Hi Andy!
Thanks for opening this interesting subject... :)
I am considered an odd ball for holding this position but I truly believe when Christians began allowing (and then actively participating) in the segregation of Christian/Secular that we lost hold of the culture. A piece of music doesn't have to have the word God or Jesus repeated ad nauseum to be considered "Christian".
I believe that secular music has always been dictated by popularity at a particular period in time. Secular music is subject to popular culture. If there had been an outpouring of Christian music on the secular scene, at any time, it would have been due to the values, moral codes and acceptable traditional customs of that society, at that particular time. This also includes wholesome, uplifting music from yesteryear.
Look at some of the music of yesteryear that is considered to be wholesome and uplifting, it wasn't labeled as "Contemporary Christian" or "Country Christian", it was just good music.
I agree...it was great music. As a Radio broadcaster for secular and Christian music, on a secular Radio Station, I have found that categorizing various music genre is easier to work with when having to pour through hundreds and thousands of songs on a regular basis. Classification is just an easier/ faster way to identify a particular piece of music within a genre group.
So much so that today Christian music is loaded with lyrics that go out of their way to hit you over the head with God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit but is entirely bereft of any musical talent, just second rate lounge acts with karaoke singers pretending to be talented. And secular music with majestically and God gifted talent creating lyrical malevolence and mayhem.
Well you could be right there again but my sole purpose when amongst these untalented artists and lounge acts is to worship and glorify God. I believe that corporate and individual worship and praising God, brings down such a powerful anointing that it really does not matter in the end, how talented the music directors or worship leaders are...worship comes from the heart... and it is out of the heart of man that praise and glory to God come...
My advice, if you want to be uplifted but not really impressed with the talent listen to CCM. If you want to hear top notch talented musicians at the pinnacle of their craft, unfortunately, the only place for that is the so called secular music.
Again, you are possibly correct. I know many talented Christian singers, and musicians but they just cannot touch the heart of God or bring down that anointing through their abilities and talents...Consider Tchaikovsky or Beethoven. Very talented, gifted musicians and writers of music...do they have a huge following??? as much as say "MIchael Jackson?" I do not think so...that is because talent has nothing to do with it...
"Pop culture" follow trends in the secular world that satisfy the desires of the soul, gratifying the flesh at any given period of time because it is a fad.
Christian music follow the heart of God...not always good music or talented by any means but certainly a means to glorify our creator.
Not all Christian music does that however, some, who desire to be famous or popular on the secular scene will embrace some of the techniques used in secular music to achieve that end but at the same time, they lose their Christian edge....
Bless you!
