Where Are They Now? The Christian Alt-Rock Bands Behind Every Hopeless Romantic’s Favorite Ballads of the 90s

Back in the 1990s, a lot of great alternative rock bands hit the charts. And, surprisingly, a few of your favorite 90s alt-rock ballads might actually come from Christian bands. Some of the following alt-rock bands are pretty obviously Christian outfits, but a couple of them might just surprise you. Let’s take a look, shall we?

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Sixpence None The Richer

Remember the alternative rock song “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None The Richer? This song is such a quintessential 90s playlist song, and it was a pretty hefty hit in 1998. “Kiss Me” peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and quickly became many listeners’ favorite song of the year. And, to the surprise of many, Sixpence None The Richer is actually a Christian band. In fact, their self-titled album from 1997, which features “Kiss Me”, was nominated for Best Rock Gospel Album at the Grammy Awards. Imagine that!

Today, Sixpence None The Richer is still together, though they haven’t released a new studio album since 2012. And I think they’re still one of the best Christian alternative rock bands out there.

Creed

Creed being a Christian band doesn’t surprise anyone, but younger listeners who weren’t around in the 90s might not know that the alt-rock hit “Higher” comes from a pretty openly Christian rock band. This post-grunge rock song from 1999 was a massive hit upon its release, peaking at No. 7 on the Hot 100 chart that year.

Today, Creed is still kicking, but they did go on hiatus a few times in 2004 through 2009 and in 2012 through 2023, respectively. In fact, they’re doing pretty well, considering they started hitting the mainstream Billboard charts again in 2024.

Jars Of Clay

When “Flood” dropped in 1995, it was an almost immediate hit on contemporary Christian radio as well as alternative rock radio. That crossover put Jars Of Clay all the way at No. 12 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, as well as No. 37 on the Hot 100 chart. 

Sadly, their debut breakthrough hit also ended up being their last, as Jars Of Clay never made it to the Hot 100 again. Luckily, Jars Of Clay is still together today, though their most recent release is the 2013 record Inland.

Photo by Ben Pearson