Newsboys — History and Songs

History and Sound

Newsboys originated in Australia and found a wide audience in the United States.

The band’s different eras are easy to distinguish by their voices: “Shine” features the group’s early pop-rock sound, while “God’s Not Dead” was recorded during Michael Tait’s era. The latter became the album’s title track and appeared in the film of the same name. The selection below also includes “That’s How You Change the World,” whose short, characteristic Newsboys chorus is built around a more modern electronic rhythm.

Albums and Recordings

To explore the early era, compare “Shine” with “Breakfast” from the album “Take Me to Your Leader.” Humor and rapid shifts in musical ideas stand out there. Later songs such as “We Believe” and “God’s Not Dead” are more hymn-like and designed for group singing. This distinction helps navigate the band’s extensive catalog: recordings released under the same name featured different lead vocalists, tempos, and approaches to rock arrangement.