Item Details

On Hillsong’s continued reign over the Australian contemporary congregational song genre

Issue: Vol 17 No. 2 (2016)

Abstract:

Australia’s popular music charts are not dominated by Australian music. However, in the popular music subgenre, contemporary congregational songs, a single Australian producer has a disproportionately high chart presence compared to international producers: Hillsong Music. This article offers an exploration of and explanation for this anomaly. It examines the extra musical and musical/lyrical components contributing to Hillsong Music’s dominance in the field based on a music semiological approach. Comparisons are made with the international competition within the genre, based on church usage. Finally, this article proposes ways of understanding Hillsong Music within the context of the contemporary congregational song genre both nationally and globally.

Author: Daniel Thornton

View Original Web Page

References :

ARIA. 2015. ‘ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums | Australia’s Official Top 50 Albums—ARIA Charts’. http://www.ariacharts.com.au/annual-charts/2015/albums-chart (accessed February 9, 2017).

—2016a. ‘ARIA Charts—How Are the ARIA Charts Prepared Each Week?’ http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-howare-chartsprepared.htm (accessed May 27, 2016).

—2016b. ‘Chartifacts: Wednesday 28th October 2015—ARIA Music News’. http://ariacharts.com.au/news/50687/chartifacts:-wednesday-28th-october-2015 (accessed February 12, 2016).

Asker, Jim. 2015. ‘Hillsong No. 1 on Top Christian Albums, Stryper Scores Best Nielsen Music Sales Week at No. 2’. Billboard, October 30. http://tinyurl.com/zdmrc3o

Australia Council. 2016. ‘Global—Music’. Artfacts. http://artfacts.australiacouncil.gov.au/music/global/ (accessed February 12, 2016).

Boyer, Horace Clarence. 1979. ‘Contemporary Gospel Music’. The Black Perspective in Music 7/1: 5–58. https://doi.org/10.2307/1214427

Carswell, Andrew. 2013. ‘Hillsong’s Message and Music Has a Resonance Worldwide that Eclipses that of the Church’s Aussie Birthplace’. CourierMail, July 13. http://tinyurl.com/pn32f66 (accessed May 30, 2016).

Cartwright, Ryan P. 2009. ‘Taking Risks and Freeing up Worship’. Crimperman.org, September 3. http://www.crimperman.org/2009/09/03/taking-risks-and-freeing-up-worship/ (accessed May 20, 2016). Web page no longer live.

CCLI. 2013a. ‘CCLI 19th Annual Advisory Council Meeting—Asia/Pacific Region’. Christian Copyright Licensing International Pty Ltd.

—2013b. ‘CCLI History’. http://au.ccli.com/about-ccli/history/ (accessed February 9, 2017).

Ccworshiparchive. 2008. ‘The Beginning’. Creative Commons Worship Archive, May 7. http://ccworshiparchive.blogspot.com.au/ (accessed May 27, 2016).

Clifton, Shane. 2009. Pentecostal Churches in Transition: Analysing the Developing Ecclesiology of the Assemblies of God in Australia. Leiden: Brill.

Cusic, Don. 2002. The Sound of Light: A History of Gospel and Christian Music. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard Corporation.

Dawn, Marva J. 1995. Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down: A Theology of Worship for the Turn-of-the-Century Culture. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

—1999. A Royal Waste of Time: The Splendor of Worshiping God and Being Church for the World. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Dawn, Marva J., and Daniel Taylor. 2003. How Shall We Worship?: Biblical Guidelines for the Worship Wars. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House.

de Clercq, Trevor, and David Temperley. 2011. ‘A Corpus Analysis of Rock Harmony’. Popular Music 30/1: 47–70. https://doi.org/10.1017/S026114301000067X

Evans, Mark. 2006. Open Up the Doors: Music in the Modern Church. London: Equinox Publishing.

Hamilton, Michael S. 1999. ‘The Triumph of the Praise Songs’. ChristianityToday.com, July 12. http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/1999/july12/9t8028.html

Hillsong Church. 2016a. ‘2014 Annual Report Australia | About’. http://d9nqqwcssctr8.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/15233735/AnnualReport14WEB.pdf (accessed February 9, 2017).

—2016b. ‘Hillsong Conference 2016 | Hillsong’. https://hillsong.com/conference/ (accessed May 27, 2016).

Hillsong Music Australia. 2016. ‘About Us’. https://distribution.hillsong.com/help/about (accessed February 17, 2016).

Humberstone, James Henry Byrne. 2013. ‘Cassations: Malcolm Williamson’s Operas for Musically-Untrained Children’. University of New South Wales. http://unsworks.unsw.edu.au/fapi/datastream/unsworks:11417/SOURCE01

Hung Medien. 2016. ‘Australian-Charts.com—Hillsong—United Zion’. http://tinyurl.com/hlutzem (accessed May 10, 2016).

Ingalls, Monique. 2008. ‘Awesome in This Place: Sound, Space, and Identity in Contemporary North American Evangelical Worship’. PhD dissertation, University of Pennsylvania.

Ingalls, Monique M., and Amos Yong, eds. 2015. The Spirit of Praise: Music and Worship in Global Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity. University Park, PA: Penn State University Press.

McCrindle, Mark. 2014. ‘A Demographic Snapshot of Christianity and Church Attenders in Australia’. http://tinyurl.com/glfanw2

Moehn, Frederick. 2012. Contemporary Carioca: Technologies of Mixing in a Brazilian Music Scene. Durham, NC: Duke University Press Books. ARIA. 2015. ‘ARIA Australian Top 50 Albums | Australia’s Official Top 50 Albums—ARIA Charts’. http://www.ariacharts.com.au/annual-charts/2015/albums-chart (accessed February 9, 2017).

—2016a. ‘ARIA Charts—How Are the ARIA Charts Prepared Each Week?’ http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-howare-chartsprepared.htm (accessed May 27, 2016).

—2016b. ‘Chartifacts: Wednesday 28th October 2015—ARIA Music News’. http://ariacharts.com.au/news/50687/chartifacts:-wednesday-28th-october-2015 (accessed February 12, 2016).

Morgenthaler, Sally. 1998. Worship Evangelism: Inviting Unbelievers into the Presence of God. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

Nattiez, Jean-Jacques. 1990. Music and Discourse: Toward a Semiology of Music. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Nekola, Anna. 2009. ‘Between This World and the Next: The Musical “Worship Wars” and Evangelical Ideology in the United States, 1960–2005’. PhD dissertation, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Oldham, Paul. 2014. ‘“Suck More Piss”: How the Confluence of Key Melbourne-Based Audiences, Musicians, and Iconic Scene Spaces Informed the Oz Rock Identity’. Perfect Beat 14/2: 120–39.

Perkins, Dave. 2015. ‘Music, Culture Industry, and the Shaping of Charismatic Worship: An Autobiographical/Conversational Engagement’. In The Spirit of Praise: Music and Worship in Global Pentecostal-Charismatic Christianity, ed. Monique M. Ingalls and Amos Yong, 230–46. University Park, PA: Penn State University Press.

Riches, Tanya. 2010. ‘SHOUT TO THE LORD! Music and Change at Hillsong: 1996–2007’. http://researchbank.acu.edu.au/theses/308/

Riches, Tanya, and Tom Wagner. 2013. ‘The Evolution of Hillsong Music: From Australian Pentecostal Congregation into Global Brand’. Australian Journal of Communication 39/1: 17–36.

Schellenberg, E. Glenn. 1996. ‘Expectancy in Melody: Tests of the Implication-Realization Model’. Cognition 58: 75–125.

—1997. ‘Simplifying the Implication-Realization Model of Melodic Expectancy’. Music Perception: An Interdisciplinary Journal 14/3: 295–318. https://doi.org/10.2307/40285723

Schellenberg, E. Glenn, and Sandra E. Trehub. 1996. ‘Children’s Discrimination of Melodic Intervals’. Developmental Psychology 32/6: 1039–50.

ShareSong. 2015. ‘Christian Music Song Lyrics’. ShareSong.org. http://www.sharesong.org/ (accessed July 7, 2016).

Stalinski, Stephanie M., and E. Glenn Schellenberg. 2010. ‘Shifting Perceptions: Developmental Changes in Judgements of Melodic Similarity’. Developmental Psychology 46/6: 1799–1803.

Synan, Vinson. 2012. The Century of Holy Spirit: 100 Years of Pentecostal and Charismatic Renewal, 1901–2001. Hampton, VA: Thomas Nelson.

Thornton, Daniel. 2016. ‘Exploring the Contemporary Congregational Song Genre: Texts, Practice, and Industry’. PhD dissertation, Macquarie University, Sydney.

Thornton, Daniel, and Mark Evans. 2015. ‘YouTube: A New Mediator of Christian Community’. In Congregational Music-Making and Community in a Mediated Age, ed. Tom Wagner and Anna Nekola, 141–59. London: Ashgate.

Wagner, Thomas J. 2013. ‘Hearing the Hillsong Sound: Music, Marketing, Meaning and Branded Spiritual Experience at a Transnational Megachurch’. London: Royal Holloway University of London. http://pure.rhul.ac.uk/portal/files/19680902/2014wagnertphd.pdf

Warren, Michael John. 2016. Hillsong: Let Hope Rise. Documentary.

Whiting, Samuel Charles. 2015. ‘An Interview with Rebekah Duke: Melbourne’s Inner-Northern Live Music Venues and Social Scenes’. Perfect Beat 16/1–2: 121–31.

Williams-Jones, Pearl. 1975. ‘Afro-American Gospel Music: A Crystallization of the Black Aesthetic’. Ethnomusicology 19/3: 373–85. https://doi.org/10.2307/850791

Discography

Barrett, Patt, and Anthony Brown. 2014. ‘Good Good Father’. Capitol CMG Paragon/Common Hymnal Publishing/Housefires Sounds/sixsteps Music/Tony Brown Publishing Designee/Vamos Publishing/worshiptogether.com songs.

Bradbury, William B., Eric Liljero, Reuben Morgan, Edward Mote and Jonas Myrin. 2011. ‘Cornerstone’. Hillsong Music Publishing.

Bullock, Geoff. 1992. ‘The Power Of Your Love’. Geoff Bullock Music.

Cash, Ed, Chris Tomlin and Jesse Reeves. 2004. ‘How Great Is Our God’. sixsteps Music/worshiptogether.com songs/Wondrously Made Songs.

Crocker, Matt, and Ben Fielding. 2014. ‘This I Believe (The Creed)’. Hillsong Music Publishing.

Crocker, Matt, and Joel Houston. 2012. ‘Glorious Ruins’. Hillsong Music Publishing.

Crocker, Matt, Joel Houston and Salomon Ligthelm. 2012. ‘Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)’. Hillsong Music Publishing.

Crocker, Matt, and Brooke Ligertwood. 2012. ‘Man Of Sorrows’. Hillsong Music Publishing.

Crocker, Matt, and Marty Sampson. 2015. ‘Open Heaven (River Wild)’. Hillsong Music Publishing.

Farro, Josh, Jeremy Riddle and Phil Wickham. 2012. ‘This Is Amazing Grace’. Phil Whickham Music/Seems Like Music/Sing My Songs/Bethel Music Publishing/WB Music Corp.

Faulkner, Quentin. 2012. Wiser Than Despair. Religious Affections Ministries.

Fielding, Ben, and Reuben Morgan. 2006. ‘Mighty To Save’. Hillsong Music Publishing.

Fielding, Ben, and Dean Ussher. 2012. ‘Anchor’. Hillsong Music Publishing.

Getty, Keith, and Stuart Townend. 2001. ‘In Christ Alone’. Thankyou Music.

Giglio, Louie, John Newton and Chris Tomlin. 2006. ‘Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)’. sixsteps Music/Vamos publishing/worshiptogether.com songs.

Hastings, Benjamin, Marty Sampson and Dean Ussher. 2015. ‘O Praise The Name (Anástasis)’. Hillsong Music Publishing.

Hine, Stuart W. K. 1949. ‘How Great Thou Art’. Stuart K. Hine Trust.

Houston, Joel, and Jonas Myrin. 2014. ‘Broken Vessels (Amazing Grace)’. Hillsong Music Publishing.

Hughes, Tim. 2000. ‘Here I Am To Worship’. Thankyou Music.

Kendrick, Graham. 1983. ‘The Servant King’. Thankyou Music.

—1987. ‘Shine Jesus Shine’. Make Way Music.

King, Aodhan, and Alexander Pappas. 2012. ‘Alive’. Hillsong Music Publishing.

Ligertwood, Brook. 2006. ‘Hosanna’. Sony/ATV Music Publishing Australia.

Morgan, Reuben. 2004. ‘For All You’ve Done’. Hillsong Music Publishing.

Morgan, Reuben, and Jonas Myrin. 2012. ‘Christ Is Enough’. Hillsong Music Publishing.

Myrin, Jonas, and Matt Redman. 2011. ‘10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)’. sixsteps Music/Thankyou Music/worshiptogether.com songs/Atlas Mountain Songs.

Myrin, Jonas, Matt Redman, Jesse Reeves and Chris Tomlin. 2010. ‘Our God’. sixsteps Music/Thankyou Music/Vamos Publishing/worshiptogether.com songs/Atlas Mountain Songs.

Redman, Beth, and Matt Redman. 2002. ‘Blessed Be Your Name’. Thankyou Music.

Torwalt, Brian, and Katie Torwalt. 2011. ‘Holy Spirit’. Capital CMG Genesis/Jesus Culture Music.

Townend, Stuart. 1995. ‘How Deep The Father’s Love For Us’. Thankyou Music.

Zschech, Darlene. 1993. ‘Shout To The Lord’. Hillsong Music Publishing.