WOW 1998
The year's 30 top Christian artists and songs

WOW Devotional Bible

WOW music gains strength

How much the WOW projects can be credited with the amazing growth of Christian music may be up for grabs, but there's certainly a tie-in. Last April, music industry sales counters announced that Christian music was the fastest growing segment of music, increasing 38 percent, while all other genres of music remained flat. The Gospel Music Association was quick to give credit to WOW 1996 and WOW 1997.

In November WOW 1998 appeared with "the year's 30 top Christian artists and songs." Another two-disc project, it includes Michael W. Smith, Steven Curtis Chapman, dcTalk, Newsboys, Point of Grace, Jars of Clay, and newcomers Jaci Velasquez and Cædmon's Call.

The new year sees some additional WOW projects as well: the International Bible Society and Zondervan are teaming up to release the WOW 1998 Devotional Bible featuring devotions from the WOW artists and using the NIV text.

This year's big news is the release of WOW music projects in the gospel and classics arenas. WOW Gospel, just released, features artists like Kirk Franklin, BeBe and CeCe Winans, Yolanda Adams, and Donald Lawrence and the Tri-Cities Singers. It's black gospel to the utmost, "a must-have for core gospel music fans," according to Jim Van Hook, head of Provident Music Group.

WOW Classics takes a different approach. It is a compilation--another 30 cuts--of classic Christian songs from 1990-1995 and is not scheduled for release until May. It promises to be a sort of retrospective for core fans who want to collect their favorite classic hits.

WOW! It just keeps on growing and growing.

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