As we close out the year, it’s always interesting to look back and see what worked and what didn’t. We cover a lot of music here across all kinds of genres, but what seems to connect with readers the most? Here’s a countdown our top 10 posts this year.
10. John Cooper of Skillet Announces Fight the Fury
Whatever your opinion may be regarding Skillet, their influence within both Christian and secular rock markets is undeniable. This announcement hinted at a heavier sound many longtime fans were longing for, so it’s not surprising this article got so much attention.
Scene veteran Josh Auer (OC Supertones, Phil Wickham, CHPTRS, and much more) and his wife have the difficult task of caring for a child with heart issues, among other things. The post includes a link to a Go Fund Me campaign.
8. Mike and Holli Herrera on Fixer Upper
MXPX is another band that has been around a while, so it’s no surprise that when it was announced Mike Herrera and his wife Holli would be on HGTV’s Fixer Upper as part of their move to Texas, fans took interest.
7. Judan and the Lion Interview
This interview was posted in 2014 but still was one of the most-viewed pieces of content in 2018. This is likely due to the band’s increased audience and higher search volume for news. Maybe we need to connect with them again.
6. UnderOath Release Single, Pre Order Bundles
UnderOath managed to stir up a fair share of controversy this year – while many fans where excited for new music, others were frustrated by the change in lyrical topics and overall commercial sound of the album. This post was the first taste of what the new album had to offer and managed to bring in curious readers.
5. Matthew Thiessen Solo Album
Relient K has a huge fanbase, so it’s not shocking that any project involving its principal members would get some time in the spotlight. Thiessen’s solo album has an acoustic folk foundation, deviating it from the poppier, energetic sounds of Relient K.
4. 10 Essential Christian Thrash Albums
Admittedly, this one is a bit of a surprise. I personally feel like the market for thrash has died off, but maybe that’s exactly why this got so much attention – it calls to mind nostalgia of bands otherwise forgotten by a modern audience and appeals to a bit of an older generation. Either way, this sits comfortably at the fourth-most-viewed article of the year.
3. Emery Announce New Song, Album Cover
Emery is no stranger to controversy, but the cover for their latest release, Eve, managed to generate a fair amount of discussion surrounding artistic expression and purity. The discussion continued over the Bad Christian podcast, but that didn’t stop some people from discrediting the album entirely and censored versions of the cover quickly arose.
2. Interview With Stephen Christian of Anberlin
Fans have been begging for an Anberlin reunion. Stephen wasn’t necessarily excited about the idea, but the band still was willing to share the interview with fans as a bit of a treat. Ultimately, the numbers don’t lie and fans are excited about any potential news from the Anberlin camp.
1. Bestselling Christian Albums
Noah spent a ton of time putting this together, and the effort paid off as it was our most-viewed post (with 5,207 total views). It’s interesting to see how content consumption has changed over time, and news pieces and listicles definitely perform better than reviews. If anything, it’s an impetus for us to be keen to what people like to read and offer more of that.
Cool time capsule of the year. I look forward to IVM 2019