Top Christian Albums of the 1980's -- #4

BEAT THE SYSTEM – Petra (1985)

Remember the "one album per artist" rule? Second only to the soon-to-be-revealed #3 on this list, this was the most difficult call.

I had to think long and hard on this one -- Petra did virtually nothing wrong this decade. Never Say Die, More Power To Ya, Not of This World, Back to the Street, This Means War!, On Fire! and Beat the System right in the middle. If I'm picking a personal favorite, I almost have to go with Not of This World. Almost. Greatness, however, has to go beyond simply "favorite." Beat the System makes this list because it presents the classic Petra lineup at its peak, turning in a strong, consistent performance from beginning to end. They were able to introduce the synthesizer -- all too ubiquitous in the 80's -- as complementary and not alternative instruments, allowing Bob Hartman's superstar guitar work to continue to highlight the album.

Purists might prefer Not of this World or More Power to Ya among their earlier works, and strong cases can be made. The forgotten Back to the Street gave us the best song of the decade (by Petra or anybody else) in Fool’s Gold, and the band rounded into form with This Means War! that followed, with the excellent John Schlitt now firmly established as lead vocalist. All are great compilations, but Beat the System got the alchemy exactly right for ten outstanding tracks.