Jars Of Clay

Jars of Clay were the breakout band of the so-called alternative CCM movement of the '90s, scoring an enormous mainstream hit with the debut single "Flood" and enjoying platinum sales. The group's lyrics may have been exclusively Christian, but their acoustic-oriented music fit perfectly into the folky jangle pop wing of alternative rock radio, at the time a rarity on the contemporary Christian music scene. Such success set the stage for breakthroughs by Christian bands like dc Talk and Sixpence None the Richer, and it's difficult to imagine the later popularity of heavier, Christian-themed hard rockers like Creed and P.O.D. without Jars of Clay's fusion of spiritual themes and mainstream alternative rock sounds. As popular tastes shifted, Jars of Clay found it increasingly difficult to maintain a secular audience, but still commanded a sizable Christian following while remaining one of the highest-profile groups in any gospel-music subgenre. www.jarsofclay.com/