Amy Grant is the Queen of CCM. If there is ever any doubt, I have two words for you: "five million." Yes, though it may be hard to believe, her ninth album, Heart in Motion, alone has sold over five million copies to date. This easily makes it the best-selling CCM album of all time, nearly doubling any contender. You may quibble, you may fuss, but you also may have missed what a juggernaut this album was upon release.

After the more serious Lead Me On in 1988, with Heart in Motion, Grant pivots in a sunnier straightforward pop direction. Additionally, she navigates the choppy waters of the all-too-familiar sacred-versus-secular handwringing of the era. Regrettably, she took more than her fair share of friendly fire wounds from the well-meaning but misguided. But, in so doing, she also paved the way for many artists in the decades to come.

Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the fact that Heart in Motion benefitted from an A-list team of producers and songwriters. With legends of the genre like Brown Bannister, Keith Thomas, Michael Omartian, Charlie Peacock, and Wayne Kirkpatrick all making their respective marks, it certainly had a good chance at success. Furthermore, it didn't hurt that there was the aforementioned crossover push with the first, and biggest, single "Baby Baby" leading the way.

This song and record are bubblegum pop at its finest. Some are tied to their time, but the better portion of it holds up well. It doesn't seek to reinvent the wheel, but instead aims for what good pop music does: uplifting the spirit with innocence and sincerity. The entirety of the album can be described this way, though "Ask Me" and closer "Hope Set High" slip in some greater traces of depth. The former addresses abuse while the latter contains an earnest sweetness that closes the album on a note of hope.

Other highlights are primarily in the first half with the opener "Good for Me," "Every Heartbeat," "That's What Love is For," and "I Will Remember You." Both "Galileo" and "Hats" serve their intended purpose, but are two of the weaker moments of the album hidden in the middle of the tracklist. "Galileo" leans too saccharine lyrically ("Ask me just how much I love you/You are starlight, I'm Galileo"), and "Hats" is a funky late album pick-me-up that sticks out as a leftover of the 80s. It's fun, but an odd choice for inclusion with the rest of the songs on the album.

All in all, it's clear what so many loved about Heart in Motion and why in the age of physical products (cassette/CD) it would have sold so well. Its catchy and unoffensive approach to pop makes it welcoming to the widest possible audience. The cynic would call it a calculated business decision, but the fan can marvel at the adaptability of an artist looking to stay in the game for the long haul. Amy Grant has certainly done that, and the music world at large has been all the better for it. Long live the Queen of CCM!

- Review date: 2/7/24, written by Josh Balogh of Jesusfreakhideout.com