Newsboys

"Where we're led all the living dead

Wanna leave their zombie mob.

It's a touching scene where they all come clean--

God help us, we just love our job!

"Wherever We Go" from GO"

Christian rock band of Aussie origin, formed in 1985, and originally called "The News". Migrated to the US in 1987, changing their name to The Newsboys. Survived in obscurity until 1994, when a song called "Shine" suddenly caught on, catapulting them to the forefront of Christian popular music.

Their music is pretty much everywhere on Christian radio, though songs with less of a "pop" sound don't get much play. Their style can be anywhere from pop rock, to slow ballads, to dance, to disco (especially Love, Liberty, Disco, natch). Their lyrics are usually overtly religious themes mixed in with wordplay and weird imagery. A few songs have whistling. (because "this here knows whistles make for better mixes.")

The Newsboys have changed their lineup quite a few times over the years: the only original member is frontman Peter Furler, who decided in 2009 to stop touring with the band - though he's still writing their songs and producing their CDs. Current members include Duncan Phillips (percussion), Jody Davis (lead guitar, backup vocals), Jeff Frankenstein (keyboards, backup vocals), and Michael Tait (formerly of dcTalk, lead vocals).

They and Their Work Provide Examples of These Tropes:
"Out hockin' our shirts for more lights
 * Audience Participation Song: The audience sings at least one chorus to "Shine" and "Breakfast" - and throws boxes of Cap'n Crunch onstage for the latter.
 * Bald of Awesome: Peter Furler.
 * Belly of the Whale: Actually made a song about the UR Example of this trope; Jonah and the Whale. Heck, the song even shares the trope's name.
 * BSOD Song: "Lost the Plot".
 * Christian Rock: Obviously.
 * Disappeared Dad: The subject of "Always"
 * Downer Ending: While "Elle G." on Going Public ends with the phrase "I know that You will overcome evil... for good", it's still about a girl who committed suicide.
 * Due to The Dead: "Breakfast" is about Breakfast Clubbers who scatter their friend's ashes in a cereal bowl and reminisce about how godly he was in life.
 * Everything's Better With Spinning: During the Step Up To The Microphone tour, two drummers would perform from a platform that raised up in the middle of the crowd and then tilted at 45 degrees and spun. They brought it back for the Go tour.
 * Everythings Funkier With Disco: They're normally a Christian pop rock band, but they also did a disco-inspired album:Love Liberty Disco
 * Flash Back: The first two verses of "The Way We Roll" tell the story of the band's early years.

Till "Shine" hit the brights

And we saw your faces

And we got new bassists!"

""What rhymes with 'Cornelius'? (Helium!)""
 * God Is Love Songs: Averted, mostly.
 * Greatest Hits Album: Shine: The Hits, The Greatest Hits, and The Ultimate Collection.
 * Grief Song: "Elle G."
 * Hair of Gold: The glorious physical feature that allowed Phil Joel to avert the stereotype of the "ugly bass player".
 * Happy Rain: "Let It Rain"
 * Hurricane of Puns: "Take Me To Your Leader"
 * "I Fought the La."
 * Least Rhymable Word:

"Gone with the free-range sheep
 * Played with in Belly of the Whale: "It might behoove me to be heaved/Head out like a human comet/...Hmm, I wonder what rhymes with comet?"
 * Lyrical Shoehorn: All. The. Time. "Live in Stereo" in particular.
 * Money Song: Subverted in "Fad of the Land".
 * The Power of Rock: According to "Wherever We Go", Newsboys music improves stock markets, reduces crime, and repairs the ozone layer, among other things.
 * It's about spreading the Christian gospel.
 * Retraux: The 50's sci fi album art for Take Me To Your Leader, and the 70s style music of Love, Liberty, Disco.
 * Revolving Door Band: Over the years, they've had three lead vocalists, four bassists, two keyboard players, two drummers, and a small army of guitarists. A few members have played more than one of these roles, and their current guitarist is also one of their former guitarists. (The earlier quote from "The Way We Roll" lampshades this concerning the bassists.) Peter Furler started out as their drummer, and became their most iconic singer. He was the last of the founding members to depart, in 2009.
 * Rhyming With Itself: The homophone version, from "Lost the Plot":

While the big birds sharpen their claws

For a time we stuck with the Shepherd

But You wouldn't play Santa Claus"

"That would make a bouncer take ballet
 * Signature Song: Even Michael Tait knows well not to end a concert without "Shine" and "Breakfast."
 * Step Up to The Microphone: Pete Furler's promotion from drummer to lead singer is the Trope Namer. Phil Joel also sang lead on a handful of songs during his tenure with the band.
 * Subverted Rhyme Every Occasion: Used a few times, most notably:

Even bouncers who aren't... happy"


 * Mind you, with the accent "ballet" and "happy" are near-rhymes.
 * Wait, what was the subverted rhyme that I've apparently been missing all these years? ...Oh.
 * What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?: "I Fought the La". The lyrics explain that the writer couldn't come up with any words to go with his awesome riff, so the chorus is just a lot of "la"s, sung as if it's the greatest song ever.