The ''Weekend 22'' (abbreviated as ''W22'') is a

Christian music Christian music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence, and lament, and its forms vary widely aroun ...

countdown A countdown is a sequence of backward counting to indicate the time remaining before an event is scheduled to occur. NASA commonly employs the terms "L-minus" and "T-minus" during the preparation for and anticipation of a rocket launch, and eve ...

. It is a syndicated show that is broadcast nationwide in the United States and heard in over 150 cities across the country. The show is produced and syndicated worldwide by Amped Creative. Christian Care Ministry's Medi-Share is the main sponsor for the show. The countdown is based on the play lists found on

Christian CHR Christian contemporary hit radio (sometimes abbreviated as Christian CHR) is a radio format that is common in the United States and Australia focusing on playing current and recent music as determined by the contemporary Christian music Top 40 I ...

radio stations across the U.S. It was based on the R&R charts until the magazine was folded into

Billboard magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the musi ...

in 2009. Jeremy "JGonzo" Gonzalez started out as the host in June 2002. Josh Ashton took over as host in August 2008. The current producer is Jason Burrows and the current executive producers are Ken Farley (owner of Amped Creative) and Brandon Rahbar. Research and script is provided by Rachael Jamison. JGonzo's wife Kathy "KJ" Gonzalez is the former announcer of the music news segments. The current music news contributor is Rachael James. Amped Creative also created and produced a countdown show for Christian AC stations called The Weekend Top 20, which is also executively produced by Ken Farley and Brandon Rahbar. While Rachael Jamison handles music news on 20WT, Wes Shattler handles the research script. 20WT is hosted by Kurt Wallace.

Background

Substitute hosts

Similarities between ''Weekend 22'' and ''20 the Countdown''

''Weekend 22'' is similar to ''20 the Countdown'', both counting down the most popular songs on Christian radio. However, while ''20 the Countdown Magazine'' used the '' Billboard''

Christian Songs Hot Christian Songs is a music chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It ranks the popularity of Christian songs using the same methodology developed for the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the magazine's flagship songs c ...

as its source, ''Weekend 22'' used the weekly

airplay-based survey produced by '' Radio & Records''. It would eventually switch to the ''Billboard'' Christian pop songs chart in 2009 after R&R folded into that magazine.

Features

*3 Songs That Might Make It to #1 *Jingles *Music News: In the middle of each half of the countdown, W22 introduces a segment featuring the latest Christian music news. Kathy "KJ" Gonzalez was the former music news coordinator, later replaced by the current coordinator, Rachael James. *Future Hits: In the middle of a segment of the countdown (usually songs 13-12 and/or songs 4-3), the countdown is paused to introduce to listeners a song that might become a future hit on the countdown (hence the name). It may be a new song that has debuted on the Christian CHR chart below the top 22, or it may be a new song that has received airplay on Christian hit radio but has yet to chart. During the holiday season, the "Future Hits" segments are replaced by "Christmas Song" segments where they introduce a new Christmas song. *Special Feature: Every once in a while, one of the "Future Hits" segments will be replaced by a segment where they play a song that was requested from a listener that has touched their lives. The Weekend 22 hotline is +1 (

800 __NOTOC__ Year 800 ( DCCC) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. It was around this time that the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years, so ...

) 761-HITS (4487). *Closing: The final segment of each countdown features the top two songs on the survey. After playing the #1 song of the week, the host will read the show's credits and sign off with "have a great weekend... or what's left of it".

Weekend 22 History of #1s

These songs hit No. 1 on the Weekend 22 Year-End Countdown from 2002 to 2021. *2002:

Newsboys Newsboys (sometimes stylised as newsboys) are a Christian rock band founded in 1985 in Mooloolaba, Queensland, Australia, by Peter Furler and George Perdikis. Now based in Nashville, Tennessee, the band has released 17 studio albums, 6 of which ...

– It Is You *2003:

–

He Reigns ''Adoration: The Worship Album'' is the tenth studio album by the Christian pop rock band Newsboys, released in 2003. Unlike the band's previous albums, ''Adoration'' is a solely worship-oriented album (as the subtitle implies), deviating from th ...

*2004:

BarlowGirl BarlowGirl was an American Christian rock and CCM all-female band from Elgin, Illinois. The band was composed of sisters Alyssa (lead vocals, bass guitar, keyboards), Lauren (co-lead vocals, drums) and Rebecca (guitar, backing vocals) Barlow. ...

– Never Alone *2005:

Jeremy Camp Jeremy Thomas Camp (born January 12, 1978) is an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter from Lafayette, Indiana. He has released eleven albums, four of them RIAA-certified as Gold, and two live albums. Camp's original music ...

–

Take You Back "Take You Back" is a song written and performed by Christian singer-songwriter Jeremy Camp. The song was the first radio single released in promotion of his third studio album, ''Restored''. The single reached the No. 1 position on the ''Billboa ...

*2006:

– I Need You to Love Me2006 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs

R&R magazine ''R&R'' (also known as the "new" '' Radio & Records'') was a weekly music trade publication that followed the radio industry and tracked the monitoring of current songs by format, station and audience cumes. The magazine was a sister publication ...

, Retrieved January 5, 2007 *2007:

Skillet A frying pan, frypan, or skillet is a flat-bottomed pan used for frying, searing, and browning foods. It is typically in diameter with relatively low sides that flare outwards, a long handle, and no lid. Larger pans may have a small grab ha ...

– The Last Night2007 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs

, Retrieved January 4, 2008 *2008:

The Afters The Afters is an American Christian pop rock band founded by Joshua Havens and Matt Fuqua. Havens and Fuqua first worked together in a Starbucks coffee shop in Mesquite, Texas, where they performed songs for customers, before deciding to form a ...

–

Never Going Back to OK ''Never Going Back to OK'' is the second album by Christian rock group The Afters, released on February 26, 2008. The first single from the album is the title track, "Never Going Back to OK". The track has been released as a streaming file on ...

2008 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs
,

, Retrieved January 6, 2009 *2009:

Matthew West Matthew Joseph West (born April 25, 1977) is an American contemporary Christian musician, singer-songwriter, and actor. He has released five studio albums and is known for his songs " More", "You Are Everything", and " The Motions". He was nom ...

– The Motions2009 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs

, Retrieved January 5, 2010 *2010:

– Born Again2010 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs

, Retrieved January 4, 2011 *2011:

Jamie Grace Jamie Grace Harper (born November 25, 1991) is an American contemporary Christian musician, singer, rapper, and songwriter from Atlanta, Georgia. In 2010, TobyMac found her songs on YouTube and signed her to his label Gotee Records for two alb ...

featuring

TobyMac Toby McKeehan (born Kevin Michael McKeehan; October 22, 1964), better known by his stage name TobyMac (styled tobyMac or TOBYMAC), is an American contemporary Christian music singer, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He was first known ...

– Hold Me2011 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs

, Retrieved January 3, 2012 *2012:

– Me Without You2012 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs

, Retrieved January 1, 2013 *2013:

Hawk Nelson Hawk Nelson is a Canadian rock band from Peterborough, Ontario. Formed in 2000, the band has released eight studio albums to date. History Early independent releases (2000–2003) In 2000, Dunn, Clark, and Paige founded a Peterborough-based gr ...

featuring

Bart Millard Bart Marshall Millard (born December 1, 1972) is an American singer and songwriter who is best known as the leader of the band MercyMe. He has also released two solo albums: '' Hymned, No. 1'', in 2005 and '' Hymned Again'' in 2008. He received a ...

from

MercyMe MercyMe is an American contemporary Christian music band founded in Edmond, Oklahoma. The band consists of lead vocalist Bart Millard, percussionist Robby Shaffer, bassist Nathan Cochran and guitarists Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul. The b ...

– Words2013 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs

, Retrieved January 7, 2014 *2014: for KING & COUNTRY – Fix My Eyes2014 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs

, Retrieved January 6, 2015 *2015:

NEEDTOBREATHE Needtobreathe (stylized as NEEDTOBREATHE) is an American rock band from Seneca, South Carolina. The band is composed of Bear Rinehart (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Seth Bolt (backing vocals, bass), Josh Lovelace (backing vocals, keys), Randall ...

featuring Gavin DeGraw –

Brother A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...

2015 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs

, Retrieved January 8, 2016 *2016: for KING & COUNTRY – Priceless2016 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs

, Retrieved January 7, 2017 *2017:

featuring

Lauren Daigle Lauren Ashley Daigle () (born September 9, 1991) is an American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter. After being signed to the label Centricity Music, she released her debut album, '' How Can It Be,'' in 2015. It reached No. 1 on ...

– Hard Love2017 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs

, Retrieved January 8, 2018 *2018:

Tauren Wells Tauren Gabriel Wells is an American singer, songwriter, and multi instrumentalist from Houston, Texas who is known for making contemporary Christian music. Biography Wells was a founding member of Royal Tailor along with DJ Cox and Blake Hubb ...

– Known2018 Year End Charts/Weekend 22
Podbean, Retrieved January 2, 2019 *2019: for KING & COUNTRY –

God Only Knows "God Only Knows" is a song by American rock band the Beach Boys from their 1966 album '' Pet Sounds''. Written by Brian Wilson and Tony Asher, it is a Baroque-style love song distinguished for its harmonic innovation and its subversion of typi ...

2019 Year End Charts/Top Christian CHR songs

, Retrieved December 26, 2019 *2020: for KING & COUNTRY – Burn the ShipsIn 2020, ''Billboard'' did not publish an official Christian CHR year-end list. The countdown was instead based on data gathered by the producers of ''Weekend 22''. *2021:

– Help Is on the Way (Maybe Midnight)2021 Year End Charts/Weekend 22
Podbean, Retrieved January 7, 2022

Expansion into Christian adult contemporary charts

In 2003, Amped Creative added a second countdown show. With Christian pop radio in decline, and many ''Weekend 22'' affiliates having a

Christian adult contemporary Christian adult contemporary, also known as Christian AC or CAC, is a radio format. In the United States, Christian adult contemporary radio stations cater to a mostly adult audience and are similar to mainstream adult contemporary stations in tha ...

format, Amped Creative launched ''Weekend Top 25'' in November 2003, as a two-hour, 25-song countdown (reduced to 20 in June 2006), using the ''Radio & Records'' Christian AC chart, eventually switched to the ''Billboard'' Christian AC chart after R&R folded into that magazine. Lisa Williams started out as the host in November 2003. Scott Smith took over as host sometime in 2005. The current host, Kurt Wallace, took over sometime in 2007. As on the parent program, ''Weekend Top 20'' concludes its years with an annual special featuring the top hits of the year. It featured a twenty-five song countdown from 2003 to 2005, reduced to twenty beginning in 2006. The songs that finished the year atop the charts are as follows: *2003:

–

Word of God Speak "Word of God Speak" is a song by Christian rock band MercyMe. Written by Bart Millard and Pete Kipley, "Word of God Speak" uses sparse instrumentation, featuring only piano and strings to accompany Millard's vocals. The lyrics to "Word of God S ...

*2004:

–

More More or Mores may refer to: Computing * MORE (application), outline software for Mac OS * more (command), a shell command * MORE protocol, a routing protocol * Missouri Research and Education Network Music Albums * ''More!'' (album), by Booka S ...

*2005:

–

*2006:

Aaron Shust Aaron Michael Shust (born October 31, 1975) is an American contemporary Christian music artist formerly on the Brash Music and Centricity Music labels, and now on his own label. Shust was named the Songwriter of the Year at the GMA Dove Awards o ...

– My Savior My God2006 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs

, Retrieved January 5, 2007 *2007:

Rush of Fools Rush of Fools is an American Christian rock/ contemporary Christian music band from Birmingham, Alabama. They are known for their 2007 hit single " Undo", co-written with producer Scott Davis, which was the most played song of 2007 on Adult Co ...

– Undo2007 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs

, Retrieved January 4, 2008 *2008:

–

You Are Everything "You Are Everything" is a soul song written by Thom Bell and Linda Creed and originally recorded by the Philadelphia soul group The Stylistics. The Stylistics version An R&B ballad, it was the sixth track from their 1971 debut self-titled albu ...

2008 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs
,

, Retrieved January 6, 2009 *2009:

– The Motions2009 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs
,

, Retrieved January 5, 2010 *2010:

– All of Creation2010 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs

, Retrieved January 4, 2011 *2011:

Casting Crowns Casting Crowns is a contemporary Christian and Christian rock band started in 1999 by youth pastor Mark Hall, who serves as the band's lead vocalist, as part of a youth group at First Baptist Church in Downtown Daytona Beach, Florida. They later ...

–

Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me) "Glorious Day (Living He Loved Me)" is a song performed by contemporary Christian band Casting Crowns from their 2009 album '' Until the Whole World Hears''. While the music was composed by the band, the lyrics come from the hymn "One Day", writt ...

2011 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs

, Retrieved January 3, 2012 *2012:

Building 429 Building 429 is an American Christian rock band from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Their name is derived from a Biblical passage known as Ephesians 4:29, which, in the New International Version of the Bible, reads as follows: "Do not let any u ...

– Where I Belong2012 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs

, Retrieved January 2, 2013 *2013:

Chris Tomlin Christopher Dwayne Tomlin (born May 4, 1972) is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, and worship leader from Grand Saline, Texas, United States, who has sold over 7 million records. He is a member of Passion Conferences ...

– Whom Shall I Fear od of Angel Armiesref name=BB2013CA
2013 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs

, Retrieved January 1, 2013 *2014:

Phil Wickham Philip David Wickham (born April 5, 1984) is a Contemporary Christian musician, singer and songwriter from San Diego, California. Wickham has released nine albums: ''Give You My World'' in 2003, a self-titled album in 2006, ''Cannons'' in 2007 ...

–

This Is Amazing Grace "This Is Amazing Grace" is the lead single on Phil Wickham's fifth studio album '' The Ascension''. It was released on August 6, 2013, by Fair Trade Services, and it was written by Wickham, Josh Farro and Jeremy Riddle, and produced by Pete Kiple ...

2014 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs

, Retrieved January 6, 2015 *2015:

Third Day Third Day was a Christian rock band formed in Marietta, Georgia during the 1990s. The band was founded by lead singer Mac Powell, guitarist Mark Lee (both of whom were the only constant members) and Billy Wilkins. Drummer David Carr was the ...

featuring All Sons & Daughters – Soul on Fire2015 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs

, Retrieved January 8, 2016 *2016:

– Trust in You2016 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs

, Retrieved January 7, 2017 *2017:

– Even If2017 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs

, Retrieved January 8, 2018 *2018:

Cory Asbury Cory Hunter Asbury is an American Christian musician, worship pastor, songwriter, and former member of the Bethel Music collective. Starting as an intern with the International House of Prayer in Kansas City, Missouri, in 2005, Asbury's career as ...

–

Reckless Love Reckless Love is a Finnish rock band formed in Kuopio in 2001. They released their debut album in 2010, which reached number 13 in the Finnish charts. In 2011, they released their second album ''Animal Attraction'', which was in the top 10 of t ...

2018 Year End Charts/Weekend Top 20
Podbean, Retrieved January 2, 2019 *2019: for KING & COUNTRY –

2019 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs

, Retrieved December 26, 2019 *2020:

–

The Father's House "The Father's House" is a song performed by American contemporary worship musician Cory Asbury, which was released as the lead single to Asbury's third studio album, '' To Love a Fool'', on January 24, 2020. Asbury collaborated with Ethan Hulse ...

2020 Year End Charts/Top Christian AC songs
Billboard, Retrieved December 30, 2020 *2021:

David Crowder David Wallace Crowder (born November 29, 1971), known professionally by his mononymous stage name Crowder since 2012, is an American contemporary Christian music singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and author. He was the lead singer in ...

– Good God Almighty2021 Year End Charts/Weekend Top 20
Podbean, Retrieved January 7, 2022

References

External links

*{{Official website, www.weekend22.com Christian rock radio programs American music radio programs American Christian radio programs American record charts Music chart shows 2002 radio programme debuts