Casting Crowns has topped the 2005 Christian Music sales chart for Canadian Christian retail stores with their late summer release Lifesong. The Atlanta-based band has already sold over 500,000 units worldwide of their second studio release. Sales figures are based on units sold at Canadian Christian retail stores across the country.

Casting Crowns was followed by Brian Doerksen, whose album Today was at #2 for the second year in a row. The album was not only the second best selling album of 2005, but also the second best selling album of 2004. This remarkable accomplishment is further enhanced by Doerksen’s appearance in the top 100 for 2005 with two other albums, You Shine (#52) and the just released Live In Europe (#86). Hillsong United, was next at #3 with the spring release Look To You. The band, which toured Canada extensively, also landed at #31 with their previous album More Than Life. Kutless also scored two albums in the Top 100, with their worship release Strong Tower at number 4, and Sea of Faces at #61. Jars of Clay rounded out the Top 5 with their hymns project Redemption Songs, followed by Casting Crowns with their self-titled debut album at #6, the Newsboys with Devotion at #7, Switchfoot and Nothing Is Sound at #8, The Various Artists project Here I Am To Worship #3 at #9 and Chris Tomlin at #10 with Arriving.

Canadian artists made a significant impact in 2005, with Brian Doerksen leading the way (3 albums in the Top 100), Thousand Foot Krutch with The Art of Breaking (#15) and Phenomenon (#53), Relient K with mmhmm (#16), Hawk Nelson with Letters To The President (#35), Starfield with Starfield (#36), Sea To Sea: Filled With Your Glory (#46), Carried Away with Closer To You (#72), Gaetz Ave with Gaetz Ave (#73), Merge (#82) and Launch:Ignition (#83). Two Canadian acts were also the best selling new artists of 2005, with Carried Away at #72 and Gaetz Ave at #73. Krystal Meyers was the top selling non-Canadian new artist at #78.

Worship music continued to dominate in 2005, with 6 of the top 10 albums being worship albums, and about the same percentage on the overall top 100 chart. The dominance of Casting Crowns helped Pop music make a significant impact in 2005, with releases from Michael W. Smith, WoW and ZOEgirl also landing in the top 20. Rock also continued to impact sales, with Kutless (with their worship release Strong Tower), Switchfoot (twice), tobyMac, Thousand Foot Krutch and Relient K finding a place in the top 20 of the year.

To download your personal copy of the chart, click here. All the titles found on the Top 100 are available at Christian retailers across Canada. To locate a store near you visit www.CMCStoreFinder.com.