2005…

Back when your iPod could only hold 1,000 songs, and social media meant your youth group bulletin board. These songs have been with us through summer camps, late-night car rides, and maybe even that one awkward youth group skit you’d rather forget.

Get ready to time-travel and don’t be surprised if you catch yourself singing along.

1. How Great is Our God | Chris Tomlin

This song became a Sunday morning staple and still sits comfortably in the top ranks of most-sung worship songs worldwide. It was the first song to win both “Song of the Year” and “Worship Song of the Year” at the Dove Awards in the same year.

Fun fact: This song has been recorded in over 15 different languages.

2. Praise You In the Storm | Casting Crowns

Inspired by a woman in their church battling cancer, this track from Lifesong taught believers how to worship when life falls apart. The raw honesty in the lyrics connected with millions, making it one of their most beloved songs.

Fun Fact: Even though it’s a radio hit, lead singer Mark Hall has said they still prefer singing it in small church gatherings because of its intimacy.

3. Beautiful One | By The Tree

If 2005 had a “love song to God” award, this would’ve been in the running. Originally written by Tim Hughes, By the Tree’s version gave it an upbeat, radio-friendly edge. And the Jeremy Camp cover also went viral on Christian radio.

Fun Fact: The band recorded this as part of their final album before disbanding, making it a kind of farewell hit.

4. We Live | Superchick

Superchic[k] was the youth group pep talk you didn’t know you needed. We Live is the happiest sounding sad and deep song ever.

Fun Fact: Superchic[k] recorded an alternate acoustic version for the film Sunday School Musical (yes, that was a real movie).

5. Held | Natalie Grant

Few songs tackle grief as tenderly as Held. Written by Christa Wells after the loss of a friend’s child, the lyrics remind us that God’s presence doesn’t vanish in pain; He holds us through it.

Fun Fact: Natalie Grant almost didn’t record the song because she wasn’t sure she could sing it without crying.

6. My Savior My God | Aaron Shust

This song was a 19th-century hymn by Dora Greenwell with an added chorus. The result? It became one of the most-played songs on Christian radio in 2006.

Fun Fact: Shust first performed this song while working as a worship leader at his local church.

7. Only Grace | Matthew West

Only Grace is a bright, melodic reminder that our past mistakes don’t define us. The song’s singable chorus and upbeat tempo made it a radio favorite, but its real power is in how it lifts the weight off your shoulders.

Fun Fact: This song was part of Matthew West’s second album, recorded just before he had vocal cord surgery that nearly ended his career.

8. Friend of God | Israel Houghton

Israel Houghton brought high-energy gospel to the masses with Friend of God. Its call-and-response style turned it into a church favorite, and if your congregation had a worship team that liked to groove, this was their jam.

Fun Fact: The song’s live version, recorded with thousands of people singing in unison, became even more popular than the studio track.

9. Never Alone | Barlow Girl

Before for KING + COUNTRY made sibling bands cool, there was BarlowGirl. The band wrote it during a season of deep struggle, and the vulnerability in the lyrics resonated with teens and adults alike.

Fun Fact: It was the longest-running No. 1 song on the Radio & Records Christian CHR chart in 2004–2005, holding the spot for 13 weeks.

10. Cry Out to Jesus | Third Day

Few voices in Christian music are as instantly recognizable as Mac Powell’s, and Cry Out to Jesus shows why.

Fun Fact: The music video was filmed in just one day and features real people sharing their testimonies on camera.

There you have it: 10 songs that prove 2005 was a golden year for Christian music. They’ve been sung in tiny country churches and packed arenas, at youth retreats and hospital bedsides.

So, dust off your old CD binder, queue up the hits, and let’s remember that some things, like God’s faithfulness (and Chris Tomlin’s voice), never get old.

Do You Know Christian Songs From the 2000s? | Lyric Battle ft. Matthew West & Seph Schlueter