One must give credence to the WOW series' claim that it has compiled "31 of the greatest Christian music hits ever," as it does on this collection of Number One hits, as WOW is the clear leader in contemporary Christian music (CCM) collections. True to this statement, the biggest hits by spiritually minded performers are here, including quite a few songs that have crossed over into the upper reaches of the secular pop charts. Like the NOW template it is patterned after, this WOW installment mixes in all styles of music, from the country beckonings of
MercyMe to the rap-rock of
DC Talk to the post-grunge of
Third Day and the soulful gospel of
Kirk Franklin's God Property. The songs run the gamut from unabashedly reverential songs like
Rich Mullins' "Awesome God" to the less-obvious worship of
Jars of Clay's surprise modern-rock hit "Flood," and the entirely secular-yet-innocent love song "Kiss Me" by
Sixpence None the Richer. Over the course of its two discs, this WOW compilation presents an exemplary survey of the Christian pop-music landscape.
