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October 2017: Top Five Songs of the Past Five Years

 

 

October 2017

Top 5 Songs For Each Of The Past 5 Years

 

Finney Media does music testing across the US – representative sample surveys that give stations detailed data on hundreds of songs. We’ve pulled together the results from a number of projects performed in 2017 to bring you the Top 5 testing songs from each of the past five years. Enjoy!

 

 

2012

1) Whom Shall I Fear/Chris Tomlin

2) 10,000 Reasons/Matt Redman

3) God’s Not Dead/Newsboys

4) Redeemed/Big Daddy Weave

5) Great I Am/Phillips, Craig & Dean

 2013

1) Phil Wickham/This Is Amazing Grace

2) Oceans/Hillsong United

3) Let Them See You/JJ Weeks Band

4) Lord, I Need You/Matt Maher

5) Beautiful Day/Jamie Grace

 2014

1) Francesca Battistelli/Holy Spirit

2) There Is Power/Lincoln Brewster

3) At The Cross/Chris Tomlin

4) Greater/Mercy Me

5) How Can It Be/Lauren Daigle

2015 

1) Good Good Father/Zealand Worship

2) My Story/Big Daddy Weave

3) First/Lauren Daigle

4) Feel It/Toby Mac

5) The River/Jordan Feliz

 2016

1) Trust In You/Lauren Daigle

2) Eye Of The Storm/Ryan Stevenson

3) Good Good Father/Chris Tomlin

4) Ever Be/Aaron Shust

5) Thy Will/Hillary Scott

 

A few observations:

  • The rankings are pulled from recent song scores. This is the latest information on these songs. We recommend that you review your library. If you’re playing them, GREAT! If you’re not, consider putting them back in.
  • Passion for Christian music continues to be enormous! Positive perceptions of the biggest songs is outstanding.
  • Worship music continues to be huge. There is no slowdown in the excitement among listeners for vertical titles, including songs that maybe you should take another look at. Few CCM stations are still playing Great I Am from PC&D. But it probably deserves a shot on your station.
  • Songs by female artists are performing well. 35% of the top titles from 2013-2016 are sung by women. And it’s not just Lauren Daigle. Far different from what we saw earlier in the decade.
  • No, they are not tired of Good Good Father. Both versions continue to perform very well. High familiarity, high passion, low burn. WE may be tired of it, but your listener definitely isn’t! By the way, our counsel on which version? Either one . . . or both! Just make sure you’re playing it!

 

Coming in November’s Finney’s Fast Five: The Top Five Testing Artists In CCM Radio

 

September 2017

Cultural Attitudes vs. Biblical Belief in Listeners

In the past three months, we’ve compared Christian radio listeners with Christians nationwide on beliefs and faith attitudes. Using Barna Research’s nationwide survey results on Beliefs, Faith and Cultural Attitudes, we asked the same questions Barna asked of Christian radio listeners in multiple markets across the US to see if their beliefs are similar to or different from Christians nationwide. This month, we’re focused on Cultural Attitudes. Using the statements below, we asked Christian radio listeners if they Agree or Disagree with these statements. The percentages are the Total of “Completely Agree” and “Somewhat Agree”.

 

Christian Radio Listeners Christians Nation Wide*
Any kind of sexual expression between two consenting adults is acceptable. 27% 40%
The best way to find yourself is by looking within yourself. 60% 76%
People can believe whatever they want, as long as those beliefs don’t affect society. 34% 61%
People should not criticize someone else’s life choices. 66% 76%

 

The “Christian Radio Listener” numbers are people who listen to Christian radio regularly. The “Christians Nationwide” numbers are people who say they are Christian. In both cases, their beliefs often do not line up with what we preach, say or sing with the lyrics of our songs:

“Your will above all else. My purpose remains. The art of losing myself. In bringing you praise.”**

“Lord, I come, I confess. Bowing here I find my rest. Without you I fall apart. You’re the one that guides my heart.”***

Barna President David Kinnaman and Q Founder Gabe Lyons observe: “Millions of Christians have grafted New Age dogma onto their spiritual person. When we peel back the layers, we find that many Christians are using the way of Jesus to pursue the way of self . . . While we wring our hands about secularism spreading through culture, a majority of churchgoing Christians have embraced corrupt, me-centered theology.”****

Here’s our communication challenge: we cannot assume Biblical belief among our listeners.

Should we change the Gospel message? Definitely not.

Should we grapple with who we hope to talk to/play songs for and how we can reach them right where they are? And should we wrestle with how we can help them – more hearts, more deeply – to lean in, listen and take a step in Jesus’ direction? We believe so.

Coming in October’s Finney’s Fast Five: The Top Five CCM Songs From Each Of The Last Five Years

 

*BarnaTrends 2017, p.53

**From The Inside Out/Hillsong United lyrics

***Lord, I Need You/Matt Maher lyrics

****Kinnaman/Lyons – Good Faith

August 2017

Main Life Goal/Life Fulfillment

In June and July, we began a series comparing Christian radio listeners with Christians nationwide on beliefs and faith attitudes. You can see both reports from June and July. Using Barna Research’s nationwide survey results on Beliefs and Faith Attitudes, we asked the same questions of Christian radio listeners in multiple markets across the US to see if their beliefs are similar to or different from Christians nationwide. This month, we’re focused on Main Life Goal/Life Fulfillment. Using the statements below, we asked Christian radio listeners if they Agree or Disagree with these statements. The percentages are the sum of “Completely Agree” and “Somewhat Agree”.

 

Christian Radio Listeners Christians Nationwide*
The highest goal in life is to enjoy it as much as possible. 41% 67%
To be fulfilled in life, you should pursue the things you desire most. 49% 72%

 

Wow. A smack-in-the-face heaping helping of 2017 reality! Truth = The main purpose of life is to bring glory to God. Our churches and our Spoken Word content teach it. Our songs sing it. Our announcers reflect it. And, yet, two thirds of Christians nationwide believe that “the highest goal of life is to enjoy it”. Four in ten Christian radio listeners agree with that statement. The percentages of agreement are even higher when the same idea is phrased as “To be fulfilled in life, you should pursue the things you desire most.”

We must teach/sing/reflect/proclaim the Truth. If we’re going to do so effectively, we can’t presume the listener’s understanding of Truth. When about half of our current listeners, and two thirds of our potential listeners, agree with statements like this, we risk a communication gap. And in our short-attention-span-theatre, I-have-two-hundred-channels-and-will-leave-if-you’re-not-connecting-with-me-right-now world, if there is a gap, she will likely check out mentally/emotionally or leave.

An example: As heard on from a major radio preacher recently: “we need to read fewer books about the Bible and more of the Bible”. His words are true – we should read the Bible more. But his words assume your listener is reading anything from or about the Bible. If she isn’t (and she likely is not), his words could sound to her condescending, judgmental and out of touch.

If his goal is more Bible reading, what if it sounded more like assuming the reality of little Bible reading? “Would you try a ten day experiment with me? Ten minutes, ten verses, for ten days. I know you’re busy, but for the next 10 days, could you commit to reading your bible in a quiet place for 10 minutes?  Read or listen to ten verses each day from the book of John. Begin on Day 1 with John Chapter 1, verses 1 through 10. Then on Day 2, same Chapter, verses 11 through 20. And then ask yourself after ten days . . . Am I closer to God? Have I grown spiritually? I believe you’ll be amazed.”

Here’s the thing. No one who is currently reading the Word will object. And those who aren’t are more likely to give it a shot.

*BarnaTrends 2017, p.53

 

July 2017

FOCUS ON MORAL TRUTH, PART 2

Last month, we began a series of comparing Christian radio listeners with Christians nationwide on beliefs and faith attitudes. Using Barna Research’s nationwide survey results on Beliefs and Faith Attitudes, we asked the same questions of Christian radio listeners in multiple markets across the US to see if their beliefs are similar to or different from Christians nationwide. This month, we’re focused on beliefs about Truth. Using the statements below, we asked Christian radio listeners if they Agree or Disagree with these statements. The percentages are the Total of “Completely Agree” and Somewhat Agree.”

Christian Radio Listeners Christians Nationwide
The Bible provides us with moral truths that are the same for all people in all situations, without exception. 94% 83%
Every culture must determine what is acceptable morality for its people. 28% 47%
Whichever is right for your life or works best for you is the only truth you can know. 16% 41%

The first two statements contradict one another. Yet, many Christians nationwide agreed with both statements! Christian radio listeners are closer to agreeing with one or the other, but even many of them agree with both statements. Even the third statement, a statement that truth is totally relative to the individual’s life experience has significant agreement, especially among Christians nationwide.

Notice how the main difference between the first two statements is that “Bible” is in the first and not in the second. We’re talking to an audience, and potential audience, whose beliefs have been effected by the world to a point that they have not internalized what they learned at church, unless we supply them with the right Biblical answer.

Because so much of life – with the exception of church, Bible study, a strong Christian family and your Christian radio station – doesn’t hand them the right Biblical option, we have a communication challenge. To quote a friend in Christian radio, “we have to kill the assumptions”. We can’t assume that our listener believes that morality is the same for all cultures. 28% of listeners and almost half of Christians, listener or non-listener, believe morality changes over time.

Our goal is helping you point your listener toward taking a step in His direction today. We urge you to discuss with your team what that means for how you communicate the Truth.

 

NATIONWIDE RESEARCH AT A GLANCE

June 2017

Christian Radio Listeners Perceptions of Moral Truth

 

A new, deeper track in our research this month: we asked Christian radio listeners across the US about their perceptions of Moral Truth. Is it absolute, relative or have you never thought about it? Here are their responses, compared to Christians nationwide as surveyed by Barna.

                                                                 

Answer Christian Radio Listeners Christians Nationwide*
Moral truth is absolute 75% 59%
Moral truth is relative 13% 28%
Never thought about it 13% 14%

 

We’ve all heard that the moral fabric of our world is fraying. What was accepted as true 50 years ago cannot be assumed among people in 2017.

From Barna Research: “Christian morality is being ushered out of our social structures and off the cultural main stage, leaving a vacuum in its place – and broader culture is trying to fill the void. There is growing concern about the moral condition of the nation, even as many US adults admit they are uncertain about how to determine right from wrong.”1    

So here’s what we wondered. If Christians nationwide are “squishy” in their theology, how are Christian radio listeners different? And how do we need to change what we do to better communicate the Truth to current listeners to our radio stations or programs or to prospective listeners? This edition of Finney’s Fast Five is the first in a series examining these questions.

 Our first question is about Moral Truth. As you can see in the table above, Christian radio listeners agree that they believe that “Moral Truth is absolute” in higher numbers than Christians nationwide. About 75% either Completely Agree of Somewhat Agree.

But that leaves 25% of your listeners who believe either “Moral Truth is relative” or “Never Thought About It”.

Moral Truth is absolute. But a quarter of your listeners don’t agree.

And the question is what do we do if what we’re hoping for is more hearts, more deeply?

“Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage ware against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.” 1 Peter 2:11-12

 

Coming in Finney’s Fast Five for July: we continue our series on Christian radio listeners’ beliefs with a series of Agree/Disagree statements like “The highest goal of life is to enjoy it as much as possible.” The answers are again sobering . . . or encouraging . . . depending on your perspective.

 

*Barna Survey of “Practicing Christians” nationwide 2015

1 Barna Trends 2017, p. 50

 

 

NATIONWIDE RESEARCH AT A GLANCE

May 2017

Christian Radio Listeners Top Reasons for Not Giving by Age

 

In the 2016 Finney Media Why Listen?™ nationwide survey, we asked non-donor Christian radio listeners across the US why they don’t give to Christian radio. Here are their top main reasons for not giving, broken down by age demographics:

Adults Under 35 Adults 35-44  Adults 45-54 
I have a limited income and can’t give right now 52% I have a limited income and can’t give right now 49% I have a limited income and can’t give right now 46%
None of the above 21% None of the above 22% None of the above 25%
I give to other organizations that need money more 11% I give to other organizations that need money more 15% I give to other organizations that need money more 13%
I only give money to my local church 8% I only give money to my local church 10% I only give money to my local church 12%
Lots of other people listen and probably give 3% I did not know they needed my support 1% I did not know they needed my support 2%
I did not know they needed my support 3% Lots of other people listen and probably give 1% Lots of other people listen and probably give 2%
The broadcaster hasn’t made a compelling case for the need 1% My contribution won’t make much of a difference 1% My contribution won’t make much of a difference 1%
My contribution won’t make much of a difference 1% The broadcaster hasn’t made a compelling case for the need 1% The broadcaster hasn’t made a compelling case for the need 0%
Adults 55-64 Adults 65+
I have a limited income and can’t give right now 44% I have a limited income and can’t give right now 39%
None of the above 24% None of the above 25%
I give to other organizations that need money more 15% I give to other organizations that need money more 20%
I only give money to my local church 13% I only give money to my local church 12%
I did not know they needed my support 2% I did not know they needed my support 2%
Lots of other people listen and probably give 1% My contribution won’t make much of a difference 1%
The broadcaster hasn’t made a compelling case for the need 1% The broadcaster hasn’t made a compelling case for the need 1%
My contribution won’t make much of a difference 1% Lots of other people listen and probably give 0%

 

Easily the #1 answer for non-givers to Christian radio to not give is “I have a limited income and can’t give right now.” As we look at the trends younger to older, the percentage for that answer drops. So, it’s not that your station hasn’t communicated that you need support (between 1 and 3%) or that you haven’t made a compelling case for the need (at 1% or 0% across each demo).

It’s curious to us the answer at #2 – “None of The Above,” between 21% and 25% of all responses. If it’s not “limited income/can’t give right now” or “giving to other organizations that need the money more” or “only giving to my local church,” what is it? And, more importantly, is it something we can do something about? Or is it simple reluctance to answer in this sensitive area?

 

Coming in Finney’s Fast Five for June: We begin a series comparing Christian Radio listeners to Christians in general nationwide. How are Christian radio listeners different from or the same as Christians in general? And what can we learn from that to reach beyond the listeners we have now?

 

 

NATIONWIDE RESEARCH AT A GLANCE

April 2017

Top Reasons for Giving To Christian Radio by Age

 

In the 2016 Finney Media Why Listen?™ nationwide Survey, we asked donor Christian Radio listeners across the US why they give to Christian Radio. Here are their top main reasons for giving, broken down by age demographics:

                                                                 

Adults Under 34 Adults 35-44 Adults 45-54
I believe in the mission/vision of the ministry 84% I believe in the mission/vision of the ministry 85% I believe in the mission/vision of the ministry

85%
They help create a positive atmosphere in my life/home 79% They help create a positive atmosphere in my life/home 79% They help create a positive atmosphere in my life/home 75%
They courageously teach God’s truth 74% They courageously teach God’s truth 71% They courageously teach God’s truth 75%
They encourage me during difficult times and give me hope 71% They encourage me during difficult times and give me hope 69% They encourage me during difficult times and give me hope 72%
They inspire me to serve God 68% They remind me of what God has done for me 66% They remind me of what God has done for me 70%
They remind me of what God has done for me 66% They inspire me to serve God 63% They inspire me to serve God 66%
They help me teach my children about God 49% They help me teach my children about God 56% They help me understand the Bible better and apply it to daily living 52%
They help me understand the Bible better and apply it to daily living 48% They help me understand the Bible better and apply it to daily living 46% They help me teach my children about God 41%
They give me a biblical perspective on issues in the news 32% They give me a biblical perspective on issues in the news 32% They give me a biblical perspective on issues in the news 38%
Because they have helped me understand a biblical view of giving 28% Because they have helped me understand a biblical view of giving 23% Because they have helped me understand a biblical view of giving 26%

 

Adults 55-64     Adults 65+  
I believe in the mission/vision of the ministry

84%

 I believe in the mission/vision of the ministry 83%
They courageously teach God’s truth 79% They courageously teach God’s truth 81%
They encourage me during difficult times and give me hope 71% They remind me of what God has done for me 70%
They help create a positive atmosphere in my life/home 71% They inspire me to serve God 68%
They remind me of what God has done for me 71% They help create a positive atmosphere in my life/home 67%
They inspire me to serve God 69% They help me understand the Bible better and apply it to daily living 66%
They help me understand the Bible better and apply it to daily living 59% They encourage me during difficult times and give me hope 66%
They give me a biblical perspective on issues in the news 46% They give me a biblical perspective on issues in the news 55%
They help me teach my children about God 32% Because they have helped me understand a biblical view of giving 32%
Because they have helped me understand a biblical view of giving 29% They help me teach my children about God 30%

Across all ages, camp on how crucial it is that your listener believes in the mission/vision of your ministry. It’s pretty important that you have a mission/vision. Essential that it be obvious, understandable and that she can get her head and heart emotionally wrapped around it. And when you’re asking on air for her financial commitment to your mission, you really must make that mission/vision something you talk about . . . on the air . . . often.

After your mission/vision, check out how high “they help create a positive atmosphere in my life/home” is as a motivation for giving among listeners under 55. This parallels the research we see on encouragement as a reason for listening, especially among younger people. You are her hopeful oasis in a “daggers-out” world. And it’s a big motivator for her giving.

And then over age 55, notice how “they courageously teach God’s Truth” climbs to the #2 reason she gives. Those wiser, more spiritually mature, “long-time-invested-in-your-ministry” listeners undergird your ministry’s growth. They are the demo almost none of the commercial stations chase, which make them the demo with whom you can have enormous influence! They are passionately positive about your ministry, And they will want to be generous with your ministry more if you courageously teach God’s Truth.

Coming in Finney Media’s Fast Five for May: From the nationwide Finney Media Why Listen?™ Survey, we asked listeners who are non-givers to Christian radio why they don’t give. We’ll give you the Top Reasons Christian Radio Listeners Don’t Give to Christian Radio, broken down by age.

 

NATIONWIDE RESEARCH AT A GLANCE

March 2017

Christian Radio Listeners Top Reasons for Listening by Age

 

In the 2016 Finney Media Why Listen? nationwide Survey, we asked Christian Radio listeners across the US why they listen to Christian Radio. Here are their top main reasons for listening, broken down by age bracket:

Adults Under 34   Adults 35-44   Adults 45-54  
1 I like the worshipful Christian music  82% 1 I like the worshipful Christian music  82% 1 I like the worshipful Christian music  82%
2 I want to be encouraged  75% 2 I want to be encouraged  77% 2 I want to be encouraged  79%
3 It helps me grow spiritually  75% 3 It helps me grow spiritually  76% 3 It helps me grow spiritually  79%
4 I want to get away from negativity (messages or music) on other stations  72% 4 It’s safe for me and my family to listen to  75% 4 I want to get away from negativity (messages or music) on other stations  68%
5 It’s safe for me and my family to listen to  69% 5 I want to get away from negativity (messages or music) on other stations  70% 5 It’s safe for me and my family to listen to  63%
6 I want to help spread the Truth  53% 6 I want to help spread the Truth  52% 6 I want to help spread the Truth  55%
7 I want to escape from the pressures of everyday life  44% 7 It helps me to understand Scripture better  41% 7 It helps me to understand Scripture better  46%
8 It encourages me to be more kind  44% 8 It encourages me to be more kind  40% 8 The presentation is calming  44%
9 It helps me to understand Scripture better  40% 9 The presentation is calming  40% 9 It encourages me to be more kind  42%
10 The presentation is calming  39% 10 I want to escape from the pressures of everyday life  39% 10 I want to escape from the pressures of everyday life  39%
Adults 55-64 Adults 65+
1 It helps me grow spiritually 82% 1 It helps me grow spiritually 84%
2 I like the worshipful Christian music 79% 2 I want to be encouraged 73%
3 I want to be encouraged 77% 3 I like the worshipful Christian music 70%
4 I want to get away from negativity (messages or music) on other stations 63% 4 It helps me to understand Scripture better 63%
5 I want to help spread the Truth 59% 5 I want to help spread the Truth 60%
6 It’s safe for me and my family to listen to 56% 6 I want to get away from negativity (messages or music) on other stations 58%
7 It helps me to understand Scripture better 55% 7 It’s safe for me and my family to listen to 54%
8 It gives me a Christian perspective on the news 44% 8 It gives me a Christian perspective on the news 53%
9 The presentation is calming 44% 9 I want to hear the sermons 44%
10 It encourages me to be more kind 43% 10 The presentation is calming 43%

A number of fascinating findings as we break down the Main Reasons Christian radio listeners listen.

In each demographic break – from younger to older – notice how “It helps me grow spiritually” grows as a Main Reason, almost as if these listeners take our call to grow closer to Jesus more seriously the closer they get to spending eternity with Jesus. A similar trend line on “It helps me to understand Scripture better,” which grows from significantly as a Main Reason to listen from younger to older listeners.

Conversely, look how “It’s safe for me and my family to listen to” and “I want to get away from the negativity on other stations” drop as Main Reasons as the audience gets older.

And check this out – “I like the worshipful Christian music” and “I want to be encouraged” are dominant Main Reasons among young, middle aged and older.

Coming in Finney Media’s Fast Five for April: From the nationwide Finney Media Why Listen? Survey, we asked listeners why they give to Christian radio. We’ll give you the Top Reasons Christian Radio Listeners Give To Christian Radio, broken down by age.

 

NATIONWIDE RESEARCH AT A GLANCE

February 2017

Christian Radio Listeners Top Reasons for Not Giving

 

In the 2016 Finney Media Why Listen? nationwide survey, we asked Christian Radio listeners who say they don’t give to a Christian radio station why they don’t make a financial contribution to the radio ministry. Among listeners who indicated that they don’t currently give to the radio ministry, here are the top Main Reasons they say they don’t give:

     

1) I have a limited income and can’t give right now        46%
2) I give to other organizations that need money more 14%
3) I only give money to my local church 11%
4) I did not know they needed my support 2%
5) Lots of other people listen and probably give 2%
6) My contribution won’t make much of a difference 1%
7) The broadcaster hasn’t made a compelling case for the need 1%

                                                           

There were many positive findings in the Finney Media Why Listen? Survey. The answers to this question are some of them. Our #1 reason that listeners who don’t give don’t give is that they can’t. Not that they don’t believe in what you do. Not that you’re annoying them with something you do on the air. Not having enough money to help is overwhelmingly the #1 reason.

Overall, the Finney Media Why Listen? Survey uncovered big positives about listeners’ perceptions of Christian radio. Even when we asked questions like this about things that might be considered negative, your listeners are kind, honest, supportive . . . and passionately positive about your mission and what you contribute to their lives!

Coming in Finney Media’s Fast Five for March: From the nationwide Finney Media Why Listen? Survey, we asked listeners across multiple age ranges why they listen to Christian radio. We’ll break out those Main Reasons for listening into age demographics to compare similarities and differences.

 

 

Net Promoter Score:  a Help, a Hindrance, a Happy Place?

Chuck and Jan here.

By now you’ve likely seen the overall Christian Radio Net Promoter Score (NPS): A 76 out of 100.  Higher than some incredibly popular companies such as Apple, Amazon and even Southwest Airlines. In case you missed it, here how the NPS is calculated. First survey respondents answer the following question in the Finney Media Why Listen? Survey:

How likely is it that you would recommend the station/program that sent you this survey to a friend or colleague?

Looking at the chart above, you will notice the formula: the percentage of folks answering 0 through 6 is subtracted from the percentage of those answering 9 and 10. It’s a tough formula! And Christian Radio comes in looking really good.

An important question has come up. It’s this: As a station or network, what should we do with this score? How shall I act with this knowledge? Let’s roll through a series of possibilities and then consider the next step.

  1. Look at the great score and use it as a reason to “coast.” We’re good!
  2. Use it in advertising. Hey everybody, we’re good!
  3. Keep it from the team, so they don’t slack off. Psst…we’re really, really good!

OK, some of the list is indeed tongue in cheek, but it’s clear that we don’t want to use our scores either as a point of pride, or as a reason to coast. No matter how high the score, it’s only one measure of our engagement with the audience—and we know too well what the Scripture says: Beware. Pride comes before a fall.

We suggest that a humble spirit of gratefulness for the opportunity to be a witness and faithful presence in our community is a good approach. We are one of God’s servants, His presence to help and encourage.

We might use the number as a baseline to measure changes when the Finney Media Why Listen? Survey is repeated in 2018. We might share this as a praise and encouragement to our teams: God is good! And we suggest keeping it handy for days when things don’t go as planned and we’re wondering why we ever got into this business anyway!

Bottom line: This single number does say a lot. It offers us a pat on the back to continue the sometimes hard, always challenging, and mission fulfilling work that pulls us out of bed each day. Let’s praise God and use it to spur each other on to fight the good fight.

 

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