The Music that God has used to motivate me, amuse me, mold me, and many times mended my broken soul.
Steve Camp
Justice
Steve Camp’s album Justice challenged me in ways I had never been challenged before by forcing me to face the fact that God wasn’t about to settle for less than all in my faith. His follow up album Count the Cost made it apparent that God was using him to push me out of my comfort zone and into a life of radical obedience to him. I recommend both of these to stir one’s faith and push one into service. We cannot remain a church without conviction and keep the calling of Christ. He has albums spanning from 1978 – 2007 with these coming in 1988 and 1991 respectively. Many of his albums can be listened to on you tube for free before purchasing. He is known for the quote:
Prayer is the burden of revival; repentance is the breakthrough of revival; evangelism is the blessing of revival; holiness is the bounty of revival. Steve Camp
Albums are: Saying it with Love 1978, Start Believin’ 1980, For Every Man 1981, Only the Very Best 1983, Fire and Ice 1983, It’s a Dying World 1984, Shake Me to Wake Me 1985, One on One 1986, After God’s Own Heart 1987, Compact Favorites 1988, Justice 1988, Doing My Best 1990, Consider the Cost 1991, Doing My Best: Volume 2 1991, Taking Heaven By Storm 1993, Mercy in the Wilderness 1994, Best of Steve Camp: My Utmost for His Highest 1995, The Steve Camp Collection 1995, Abandoned to God 1999, Desiring God 2002, The Definitive Collection 2007. I love many of these albums and recommend many, but I have only put one of Steve’s links because I feel to miss this album would be to miss out on the very essence what Christian music should be.
Sweet Comfort Band
Breaking the Ice
Sweet Comfort Band’s 2nd album seemed to demonstrate that they were for real as band. Breaking the Ice put on display that Christian music was every bit as good as the secular music of the time. No longer did you have to listen to music that challenged your values. Now you could listen to music that was uplifting and reinforced your beliefs. You now had rock n roll without the sex, drugs and constant assault on your morals and values. For me it was a breath of fresh air. I was raised in the Church with my dad being a pastor my whole life. Grew up on hymns but in the third grade I heard my first rock song album. It was Snoopy’s Christmas by the Royal Guardsmen, and I couldn’t sit still. I was hooked and would sit in a window with a transiter radio to my ear in just a certain position so I could get reception. I loved this music, but I soon found it was eating away at my morals and my commitment to Christ. When I realized that there were bands out there, I was ecstatic, and this band was one of the first.
The Cutting Edge was the groups second to last album before breaking up and it had become obvious that they were talented enough to compete with any of the bands out there. They sacrificed money and fame to stay true to their faith. I don’t believe they had an album that I didn’t love so this is the list of their albums. Sweet Comfort 1977, Breaking the Ice 1979, Hold on Tight 1980, Hearts of Fire 1981, Cutting Edge 1982, Perfect Timing 1984, The Waiting is Over 2013. Guitar player Randy Thomas went on to be part of the band Allies. The lead singer and keyboardist, Bryan Duncan has many solo albums and an excellent song writer, and we will cover his solo career next.
Sweet Comfort Band
Cutting Edge
Bryan Duncan
Holy Rollin
Strong Medicine
Mercy
Slow Revival
Bryan Duncan, unlike the other artists that I try to limit to two albums, I have included four for you to listen to. I can identify with Bryan in ways that are hard to explain. On his Album “Anonymous Confessions of a Lunatic Friend”, his song Mr. Bailey’s Daughter reminded me very much of me when I was young. His ability to put what I have felt over the years into song is uncanny and was why I found it difficult to narrow to two albums. His music has been with me through some of the most difficult times in my life and because there were so many I added two extra albums. His Albums consist of: Have Yourself Committed 1985, Holy Rollin 1986, Whistlin’ in the Dark 1987, Strong Medicine 1989, Anonymous Confessions of a Lunatic Friend 1990, Mercy 1992, Slow Revival 1994, Quiet Prayers (My Utmost for His Highest) 1995, Christmas is Jesus 1995, Unidos En El 1995, Blue Skies 1996, Last Time I was Here 1998, Love Takes Time 1999, Joyride 2000, Music City Live 2004, Still Dancing 2009, Conversations 2012, The Ultimate Collection 2014, The Live Experience 2015, Shine 2019.
Benny Hester
Be A Receiver
Benny From Here
I first heard about Benny Hester when his song “Nobody Knows Me Like You” began receiving a lot of air play on the radio. I began buying his albums and thoroughly enjoyed them until I heard his album “Benny from Here”. His song “When God Ran” moved me in ways no other song had. I was that prodigal son, and it described God’s love for me in a way that I had never felt before. The song is listed on my books page as the song I was thinking of when I wrote the book “Parables of a Prodigal Son”. I rarely can listen to the song without it bringing me to tears, which is why Benny is so far up the list as I begin to share my music. He Albums are as follows: Benny 1972, Benny Hester 1978, Be A Receiver 1978, Nobody Know Me Like You 1981, Legacy 1983, Benny from Here 1985, Through the Window 1987, Personal Best 1988, Perfect 1989, United We Stand / Divided We Fall 1990
Petra
More Power to Ya
Beat The System
On Fire
Beyond Belief
I know I said Byran Duncan was going to be the only artist or group to have more than two albums listed but Petra had two lead singers during its 35 years of making music and one was just as dynamic as the other. I am including 2 albums from the time when the first lead singer, Greg Volz was the front man and 2 albums from the time when John Schlitt was the front man. I will include 1 of each or their solo albums below to balance it out. Petra albums consist of: Petra 1974, Come and Join Us 1977, Wash Whiter Than 1979, Never Say Die 1981, More Power to Ya 1982, Not of This World 1983, Beat the System 1985, Captured Time & Space Live 1986, Back to the Street 1986, This Means War 1987, On Fire 1988, Petra Praise (The Rock Cries Out) 1989, Beyond Belief 1990, Unseen Power 1991, Petra En Alabanza 1992, Wake Up Call 1993, No Doubt 1995, Petra Praise 2 (We Need Jesus) 1997, God Fixation 1998, Double Take 2000, Revival 2001, Jekyll & Hyde 2003, Jekyll & Hyde (En Espanol) 2004, Farewell Live 2009. You are able to listen to many of the albums listed throughout this page through Real 80s CCM on you tube and if you like them, it is my hope that you will purchase the ones you like to support these artists. Greg Volz had several solo Albums that consisted of: The River is Rising 1986, Come Out Fighting 1988, No Room in the Middle 1989, The Exodus 1991, Breakout Praise 1997, Let the Victors In 1999, Ready or Not.. Here He Comes 1999, The Next Sphere 2001, In God’s Presence 2006, No Greater Love 2006, O Holy Night 2007, God Only Knows 2009. Prior to Petra John Schlitt was part of the Rock Band Head East in the 70’s prior to becoming the lead singer of Petra. After Petra’s Farewell tour he joined with some members of the band White Heart to create the group Union of the Sinners and the Saints. His solo works consist of: Shake 1995, Unfit for Swine 1996, The Grafting 2008, The Greater Cause 2012, The Christmas Project 2013, Go 2020.
