In the 1990s, music critics argue that hip hop was in its golden age. Mainstream Top 40 charts were filled with hits from The Notorious B.I.G, Tupac Shakur, and Dr. Dre. But the Contemporary Christian charts lagged far, far behind. What took so

Undo Me (ft. Jennifer Knapp)

23 days ago 40m 25s

In 1999, singer-songwriter Jennifer Knapp was at the top of the Christian music world. Her debut album Kansas was gold-certified, she'd won four Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, and she was on tour with some of the top bands in the busine

Season Two Trailer

Apr 17th, 2024 2m 13s

In the second season of Rock That Doesn't Roll, hosts Dr. Leah Payne and Andrew Gill look at how Christian music shaped the world we're living in now. Topics covered in season two include hip hop, feminism, purity culture, hair metal and more.

How Amy Grant Got To The Tiny Desk (ft. Lars Gotrich)

Mar 6th, 2024 25m 27s

In this bonus episode, Andrew and Leah talk with Lars Gotrich of NPR Music, the producer who brought Amy Grant to play a Tiny Desk Concert. Lars shares how he went from "judgy Christian punk rocker" to someone good at existing in two worlds at

Bonus

Introducing: Kristin Du Mez and David French on No Small Endeavor with Lee C. Camp

Feb 22nd, 2024 57m 42s

What happens when one of the country’s most outspoken critics of white male Christian political conservatism sits down with a well-known white male conservative Christian political pundit? Find out, as Kristin Du Mez and David French discuss po

Bonus

Fugazi to Frodus to Rock That Doesn't Roll: Composer Jim Cooper

Jan 17th, 2024 16m 47s

In this bonus episode Leah and Andrew interview Jim Cooper, the composer who wrote and recorded the original score for Rock That Doesn't Roll. He talks about growing up in the DC area, getting obsessed with Fugazi and Dischord Records, then thr

It's Christmastime! CCM Christmas Music Awards from Rock That Doesn't Roll

Dec 21st, 2023 28m 48s

‘Tis the season for holiday specials and Andrew Gill (producer, Sound Opinions) and Leah Payne (author, God Gave Rock and Roll to You) of Rock that Doesn’t Roll are bringing you a surprise holiday gift: weirdly specific awards for Contemporary

"Be The Billy of Your Actual Hills" (ft. Pedro The Lion)

Dec 13th, 2023 56m 1s

For 1990s and early aughts youth group alumni, Christian rock is often the source of embarrassment or shame - but does it have to be that way? The season finale of Rock That Doesn't Roll explores the idea that maybe, just maybe, the key to gett

Not A Christian Band (ft. Switchfoot)

Nov 29th, 2023 51m 24s

The late 90s and early aughts were a banner time for a really specific type of rock band - the are-they-or-aren't-they a Christian band, band. Sixpence None the Richer. Creed. Evanescence. Lifehouse. Owl City. Paramore. They all had different s

Bookstore Guys

Nov 15th, 2023 48m 30s

Who could a 1990s Christian rock aficionado turn to in order to find the latest and greatest releases? For mainstream music fans, tastemakers included record store clerks of 1990s indie music stores, or retail juggernauts like Tower Records and

Christian Rockstar Dreams

Nov 1st, 2023 51m 37s

For every 1990s Christian rock star who made it big, there were thousands of never-realized, would-be Christian rock dreams. With special insight from Christian music industry veteran promoter Chris Hauser, hosts Andrew Gill (producer, Sound Op

Punk Rock Prophets

Oct 18th, 2023 42m 46s

For 1990s evangelical teens, punk, hardcore, and ska were a gateway to a passionate, edgy way to express their Christianity outside the mainstream. But was the music and the message enough to keep the evangelical faith? In episode two, hosts An

Youth Group Kids

Oct 4th, 2023 44m 15s

Christian rock has a lot of naysayers, but for evangelical teens of the 1990s, it was EVERYTHING. For most kids raised in conservative Christian households, mainstream music was forbidden - if teens were going to rock, they needed to do it God’