Serving a Solid Sampling
Posted September 30, 2013
By SarahFine_NRT, Staff Reviewer
For nearly two decades, the annual WOW Hits compilation has been one of the most substantial and best-selling digests that Christian music has to offer. Launching in late 1995, the two-disk collection highlights some of CCM's best and most influential songs over a period of the the last 12 months.
As someone who discovered many of my favorite artists through the WOW series as I began diving into Christian music as a teenager, I can very much attest to how big of an asset it is to the music buyer, both for casual listeners who enjoy some of the years biggest radio hits and for new fans of the genre who are itching to uncover some solid and uplifting new tunes.
This years WOW Hits 2014 collection continues the series' musical momentum. Through two disks full of 33 diverse tracks, this three hour ensemble of music provides something for everyone.
Disk one, normally geared toward fans of the Adult Contemporary format, starts us off with Chris Tomlin's smash "Whom Shall I Fear (God Of Angel Armies)" from his Burning Lights project. Other worshipful tunes included on the disk are MercyMe's "You Are I Am," Jeremy's Camp's "My God" and Kristian Stanfill's cover of Jesus Culture's "One Thing Remains," which quickly propelled both him and the song to national fame.
Amy Grant's duet with legend James Taylor, "Don't Try So Hard," and Francesca Battistelli's vulnerably bubbly tune "Strangely Dim" provide some input from some of CCM's top female voices, while "Come However You Are" by City Harbor and "Starts With Me" by Tim Timmons are two welcomed inclusions by newer artists who aren’t necessarily receiving a ton of airplay just yet.
The most timely inclusions on disk one are Matt Redman's "Your Grace Finds Me" and as Steven Curtis Chapman's latest single, "Love Take Me Over." As nice as it is to see some of 2013's biggest radio hits tacked onto this completion, seeing newer songs given some rightful attention is always a welcome plus.
After a stellar line-up of songs on disk one, we're introduced to another round of 16 songs on disk two, pulling hits from the CHR/Hot AC charts. "We Won't Be Shaken," the follow-up to Building 429's record-breaking "Where I Belong," is an all but necessary inclusion, and sets the stage for TobyMac's prayerful hit "Steal My Show."
Britt Nicole's crossover hit "Gold" (which also found its way onto the mainstream NOW compilation series earlier this year) as well as Plumb's "Need You Now (How Many Times)" are well deserved additions. Seeing Mandisa's latest single "Overcomer" earn a spot on this disk is also a nice surprise.
It would be borderline appalling if Tenth Avenue North's "Worn" and for KING & COUNTRY's "Proof Of Your Love" didn't land on this year's project, and I'm very pleased that the monologue mix of the latter is the one that found its way onto the album.
Perhaps the song I'm most thrilled to see on this compilation is Everfound's "Never Beyond Repair," providing one of Word Records' exceptional latest additions with a wide platform to reach a broad audience.
Closing Thoughts:
Wow Hits 2014 does a great job of summing up some of Christian radio's biggest hits over the last year, and also throws a few pleasant surprises into the mix with the addition of both newer songs by well known artists and a few quiet gems from some of CCM's rising stars.
While I feel like 2014's compilation of songs is definitely stronger than the collections of years past, I can't help but feel that a number of these songs are a tad outdated at this point, and I would have rather seen the addition of a few newer singles that are making a splash over at radio. Regardless of the puzzling time-frame, this is a much deserving class of songs that are sure to please listeners of nearly all styles, and in turn, introduce new fans to some of the best that Christian music has to offer. View All Music And Book Reviews By SarahFine_NRT | View SarahFine_NRT's Profile
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