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Hillsong Music is Christian music produced by Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia as well as offshoot churches, Hillsong London and Hillsong Kiev. Hillsong albums are released and distributed by Hillsong Music Australia, the resource arm of Hillsong Church.

History

Hillsong Church's popularity in Christian praise and worship music stems from the inauguration of the Hillsong Conference in the late 1980s and the first publication of choruses written by Hills CLC members, especially Darlene Zschech. Their first live worship CD The Power of Your Love was released in 1992. Since then, live praise and worship albums have been produced each year. Other music series include the Worship series, United, Youth Alive, Hillsong Kids and Instrumental series. They have also released two Christmas albums and several compilation albums.

Geoff Bullock's departure

Geoff Bullock, the worship pastor before Zschech, resigned from Hillsong partly because of their phenomenal success. He states:

People have said that Hillsong (conference) 95 was my highest moment - the heights from which I fell. Yet if someone asked me what was the worst experience of my whole ministry career it would be Hillsong (conference) 95, because I felt so out of my depth.

I kept thinking, 'I don't know what I'm doing here, I'm unable to be the person that I need to be'. I just can't be Mr Charisma and Mr Excited. That's not me. I'm a quiet, introspective, melancholic type of guy. I struggled throughout the week trying to lead the worship, but feeling very much that I was failing. I really fell apart emotionally within a month of the conference ending.

My face was on all the posters, I was writing songs which everyone was singing, but inside I was asking myself 'Why am I always struggling? Why can't I just rise up in faith and be the man of God that everybody else says I should be, that this movement says I should be?

— Geoff Bullock, reality.org.nz

Geoff Bullock has released a recent album with new songs and a few of his old songs re-written. He spoke with David Adams and Lloyd Harkness at Sight Magazine in an interview on the 13th of August, 2004 "I feel tremendously responsible that I led them along the garden path of being so incredibly enthusiastic and incredibly faithful that eventually I sentenced them to disappointment because I was trying to fulfill something that I could never achieve..."

Popularity

Hillsong music is accepted and sung in many Christian churches worldwide. Some Hillsong songs have distinct gospel influences (see Gospel music and Urban contemporary gospel) and this has probably contributed to its acceptance.

People Just Like Us was the first ever Christian album to go Gold in Australia as well as the first to go Platinum. To date, all Hillsong live worship albums have achieved Gold status in Australia. In 1996, Hillsong Music reached international prominence with the release of Shout to the Lord produced by Integrity Music. This was Integrity Music's first live worship album featuring a female worship leader.

The 2004 Hillsong live worship album For All You've Done, debuted at #1 on the Australian Record Industry Association album charts. This is the first time an album of Contemporary Christian music has topped the album charts in Australia. There was some controversy about this outcome as almost all of the albums were sold at Hillsong's annual conference held in early July. The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) have defended the outcome noting that the album sold more copies than any other record on sale in Australia that week.

Awards

Hillsong Music Australia has been accredited with over 30 gold and platinum sales awards achieved worldwide. Hillsong Music has also achieved many international awards;

• The album Shout to the Lord was nominated for the 1997 Dove Awards 'Praise & Worship Album of the Year' at the Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, USA.
• The song Shout to the Lord written by Darlene Zschech was nominated for the 1998 Dove Awards 'Song of the Year' category at the Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, USA.
• By Your Side received a nomination for the 2001 Dove Awards 'Praise & Worship Album of the Year' at the Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, USA.
• In 1999, Darlene received the International Impact of the Year Award from the American Gospel Music Association in Nashville, USA.
• You Are My World received a nomination for the 2002 Dove Awards 'Praise & Worship Album of the Year' at the Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, USA.
• Blessed also received a nomination for the Dove Awards 'Praise & Worship Album of the Year' at the Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, USA.
• The song My Hope written by Darlene Zschech was nominated for the 2004 Dove Awards 'Inspirational Song of the Year' at the Gospel Music Awards in Nashville, USA.

Worship leaders

Worship Pastor Darlene Zschech is perhaps the most well-known worship leader in Hillsong. She is the composer of the famous worship song "Shout to the Lord". Zschech became worship leader after Geoff Bullock resigned. Bullock had composed most of Hillsong's early songs in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Russell Fragar, former Music Director, played a large part in producing early Hillsong albums until leaving Hillsong Church for Virginia, USA in 2001. Other prominent worship leaders include Reuben Morgan, who rose to fame for his song I Give You My Heart and Marty Sampson who was integral in the success of early Hillsong United albums. Recently Joel Houston, son of Brian and Bobbie Houston, has become a main worship leader after writing the popular song "Everyday".

Darlene Zschech explained Hillsong's stance in her book Extravagant Worship. She writes the Hillsong team pray "Father, let them quickly get their eyes off of us. We just want to point them to you, God, because you are the Author of truth. You are the only One who is to be praised."

Albums

Early albums were released solely on cassette and CD. Video recordings of the live albums have also been made for VHS since the second album in 1993, and additionally for DVD since 2000, with increasing additional content such as documentaries and extra songs. The United series CDs have included an additional free part-length DVD since 2004. Several music books have also been published.

Live Praise & Worship albums

1. The Power of Your Love (1992)
2. Stone's Been Rolled Away (1993)
3. People Just Like Us (1994)
4. Friends in High Places (1995)
5. God Is in the House (1996)
6. All Things Are Possible (1997)
7. Touching Heaven Changing Earth (1998)
8. By Your Side (1999)
9. For This Cause (2000)
10. You Are My World (2001)
11. Blessed (2002)
12. Hope (2003)
13. For All You've Done (2004)
14. God He Reigns (2005)
15. Mighty to Save (2006)
16. Saviour King (2007)
17. This Is Our God (2008)

Hillsong United albums

1. One (1998)
2. Everyday (1999)
3. Best Friend (2000)
4. King of Majesty (2001)
5. To the Ends of the Earth (2002)
6. More Than Life (2004)
7. Look to You (2005)
8. United We Stand (2006)
9. All of the Above (2007)
10. In a Valley by the Sea (2007)
11. The I Heart Revolution: With Hearts As One (2008)

Worship Series albums

1. Simply Worship (1997)
2. Simply Worship 2 (1997)
3. Simply Worship 3 (1998)
4. Overwhelmed (2000)
5. Amazing Love (2003)
6. Faithful (2004)
7. Songs for Communion (2006)

Youth Alive albums

1. Jump to the Jam (1994)
2. Chosen One (1996)
3. The Plan (1998)
4. One (1999)
5. Awake (2000)
6. Elevate

Instrumental Worship albums

1. The Secret Place (1999)
2. Forever (2003)

Hillsong Kids albums

1. Jesus Is My Superhero (2004)
2. Super Strong God (2005)
3. Supernatural (2006)
4. Tell the World (2007)

Christmas albums

1. Christmas (2001)
2. Celebrating Christmas (2005)

Compilation albums

1. Hills Praise (1997)
2. Extravagant Worship: The Songs of Darlene Zschech (2001)
3. Extravagant Worship: The Songs of Reuben Morgan (2001)
4. The Platinum Collection Volume 1: Shout to the Lord (2003); (previously released as Millennium: The Story So Far)
5. The Platinum Collection Volume 2: Shout to the Lord 2 (2003)
6. Ultimate Worship (2005)
7. Extravagant Worship: The Songs of Miriam Webster (2007)

Other albums

1. Spirit and Truth (1988; first ever Hillsong album)
2. Show Your Glory (1990; follow up to Spirit and Truth)
3. Shout to the Lord (1996)
4. I Believe the Promise (1997)
5. Shout to the Lord 2000 (1998)
6. UP: Unified Praise (2004; recorded with Delirious?)
7. Unidos Permanecemos (Hillsong United's United We Stand in Spanish) (2006)

Hillsong London albums

1. Shout God's Fame (2004)
2. Jesus Is (2006)
3. Jesus Is: Remix (2007)

Hillsong Kiev albums

1. Пламя (Flame) (1997) - Studio album
2. Мы будем славить (We Will Praise) (1997) - Live praise & worship
3. Это знает душа моя (That My Soul Knows) (1997) - Live praise & worship
4. Прыгай в небеса (Jump Up into Heaven) (1998) - Youth worship
5. С Богом возможно всё (All Things Are Possible with God) (1998) - Live praise & worship
6. План (Plan) (1999) - Youth worship
7. Небеса на земле (Heaven on Earth) (2000) - Live praise & worship
8. Мы любим петь об этом (We Love to Sing About It) (2000) - Kids series
9. Лучший Друг (Best Friend) (2001) - Live praise & worship
10. Революция (Revolution) (2001) - Youth worship
11. Царь Величия (King of Majesty) (2002) - Live praise & worship
12. Пожар (Burn ) (2004) - Youth worship
13. Слава в вышних (Glory in the Highest) (2005) - Live praise & worship
14. Иисус мой Супергерой (Jesus Is My Superhero) (2005) - Kids series
15. Это мой дом (This Is My Home) (2006) - Live praise & worship
16. Спасение (Salvation) (2006) - Youth worship
17. Суперcильный Бог (Super Strong God) (2006) - Kids series
18. Господь всего (Lord of All) (2007) - Live praise & worship

See also

• Hillsong musicians
• List of Hillsong albums
• List of Hillsong songs

External links

• Hillsong Music website
• Hillsong Music Ukraine website
• Dutch Hillsong Music website
• French Hillsong Music website (many videos with lyrics
• Official e-card with all new music and videos
• Hillsong's Myspace Page
• Hillsong's Fans Board

References

1. Hillsong Music Australia - About Us
2. http://www.sightmagazine.com.au/stories/interview/bullock13.8.04.php View Article
3. interlínc : Maximizing Music and Media in Youth Ministry
4. Biography

• Australian record labels
• Christian record labels
• Hillsong