Today we visit the year 2012 and highlight twenty-five excellent offerings from the world of faith-based music. The albums span musical stylings from hip-hop, to singer-songwriter—pop-punk, hard rock, Americana, and indie-rock to avant-garde modern worship. There’s a comeback album, a final album, a one-hit wonder, a magnum opus, and plenty more. Ultimately, I ranked them in order of my enjoyment, but these are what I would deem the cream-of-the-crop for Christian music in its fifth full decade. So strap on your seatbelt, because away we go into the Christian Music time machine to 2012!
25. Heath McNease – Thrift Store Jesus
24. Trip Lee – The Good Life
23. Children 18:3 – On the Run
22. Showbread – Cancer
21. Project 86 – Wait for the Siren
20. Andrew Osegna – Leonard the Lonely Astronaut
19. Future of Forestry – Young Man Follow
18. The Classic Crime – Phoenix
17. Bebo Norman – Lights of a Distant City
16. Brandon Heath – Blue Mountain
15. Flyleaf – New Horizons
14. Propaganda – Excellent
13. Mewithoutyou – Ten Stories
12. Anberlin – Vital
11. Beautiful Eulogy – Satellite Kite
10. The Vespers – The Fourth Wall
Sister harmony and Americana stylings make for something a little different, and excellent. “Better Now” is my overall favorite track.
9. Paper Route – The Peace of Wild Things
Indie pop with that chill kinda vibe I dig. May move higher on a list like this and make the Top 100 of the 10s list one day. It’s growing on me.
8. Lecrae – Gravity
“Violence” “Fakin” and my overall favorite Lecrae song “Tell the World” make for a solid album.
7. Sixpence None The Richer – Lost in Transition
Sixpence with Country leanings? It works, and I like it. 4 Star album!
6. Sons – Keep Quiet
Post-hardcore just like I like it that I stumbled on a few years ago at Jesusfreakhideout. I highly recommend, especially for fans of another terrific band—Attalus.
5. Gungor – A Creation Liturgy (Live)
My pick for their overall best work, Michael’s guitar prowess really stands out.
4. David Crowder Band – Give Us Rest
An epic double album to end a top-notch career as the DC*B. They were the best worship-leaning band of their era hands down.
3. Young Oceans – Self Titled
Relaxing indie worship full of space and moments to soak in the grandeur of God.
2. House of Heroes – Cold Hard Want
My pick for the third best album of their catalogue, but there are some really strong songs present here. The a capella start of “A Man Who’s Not Afraid,” “Remember the Empire,” “Touch This Light, “The Comfort Trap” and closer “I Am a Cymbal” are my Top 5, but the run from beginning through track eight is really hard to beat.
1. Andrew Peterson – Light for the Lost Boy
His magnum opus, Peterson’s typical poetic story songs get some electric guitar oomph to spice things up. “Don’t you Want to Thank Someone” is worth the price of the whole album. 5 stars!
What about you?! What are your favorites from 2012?
— Josh Balogh
Wow, I forgot how many great albums came out in 2012! 2012 stands out as a great memory and I’m sure it’s in no small part to the music I was listening to at that time. Great article!
Thanks Andrew!
Thanks for another great list, Josh! My top 5 for 2012 were
1. Anberlin – Vital
2. Mac Powell – Self-titled
3. Brandon Heath – Blue Mountain
4. The Classic Crime – Phoenix
5. For King & Country – Crave
Great picks!
Muitos álbuns legais. Maravilha!
Yes! Many cool albums indeed. Such a great year of music.
Outstanding list! You know its a good year when a great DC*B album only ends up in 4th
Indeed!
Wow, what a year! A lot of these are albums we can all go back to. Looking for more articles like this.
Time and life permitting I’ll certainly try to offer up similar lists semi-regularly! Glad you enjoyed it!
Great list Josh! I’m happy you had the idea to do this! I’ve never really gotten into Andrew Peterson so I’ll need to check this record out for sure. My lists:
JesusFreakHideout List
1. A Boy and His Kite – A Boy and His Kite
2. mewithoutYou – Ten Stories
3. Vital – Anberlin
4. Mike Mains & the Branches – Home
5. Ascend the Hill – O Ransomed Son
6. Memphis May Fire – Challenger
7. Abel – Make It Right
8. The Seeking – The Seeking
9. The Classic Crime – Phoenix
10. Flyleaf – New Horizons
11. Sons – Keep Quiet
12. David Crowder Band – Give Us Rest
13. Propaganda – Excellent
14. Sixpence None the Richer – Lost In Translation
15. Lecrae – Gravity
Non-JesusFreakHideOut List
1. Now, Now – Threads
2. From Indian Lakes – Able Bodies
3. Andy Shauf – The Bearer of Bad News
4. Babel – Mumford & Sons
5. Ásgeir – Dýrð Í Dauðaþögn
6. John Mayer – Born and Raised
7. Sigur Rós – Valtari
8. Hammock – Departure Songs
9. California Wives – Art History
10. Tame Impala – Lonerism
Nice!
Has it really been ten years since that first Asgeir album? Oof. Time goes quickly and all that.
Wow, stellar list, but I’m feeling a bit argumentative, so I’m going to say Cold Hard Want is HoH’s 2ND best album, not 3rd. I’m kind of assuming you’ve placed Suburba as the 2nd best, but I think it’s miles behind Cold Hard Want. Miles enough behind that I kind of thought you were referring to that when you mentioned a comeback album.
Now, who wants to raise money to fly me to the 10th anniversary show of Cold Hard Want this December? Anyone? Pretty please?
My top pick for 2012 was Charlie Peacock’s “No Man’s Land”…a masterpiece by a master. I have “Light for the Lost Boy” at number 2 for the year. Incidentally, my top song of 2012 was a bonus track related to “Light for the Lost Boy” called “Break It All the Way” (it’s a shame that that song is not widely available).