# Chris Tomlin
**Chris Tomlin** is an American contemporary [Christian music](https://www.edgepedia.org/christian-music) songwriter and worship leader whose songs are sung by an estimated 20 to 30 million churchgoers worldwide each week, a reach that led TIME Magazine to call him "the most often sung artist anywhere"[1](https://www.capitolcmgpublishing.com/artist/chris-tomlin/) and CNN to call him the most-sung artist in history, "with upwards of 30 million believers singing his songs each Sunday"[2](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2019/09/chris-tomlin-still-dominates-worship-music-popular/). Those claims rest on usage data rather than record sales: CCLI ([Christian Copyright Licensing International](https://www.edgepedia.org/christian-copyright-licensing-international)), launched in October 1988, reports that 160,000 US churches use its services, and scholars rely on its biannual top-25 and top-100 song lists as the fullest picture of what congregations actually sing[3](https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/5/680). CCLI's then-CEO Howard Rachinski estimated that every Sunday in the United States, between 60,000 and 120,000 churches sing Tomlin's songs, extrapolating to 20 to 30 million people[4](https://www.earthandallstars.com/2014/01/06/is-chris-tomlin-the-most-sung-music-artist-in-history/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| "Most-sung" basis | CCLI church-usage data; 60,000 to 120,000 US churches sing his songs each Sunday, an estimated 20 to 30 million people[4](https://www.earthandallstars.com/2014/01/06/is-chris-tomlin-the-most-sung-music-artist-in-history/) |
| Career totals (2026) | 21 No. 1 singles, 31 top-ten hits (more than any other Christian artist), 158 weeks at No. 1, more than 12 million albums sold, 8 billion career global streams[5](https://christomlin.com/blogs/news/chris-tomlin-tobymac-and-third-day-announce-co-headline-fall-tour) |
| Awards | One Grammy, three Billboard Music Awards, 30 Dove Awards[5](https://christomlin.com/blogs/news/chris-tomlin-tobymac-and-third-day-announce-co-headline-fall-tour) |
| Signature songs | "How Great Is Our God," "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)," "Our God," "Good Good Father," "Holy Forever"[6](https://www-s1.npr.org/2013/07/08/200013769/modern-hymn-writers-aim-to-take-back-sunday) • [7](https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/5/578) • [8](https://musicrow.com/2025/10/chris-tomlin-notches-highest-streaming-week-of-his-career-with-18th-album-exclusive/) |
| CCLI presence | 15 of the Top 100 worship songs sung in churches globally carry his name; eight of his first 11 albums reached No. 1[9](https://gospelmusic.org/news/chris-tomlin-becomes-first-christian-artist-to-reach-billion-streams-threshold-on-pandora-1-8-billion-lifetime-streams) |
| Church ministry | Founding worship leader of Austin Stone Community Church (2003); later affiliated with Passion City Church, Atlanta[10](http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Chris_Tomlin_The_US_worship_leader_taking_modern_worship_worldwide/14919/p1/) • [11](https://repository.belmont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=oafund_scholarship) |
| Latest album | *The King Is Still the King* (September 26, 2025), his 18th, with the largest global streaming week of his career[8](https://musicrow.com/2025/10/chris-tomlin-notches-highest-streaming-week-of-his-career-with-18th-album-exclusive/) |
## Passion Conferences and rise to prominence
Tomlin met [Louie Giglio](https://www.edgepedia.org/louie-giglio), then a college-ministry leader, at [Texas A&M University](https://www.edgepedia.org/texas-a-and-m-university) in 1995[12](https://relevantmagazine.com/life5/231/). In 1997 Giglio partnered with Tomlin to found the Passion Conferences, described by the Texas A&M Foundation as "a global movement to glorify God by uniting college students in worship and prayer"[13](https://bio.txamfoundation.com/News/Singing-Praises.aspx). A formative moment came in May 2000 at Shelby Farms in [Memphis, Tennessee](https://www.edgepedia.org/memphis-tennessee), where Tomlin recalled "40,000 college kids on this field, on their face before God"[14](https://secure.cbn.com/cbnmusic/interviews/700club_Chris_Tomlin031504.aspx).
Giglio launched the label Sixstepsrecords in 2000, and in March 2001 it released Tomlin's *The Noise We Make*, which Cross Rhythms reports "was an instant success"[10](http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Chris_Tomlin_The_US_worship_leader_taking_modern_worship_worldwide/14919/p1/). The 2004 album *Arriving*, produced by Ed Cash, is considered his breakout, producing four number-one hits: "Indescribable" (written by [Laura Story](https://www.edgepedia.org/laura-story)), "Holy Is the Lord," "How Great Is Our God," and "The Way I Was Made"[15](https://www.iheartworship.com/chris-tomlin-biography). At the summer 2004 Willow Creek Arts Festival, a church leader reported of "How Great Is Our God": "We've never had this kind of response to a song. People won't let it end. They just keep singing"[10](http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Chris_Tomlin_The_US_worship_leader_taking_modern_worship_worldwide/14919/p1/).
## Songwriting and signature songs
Most Tomlin songs are co-written, with frequent collaborators including producer Ed Cash, his bassist Jesse Reeves, Jason Ingram, and [Matt Redman](https://www.edgepedia.org/matt-redman)[16](https://www.allmusic.com/album/burning-lights-mw0002423075). Cash recalled his first reaction to the chorus of "How Great Is Our God": "I remember thinking, you know, that's exactly the simple kind of brainless praise-chorus things that drive me crazy," before coming to see simple choruses as effective worship[6](https://www-s1.npr.org/2013/07/08/200013769/modern-hymn-writers-aim-to-take-back-sunday).
**Chart-topping hymns.** By 2013, Matt Redman's "Our God," co-written with Tomlin, was described by NPR as the most popular piece of music in Christian churches according to charts tracking congregational singing[6](https://www-s1.npr.org/2013/07/08/200013769/modern-hymn-writers-aim-to-take-back-sunday). A 2022 analysis of CCLI's USA top 25 lists "How Great Is Our God" (2004), credited to Ed Cash, Jesse Reeves, and Chris Tomlin, among the most-sung contemporary congregational songs[7](https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/5/578). Tomlin himself reported having written or co-written eight songs on CCLI's Top 100 list[17](https://www.worshipfuel.com/at-ccli/chris-tomlin-talks-about-his-new-album-and-giving-people-a-voice-to-worship-god/), and Pandora stated that 15 of the Top 100 worship songs sung in churches around the globe have his name on them[9](https://gospelmusic.org/news/chris-tomlin-becomes-first-christian-artist-to-reach-billion-streams-threshold-on-pandora-1-8-billion-lifetime-streams).
One attribution requires care. "Good Good Father" is often credited to Tomlin (2015) and Passion (2016), but a [Belmont University](https://www.edgepedia.org/belmont-university) chart study documents that it was originally created and released by the band Housefires in 2014; Tomlin's recording carried it to wider prominence, and it was RIAA certified Gold after 15 weeks atop the Billboard Top Christian Tracks Chart[11](https://repository.belmont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=oafund_scholarship) • [1](https://www.capitolcmgpublishing.com/artist/chris-tomlin/).
## By the numbers
Tomlin's commercial standing as of 2026 includes 21 number-one singles, 31 top-ten hits, 158 weeks at number one, more than 12 million albums sold, and 8 billion career global streams, along with one Grammy, three [Billboard Music Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-music-awards), and 30 Dove Awards[5](https://christomlin.com/blogs/news/chris-tomlin-tobymac-and-third-day-announce-co-headline-fall-tour). As of October 2018 he had sold more than 8 million albums and 11.3 million digital tracks with 16 number-one singles, and 8 of his 11 album releases had reached No. 1[9](https://gospelmusic.org/news/chris-tomlin-becomes-first-christian-artist-to-reach-billion-streams-threshold-on-pandora-1-8-billion-lifetime-streams).
**Albums and streaming.** MusicID chart data show his biggest US-charting album was *Burning Lights*, which peaked at No. 1 in January 2013, with *Hello Love* peaking at No. 9 in September 2008 and *See The Morning* at No. 15 in October 2006[18](http://revenue.musicid.academicrightspress.com/tt/chris_tomlin.htm). His 18th album, *The King Is Still the King*, released September 26, 2025, produced the largest global streaming week of his 25-plus-year career and was Billboard's No. 1 Top Christian/Gospel Album the week of October 8, 2025[8](https://musicrow.com/2025/10/chris-tomlin-notches-highest-streaming-week-of-his-career-with-18th-album-exclusive/). On Spotify, "Good Good Father" leads his catalog at 257,660,271 streams, followed by "Our God" (170,785,727) and "How Great Is Our God" (160,387,520)[19](https://open.spotify.com/artist/6pRi6EIPXz4QJEOEsBaA0m). On September 15, 2026, he was presented with a plaque at the Capitol Records Tower recognizing more than 8 billion career streams, with the same label partnership, Capitol Christian Music Group, held for almost three decades[20](https://christomlin.com/blogs/news/chris-tomlin-honored-for-more-than-8-billion-career-streams-following-history-making-worship-under-the-stars-weekend).
**Touring.** His 2024 Holy Forever World Tour closed with a sold-out Tampa show that set a genre attendance record for the venue, with sellouts in Newark, Anaheim, Rotterdam, and Houston and a sold-out Canadian run[21](https://www.christianactivities.com/chris-tomlin-wraps-2024-with-unparalleled-year/). His 2024 Good Friday Nashville became the largest ticketed Christian concert at [Bridgestone Arena](https://www.edgepedia.org/bridgestone-arena) for the third time[21](https://www.christianactivities.com/chris-tomlin-wraps-2024-with-unparalleled-year/).
## The "Tomlin sound" and hymnody: what scholars say
The music theorist Samantha M. Inman, in a peer-reviewed corpus study in *Artistic Theologian*, analyzed 103 Tomlin-songwriter credits among 117 tracks from ten non-compilation studio albums released 2001 to 2018[22](https://equipthecalled.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021-Vol-9-Artistic-Theologian-Inman.pdf). She found that nearly two-thirds of the corpus, 65 songs, contain exactly two distinct verses, and that several songs simply intersperse a new chorus into verses of a traditional hymn: "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)," "Come Thou Fount (I Will Sing)," "Crown Him (Majesty)," and "The Wonderful Cross"[22](https://equipthecalled.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021-Vol-9-Artistic-Theologian-Inman.pdf). Over half of the songs feature shifts in speaker, audience, or both[22](https://equipthecalled.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021-Vol-9-Artistic-Theologian-Inman.pdf).
**The hymn-chorus hybrid** is Tomlin's characteristic bridge to the older tradition. For the 2007 film *Amazing Grace*, he discovered that the hymn's famous last verse had been penned 100 years after [John Newton](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-newton) wrote the original, and he and Giglio co-wrote the "My Chains Are Gone" bridge that now attaches to it[12](https://relevantmagazine.com/life5/231/). AllMusic describes "Crown Him (Majesty)" as "a stirring, arena-ready update on the traditional hymn 'Crown Him with Many Crowns'"[16](https://www.allmusic.com/album/burning-lights-mw0002423075). Denominational hymnals have absorbed the results: the [Reformed Church in America](https://www.edgepedia.org/reformed-church-in-america) and Christian Reformed Church hymnal *Lift Up Your Hearts* includes seven Tomlin songs, among them "How Great Is Our God" (No. 574) and "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" (No. 693)[4](https://www.earthandallstars.com/2014/01/06/is-chris-tomlin-the-most-sung-music-artist-in-history/).
The ethnomusicologist Monique Ingalls, in *Singing the Congregation*, analyzes Tomlin's "Made to Worship" as at the same time "a song hook, theological statement, musical performance, and brand slogan," and reads his "How Great Is Our God: World Edition" as an example of a global "worship mainstream" emerging from North American evangelical orientations[23](https://bop.unibe.ch/EJM/article/download/7832/11057/33377). A Belmont University study of chart-topping worship songs concludes that locally written songs are unlikely to appear on top-song lists without a megachurch platform and some direct affiliation with the most popular groups, so a small number of individuals and groups shape the twenty-first-century church's worship repertory[11](https://repository.belmont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=oafund_scholarship).
A countermovement gives the comparison point. Keith and Kristyn Getty's modern-hymn movement is described in *Christianity Today* as, for some, "a countermovement in the mainstream contemporary worship music industry, which is currently dominated by worship artists from megachurches like Hillsong and Elevation"; their 2024 Sing! Conference drew over 6,500 in-person attendees from 50 US states and 32 countries[24](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2024/10/keith-kristyn-getty-sing-conference-nashville-modern-hymns-theology-worship/). Keith Getty told NPR he defines a hymn by singability without a band and theological substance, and told Baptist Press that "in congregational worship, the artist is the congregation and the audience is God"[25](https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/qa-keith-kristyn-getty-on-why-hymns-matter/). On this framing Tomlin sits with the band-driven contemporary side, while his hymn-chorus hybrids extend specific traditional texts into the contemporary repertory rather than replacing them.
## Church ministry and worship philosophy
In 2003 Tomlin became a founding member and worship leader of Austin Stone Community Church in [Austin, Texas](https://www.edgepedia.org/austin-texas), where *Arriving* was recorded[10](http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Chris_Tomlin_The_US_worship_leader_taking_modern_worship_worldwide/14919/p1/). In May 2008 it was announced that Tomlin and his band would be leaving the church he had helped plant[15](https://www.iheartworship.com/chris-tomlin-biography), and during the 2010s he and Matt Redman were affiliated with Passion City Church in Atlanta, with their songs often covered and released on Passion conference albums[11](https://repository.belmont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=oafund_scholarship).
Tomlin prefers the term "lead worshipper" to "worship leader": "I think that's a better description of my calling"[26](http://www.christianmusic.com/chris_tomlin/chris_tomlin.htm). He has described the weight of the role in theological terms: "A lot of what people know about God is from songs. Hymns shape people's theology"[12](https://relevantmagazine.com/life5/231/). In a CCLI interview he called hearing that churches sing his songs "the greatest privilege of my life"[17](https://www.worshipfuel.com/at-ccli/chris-tomlin-talks-about-his-new-album-and-giving-people-a-voice-to-worship-god/).
## Recent developments
"Holy Forever," Tomlin's 21st number-one single, was nominated for three Grammys and a Billboard Music Award, won the 2024 Dove Award for Song of the Year, and was certified Platinum in 2025[21](https://www.christianactivities.com/chris-tomlin-wraps-2024-with-unparalleled-year/) • [8](https://musicrow.com/2025/10/chris-tomlin-notches-highest-streaming-week-of-his-career-with-18th-album-exclusive/).
**2025 and 2026 activity** has been dense. In 2025 Tomlin renewed his deal with Capitol Christian Music Group, launched the "Worship Under the Stars" series at [Central Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/central-park) in July, executive-produced the film *The Last Supper*, wrote music for [Amazon Prime](https://www.edgepedia.org/amazon-prime)'s *House of David*, and appeared in *The First Hymn* documentary[8](https://musicrow.com/2025/10/chris-tomlin-notches-highest-streaming-week-of-his-career-with-18th-album-exclusive/). That documentary project, *The First Hymn*, sets lyrics and melody from a third-century papyrus fragment of the earliest known Christian hymn, discovered at Oxyrhynchus and preserved at Oxford University, co-written with Ben Fielding and appearing on *The King Is Still the King*; it was built from the original 35 words and melody on papyrus dated to around A.D. 200, and the film was in theaters nationwide March 24 and 26, 2026[27](https://www.christianpost.com/news/chris-tomlin-reimagines-1800-year-old-christian-hymn.html) • [28](https://www.christianpost.com/news/chris-tomlin-releases-jesus-saves-ep-after-chart-topping-album.html). On January 12, 2026 he released the four-track *Jesus Saves* EP, including a collaboration with the Birmingham Youth & Young Adult Fellowship Choir and "He Has Done Great Things" with Phil Wickham; "How Good It Is" finished 2025 in the Top 5 on Christian radio and reached No. 2 on the Mediabase Audience Chart[28](https://www.christianpost.com/news/chris-tomlin-releases-jesus-saves-ep-after-chart-topping-album.html).
His September 2026 "Worship Under the Stars" weekend included a sold-out Greek Theatre concert in Los Angeles featuring the venue's first drone show, and the first-ever Christian music concert at The Rady Shell in San Diego[20](https://christomlin.com/blogs/news/chris-tomlin-honored-for-more-than-8-billion-career-streams-following-history-making-worship-under-the-stars-weekend). In November 2026 he undertakes a first-ever 12-date co-headline arena tour with TobyMac and Third Day, announced in May 2026, presented by Compassion International and supported by K-LOVE, with rotating closing sets[5](https://christomlin.com/blogs/news/chris-tomlin-tobymac-and-third-day-announce-co-headline-fall-tour).
## References
1. [Chris Tomlin, Capitol CMG Publishing](https://www.capitolcmgpublishing.com/artist/chris-tomlin/)
2. [Why Chris Tomlin Still Dominates Both Radio and Sunday Morning, Christianity Today (2019)](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2019/09/chris-tomlin-still-dominates-worship-music-popular/)
3. ["I'll Bring You More Than a Song": Toward a Reassessment of Methodology in the Study of Contemporary Praise and Worship, Religions](https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/5/680)
4. [Is Chris Tomlin the "most-sung music artist in history"?, Earth and All Stars](https://www.earthandallstars.com/2014/01/06/is-chris-tomlin-the-most-sung-music-artist-in-history/)
5. [Chris Tomlin, TobyMac and Third Day Announce Co-Headline Fall Tour, ChrisTomlin.com](https://christomlin.com/blogs/news/chris-tomlin-tobymac-and-third-day-announce-co-headline-fall-tour)
6. [Modern Hymn Writers Aim To Take Back Sunday, NPR (2013)](https://www-s1.npr.org/2013/07/08/200013769/modern-hymn-writers-aim-to-take-back-sunday)
7. ["This Is No Performance": Exploring the Complicated Relationship between the Church and Contemporary Congregational Songs, Religions](https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/14/5/578)
8. [Chris Tomlin Notches Highest Streaming Week Of His Career With 18th Album, MusicRow (2025)](https://musicrow.com/2025/10/chris-tomlin-notches-highest-streaming-week-of-his-career-with-18th-album-exclusive/)
9. [Chris Tomlin Becomes First Christian Artist to Reach Billion Streams Threshold on Pandora, Gospel Music Association](https://gospelmusic.org/news/chris-tomlin-becomes-first-christian-artist-to-reach-billion-streams-threshold-on-pandora-1-8-billion-lifetime-streams)
10. [Chris Tomlin: The US worship leader taking modern worship worldwide, Cross Rhythms (2005)](http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Chris_Tomlin_The_US_worship_leader_taking_modern_worship_worldwide/14919/p1/)
11. ["Do It Again": Chart-Topping Worship Songs and the Churches Behind Them, Belmont University](https://repository.belmont.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1002&context=oafund_scholarship)
12. [Chris Tomlin: Paving the Way, RELEVANT (2008)](https://relevantmagazine.com/life5/231/)
13. [Singing Praises, Texas A&M Foundation](https://bio.txamfoundation.com/News/Singing-Praises.aspx)
14. [Chris Tomlin: Songs for This Generation, CBN / The 700 Club interview](https://secure.cbn.com/cbnmusic/interviews/700club_Chris_Tomlin031504.aspx)
15. [Chris Tomlin Biography, I Heart Worship](https://www.iheartworship.com/chris-tomlin-biography)
16. [Chris Tomlin: Burning Lights Tracks & Reviews, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/burning-lights-mw0002423075)
17. [Chris Tomlin talks about his new album and giving people a voice to worship God, WorshipFuel by CCLI](https://www.worshipfuel.com/at-ccli/chris-tomlin-talks-about-his-new-album-and-giving-people-a-voice-to-worship-god/)
18. [Artist 470: Chris Tomlin, MusicID](http://revenue.musicid.academicrightspress.com/tt/chris_tomlin.htm)
19. [Chris Tomlin, Spotify artist page](https://open.spotify.com/artist/6pRi6EIPXz4QJEOEsBaA0m)
20. [Chris Tomlin Honored for More Than 8 Billion Career Streams Following History-Making 'Worship Under the Stars' Weekend, ChrisTomlin.com](https://christomlin.com/blogs/news/chris-tomlin-honored-for-more-than-8-billion-career-streams-following-history-making-worship-under-the-stars-weekend)
21. [Chris Tomlin Wraps 2024 with Unparalleled Year, Christian Activities](https://www.christianactivities.com/chris-tomlin-wraps-2024-with-unparalleled-year/)
22. [From God to Me to Us: Chris Tomlin and the Dimensions of Worship, Samantha M. Inman, Artistic Theologian Vol. 9 (2021)](https://equipthecalled.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/2021-Vol-9-Artistic-Theologian-Inman.pdf)
23. [Review of Monique Ingalls, Singing the Congregation, European Journal of Musicology](https://bop.unibe.ch/EJM/article/download/7832/11057/33377)
24. [The Gettys' Modern Hymn Movement Has Theological Pull, Christianity Today (October 2024)](https://www.christianitytoday.com/2024/10/keith-kristyn-getty-sing-conference-nashville-modern-hymns-theology-worship/)
25. [Q&A: Keith & Kristyn Getty on why hymns matter, Baptist Press](https://www.baptistpress.com/resource-library/news/qa-keith-kristyn-getty-on-why-hymns-matter/)
26. [Chris Tomlin Bio, ChristianMusic.com](http://www.christianmusic.com/chris_tomlin/chris_tomlin.htm)
27. [Chris Tomlin reimagines 1,800-year-old Christian hymn, The Christian Post](https://www.christianpost.com/news/chris-tomlin-reimagines-1800-year-old-christian-hymn.html)
28. [Chris Tomlin releases 'Jesus Saves' EP after chart-topping album, The Christian Post](https://www.christianpost.com/news/chris-tomlin-releases-jesus-saves-ep-after-chart-topping-album.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Society and history › Philosophy, religion, and mythology › Religion and spirituality › Ritual, worship, and religious calendars › Worship music and hymnody*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 10, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 10, 2026; Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 10, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license