Rock That Doesn’t Roll Podcast

Many of us remember the heyday of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) when pop bands such as DC Talk, Delirious? and Jars of Clay had hits on mainstream radio. The industry had exploded and had a huge impact on many Christians. It specifically impacted the way that many young people at that time interacted with their faith.

The industry changed pretty dramatically in the mid-2000s when, in my opinion, contemporary worship music pushed pop bands to the side. But for those of us who listened to a lot of CCM back in the day, we still have nostalgic thoughts when “Big House” by Audio Adrenaline or “Meant to Live” by Switchfoot pop up.

Leah Payne, Professor of American Religious History at Portland Seminary, and Andrew Gill, who spent much of his career in public radio, host the podcast Rock That Doesn’t Roll, which takes a fun look at a number of aspects of the phenomenon that was CCM. Both hosts have personal histories as kids who grew up as evangelical Christians during this era. Payne is also an academic, so she brings a good sense of history and theology to the conversations.

Each podcast looks at a particular aspect of the culture around CCM and does so by way of conversations with people who were at the epicenter of the experience or have a unique perspective. For those of us who remember the music, each episode is both a walk down memory lane and a helpful analysis of what we were experiencing.