Hillsong

Hillsong isn't just a ministry — it's a movement. It began in '80s Australia, but since then it's spread all across the globe, bringing its joyful message of faith wherever it goes, with a worldwide network of musicians helping to trumpet the good news. Aussie singer, songwriter, and worship leader Darlene Zschech has been a Hillsong pillar since the mid-'90s, and her song of celebration "Shout to the Lord" has become the "We Will Rock You" of worship music. Across the ocean, her British equivalent, Tim Hughes, busted out to international renown with the deep, devotional message of "Here I Am to Worship." And on the more rockin' side, Hillsong United — an outgrowth of the Hillsong youth movement — could quite conceivably be mistaken for Green Day on "Take It All," that is if Green Day was in the habit of praising Jesus.

Hear the echoes of Hillsong bounce back-and-forth across the continents, in Next Steps.

The artists who make Hillsong music happen are as far-flung as the message itself. Before Reuben Morgan took over from Darlene Zscech as worship pastor at the original Hillsong Church in Sydney, he was one of the founders of the loud-and-proud Hillsong United, and you can still hear some of that rock 'n' roll drive coursing through his solo hit "I Give You My Heart." Meanwhile, over in merry old England, Hillsong London lends a bit of a Britpop flavor to "You Are Here (The Same Power)," with poignant piano licks and moody melodies that test positive for Coldplay influence. And New Zealand songbird Brooke Fraser — who's also part of Hillsong United — brings her smoldering brand of poetic intensity to the passionate praise of "Shadowfeet."

Listen as the ladies let the world know what worship music's all about, in Deep Cuts.

Here's where the Hillsong ladies step to the forefront and fill the air with Heaven-sent songs of faith. Of course, frontwomen are hardly unusual here — for years Darlene Zschech wasn't just Hillsong's First Lady, but also its leading light, and who else could make a well-worn hymn like "Amazing Grace" sound fresh again? Ever-quirky troubadour Brooke Fraser, leading contender for the title of Christian Pop's Alanis Morissette, offers an unusual homage on "C.S. Lewis Song," named for the famed fantasy author and Christian theologian. And Australian gospel belter Miriam Webster's soul-stirring voice bends, swoops, and soars in the service of the Lord on "Fall Upon Your Knees."

Hillsong may have started out as a Sydney phenomenon, but since going global, its reach extends everywhere from South Africa to the Ukraine. And the tons of talented folks who put the "song" in Hillsong have brought their faith even further, by singing it out for all to hear. Sometimes it's a team effort, like on the Hillsong Live and Hillsong United albums, and sometimes worship leaders like Tim Hughes or Darlene Zschech step forward to let their pipes ring out in praise. Then there are Hillsong United artists like Reuben Morgan and Brooke Fraser, who've stepped out on their own to let their individual voices blossom. Taking it all in can get a bit confusing, but we've reached all across the Hillsong collective to bring together the most essential pieces of their planet-wide, praise-and-worship patchwork quilt right here.