Hillsong Worship

Since opening its doors in 1983, Australia’s Hillsong Church has evolved from a Sydney-based congregation into a global institution responsible for revolutionizing Christian music. Marrying charismatic praise & worship to modern pop hooks and arena-rock presentation, Hillsong invented the template for churches around the world—including peers Bethel Church and Elevation Church—that build congregations through the writing, performing, and recording of youth-oriented music. The church’s popularity largely rests upon three bands. The first, Hillsong Worship, rose to fame in the ’90s thanks to singer Darlene Zschech. Arguably the first praise & worship superstar, she composed the 1993 classic “Shout to the Lord.” Next came the church’s biggest-selling outfit, Hillsong UNITED. Founded in 1998, they are renowned for expansive smashes like 2013’s “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)” that possess all the cosmic beauty of Coldplay. The third is Hillsong Young & Free, who specialize in a uniquely 21st-century sound that bottles the excitement of EDM, R&B, and hip-hop. Membership in each is fluid, with several of Hillsong’s most popular worship leaders also releasing their own records. Brooke Ligertwood (born Brooke Fraser) has maintained a solo career since the early 2000s, while Benjamin William Hastings and Taya Smith-Gaukrodger unveiled their debut albums in 2022.