The 15 Greatest Christian Rock Bands: #5

5. Third Day

I rarely listen to Christian radio anymore or any music radio for that matter; however, sometimes I get curious to see how Christian rock sounds nowadays. The one thing I always seem to think when I do tune into modern Christian radio is, “Boy does that band sound like Third Day.” The music business is a copycat business and I have come to realize that Third Day has become so successful that their music is the template for popular Christian rock and praise music. It’s funny to think that at one time Third Day was just another Christian rock band with a Southern rock style. I have mentioned what I call the big four of nineties Christian rock. Well, Third Day always seemed to be right on the periphery.

Let’s explore how Third Day became the trend setter of 2000s Christian rock. First of all, I think their music is very accessible to just about every demographic. They are not too abrasive or hard, but had a Southern rock edge which is very popular. Most importantly, they really embraced the burgeoning praise movement and made it their own. Also, as the ska, rap rock, and alternative rock trends died down, Third Day was the band left standing.

All of this, of course, wouldn’t be possible without a great band behind the success. Back in the day, I listened the heck out of the albums: Conspiracy No 5 and Time. Both albums contained a good mix of hard rock and acoustic ballads with the occasional praise song. In addition, Third Day really knows how to mix acoustic with fuzzy electric guitars for a great sound. However, like a few other bands on this list, I stopped listening after Time in my want for harder music.

Favorite song: Consuming Fire