Jesusfreakhideout.com: Staff Pick Their "Top 15 Artists Of All Time" (2015)


	*Emery* "From the moment I heard "Walls," I was hooked. I can still vividly remember where I was the day I discovered Emery and what a great day in history it was. Their lyrical content is ultra-creative, emo-filled, and simply the best I have ever heard. Add that to the perfect blend of hardcore and melodic singing heard on every stellar album, Emery solidifies themselves as my favorite band of all time."

	*The Classic Crime* "Albatross quickly became a must-play album for me from the moment I heard it the summer of 2006. Little did I know this band would get better with almost every release thereafter. The raw honesty in Matt's writing appeals with so many serious notes in both life and love. Songs like "Who Needs Air," "Broken Mess," and "City Of Orphans" give me goose bumps to this day!"

	*Project 86* "Songs To Burn Your Bridges By, ...And The Rest Will Follow, and Picket Fence Cartel are simply amazing albums that never fail to satisfy, and I have seen Project live more than any other band. They easily vie for my all-time favorite band when I pop their stuff back into my player."

	*Lecrae* "Real Talk dropped in 2004 and CHH was struggling. Lecrae simply changed the rap game in the Christian world. He is easily the Doctor J of CHH and I have been bumping his stuff from day one. Some of my favorite tracks are "Represent," "Send Me," "I'm A Saint," and "Church Clothes."

	*Thousand Foot Krutch* "Throw Up Ya Rawkfist" was something that I yelled over and over when Phenomenon dropped. TFK does solid rock tunes and great ballads. They are the perfect band for a guy like me who loves hip hop and 80's hair metal – HA! Yes, TFK is a band that I just love and can never play out."

	*Cross Movement* "CM was my first taste of Christian rap, and when I first picked up House of Representatives I was super stoked to find legit good Christian rap. I mean these guys had solid production and they could spit rhymes with the likes of any in the game and they were rapping about Christ way before most. Every single album they ever dropped is a classic to me and I still bump CM today."

	*Kids In The Way* "If there was ever a band that came and went too soon it would be Kids In The Way. I know that "all good things must come to an end," but to this day, I still wait for a reunion. Dave's unique vocals get your attention and songs like "Hallelujah" and "This Could Be The Song..." make perfect tunes when combined with their amazing rock screamo sound. I miss them dearly – did I mention that? "

	*Blindside* "OK, so I didn't even know who Blindside was until I heard "Pitiful" but once I did these guys quickly became a band that I played over and over. They seriously don't make tunes that I don't dig and "Roads," "When I Remember," and "There Must Be Something In The Water" are just a few of the amazing tracks Blindside has created that make them an all-time favorite of mine."

	*Mars Ill* "I can't think of a single rapper that can spit as well as ManChild - no joke! He spits with a fluidity and smoothness that can't be compared to anyone that I have ever heard in CHH. Couple that with the rawness of DJ Dust on the tables and you get amazing rap tunes that can be found on albums Backbreakonomics, Sound Methods 2.0, and Pirate Radio, all of which are stellar!"

	*Disciple* "I love this band. They make solid head-banging rock tunes and ballads that I can sing along to at the top of my lungs. The fact that they have been around so long and are still making great tunes is a testament to how good they indeed are. It would be hard to pick just one favorite album they have made, but I would go with either Scars Remain or Attack, both of which are amazing and display exactly what Disciple does so well."

	*Playdough* "Playdough's Lonely Superstar is one of the most perfect rap albums ever created. It's pushing 15 years old at this point, but it is still awesome. Throw in his amazing work with Ill Harmonics, DeepSpace5, and his countless guest features (which make any good song great), Playdough is easily the greatest rapper that no one has ever heard about."

	*Anberlin* "When I heard Blueprints For The Black Market I knew that I had found something good, but I had no idea that the next couple of albums would be some of the best ever created. Never Take Friendship Personal and Cities will always be among my all-time favorite albums and with tracks like "Glass To Arson," "Godspeed," and "Dismantle. Repair" one can't help but love Anberlin."

	*Spoken* "Ever since 2003's A Moment Of Perfect Clarity I have been a huge fan of Spoken. They don't do anything overly innovative or in your face, but they consistently put out great tunes which I fully appreciate. My favorite songs would be "Bitter Taste," "The Answer," "and "Stand Alone." My only complaint about Spoken is that they don't make enough music – I need more Spoken in my life!"

	*Skillet* "I simply love what Skillet does – They create good solid rock tunes year after year and put on one amazing live show. And while Comatose, Awake, and Alien Youth are solid albums, they pale in comparison to Collide which goes down as one of the best rock albums ever. Songs like "Open Wounds" and "Forsaken" stand among the Skillet tracks that I will never get tired of listening to."

	*Before Their Eyes* "I honestly think that their self-titled debut album was perfect. I still play that album and even though they can never replicate the greatness of their first record (like most good bands), I still love each record they drop. My favorite songs by BTE would be "City In a Snow Globe," "Hell Or High Water'" and "Life Was All a Dream."

	HONORABLE MENTIONS "Propaganda, Write This Down, and Andy Mineo – it's just too early, but they have potential to make the top 15 if they keep it up."