Medals (album) explained

Medals
Type:Studio
Artist:Russ Taff
Cover:Russ Taff Medals.jpg
Released:1985
Recorded:September 1984 – March 1985
Genre:CCM, Christian pop
Length:45:08
Label:Myrrh/Word Records
Producer:Jack Joseph Puig
Prev Title:Walls of Glass
Prev Year:1983
Next Title:Russ Taff
Next Year:1987

Medals is the second studio album by Christian singer-songerwriter Russ Taff, released in 1985 on Myrrh Records.[1] [2] [3] Medals would prove to be his breakthrough album. Taff once again co-wrote with his wife Tori, along with his guitarist and songwriter James Hollihan, Jr. and contributions from other CCM artists and songwriters like Pam Mark Hall, Roby Duke and Chris Eaton.

Reception

Thom Granger of AllMusic said the album contained "'80s pop styles and hooky songs, resulting in a CCM classic".

Accolades

Songs like "Here I Am", "Silent Love", "God Only Knows", and "I'm Not Alone" were Christian radio hits, all hitting the top ten on the Christian AC chart. Music videos were made for "I'm Not Alone" and "Not Gonna Bow" to promote the album. CCM Magazine has ranked Medals at number 36 in their 2001 book CCM Presents: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music.[4] Taff won a GMA Dove Award for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for Medals at the 17th GMA Dove Awards.[5] In 1986, Taff was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Gospel Vocal Performance, Male for Medals. The album peaked at number two on the Billboard Top Inspirational Albums chart.

GMA Dove Awards

Personnel

Production

Charts

Year-end charts

YearChartPosition
1985U.S. Billboard Inspirational Albums12[7]
19867[8]

Radio singles

YearSinglesPeak positions
CCM AC[9] CCM CHR[10]
1985"Silent Love"13
1985"Medals"align="center"-3
1985"Here I Am"27
1986"I'm Not Alone"46
1986"God Only Knows"10align="center"-

Notes and References

  1. Russ Taff: Medals. 1985. Myrrh Records.
  2. Top International Albums. 1986-12-27 . Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. Billboard . en.
  3. GOSPEL Picks. Billboard . 1985-05-11 . Nielsen Business Media, Inc. . en.
  4. Book: The 100 Greatest Albums in Christian Music . . 2001 . 0-7369-0281-3 . Granger . Thom. 132.
  5. Web site: Past Winners. GMA Dove Awards . 2022-10-08 . en-US.
  6. Inspirational LPs. Billboard. November 16, 1985. 53.
  7. Inspirational LPs Year-end issue. Billboard. December 28, 1985. T-31.
  8. Inspirational LPs Year-end issue. Billboard. December 27, 1986. Y-43.
  9. Book: CCM Hot Hits: AC Charts 1978 - 2001 . . 2003 . 1-4107-3294-0 . Brothers . Jeffrey Lee. 206, 207.
  10. Book: CCM Hot Hits: Christian Hit Radio - 20 Years of Charts, Artist Bios and More . . 1999 . 0-8230-7718-7 . Brothers . Jeffrey Lee. 159.