(For whatever reason, Soundscan includes sales from Christian outlets in their weekly totals that determine the Billboard 200 chart positions, but they don’t include them in their reported totals. So I just add up all the weekly totals and compare them to the reported totals to see how many sales are missing from Christian outlets.)

David Crowder Band’s selected charting history:

Illuminate – 2003 – #84 (N/A)
A Collision - 2005 – #39 (N/A)
Remedy - 2007 – #22 (32,000)
Church Music - 2009 – #11 (36,000)
Give Us Rest – 2012 – #2 (50,000)

(For whatever reason, Soundscan includes sales from Christian outlets in their weekly totals that determine the Billboard 200 chart positions, but they don’t include them in their reported totals. So I just add up all the weekly totals and compare them to the reported totals to see how many sales are missing from Christian outlets.)

I’m not sure if the Joyful Noise soundtrack is being sold in Christian outlets are not, but it’s missing just over 100 sales from its debut week so I’m guessing that there might be a few outlets carrying it. Chris Tomlin crosses the 100,000 mark on his compilation album. Skillet’s latest stays on the chart again and even bumps up a bit; I wonder if the Winter Jam tour is helping those numbers out.

(For whatever reason, Soundscan includes sales from Christian outlets in their weekly totals that determine the Billboard 200 chart positions, but they don’t include them in their reported totals. So I just add up all the weekly totals and compare them to the reported totals to see how many sales are missing from Christian outlets.)

I don’t have the whole sales history for Skillet’s Awake, and their real total is probably easily over 700,000 if not 750,000. Casting Crowns’s latest is well over 300,000 in real sales, and Chris Tomlin’s compilation album should cross the 100,000 mark next week.

(For whatever reason, Soundscan includes sales from Christian outlets in their weekly totals that determine the Billboard 200 chart positions, but they don’t include them in their reported totals. So I just add up all the weekly totals and compare them to the reported totals to see how many sales are missing from Christian outlets.)

The latest Casting Crowns album has crossed the 300,000 mark in real sales. Chris Tomlin’s compilation album will cross 100,000 soon.

Honorable Mentions

JJ Heller – Deeper; Sleeping Giant – Kingdom Days In An Evil Age; A Plea For Purging – The Life and Death of A Plea For Purging; August Burns Red - Leveler

30. Foo Fighters – Wasting Light

Fun rock album that makes me feel like I’m playing Guitar Hero or something. Most of the album is pretty standard but the message and passion of the closing track alone is enough for it to make my list.

Favorite Track: “Walk”
I’m on my knees / I’m praying for a sign / Forever, whenever / I never wanna die / I never wanna die…. I’m dancing on my grave / I’m running through the fire / Forever, whatever / I never wanna die….
Release Date: April 8, 2011
US Sales Info: 640,000 so far; 1st #1 album with 235,000 first-week sales
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

29. Weird Al – Alpocalypse

The King of Parody does it again with his first full album in five years. It’s hit and miss, but the hits are fantastic, from a ruthless Gaga mockery to the technology-minded original “Stop Forwarding That Crap To Me.”

Favorite Track: “Party In the CIA”
Yeah, we’ve got our black ops all over the world / from Kazakhstan to Bombay / Payin’ the bribes like yeah / pluggin’ the leaks like yeah
Release Date: June 20, 2011
US Sales Info: #9 debut (best ever) with 44,000 first-week sales
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

28. The Decemberists – The King Is Dead

Nice catchy album by the folk band.

Favorite Track: “Don’t Carry It All”
Let the yoke fall from our shoulders / Don’t carry it all, Don’t carry it all
Release Date: January 18, 2011
US Sales Info: #1 debut with around 70,000 first-week sales
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

27. John Mark McMillan – Economy

I haven’t had any tracks really stand out to me yet on this new one from the creative worship rocker, but I like the general sound of it.

Favorite Track: “Chemicals”
Everybody’s drilling for a fountain of youth / But sometimes in these fountains they drown
Release Date: November 1, 2011
US Sales Info: #95 debut with 5,000 first-week sales
Amazon Link

26. Life In Your Way – Kingdoms

I’m not familiar with the band’s previous material, but I checked out their new release after joining Come & Live! It’s got a pretty good ambient hardcore kind of vibe along with some good spiritual lyrics.

Release Date: October 25, 2011
Come&Live! Link | Amazon Link

25. Coldplay – Myloto Xoto

The previous album from the Brit superstars (Viva La Vida..) is still their best, as this one is too poppy and dancey, and even a lot of the lyrics are disappointingly simple. But Coldplay is too good to produce a whole album without at least a few stellar tracks.

Favorite Track: “Us Against The World”
Oh morning come bursting the clouds, Amen. / Lift off this blindfold, let me see again… And sing slow-ow-ow-ow it down
Release Date: October 24, 2011
US Sales Info: 900,000 so far; third #1 album with 447,000 first-week sales
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

24. MUTEMATH – Odd Soul

The songs are as energetic as ever and the music videos are as creative as ever, but this alt-rock-or-whatever band continues to grab me less and less with each release. Perhaps it’s partially because Paul Meany’s spiritual journey seems to be continuing to become more hazy – and less relatable to mine.

Favorite Track: “Blood Pressure”
Why can’t you be more like your older brother? …Why can’t you do a little more for Jesus? 
Release Date: September 27, 2011
US Sales Info: #24 debut with 13,000 first-week sales
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

23. Relient K – K is for Karaoke

A collection of mostly straight-forward Relient-K-ified renditions of pop songs (along with a couple of slight curve balls) from the last few decades. Relient K didn’t do a whole lot with these songs that inspire and/or amuse them, and they’re nowhere near the quality of the band’s original material, but they still sound good.

Favorite Track: “Africa” (originally performed by Toto)
I bless the rains down in Africa
Release Date: October 4, 2011
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

22. Mat Kearney - Young Love

It doesn’t stack up to the quality of the simple acoustic / spoken-word vibe of Nothing Left to Lose, one of my all-time favorites, but I like this catchy pop album better than City of Black and White.

Release Date: August 2, 2011
US Sales Info: #4 debut (best ever) with 44,000 first-week sales
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

21. La Dispute – Wildlife

What mewithoutYou could have been if they had veered towards intensity instead of charm (and for the record, I like both). Regetfully I haven’t listened enough yet to have a favorite track; there are a lot of thought-provoking lyrics.

Release Date: October 4, 2011
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

20. O Brother – Garden Window

Intense indie post-rock or whatever.

Favorite Track: “Lay Down”
Abba Father are you sleeping / As we toil through your gardens keeping / I’ll lay down and begin to grow / Right beneath your garden window
Release Date: November 15, 2011
Amazon Link 

19. The Civil Wars – Barton Hollow

The harmonies are stunningly beautiful and the songs are gorgeous. I’m glad Joy Williams is finding more success in a more artistic style, but the lyrics are so melodramatic I can barely stand them – and I’m not sure I agree with some of them, either. Still, I can’t completely ignore the talent displayed here.

Favorite Track: “To Whom It May Concern”
Oh how I miss you but I haven’t met you / Oh but I want to / Oh how I want to
Release Date: February 1, 2011
US Sales Info: 230,000 so far; #12 debut with 25,000 first-week sales
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

18. My Epic – Broken Voice

It’s more acoustic and not quite as intense as Yet, but there’s a lot of good songs and a lot of good writing.

Favorite Track: ”Alone”
For that one moment / You looked just like me / Your Father left you / and You died completely alone.
Release Date: July 5, 2011
Amazon Link

17. Emery – We Do What We Want

Emery returns to form with a self-described “heavy” album. The screams are fierce, the breakdowns are copious, and the dynamics are wide and entertaining as they oscillate between loud and soft, dissonance and melody. The album is advertised for its heaviness, but it’s got a handful of electronic keyboard riffs and some really nice melodic vocal lines and tradeoffs. There’s even an acoustic ballad! Through the lyrics Emery maintains that brilliant combination of crushing melancholy and regret for past mistakes with repentant pleas for restoration and a brighter future.

Favorite Track: “Fix Me”
We’re just caught in the thought that we deserve to be free. / Fix me. Father, fix me. / I’ve been waiting so long to feel this heartbeat… / We’re just caught in the thought that we deserve to be free
Release Date: March 29, 2011
US Sales Info: #76 debut with 8,000 first-week sales
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

16. Becoming The Archetype – Celestial Completion

From the opening strings and operatic four-part choral arrangement to the Dennis Culp ska-trombone interlude, these metal guys are almost trying too hard to be creative amidst the crushingly brutal guitar work and breakdowns, but it mostly works. Scripture references and Latin phrases permeate the epic songwriting about light, darkness, and redemption. The focused control increases its force, and this is accessible heavy music at is finest.

Favorite Track: “The Resonant Frequency of Flesh”
There was a time / When we all sang the song of death /But now our bodies resonate / Our living souls reverberate / The music of eternal light
Release Date: March 29, 2011
Amazon Link | Wiki Link 

15. Hillsong United – Aftermath

I don’t think it’s as good as their previous studio album, All of the Above, but it’s got classic Hillsong worship themes of surrender and devotion with crafted layers and rhythms that stretch their sound farther than ever before. Though when it comes down to it, they’re essentially pounding deep drums and chugging big guitars for an hour, no matter how much they decorate with strings and piano, or break things up with an occasional experimental interlude. Still, it all sounds a lot more earnest and exciting than the watered-down pop anthems that usually make it onto the radio. (My full IVM review)

Favorite Track: “Like An Avalanche”
And I find myself here on my knees again / Caught up in grace like an avalanche / Nothing compares to this love, love, love
US Sales Info: #17 debut with 28,000 first-week sales
Release Date: February 15, 2011
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

14. Danielson – The Best of Gloucester County

It’s hard to find truly unique music these days, but Danielson comes pretty close, if only for his persistently yappy vocals. The musical structures and instrumentations pile on the charm in the first half, while the second half is more reserved and experimental, sometimes flittering instruments around with no discernible rhythm. Through it all we get the delightful sounds of a wise and joyous heart.

Favorite Track: “You Sleep Good Now”
A voice says “Cry out” / I say “Oh what should I cry?” / “All men are like grass” / We all wither, but you stand.
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

13. Seryn – This Is Where We Are

For all the power of the Internet, word-of-mouth is still a great way to discover new music. My friend Sam introduced me to this indie folk band that had played at a youth conference. They’ve got a harmonic, rhythmic vibe following the footsteps of Gungor that sounds something like Mumford & Sons with less energy, or Fleet Foxes with more.

Favorite Track: “We Will All Be Changed”
Oh you lift your rusty brow / Little thoughts have weighed your vision down… We can shape but can’t control these possibilities
Release Date: January 25, 2011
Amazon Link

12. HANDS – Give Me Rest

Underoath’s Define The Great Line was my first heavy album, and I’m still a sucker for intense, talented, melodic hardcore – all I need is some good, relatable lyrics. This is it.

Favorite Track: “Give Me Rest”
You are the end and I am fading. Will I rest with you for all of time? Is my name in there? Give me rest… I was wrong and You were right / Give me rest
Release Date: July 5, 2011
Amazon Link

11. Timbre – Silent Night

I don’t usually include Christmas music in my regular lists, but this was too good not to. Siblings join the harpist and add cello, piano, and more for some stunning classical arrangements. (My full IVM review)

Favorite Track: “O Little Town of Bethlehem”
Release Date: November 25, 2011
Bandcamp Link | Amazon Link

10. The Ember Days – Emergency

Full of prayers for unity and declarations of praise and surrender, the much-anticipated full length from The Ember Days is one of the best worship albums of the year, featuring a solid production and execution of their dynamic, driving passion. Some may feel there’s a bit of formula in the way nearly every song crescendos into a post-rock pounding session, but it’s all done very well and sounds great, and it’s a treat to experience the dynamics and talents of this group of musicians feeding into an atmosphere of worship. (My full IVM review)

Favorite Track: “Unite Your Bride”
Lord, come unite your bride / She’s hurting deep inside.
Release Date: August 30, 2011
Come&Live! Link | Amazon Link

9. Switchfoot – Vice Verses

The dark rock vibe of Nothing Is Sound meets the anthemic ballads of Hello Hurricane with a little bit of the experimental spunk of Oh! Gravity mixed in, and this might be the band’s most cohesive release since The Beautiful Letdown. We know where Switchfoot has come from and where they are going as they challenge us to embrace the tensions of life through their matured rock and roll sound that is equal parts passionate energy and confident restraint. (My full IVM review)

Favorite Track: “Where I Belong”
I’m not sentimental / This skin and bones is a rental / And no one makes it out alive / Until I die I’ll sing these songs / On the shores of Babylon / Still looking for a home / In a world where I belong / Where the weak are finally strong / Where the righteous right the wrongs / Still looking for a home / In a world where I belong.
Release Date: September 27, 2011
US Sales Info: 93,000 plus several weeks off the chart; #8 debut with 45,000 first-wek sales
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

8. Deas Vail – Deas Vail

The indie pop/rock band from Arkansas continues to progress their sound, and the album is full of catchy tunes and subtle time signature shifts. While I don’t think the lyrics and music quite live up to Birds & Cages (my #2 from 2009), it’s another step in the right direction for the group.

Favorite Track: “Quiet Like Sirens”
Release Date: October 11, 2011
US Sales Info: #114 debut (best ever) with 4,000 first-week sales
Amazon Link

7. Explosions In The Sky – Take Care, Take Care, Take Care

The famous instrumental troupe delivers another solid album full of lush guitars and sweeping grooves and even a little bit of vocal sampling. It all works together to create a sonic treat that is safe to listen to over and over again.

Release Date: April 26, 2011
US Sales Info: #16 debut (best ever) with 19,000 first-week sales
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

6. Dominic Balli – American Dream

Dominic Balli is just a white dude from California who likes reggae music – and he’s pretty good at it, too. Mixing reggae elements with rock guitars and modern pop layers, Balli comes off somewhere in the neighborhood of Matisyahu meets POD meets Bob Marley. It’s a fresh and catchy sound that stays interesting throughout the album, and it’s topped off with smart lyrics that effortlessly quote Proverbs or wax poetic about the purpose of life while offering hope and encouragement. This was one of my favorite complete surprises of the year!

Favorite Track: “Daisy’s Song”
When that storm comes like a hurricane / And the sun seems far away / We will not fear the wind / We will not fear the waves  
Release Date: July 26, 2011
Amazon Link

5. Gungor – Ghosts Upon the Earth

Early next year we will receive what is apparently the last album from David Crowder Band, but Michael Gungor seems perfectly aligned to pick up the mantle of creative worship music that unfolds on the tantalizing edge of the CCM world. It’s clear that this will be an enjoyable album right from the opening antics of “Let There Be.” The multiple layers of vocals and instrumentation weave in and around the honest lyrics to create an invigorating sound, and I hope there is a lot more of this to come in the future.

Favorite Track: “Brother Moon”
In You we live / In You we move / In You we have our being
Release Date: September 20, 2011
US Sales Info: #43 debut with 9,500 first-week sales
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

4. Thrice – Major/Minor

I didn’t connect with Thrice’s latest quite as much as Beggars (still my undisputed #1 of 2009), but I still found it to be one of the year’s best albums. The music generally sounds heavier and more distorted, but it treads a balance of intensity and restraint that becomes more apparent with each listen, like a foggy picture that becomes sharper over time. Meanwhile, Dustin Kensrue’s lyrics continue to solidify his standing as one of my favorite songwriters. He continues to cleverly express Scriptural themes with prosaic metaphors, but he turns it up another notch on this one, pleading with his mainstream fans to really listen to his sober words and consider their spiritual destiny. (My full lyrical analysis here.)

Favorite Track: “Treading Paper”
But linger on, just for a moment, until we can ascertain / If something’s wrong with me – or the assumptions of these self-indicted brains / Because I contend that all of this is more than just a meaningless charade / That each and every moment is a bottle with a message hid away
Release Date: September 20, 2011
US Sales Info: #18 debut with 20,000 first-week sales
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

3. Matisyahu – Live At Stubb’s Vol. II

I don’t usually like live albums enough to buy them, much less feature them all the way up at #3 for the year. But Matisyahu is something special. He and his band unleash an impeccable set list of old, recent, and new material, and no song sounds just like the album version (avoiding my favorite live album complaint). Some tracks seem faster; some seem slower; some linger in ten-minute grooves of guitar solos and dubstep and vocal freestyling. This is everything that a live album needs to be – and more.

Favorite Track: “Youth”
Release Date: February 1, 2011
US Sales Info: (couldn’t find reliable info)
Amazon Link | Wiki Link

2. Seven Swans Reimagined

A cornucopia of indie musicians pay tribute to a classic album from the classic indie musician Sufjan Stevens. Some of the remakes are more layered than the originals; some are more restrained. It’s a real treat to hear Sufjan’s influences expressed through the nuances of the indie world, from the simple picking of Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy to the percussion party of The Gregory Brothers to the reverbed instrumentation of Derek Webb to the reckless vocals of Half-Handed Cloud. Finally, the subtle yet distinct voice of David Crowder welcomes us to “The Transfiguration,” brilliantly transforming through a horn arrangement and a cascade of electronic loops. What fun!

Favorite Track: “The Transfiguration”
Release Date: March 29, 2011
Bandcamp Link | Amazon Link

1. Josh Garrels – Love & War & The Sea In Between

The folk artist effortlessly transitions from the layered indie sound of Jacaranda to the the folky campfire sounds of his older work or of Lost Animals to a continuing development with soundtrack-worthy offerings. The musical grooves would still be interesting and encouraging without the lyrics (there aren’t many musicians who can get away with five wordless tracks on an album), but it’s the poetry that really sets Josh Garrels apart, expounding upon oceanic themes to celebrate adventure, life, love, community, and home. (My full IVM review)

Favorite Track: “Rise”
Though they may surround me like lions / And crush me on all sides / I may fall, but I will rise… Take courage sons, for we must go under / The heart of darkness, and set them free / But don’t lose heart when you see the numbers / There’s no measure for, the faith we bring
Release Date: June 14, 2011
Bandcamp Link | Amazon Link

Excerpt:

The primary instruments here are the piano and the cello, and it is Timbre’s siblings – appropriately named Tenor, Treble, and Tetra – who steal the show as they flesh out Timbre’s beautiful arrangements with their classical and cinematic performances.

Think you’ve heard enough arrangements of “O Little Town of Bethlehem”? Wait until you here this solo cello calmly trace a hint of the melody, followed by the lilting piano and finally the soft voices, all carried by subtle shifting between the traditional 4/4 and the movement of 6/8. You can almost see the snow falling in a Christmas special – except this recording is simply too good for any cheesy Christmas special.

(For whatever reason, Soundscan includes sales from Christian outlets in their weekly totals that determine the Billboard 200 chart positions, but they don’t include them in their reported totals. So I just add up all the weekly totals and compare them to the reported totals to see how many sales are missing from Christian outlets.)

(The Soundscan data includes sales from Christian outlets in the weekly totals but not in the cumulative totals – for whatever reason. So by adding up the weekly totals and comparing it to the reported cumulative totals, I can determine the artist’s true sales as well as determine what proportion of their sales were mainstream.)

Here are my selected chart positions on last week’s Billboard 200 with the Soundscan data:

(The Soundscan data includes sales from Christian outlets in the weekly totals but not in the cumulative totals – for whatever reason. So by adding up the weekly totals and comparing it to the reported cumulative totals, I can determine the artist’s true sales as well as determine what proportion of their sales were mainstream.)

Casting Crowns has the top album again, pushing their total sales well over 200,000. I’m still including Susan Boyle because she’s apparently up to 3,000 in “missing sales” from her latest album. Laura Story’s album has been on the chart two weeks now but only 5% of last week’s sales made it into the total, suggesting that she has a huge presence from Christian outlets and that her reported total of 40,000 is missing at least one digit. Other re-appearances include Brandon Heath and Matthew West towards the bottom; if they make it to next week I’ll be able to calculate their sales percentages.

I still don’t know what “Positively Christmas” is but it’s reported total has only gone from 0 to 1 to 4 in the last few weeks, suggesting an almost exclusively Christian market for its real total of almost 50,000. It looks like tobyMac and David Crowder have the most popular new Christmas albums this year, but Chris Tomlin’s is still dominating all Christian Christmas albums. Switchfoot sneaks back into the chart, and as they’ve been missing about two-thirds of their sales since I’ve been tracking them, I feel very confident that Vice Verses is really over 100,000 by now.

Arriving – 2004 – #39
See The Morning – 2006 – #15
Hello Love – 2008 – #8
Glory In The Highest – 2009 – #19
And If Our God Is For Us – 2010 – #17
How Great Is Our God – 2011 – #40

The only other notable new release was by Newsboys, with a new worship album called God’s Not Dead. It didn’t sell nearly as well as their last album Born Again, which was the first album with “new” frontman Tait and the band’s best-selling debut in their two-decade career. I’m guessing most fans didn’t really consider the “worship” album like a regular album, or maybe it wasn’t marketed as much; I barely even knew it was being released. It also may reflect a bit of “worship fatigue” as the album performed worse than the band’s previous two “worship” albums.

Here is a quick summary of all the Newsboys albums that have made the Billboard 200:

Take Me To Your Leader – 1996 – #35
Step Up To The Microphone – 1998 – #61
Love Liberty Disco – 1999 – #80
Thrive – 2002 – #38
Adoration – 2003 – #33
Devotion – 2004 – #61
GO – 2006 – #51
In The Hands of God – 2009 – #28
Born Again – 2010 – #4
God’s Not Dead – 2011 – #63

Here are my selected sales of Billboard 200 albums sold in Christian outlets:

If you’re not familiar with the way the Soundscan data works, sales from Christian outlets are reported in the weekly totals that determine the chart order, but they are not included in the total sales (for reasons I don’t fully understand). So by adding up the weekly totals and comparing it to the reported total sales, I can see what proportion of each artist’s sales were made by Christian outlets and report on their true total. Susan Boyle now has about 2,000 sales from Christian outlets from her latest album. Casting Crowns’s latest album will cross 200,000 soon. In the weeks that I’ve been following Mandisa’s album, only about 13.5% of its sales are being recorded, so her total of almost 36,000 is very likely actually over 250,000 by now.

As I Lay Dying’s new compilation/covers/remix album charted #61, which is lower than their last three releases but understandable due to the album not being a regular full-length. They are not missing any sales in their total, however, suggesting that this album is not being sold in Christian outlets at all (must be the Slayer and Judas Priest covers or something). Here is the band’s first-week billboard history:

Shadows Are Security – 2005 – N/A – #35
An Ocean Between Us – 2007 – 39500 – #8
The Powerless Rise – 2010 – 38000 – #10
Decas – 2011 – 9500 – #61

Here are this week’s selected albums:

I missed “Positively Christmas” last week but I noticed the whopping 0 in the reported totals this week. The exact opposite of As I Lay Dying, it is apparently only being sold in Christian outlets, which is very rare these days as most Christian albums will at least have digital copies available on iTunes and Amazon for fans who don’t live near a physical outlet. Switchfoot may fall off the chart next week, and I may try to go back to their opening weeks to see if they really have crossed 100,000 in total sales as my analysis of their last four weeks would suggest.

Here is a selected summary of Christian artists from last week’s sales:

The Soundscan data includes sales from Christian outlets on the weekly totals that determine the chart order, but they do not include sales from them in the total, so I’ve been keeping track of the weekly numbers to figure out the “real” total. In general the “Real Total” column is a minimum value and may not include other weeks that I have not been tracking. Skillet’s Awake has been getting about 90% of its sales recorded, suggesting that it could have crossed 700,000 in sales by now. I’m not familiar with Shake the Nation, but they apparently sold almost all of their sales through Christian outlets. I was surprised that John Mark McMillan didn’t get very many sales through Christian outlets (he is missing less than 4% on his total), and I wonder if the album wasn’t very available last week. I missed Switchfoot’s early weeks, but they are still getting over a quarter of their sales from Christian outlets in the weeks I’ve been tracking, so I would project that their total sales could be over 80,000 by now. Falling off the top 200 this week are Mat Kearney’s Young Love and the Courageous soundtrack. We will see Christmas albums begin to dominate in the coming weeks.

The new album from Casting Crowns dropped from 2 to 10, and they’re still getting about half their sales from Christian outlets. The Christmas album from Chris Tomlin only added 11% of last week’s sales to the totals, so it’s possible that it’s nearing a million total sales. I’m actually surprised that Switchfoot seems to be getting a quarter of their sales from the Christian market. If that number stays consistent over the next few weeks it would suggest that their real total so far is closer to 80,000 than 60,000.

The Civil Wars are getting 100% of their sales added to the totals, suggesting that they’re not being sold in Christian outlets at all – not surprising, but I was curious enough to track it due to Joy Williams’s history in the Christian market. They will cross 200,000 in sales next week, a very modest success and probably more than all of Joy Williams’s old stuff put together (although I have no numbers on that). Mat Kearney appear to be getting a small number of sales from Christian outlets, which suggests that a couple references of the word ‘hell’ did not get him banned from all those bookstores.

Casting Crowns – 2003 – N/A – #59
Lifesong – 2005 – 71,000 copies – #9
The Altar & The Door – 2007 – 129,000 copies – #2
Until The Whole World Hears – 2009 – 167,000 copies – #4
Come To The Well – 2011 – 99,000 copies – #4

Family Force 5 hit #61 with sales of almost 7,000 units. This is their second full-length to chart but it did not do as well as Dance or Die. I am personally one of the people who bought Dance or Die when it came out on the strength of their previous album but did not like it quite as much. Their new material seems to have a continued decline of lyrical and musical quality. Family Force 5′s complete full-length release info:

Business Up Front, Party In The Back – 2006 – N/A – did not chart
Dance or Die – 2008 – 17,000 copies – #30
III – 2011 – 7,000 copies – #61

Sara Groves reached #96 with sales of over 4,000 units of her tenth album Invisible Empires. As far as I can tell, this is her highest charting position ever, as it looks like her previous album was the first to chart at all. Release info for her two most recent albums:

Fireflies & Songs – 2009 – N/A – #119
Invisible Empires – 2011 – 4,000 copies – #96

One of the interesting things about the Nielson Soundscan data is that sales from Christian outlets are counted towards the weekly totals that determine chart positions, but for whatever reason they are not included in the total sales for the album that are displayed in the data. While this makes it hard to know how much Christian albums are really selling, by keeping track of the data I can not only determine how much the albums are truly selling, I can also tell “how Christian” the artists are by what percentage of their sales are coming from Christian outlets. I haven’t been keeping track of old data for a long time, so I can only give you the percentages for albums that are new this week. Here is the summary of chart positions for albums of interest:

As you can see, only 45.9% of Casting Crown’s sales came from the “mainstream” market, which means over half of their sales are from Christian bookstores and similar outlets. Family Force 5, unsurprisingly, is almost 90% mainstream. They are still sold in Christian bookstores but have not especially been cultivating a Christian fan base lately. I was surprised to see Sara Groves register as 90% mainstream. I know she used to have songs on Christian radio although I haven’t followed her as much lately. Next week I will be able to give you percentages for all the albums that are on the chart both weeks.

You wouldn’t want a whole album that sounds like that, and you might even get tired of that song if you listen to it too much, but it’s a fantastic way to roar out of the gate. So I decided to come up with a list of the my 10 favorite killer opening tracks. This is a playlist for getting pumped up if I ever saw one, especially the last three… oh yeah!

10. Rebirthing – Skillet  - Comatose

9. Sigh No More – Mumford & Songs - Sigh No More

8. Lonely Nation – Switchfoot - Nothing Is Sound

7. All The World Is Mad – Thrice - Beggars

6. Supertones Strike Back  - The O.C. Supertones

5. Destroyer – Project 86 - Picket Fence Cartel

4. All My Balloons – Children 18:3 - Children 18:3

3. The Spy Hunter - Project 86 - Songs To Burn Your Bridges By

2. Image of the Invisible – Thrice - Vhiessu

1. Torches Together – mewithoutYou – Catch For Us The Foxes

What are some of your favorite opening tracks?

I wasn’t familiar with this play before I saw it, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Sometimes when the kinda-nerdy lead guy quickly sang kinda-dark lyrics, he reminded me of Ludo. As far as the plot goes I suppose I should be aghast at the disturbing plant and the moral failure of the protagonist, but I choose to take the story as a metaphor for the old rhyme about “sin taking you farther than you want to go, keeping you longer than you want to stay, and costing you far more than you want to pay.” It shows that a wrong act is not justified by good intentions (such as Seymour being willing to kill the abusive dentist to realize his own desires, masked in an intention to save Audrey), and it shows how a wrong act can grow and turn you into someone you never expected because you have to do something worse to cover up the previous act in a vicious downward spiral until you are no longer in control. I also really suspect that the Rumor Weed from VeggieTales was inspired by Audrey II from the Little Shop of Horrors.