Christian Blues Rock

tagStarted 1972Peak 1978–2000Last big hit still active

Located in 1 route

Gospel / Christian / Spiritual → Christian Rock / Worship Rock

Christian Blues Rock grounds faith-driven rock in twelve-bar blues, slide and bottleneck guitar, harmonica, and gritty, soulful vocals, drawing on gospel-blues roots and electric blues-rock. Production emphasizes raw guitar tone, swampy grooves, and live-band interplay over studio gloss. Vocals are impassioned and weathered, testifying in a blues idiom. The mood is soulful, gritty, and revival-tinged, connecting sacred lyrics to the blues' deep spiritual lineage.

History

Christian blues rock emerged from the Jesus Movement of the early 1970s, when pioneers like Larry Norman injected blues and rock into gospel, and Chicago's Jesus People USA-based Resurrection Band (REZ) built a hard blues-rock ministry led by Glenn Kaiser, a dedicated blues guitarist. Phil Keaggy's virtuosic playing, Darrell Mansfield's blues-harp gospel, and later roots artists like The 77s and Grammy-winning soul-gospel-blues singer Mike Farris carried the tradition forward. It cross-lists with the gospel blues/sacred blues family and keeps the blues' sacred origins alive in a rock setting.

Defining artists

Resurrection BandSpotify YouTube
Glenn KaiserSpotify YouTube
Larry NormanSpotify YouTube
Phil KeaggySpotify YouTube
Darrell MansfieldSpotify YouTube
The 77sSpotify YouTube

Show 2 more

Mike FarrisSpotify YouTube
Randy StonehillSpotify YouTube

Essential listening

Military Man(1978) — Resurrection BandSpotify YouTube
Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?(1972) — Larry NormanSpotify YouTube
The Lust, the Flesh, the Eyes & the Pride of Life(1987) — The 77sSpotify YouTube
Sit Down Servant(2007) — Mike FarrisSpotify YouTube

← Explore Gospel / Christian / Spiritual

Sources

Andrew Beaujon, Body Piercing Saved My Life (Da Capo, 2006)
Mark Allan Powell, Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music (Hendrickson, 2002)
HM Magazine features and reviews