Switchfoot followed up huge years in 2003 and 2004 with a highly-anticipated 2005 release. Nothing Is Sound became the highest chart debut for a Christian record in history (Debuting at #3 on the Billboard Top 200, besting dc Talk's 1998 release, Supernatural, by one position). And the lead single, Stars, was impressive on radio nationwide. The single debuted on the Top 25 on July 21, but did so quietly, closing out the week's list in the #25 position. The single was consistently quiet throughout it's run on the chart, never charting better than #6. But it did manage to spend 18 weeks on the Top 25, and, though quiet, it was a consistent run that allowed Stars to become one of 2005's most successful singles.
9. A Real Fine Place To Start by Sara Evans
Sara Evans has become one of the Top 25's most popular artists. The release of Real Fine Place solidified her as one of country's finest. And the lead single, A Real Fine Place To Start, proved to be one of country's most infectious songs in 2005. The pop/country stylings in the music mixed with solid vocals and topped off with Sara's superb vocals easily created one of 2005's top singles. A Real Fine Place To Start debuted on the Top 25 on May 12 at #16. The single wasted no time, moving up the chart to the #1 spot in just it's fifth week. It would spend a total of four weeks in the #1 position, just under one quarter of it's 17-week run on the Top 25. To sum it up, A Real Fine Place To Start was, well, a real fine place to start Sara's new disc.
8. Come A Little Closer by Dierks Bentley
Dierks Bentley pulled off a feat in 2005 that is truly a rare occurence. He found a way to get Come A Little Closer to #1 for four weeks...with two weeks in between. Rarely can a single drop from the top of the chart and return to the top again, but Dierks found a way with this single. It debuted on the Top 25 on August 4 at #25. It took the long road up the chart, but eventually went to #1 in it's 11th week on the chart. After two weeks, it slid to the #2 spot, but would return to #1 two weeks later for another two weeks at #1. Come A Little Closer has currently spent 19 weeks on the Top 25, and is continuing to chart entering 2006. And, impressively enough, this was not even Dierks' top single in 2005, meaning that Dierks managed to get two singles into the Top 10 in 2005, certainly an impressive feat.
7. Bless The Lord by Shaun Groves
Shaun Groves took a risk in 2005. His debut disc, Invitation To Eavesdrop, had done well in record stores and the singles did well on radio stations nationwide. However, the follow-up disc, Twighlight, did not fare as well in either realm, leaving people to wonder whether Shaun was just a one-hit wonder. The risk he took with his third disc, White Flag, was that he not only created a themed disc, but using The Beatitudes, one small part of Jesus' Sermon On The Mount, as the theme. However, the risk paid off, with White Flag becoming one of 2005's top discs. And the lead single followed suit. Bless The Lord debuted on the Top 25 on April 28 at #15. It would spend 18 weeks on the Top 25 in all, including two weeks at #1. Bless The Lord showed a simple ability to write excellent songs, and it paid off for Shaun Groves in 2005.
6. (The Symphony Of) Blase' by Anberlin
Anberlin's third and final appearance on the Top 50 this year was, like the other two, an impressive single. (The Symphony Of) Blase' debuted on the Top 25 on July 28 at #18. Along with A Day Late, Anberlin had a deadly one-two punch in these two singles, which went up and down the chart at the same time. (The Symphony Of) Blase' peaked at #1 and spent a total of 15 weeks on the Top 25. Anberlin was arguably 2005's top band, with three singles charting not only in the Top 50, but in the Top 25 of 2005. And (The Symphony Of) Blase' by Anberlin leads the way, finishing the year just outside of the Top 5.
#50-#41 #20-#16
#40-#31 #15-#11
#30-#26 #10-#6
#25-#21 #5-#2
#1