later”
• MxPx, “Doing Time”
• DC Talk, “Jesus Freak”
• Sixpence None the Richer, “Kiss Me”
• Danielson Famile, “A No-No”
• Pedro the Lion, “Big Trucks”
• Jars of Clay, “Flood”
• Over the Rhine, “Lucy”
• Starflyer 59, “Fell in Love at 22”
• Vigilantes of Love, “Resplendent”
• Sufjan Stevens, “The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us!”
• Half-handed Cloud, “Praise Awaits You”
• Over the Rhine, “The World Can Wait”
• Harrod and Funck, “Brian Wilson’s Room”
• Jars of Clay, “Fade to Grey”
• Sleeping at Last, “Slowly Now”
• Danielson, “Did I Step On Your Trumpet?”
• Derek Webb, “Wedding Dress”
• Don Peris, “Your Friend”
• Waterdeep, “Good Good End”
• Innocence Mission, “Brotherhood of Man”
• Rosie Thomas, “I Play Music”
• Denison Witmer, “Ringing of the Bell Tower”
• Sufjan Stevens, “Amazing Grace”