Though the members of this Christian rock quintet hail from different corners of the globe -- Australia, New Zealand and Detroit, to name a few -- they all have one thing in common: combining modern pop-rock with age-old religious beliefs. The winners of three Dove Awards and several Grammy nominations, Peter Furler  (vocals, guitars, drums), Jody Davis (guitar, bass, vocals), Phil Joel (bass, guitars, vocals), Jeff Frankenstein (keyboards, vocals) and Duncan Phillips  (drums, percussion, vocals) have built a foundation that parallels their style: rock-hard.

Their success began with the release of 1992's Not Ashamed. The first in a series of releases on the Star Song label, Not Ashamed earned the Newsboys their first Grammy nomination. Going Public, their follow-up full-length earned them a Dove Award in 1995 for Rock Album of the Year and was certified gold. Take Me to Your Leader appeared in 1996, marking their second gold record. Their latest album to date is 1998's Step Up to the Microphone.

Lana Fanelli

From Rolling Stone, '98