Christian adult contemporary

It is usually melodic enough to get a listener's attention, abstains from complex lyricism, and is most commonly used as background music in heavily-frequented family areas such as supermarkets, shopping malls, convention centers, or restaurants that are heavily influenced on Christian faiths and beliefs.

The format is heavy on worship songs which use acoustic instruments such as pianos, saxophones, and sometimes an orchestral set.

Additionally post-80s adult contemporary Christian music may feature synthesizers (and other electronics, such drum machines).

[2] As the genre shifted towards more rock-driven songs, deeper male voices from artists such as Third Day, Jeremy Camp, and Todd Agnew became popular, and established female artists like Amy Grant or bands with females like Point of Grace and Avalon, who tested extremely well among audiences, went out of style, along with their pop-oriented sound.

Likewise, material from legacy Christian pop acts such as Plus One, Matthew West, Mat Kearney, and BarlowGirl is prominent within the format.

The Christian soft adult contemporary format typically targets women 25–54 and at-work listening.

The urban AC gospel format is also associated with the "quiet storm"—mellower R&B worship songs and slow jams, often in a jazz-influenced style.

The exact composition of current and recurrent content can vary between stations, depending on local cultures and the heritage of rhythmic Christian formats in the market, ranging from late-80s/early-90s Christian dance hits to disco and Motown gospel.

While these tend to be contemporary Christian seasonal recordings by the same artists under the normal format, most stations will also air at least some vintage holiday tunes from older pop, MOR, and adult standards artists – such as Boney M., The Carpenters, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Percy Faith, Mannheim Steamroller, Dean Martin, Johnny Mathis, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Andy Williams – many of whom would never be played on these stations during the rest of the year.

The roots of this tradition can be traced back to the beautiful music and easy listening stations of the 1960s and 1970s.