Avalon is one of my all-time favorite artists, and I am so excited that they’ve just released their first full-length album in over a decade. The album is entitled CALLED, and it is pretty amazing – be sure to go check it out!

With the new album coming out, it seemed like a good time to take a look back at all of their previous albums. I’ve taken some time to briefly review each one and rank them from my least favorite to most favorite. As I said, though, they are one of my favorite artists of all time, so there really isn’t a “bad” album in this list – just some that I don’t necessarily enjoy as much as the others. With that being said, I may sound a bit harsh about some of the lower-ranked projects, but it’s just to justify why they’re a little lower on the list. I truly do love them all!

To simplify things a little bit, here’s what you won’t find included on this list: their Christmas album (even though it is AMAZING), their remix album, and any of their various “greatest hits” collections. So basically, nothing seasonal or re-released. The brand new album, CALLED, has also been left out – it hasn’t even been out for 24 hours yet, so I haven’t lived with it long enough to fairly review it and rank it among albums that I’ve loved for a decade or more.

With all of that being said, let’s dive in!

9. FAITH: A HYMNS COLLECTION (2006)
Again, I need to make it clear that there are no “bad” albums on this list, but one of them still has to come in last. For me, that album has to be FAITH: A HYMNS COLLECTION, mainly because this is the one I’m personally least familiar with. Somehow, I totally missed this collection when it originally released, and didn’t end up purchasing and listening to it for the first time until a few years later. It’s definitely fun to hear Avalon’s take on these classic hymns, and there’s a little something here for everyone to enjoy. For me, “Blessed Assurance” comes out on top– it’s one of the few tracks from this project that I still listen to fairly often, and the arrangement is incredible. I also really like their version of “In Christ Alone,” and the a cappella ending on “Total Praise” is nothing short of stunning.

8. THE CREED (2004)
THE CREED is the one Avalon album that I remember being disappointed by when it first released. The tone and style are a bit different than the albums that came before, and it just didn’t “feel” like an Avalon album to “high school me.” However, this was the group’s first full-length album with Greg and Melissa, as well as their first one without Michael, so I’m sure there was a lot going on behind-the-scenes that I couldn’t fully appreciate at the time. This project does contain “You Were There” – one of my all-time favorite Avalon songs, as well as one of Jody McBrayer’s finest performances, in my opinion. However, things like the lyrical ambiguity of “I Wanna Be With You,” and re-using a song from Janna’s recent solo album (“Overjoyed” – and yes, I realize it was a new recording, but still) keep this album near the bottom of the stack for me. The photography and design are really cool, though, and the vocals are amazing, as always.

7. ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE: TIMELESS CHRISTIAN CLASSICS (2008)
If you’ve ever wondered what it would sound like if Avalon covered other artists’ songs from the ‘80s and ‘90s, then this is the album for you! ANOTHER TIME, ANOTHER PLACE is the foursome’s take on classic songs from artists like Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith and Sandi Patty, and they do an amazing job of making these well-known tracks their own. My personal favorite from this album is their version of the Twila Paris hit, “God Is In Control.” Quite simply, this track rocks, which isn’t something I ever thought I’d say about a Twila song! These guys just take it to a completely different level, and the results are incredible. I also really enjoy “For The Sake of the Call,” “Solid As The Rock” and “Place in this World.” The only real misstep here would have to be the remake of their own mega-hit, “Testify To Love.” You can’t improve upon perfection…that’s all I’m going to say about that!

6. AVALON (1996)
Avalon’s self-titled debut album was a bit tricky for me to definitively place in this lineup. The production on this one is sounding a bit dated now, but there are some great moments here. The album opens with the upbeat “Give It Up,” easily the biggest hit to come out of this collection. It also includes their beautiful, a cappella take on the classic hymn “My Jesus, I Love Thee,” and they blow the roof off the place with the closer, “Jesus Is Lord.” I don’t think I’m out of line in saying they were ahead of their time – truly a great first effort!

5. REBORN (2009)
REBORN is a unique entry into Avalon’s catalog in a number of ways. It is the only full-length Avalon album…
-to be released by E1 Entertainment
-that features Jeremi and Amy Richardson (even though they were with the group for quite awhile)
-that doesn’t feature Jody McBrayer
-that contains all one-word song titles
It also seems to be the album that most casual fans either don’t know exists, or have forgotten about. That’s a shame, because it really is a great album! Although this effort didn’t produce any big, hit songs, it is a solid group of songs from start to finish. The vocal performances are top-notch, as always, and the production here sounds amazing. The quality of these songs is so consistent that it’s hard to choose favorites, but I am particularly fond of “Fragile,” “Destined” and “Stay.”

4. STAND (2006)
STAND was the follow-up album to THE CREED. I distinctly remember driving to our local Walmart on release day to purchase this one. I was a little nervous as I popped it into the CD player of my car, but by the time the first chorus of “The Other Side” rolled around, there was a huge smile on my face – the Avalon I knew and loved was BACK! “Orphans of God” is a major highlight of this album, for sure – what a great reminder of the promise that the Lord will never leave or forsake us. Janna does an amazing job with the lead vocal – many others have attempted to cover this song, but none come close. “Jesus” is another favorite of mine. It has powerful lyrics, and Jody crushes the lead. I love the message and acoustic-pop vibe of “Somehow You Are,” and “I Survive” is one that just begs you to roll down the windows and crank the volume to eleven. If you somehow missed this album, or just haven’t listened to it for awhile, I definitely recommend giving it a spin!

3. OXYGEN (2001)
OXYGEN is a pop masterpiece. This one was released at the height of the boy-band craze, and it shows – in a good way. So many of the songs here are an amazing combination of great writing, slick production, and spot-on vocals. “Undeniably You” has been one of my favorites from the first time I heard it – Cherie’s vocals fit this song and its production perfectly. I feel the same way about her verse on “The Best Thing,” and Michael’s, as well. He also shines on “Come and Fill My Heart,” as does Janna on “I Don’t Want To Go.” There are some amazing group moments throughout this album as well. Oh, and “The Glory” is just incredible all-around: Jody’s vocals, the soaring background vocals, the overall message of the song…so much great stuff! Personally, this was one of the first albums I remember being aware of, and counting down to, the upcoming release date (along with Point of Grace’s Free To Fly, which released around the same time). I was also obsessed with the photography and graphic design on this one – it’s so clean, yet unique. I still love it!

2. A MAZE OF GRACE (1997)
In many ways, I feel like A MAZE OF GRACE was a huge leap forward from their debut album – no “sophomore slump” here! This album is just so much fun, but at the same time keeps the message front-and-center. “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” “Speed Of Light” and “Forgive + Forget” are all great examples of this. A MAZE OF GRACE also contains, undeniably, Avalon’s two biggest hits, ever – “Testify To Love” and “Adonai.” To me, “Testify” is the perfect pop song, if one ever existed. The writing, arrangement, production, and vocal performances on this track are expertly executed and combined, and it still blows me away, over two decades later. I still get goosebumps when Jody comes in on that key change ¾ of the way through. Goodness! And then we have “Adonai,” which is an incredible song with equally incredible performances. I really debated between this album and OXYGEN for the number 2 spot, but the presence of those two songs, along with a slightly stronger set of songs, theologically, put this one on top. Also, let’s just be real – I still want that yellow couch!

1. IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT (1999)
And finally, we’ve arrived at my all-time favorite album by the group known as Avalon. Partially because of nostalgia, but mostly because it’s just an amazing album, IN A DIFFERENT LIGHT comes in at number one! This was the first Avalon album that I ever owned (on cassette tape, nonetheless), and it was one of the albums that marked a shift in the type of music my family and I would listen to for years to come. I’ve been hooked since the opening of “Take You At Your Word” first came blasting through the speakers of our Dodge minivan (although it took my parents a little longer to warm up to it).  This album introduced so many great songs, the most well-known undoubtedly being “Can’t Live A Day.” “Let Your Love,” “Always Have, Always Will” and “If My People Pray” are a few of my personal favorites, as well. Avalon always brings their A-game vocally, but this lineup of Jody, Janna, Michael and Cherie is my personal favorite. This era was the group at its best, and what I think of when I think of Avalon!

So there we have it – this is my ranking and review of Avalon’s studio albums. What do you think? Where do you agree, and where do you think I’m totally off the rails? What’s your favorite Avalon album, and why? I’d love to have a friendly, respectful discussion in the comment section!