Christian music is a very specific genre that appeals to those that are strong in their Christian beliefs. There are different types of Christian music, but all focus on the same praise and worship principles.
If you’re not a fan of Christian music, you’re not alone. There are lots of people who agree, Christian music is just plain bad- but why? Up next, I’m sharing 11 reasons that explain why Christian music is so bad.
Why Is Christian Music So Bad?
1. Limited Talent Pool
Christian music has one singular focus: God. Therefore the artists who sing and create Christian music have to share (or at least pretend to share) this same belief.
There are so many different religions, so anyone that’s not Christian, or doesn’t believe in God, can’t be a Christian artist.
Artists have to fit specific criteria, like being Christian and limiting the talent pool. Focusing on one religion reduces the overall population of talent greatly.
Considering that an artist has to have actual musical talent to be successful in Christian music limits the pool even further.
The bottom line here, finding a talented musician that’s also Christian is much harder than finding a talented musician, regardless of religion.
2. Christian Music Isn’t Always A First Choice
There are many different Christian artists that failed in other music genres. Some artists weren’t able to get their foot in the door as country singers or pop stars, so they turned to Christian music instead.
Musicians that want fame or recognition for their talents will find any outlet, so when they’re not talented enough to make it as one of those, they go to the next best thing.
This results in some subpar music and songwriting. That combination is a clear recipe for some pretty bad music.
3. It’s Repetitive
The actual subject of Christian music is very limiting, and there are only so many different ways you can make it interesting.
The repetitive nature of the content in Christian music makes it boring. Literally, every single song is about God, faith, and Christianity.
Creatively, there’s just no wiggle room in the meaning behind the songs or for a very diverse vocabulary.
God, Christianity, faith, religion… it’s all pretty cut and dry as far as language goes. Each and every song has to use the same words on some level.
Boring, stale lyrics equal boring, stale songs. Mundane and boring songs are an obvious indicator of bad music.
4. Not Authentic
Not all Christian music is authentic. Of course, there are some Christian artists who sing from the soul. But others are just putting out music for the sake of being an artist.
This goes along with what we discussed previously, in that some Christian music artists are just making Christian music because they’re not good enough to make other music.
Because of this, so much Christian music doesn’t feel authentic. It feels forced and unnatural- two components of bad music.
5. It’s Forced On Some
For many people who regularly attend a Christian church, the music is forced on them. Christian music is often played during services, and people have to hear it whether they want to or not.
These church patrons could get up and leave, but if they’re really in church for the actual spiritual aspects, then leaving isn’t always an option.
Nobody likes to be forced to listen to anything. For some, having to listen to music they don’t like can stir up all kinds of negative feelings. Bad feelings, bad music.
6. It’s Missing Something
There are a few types of Christian music, especially Christian hip hop and rap, that just don’t hit the same because it’s lacking in critical qualities that really make that style what it is.
Rap and hip hop both originated in urban areas and are meant to speak to what life was like for those artists.
There’s a certain level of grit that’s ingrained in both of these music styles, and it’s definitely not present in Christian rap or hip hop.
Lyrics about life on the streets vs. lyrics about The Lord just aren’t the same. Rapping about being homeless vs. rapping about one’s faith feels… different.
In the case of Christian rap or hip hop… it isn’t good. It’s not even the same thing and should have an entirely different name.
7. We’re Not Getting The Whole Picture
It’s possible that not all Christian music is bad, but the Christian music we hear is bad.
The Christian music that’s popular and makes it to the radio, or other media outlets, isn’t always the best.
Since we’re only hearing what’s shared or makes its way to the airwaves, we’re not getting to sample the best Christian music.
We’re only hearing what the Christian music industry wants us to hear. Oddly enough, with music as a whole, what we hear isn’t always representative of the best product.
This is the same as regular music. We hear the same songs on the radio or share via social media over and over again because that’s what the industry wants us to hear.
However, we know very well that there’s better music out there. We just have to dig for it. This is the same with Christian music.
Not all of it is bad, but it’s likely that we’re not hearing the best of the best in some cases.
8. It’s A Bad Sales Pitch
Christian music overall seems very salesy. Nobody wants to be constantly sold something or seeing the same advertisement over and over again.
Christian music does this. It’s kind of like beating a dead horse. Yes, God is good. Yes, the church is neat. But that should be left up to an individual to decide, right?
Music is meant to be enjoyed, and when there’s a deep underlying message, it just feels like a heavy-duty sales pitch.
When music becomes more than just music, then people will inevitably be turned off of it. The hard-selling nature of Christian music is another contributing factor in what makes it so bad.
9. It’s Not Fully Christian Music
There are only a handful of Christian bands and artists that are 100% fully Christian. The rest of the musicians might have an artist or two in the group that are Christian, but the rest are not.
The lack of Christianity in Christian music feels wrong. It’s also part of what makes Christian music so bad.
While this might not be as big of an issue for solo artists, when a group is performing songs, it’s easy to see when there’s a divisive factor.
If a group is considered Christian music artists, but not all members are Christian, then they’re not going to be fully into the music.
This feeds into the lack of authenticity we discussed earlier. But also leads to a big divide in a group that anyone can sense in the music itself.
10. Industry Interference
The Christian music industry is battling all other music industries for listeners and attention. There’s very little room for both.
Because of this, the Christian music industry is doing whatever they can to put out music fast, often with bands and artists that aren’t ready.
Artists are forced to produce songs with a quantity over quality standard and even perform with very little preparation.
In a sense, top Christian music industry execs are not trying to put their best foot forward. They’re just trying to put a foot forward. It’s this mentality that makes Christian music just not very good.
11. It’s Not For Everyone
Just the name “Christian music” limits the audience. It’s clearly meant for those that consider themselves Christians or align with a certain set of religious beliefs.
The target audience for Christian musicians is Christians. The genre itself is unwelcoming and doesn’t encourage anyone beyond Christians to listen.
The narrow scope of Christian music’s audience is the final reason that really seals the deal here.
To learn more, you can also read our posts on why country music is so bad, why hold music is so bad, and why rap is so bad.
Final Thoughts
Because Christianity is such a popular religion and music is a form of worship for many, there’s been an opening for Christian music to become borderline mainstream.
However, many can agree, Christian music isn’t for everyone. To some, both Christians and those outside the religion, Christian music is just bad.