CCM Top 500 Album List

Here first are #10-200.

10. The 77’s                                                               All Fall Down
11. Phil Keaggy                                                         Love Broke Thru
12. Leslie Phillips                                                      The Turning
13. Tonio K                                                                 Romeo Unchained
14. The Altar Boys                                                   GLM (Gut Level Music)
15. David Edwards                                                  David Edwards
16. Bob Bennett                                                      Matters of the Heart
17. The Swirling Eddies                                         Outdoor Elvis
18. Bob Dylan                                                            Slow Train Comin’
19. Amy Grant                                                          Lead Me On
20. DC Talk                                                                 Jesus Freak
21. Love Song                                                           Love Song
22. Chagall Guevara                                               Chagall Guevara
23. DeGarmo & Key                                                               Straight On
24. Larry Norman                                                    In Another Land
25. Rick Elias                                                              Rick Elias and the Confessions
26. Rich Mullins                                                        A Liturgy, A Legacy & a Ragamuffin Band
27. Daniel Amos                                                       Doppelganger
28. Bruce Cockburn                                                                Dancing in the Dragon’s Jaws
29. The Call                                                                Reconciled
30. Barry McGuire                                                   Lighten Up
31. Lost Dogs                                                             Scenic Routes
32. Mustard Seed Faith                                        Sail on Sailor
33. Switchfoot                                                          The Beautiful Letdown
34. U2                                                                          War
35. Undercover                                                        Branded
36. Adam Again                                                        Dig
37. Benny Hester                                                    Nobody Knows Me Like You
38. The Choir                                                             Chase the Kangaroo
39. Russ Taff                                                              Russ Taff
40. LSU                                                                        Shaded Pain
41. The Front                                                            The Front
42. Prodigal                                                                Electric Eye
43. Caedmon’s Call                                                 40 Acres
44. Andy McCarroll & Moral Support              Zionic Bonds
45. Stryper                                                                 To Hell With the Devil
46. Daniel Amos                                                       Horrendous Disc
47. Kerry Livgren                                                     Seeds of Change
48. Burlap to Cashmere                                        Anybody Out There
49. Paul Clark                                                            Hand to the Plow
50. Sweet Comfort Band                                      Hearts of Fire
51. Vigilantes of Love                                            Jugular
52. Michael Omartian                                            Adam Again
53. The Violet Burning                                           Strength
54. Sixpence None the Richer                            Sixpence None the Richer
55. Ideola                                                                   Tribal Opera
56. Daniel Amos                                                       Shotgun Angel
57. Charlie Peacock                                                                The Secret of Time
58. After the Fire                                                     CBS Recordings
59. Jerusalem                                                           Warrior
60. The Alarm                                                           Declaration
61. T-Bone Burnett                                                 Trap Door
62. Michael Anderson                                           Sound Alarm
63. Tonio K                                                                 Notes from the Lost Civilization
64. Steve Taylor                                                       I Predict 1990
65. Gospel Gangstas                                              Gang Affiliated
66. Mute Math                                                         Mute Math
67. Alice Cooper                                                      The Last Temptation of Alice Cooper
68. Edin Adahl                                                           Alibi
69. Jars of Clay                                                          Jars of Clay
70. Vector                                                                  Mannequin Virtue
71. Bruce Cockburn                                                                Humans
72. Phil Keaggy                                                         Sunday’s Child
73. Lifesavers                                                            Kiss of Life
74. Matthew Ward                                                 Toward Eternity
75. The Prayer Chain                                              Shawl
76. Daniel Amos                                                       Darn Floor, Big Bite
77. Randy Stonehill                                                 Between the Glory and the Flame
78. Mark Heard                                                        Satellite Sky
79. The Innocence Mission                                 The Innocence Mission
80. Julie Miller                                                          Meet Julie Miller
81. Bebo Norman                                                    Ten Thousand days
82. Benny Hester                                                    Benny Hester
83. 2^nd Chapter of Acts/Phil Keaggy                 How the West Was One
84. Andrae Crouch & the Disciples                   This Is Another Day
85. Mat Kearney                                                      Nothing Left to Lose
86. Sweet Comfort Band                                      Cutting Edge
87. Gentle Faith                                                       Gentle Faith
88. Charlie Peacock                                                                Love Life
89. Erick Nelson & Michelle Pillar                      The Misfit
90. The 77’s                                                               Pray Naked
91. Children of the Day                                         Come to the Water
92. The Choir                                                             Circle Slide
93. Roby Duke                                                          Not the Same
94. Johnny Lang                                                       Turn Around
95. Ishmael United                                                 If You Can’t Shout Saved, You’ll Have to…
96. Malcolm and Alwyn                                        Fools Wisdom
97. Undercover                                                        Forum
98. Michael W Smith                                              The Big Picture
99. John Mehler                                      Bow and Arrow
100. MxPx                                                    Life in General
101. Chuck Girard                                      Chuck Girard
102. Jennifer Knapp                                 Kansas
103. Sam Phillips                                        The Indescribable Wow
104. Darrell Mansfield                             Higher Power
105. Arkangel                                              Warrior
106. Kerry Livgren/AD                             Timeline
107. Various Artists                                   At the Foot of the Cross
108. Neal Morse                                        Testimony
109. Steve Scott                                         Love In the Western World
110. Randy Stonehill                                 Return to Paradise
111. Steve Camp                                        Fire and Ice
112. Petra                                                     More Power To Ya
113. Scaterd Few                                       Sin Disease
114. Pat Terry                                              Humanity Gangsters
115. Stavesacre                                          Friction
116. Hothouse Flowers                           People
117. John Fischer                                       Dark Horse
118. The Imperials                                     Priority
119. Rich Mullins                                        Winds of Heaven, Stuff of Earth
120. LYRIX                                                     Songs From the Earth
121. Jon Gibson                                          Body and Soul
122. 2^nd Chapter of Acts                          With Footnotes
123. POD                                                       Satellite
124. Iona                                                       The Book of Kells
125. Rick Elias                                              Ten Stories
126. T-Bone Burnett                                 Truth Decay
127. Pierce Pettis                                       Chase the Buffalo
128. Margaret Becker                              Immigrants Daughter
129. Lone Justice                                       Shelter
130. DC Talk                                                 Free at Last
131. Dashboard Confessional                               Alter the Ending
132. Syn                                                         A Matter of Time
133. Resurrection Band                           Awaiting Your Reply
134. King’s X                                                                Faith, Hope, Love
135. Plank Eye                                             The One and Only
136. Amy Grant                                          Age to Age
137. Adam Again                                        10 Songs
138. Various Artists                                   Orphans of God – Mark Heard Tribute
139. Toby Mac                                            Diverse City
140. Daniel Amos                                       Mr. Beuchner’s Dream
141. Vigilantes of Love                            Audible Sigh
142. Lifesavers                                            Us Kids
143. Poor Old Lu                                         Mindsize
144. The Violent Femmes                      Hallowed Ground
145. Kansas                                                  Vinyl Confessions
146. Kemper Crabb                                   The Vigil
147. U2                                                          Achtung Baby
148. Crystal Lewis                                      The Bride
149. Whitecross                                         Whitecross
150. Newsboys                                           Going Public
151. Barry McGuire                                   Seeds
152. Lost Dogs                                             Little Red Riding Hood
153. Mark Heard                                        Second Hand
154. Waterboys                                          Pagan Place
155. Various Artists                                   City on a Hill
156. Avion                                                    Avion
157. David Meece                                     Are You Ready
158. Flyleaf                                                   Flyleaf
159. White Heart                                       Redemption
160. Fleming and John                             Delusions of Grandeur
161. Tourniquet                                         Psycho Surgery
162. Jennifer Knapp                                 Lay It Down
163. Vigilantes of Love                            Killing Floor
164. Randy Stonehill                                 Equator
165. Margaret Becker                              Never For Nothing
166. Magdallan                                           Big Bang
167. Deliverance                                        Weapons of Our Warfare
168. Aunt Bettys                                        Aunt Bettys
169. Terry Taylor                                        Knowledge and innocence
170. David Mullen                                     Revival
171. Jacob’s Trouble                                 Knock Breathe Shine
172. Van Morrison                                    Avalon Sunset
173. Russ Taff                                              Medals
174. Daughtry                                             Daughtry
175. Servant                                                                Rockin’ Revival
176. Petra                                                     Never Say Die
177. The Imperials                                     One More Song for You
178. Ashley Cleveland                             Big Town
179. David Edwards                                  Get the Picture
180. Phil Keaggy                                         Ph’lip Side
181. Cliff Richard                                        Now You See, Now You Don’t
182. Keith Green                                       No Compromise
183. Charlie Peacock                                                Charlie Peacock
184. Derek Webb                                      She Must and Shall Go Free
185. Resurrection Band                           Lament
186. FM Static                                             What Are You Waiting For
187. Over the Rhine                                 Eve
188. Take 6                                                   Take 6
189. Living Sacrifice                                   Reborn
190. 4-4-1                                                      Mourning Into Dancing
191. 2^nd Chapter of Acts                          Mansion Builder
192. Phil Keaggy                                         Crimson & Blue
193. Neal Morse                                        Lifeline
194. Newsboys                                           Love Liberty Disco
195. Creed                                                    Human Clay
196. The Throes                                         All the Flowers
197. White Heart                                       Don’t Wait for the Movie
198. Plumb                                                   candycoatedwaterdrops
199. Various Artists                                   Brow Beat

This list was updated Nov. 2011.

Check further here:

CCMs 500 Best Albums

Paul Clark - Hand To The Plow album - #50 all time CCM 500 Best Album list

CCM's 500 Best Albums Of All Time

The Best CCM Albums of All Time

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50. Hand to the Plow – Paul Clark

HAND TO THE PLOW (1977)

YouTube: Hand To The Plow song

Paul Clark

When conversation inevitably move to discussions revolving 

around the formation of CCM and the Jesus Movements 

“Jesus Music” world, many names take center stage. 

Larry Norman, Barry McGuire, Annie Herring and Randy Stonehill 

tend to be the focal point of conversations with the list of 

artists that were birthed at Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa

like Love Songs, Mustard Seed Faith and Daniel Amos.

But when conversing with the artists mentioned above, 

the name most often brought up is that of musician extraordinaire, 

Paul Clark. Noted as one of the finest (possibly the finest) 

songwriter of the time and a world class musician of his own, 

Clark was instrumental in bring CCM to a whole new level of 

quality and acceptance.

After four very well received and reviewed projects, 

Clark nearly single-handedly raised the bar to a whole 

new stratosphere with “Hand to the Plow.” Putting down 

his acoustic guitar and worship framed lyrical and musical

focus, Clark joined forces with some of the finest musicians

 to ever grace a CCM project and invented the first real 

“classic rock” Christian album.

Seven minute jams featuring precise piano, swinging sax and 

grooving guitars, the album is brilliant from the opening piano 

interlude to the fading final string note. While the rest of the 

Jesus Music world was still peddling relatively safe and “dated” 

country rock and folk, Clark was piercing the speakers with 

R&B/Soul rhythms and progressive rock prowess 

unforeseen at time.

From the grainy cover of a wrinkled, weathered and worn 

hand of old man grasping a wooden plow to the stellar 

production quality, there is very little that was not groundbreaking. 

Clark’s voice was never this edgy or passionate in his 

previous releases. There is more Moody Blues, Pink Floyd 

and Steely Dan here than in the rest of CCM at the time combined.

Even listening to this album as I write this review I am in 

awe of just how much I feel like I am listening to any other 

classic rock album of note during the same time period. 

Bobby Cotton’s production is so rich and textured and 

the songs are not watered down for Sunday Morning 

consumption. This was real, contemporary and utterly 

relevant; well before those words lost their meaning in 

the modern Church movement.

The album features what would later become the bedrock 

of the amazing jazz group, Koinonia. Hadley Hockensmith, 

Harlan Rogers and Bill Maxwell were joined by unheralded 

and uber-guitarist Curt Bartlett. But it would be Jim Hochanadel’s 

amazing saxophone work that would stick with listeners 

over three decades later.

The album kicks off with the seven minute title track that 

simply rocks. It would easily rank among the great Christian 

classic rock tunes if there were any that were even in its 

category. Borrowing from the Biblical image of the need to 

keep moving forward in our work for the Lord and not 

looking back to our former lives, Clark pounds his way 

through this epic. Here the guitar and saxophone work 

simply steal the show. But it is all based around Clark’s 

killer piano work.

Before this time the thought of an seven minute epic rock 

song that featured more instrumental time than lyrical time 

was simply unheard of. This was entering into the domain 

of bands like the Moody Blues and even the Allman Brothers 

with long instrumental breaks and, for lack of a better term , 

“jamming.” This was done live by the likes of Phil Keaggy, 

but was a real rarity on a studio recording. Clark’s ability to 

keep the musical interest with such a long instrumental song 

(especially to lead the album) is proof of his musical genius 

and great songwriting and arranging.

Things slow down immediately with the classical guitar tinged, 

“Spring of Life.” nearly liturgical in its feel and arrangement, 

this beautiful songs works as a perfect interlude between the

 two rock numbers that make up two of the first three songs 

on the project. This style would soon become the centerpiece 

musical expressions for artists like John Michael and terry Talbot.

“All I Need” is pure Jazz/R&B genius. The funk driven female 

backing vocals would sound like Riki Michelle of Adam Again 

20 years before. In fact, every listen to this song reminds me of 

just how much Gene Eugene was influenced by the same music 

that Clark delivers here. Everything from the funky keyboard 

rhythm (think early Stevie Wonder) and great Hammond 

organ solo to the funky guitar solo and thumping bass are 

pure funk/soul magic.

Another brilliant and more progressive rock sounding classic 

is “Shipwrecked.” Introduced by a beautiful orchestral arrangement, 

the song soon moves into something akin to the best from 

Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon.” Slow and passionate 

like “Comfortably Numb,” Clark’s strong higher register is 

accompanied by, of all things, the harmonica. what would 

seem out of place, works perfectly here as the song turn 

more inspirational than dirge-like.

The smooth jazz many remember Clark for is most evident 

on “Love You So.” Clark’s voice rangers from a Phil Keaggy 

quality to almost a Stephen Bishop quality. The organ again 

finds itself the central driving force to this beautiful ballad 

before the amazing sax work takes center stage as the more 

jazz influence is delivered.

“Help Me to See” would have fit on any Glass Harp album 

and is the most Keaggy-like on the project. The song is a 

slow build rocker that features some of the finer blues-influenced 

guitar solo work for the time. Moody and darker than most 

CCM at the time, the song is a Psalmists plea for direction 

and security.

Before the world of CCM discovered that automatic radio 

airplay that “wedding songs” provided an artist, Paul Clark 

wrote one of the finest wedding songs ever written. Ever.

The medley, “Woman…The Man That I Love” is six minutes

 long and features two separate songs that are merged to 

create a cohesive single expression. The duet, sung with 

Kelly Willard, is written from the perspective of both the 

woman and the man as the song changes musical expressions 

as each sings their glorious parts. The songs do blend in the 

final chorus as both sing simultaneously this stunning song.

“Now and Forevermore” shows Clark’s growth in the use 

of orchestral arrangements. here, not only does the orchestra 

support the melody, it carries the entire song. More classical 

than most ballads, the song is a worshipful reminder for 

communion and an expression of the covenantal faithfulness 

of God that is remembered in the sacrament.

The album closes with “One Final Word,” introduced with a 

harp and orchestra. the sound would later be more consistently 

applied by the like of Jeff Johnson.

This is as nearly flawless an album as any from the Jesus Music 

era. It is also gives reason why many of Clark’s peers hold 

him in such high regard. Not constrained to the parameters 

of common Jesus Music or CCM at the time, Clark’s innovative 

and original musical expressions made him a favorite among 

fans and artists.

He, for some reason, never received the long-term recognition 

he so richly deserved, as this album plainly presents. If there is 

an expression greater than “An Album You Should Own,” 

this album would deserve that classification. Though other 

Jesus Music albums will be ranked higher based on historical 

significance, very few can compete with this album.

Paul Clark - 2009

Click here for more: CCM 500 Best Albums All-Time

Paul Clark (Christian musician)

• Songs from the Savior, Vol. 1 1972
• Songs from the Savior, Vol. 2 1972
• Come Into His Presence (Paul Clark and Friends) 1974
• Good To Be Home (Paul Clark and Friends) 1975
• Hand to the Plow 1976
• Change in the Wind 1978
• Aim for the Heart 1980
• New Horizon 1981
• Drawn to the Light 1982
• Out of the Shadow 1983
• Awakening from the Western Dream 1988
• When the Moon is Behind the Clouds 1992
• Private World 1995
• Resonate 1996
• Christmas 1998
• Call of the Canyon 2001
• Approaching Jerusalem 2009
• "The Shorter The Trailer The Longer The Road" or "Songs From The Trailer VOL.IV" 2012
• 
  

Click here: Paul Clark's website