The Billboard Guide to Contemporary Christian Music

Sales of Christian music have skyrocketed. More and more Christian artists have crossed over into mainstream markets, and the national media has taken notice-Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek, and The Wall Street Journal have all devoted in-depth features to the Christian music phenomenon. The Billboard Guide to Contemporary Christian Music chronicles the amazing rise of this genre from its gospel roots to today's diverse musical sound, which includes rock, punk, heavy metal, pop, R&B, ska, swing, country, and Latin music. It offers a complete capsule encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian artists as well as an introduction to the music form, discussing its roots and cultural impact, and includes interviews with influential artists and an Appendix of key sources and contacts.

Barry Alfonso has written for Rolling Stone, BAM, LA Weekly, Music Connection, and Us, and has been a contributor to The Rolling Stone Book of the Beats. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.