Three LDS artists took the cake this week on the "Classical Albums" Billboard chart when they landed the top three spots. Nathan Pacheco’s album Higher landed no. 1 followed by Lindsey Stirling’s album Brave Enough and The Piano Guys’ album Uncharted at the no. 2 and 3 spots, respectively.
This month, Pacheco released his album Higher—a collection of his favorite songs designed to help listeners reach higher, to feel a deeper spiritual connection, and to find peace.
And it appears his music is already inspiring and resonating with listeners. This week, Higher reached the no. 1 spot on three Billboard charts ("Classical Albums," "Classical Crossover Albums," and "Heatseekers Mountain") as well as hitting top rankings on eight other charts, including "Heatseekers Albums" (no. 3), "Top Christian Albums" (no. 16), and "Christian Album Sales" (no. 9).
Pacheco desires to uplift and inspire others through this album because music has often been a powerful source of inspiration in his own life.
Speaking of the time when his newborn son was born prematurely, Pacheco said, "During a day when my heart was particularly heavy, I was listening to the song 'Forever.' And when the song was at its climax, I lost it. I sat there completely bawling as I held him. The meaning of the song reached me to the core—that the Lord really had overcome all things. Even though I was bawling, I felt sustained by the most amazing peace— what I believe the scriptures describe as that peace that passes all understanding, meaning that even during times where it makes no sense whatsoever for us to feel peace, we can feel it. That's the peace that only the Lord can give."
Lindsey Stirling's album Brave Enough was released on August 19, 2016, and has spent an impressive six months on several Billboard charts, reaching no. 5 on the "U.S. Billboard 200," no. 1 on the "U.S. Top Classical Albums," no. 1 on the "U.S. Dance/Electronic Albums," no. 2 on the "U.S. Digital Albums," no. 2 on the "U.S. Independent Albums," and no. 1 on the "U.S. Top Internet Albums."
Stirling strives to keep her influence positive as she stays strong in the gospel despite being in an industry that can make that difficult. “I try to keep the commandments,” she says. “I strive to go to church even when I am on the road or on tour. I’m not perfect, but I really try. I live worthy of a temple recommend, and I strive to keep the gospel as a foundation for my life.”
The Piano Guys’ released their album Uncharted October 28, 2016, which includes the upbeat new song “Okay” written by hit-makers Andy Grammer and Dave Bassett. The band has played sold-out concerts around the world, accrued a massive social media following, topped the Billboard charts multiple times, and made over 50 music videos since 2011, including their breakout hit, an innovative multi-handed version of One Direction’s “What Makes You Beautiful,” and a gorgeous reinvention of the hit song “Let It Go” from Disney’s Frozen.
When asked how the Piano Guys stay true to their faith in the music industry, Jon Schmidt said during an LDS Face to Face event held in 2015, "We let them [the record company] know that the only way we would sign the record contract and enter into a relationship with them was if they would respect that we wanted to have control and we didn't want to do things that went against our standards or beliefs."
Then, he counseled the youth to set their standards early, before challenges come. That way, they will already know what they believe and what to do when problems do arise.
Steven Sharp Nelson added, "As you shine and as you really commit to those standards, people love it and respect it."
Lead image a from uptowntheatrenapa.com, metrolyrics.com, and deseretbook.com
For more powerful, uplifting music from Nathan Pacheco, check out his new CD, Higher.
Get more incredible music from Lindsey Stirling with her new album, Brave Enough.
Check out the brand new CD Uncharted and travel the world with The Piano Guys through their unprecedented style of music.