Hillsong United (stylised as Hillsong UNITED or UNITED) was a contemporary worship collective originating from Hillsong Church. Since forming in 1998 out of the church's youth ministry, the group has released fifteen live albums and six studio albums.
Band members are involved in Hillsong Church services and also play for the church. The band has toured in a number of countries, leading worship in various places and has an international influence.Tom Wagner, Anna Nekola "Congregational Music-Making and Community in a Mediated Age", Ashgate Publishing, 2015, page 170
History
Originally called United Live, Hillsong United was formed in 1998, originating from the youth ministry of Hillsong Church called Powerhouse Youth. The band released their first live album Everyday after Darlene Zschech—the worship pastor of the church—suggested for them to record their own CDs. Mentored by Zschech in their early years, the band was first led by Reuben Morgan. Joel Houston and Marty Sampson took over the leadership in 2002. The official UNITED logo was designed by drummer Luke Munns in 2002 for To the Ends of the Earth.
After several live albums in the 2000s, Hillsong United released their first full studio album All of the Above in 2007.
The band released their third studio album Zion in February 2013. The album debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and topped Billboards Top Christian Albums. The album features "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)", which has been certified 4× Platinum in the U.S. and was awarded Top Christian Song at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards.
In 2014, Hillsong United was nominated for and won five GMA Dove Awards, including Song of the Year for "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)". The band also received its first ever American Music Awards nomination that year, for Favorite Artist – Contemporary Inspirational, but did not win. 2015 saw the band nominated for a second consecutive year in the same category at the 43rd edition of the show. It was also nominated for the first time at that year's Billboard Music Awards in the Top Christian Artist and Top Christian Song categories; it won the former. The band was nominated again at the 2016 Billboard Music Awards, and garnered four nods across all three Christian categories, winning its second consecutive Top Christian Artist award, and its first for Top Christian Song with "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)". The band won two Dove Awards, including Worship Album of the Year, for its fourth studio album Empires, at the 47th Gospel Music Awards held that October. In 2018, the band received four nominations at the 49th GMA Dove Awards including one for Artist of the Year—it won Recorded Worship Song of the Year for its single "So Will I (100 Billion X)". (Note: Tap the "+" next to Cat 1, Cat 2, Cat 8 and Cat 20 to view each of the 4 nominations.) (Note: Tap "Next" at the bottom of the page to view second page of winners and scroll to the last category listed for Worship Song of the Year (Category 20) winner.)
Final lineup Joel Houston – worship leader, guitars, keyboards, percussion, bass Jonathon "JD" Douglass – worship leader, percussion, keyboards Jad Gillies – worship leader, guitars, percussion Matt Crocker – worship leader, guitars, percussion Michael Guy Chislett – guitars, keyboards, music director, producer Dylan Thomas – guitars, keyboards, music director Benjamin "Ben" Tennikoff – keyboard, programming, sampler Jihea Oh – bass guitar Dan McMurray – drums, percussion Jeriana Baptiste – worship leader Tahisha Hunt – worship leader
Former members of the band are:Live in Miami album booklet. "Hillsong United is Matt Crocker, Adam Crosariol, Jonathon Douglass, Jad Gillies, Joel Houston, Peter James, Timon Klein, Simon Kobler, Hayley Law, Jill McCloghry, Dylan Thomas."Zion album booklet. "Hillsong United is Joel Houston, Jad Gillies, Matt Crocker, Jonathon Douglass, Timon Klein, SImon Kobler, Dylan Thomas, Peter James, Adam Crosariol." Reuben Morgan – worship leader, guitars Marty Sampson – worship leader, guitars Brooke Fraser – worship leader, guitars Taya Gaukrodger – worship leader Benjamin William Hastings – worship leader, guitars, keyboards Raymond Badham – guitars Marcus Beaumont – guitars Nigel Hendroff – guitars Nathan Taylor – guitars Timon Klein – guitars Matt Tennikoff – bass guitar Adam Crosariol – bass guitar Simon Kobler – drums, percussion Brandon Gillies – drums, percussion Gabriel Kelly – drums, percussion Rolf Wam Fjell – drums, percussion Luke Munns – drums, percussion David George – piano, keyboards, synthesizer Peter James – piano, keyboards, synthesizer Kevin Lee – piano, keyboards, synthesizer Peter King – piano, keyboards, synthesizer Dave Ware – worship leader Tulele Faletolu – worship leader Annie Garratt – worship leader Sam Knock – worship leader Holly Dawson – worship leader Jill McCloghry – guitar, vocals Michelle Fragar – worship leaderTimeline'''
Discography Studio albums + List of albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positionsCertificationsAUSCANNLDNORNZSCTUKUS All of the AboveReleased: 17 March 2007 (AUS) Label: Hillsong Music Australia 6 — — — 13 — — 60 AftermathReleased: 15 February 2011 Label: Hillsong Music Australia, EMI 4 — — — 12 — —17 ZionReleased: 22 February 2013 (AUS) Label: Hillsong Music Australia, EMI 1 16 39 5 8 60 55 5 ARIA: Gold RIAA: Gold EmpiresReleased: 26 May 2015 (AUS) Label: Hillsong Music Australia, Capitol CMG 1 4 12 7 7 39 34 5 Wonder Released: 9 June 2017 Label: Hillsong Music Australia, Capitol CMG 4 39 91 37 19 — — 21 Are We There Yet? Released: 29 April 2022 Label: Hillsong Music Australia, Capitol CMG — — — — — — — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory
Live albums + List of albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positionsAUSNZNLDUSUSChrist. EverydayReleased: November 1999 Label: Hillsong Music Australia — — — — — Best FriendReleased: 20 November 2000 Label: Hillsong Music Australia — — — — — King of MajestyReleased: 15 October 2001 Label: Hillsong Music Australia — — — — — To the Ends of the EarthReleased: 21 November 2002 Label: Hillsong Music Australia — — — — — More Than LifeReleased: 23 March 2004 Label: Hillsong Music Australia — — — — — Look to YouReleased: 28 February 2005 Label: Hillsong Music Australia 30 — — — 33 United We StandReleased: 11 March 2006 Label: Hillsong Music Australia 28 23 — 162 11 Unidos PermanecemosReleased: 2007 Label: Hillsong Music Australia — — — — — The I Heart Revolution: With Hearts as OneReleased: 8 March 2008 Label: Hillsong Music Australia 8 22 — 117 5 [a_CROSS // the_EARTH]Released: 9 May 2009 (AUS) Label: Hillsong Music Australia 22 21 — 21 1 Live in Miami: Welcome to the AftermathReleased: 14 February 2012 Label: Hillsong Music Australia/Capitol CMG 22 — — 71 1 Zion Acoustic SessionsReleased: 29 October 2013 Label: Hillsong Music Australia/Capitol CMG — — — 88 4 Of Dirt and Grace: Live from the LandReleased: 15 July 2016 (AUS) Label: Hillsong Music Australia/Capitol CMG 8 — 80 40 2 PeopleReleased: 26 April 2019 Label: Hillsong Music Australia/Capitol CMG Formats: CD, LP, digital download 6 22 — 2 1 The People Tour: Live from Madison Square GardenReleased: 29 January 2021 Label: Hillsong Music Australia/Capitol CMG Formats: CD, digital download — — — — 11 "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory
Soundtrack albums
+ List of albums, with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positionsAUSUS Christ. Hillsong: Let Hope Rise – Original Motion Picture SoundtrackReleased: 12 August 2016 (AUS) Label: Hillsong Music Australia, Capitol 94 6
Others + List of other releases (EPs, remix albums), with selected chart positions Title Album details Peak chart positionsAUSUSUSChrist.USDance One (EP)Released: 1998 — — — — In a Valley by the Sea (EP)Released: 2 October 2007 — — — — Oceans (EP)Released: 10 September 2013 Label: Hillsong Music Australia — — — — The White Album [remix project]Released: 4 March 2014 Label: Hillsong Music Australia, Sparrow 9 48 4 1 So Will I (100 Billion X) [EP] Released: 23 March 2018 Label: Hillsong Music Australia — — — — People - En Español (EP) Released: 8 November 2019 Label: Hillsong Music Australia — — — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory
Singles + List of albums, with selected chart positions Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications AlbumUSUSChrist.USChrist.Air.USChrist.Digital "Bones" 2011 — 35 35 Aftermath "Like an Avalanche" — 40 40 "Search My Heart" — 20 17 "Lead Me to the Cross" — — 48 RIAA: Gold RMNZ: Gold All of the Above "Scandal of Grace" 2013 — 25 21 Zion "From the Inside Out" — — — United We Stand "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" 83 1 1 RIAA: 4× Platinum BPI: Silver MC: 2× PlatinumGold & Platinum - Music Canada RMNZ: 2× Platinum Zion "Relentless" — 27 — 45 "Love Is War" 2014 — 38 — 50 "Touch the Sky" 2015 — 3 5 1 RIAA: Platinum RMNZ: Gold Empires "Say the Word" — 24 29 — "Even When It Hurts (Praise Song)" 2017 — 37 — — "Wonder" — 11 11 6 Wonder "So Will I (100 Billion X)" 2018 — 3 6 2 RIAA: Platinum RMNZ: Platinum "Not Today" — 40 10 — "Good Grace" — 11 16 4 People "Whole Heart (Hold Me Now)" 2019 — 14 — 3 "As You Find Me" — 22 — 7 "Another in the Fire" — 17 14 6 RIAA: Gold "Know You Will"2021 — 23 21 16 Are We There Yet? "Sure Thing" — 46 — — "On Repeat" 2022 — 34 — —
Other charted and certified songs + List of albums, with selected chart positions Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications AlbumJPNUSChrist. "Hosanna" 2007 — — RIAA: GoldAll of the Above "Stay Young" 2013 53 — "Prince of Peace" 2015 — 26 Empires "Heart Like Heaven" — 26 "Here Now (Madness)" — 31 "Captain" — 38 "Rule" — 40 "Empires" — 41 "When I Lost My Heart to You (Hallelujah)" — 43 "Street Called Mercy" — 45 "Closer Than You Know" — 47 "Heaven Knows" 2017 — 29 The Shack Soundtrack "Shadow Step" — 22 Wonder "Splinters and Stones" — 29 "Shape of Your Heart" — 35 "Glimmer In The Dust" — 40 "Future Marches In" — 43 "Greatest of These" — 49 "Highlands (Song of Ascent)" 2019 — 23 People "Ready or Not" — 27 "Clean" — 28 "Might Sound Wild" — 31 "Holy Ground" — 32 "Here's To The One" — 33 "Echoes (Til We See The Other Side)" — 36 "Starts and Ends" — 45 "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" (Live) 2021 — 37 The People Tour:Live from Madison Square Garden
Videography
2004: More Than Life (bonus DVD with album) 2005: Look to You (bonus DVD with album) 2006: United We Stand (bonus DVD with album) 2007: All of the Above (bonus DVD with album) 2008: The I Heart Revolution: With Hearts As One (Music DVD) 2010: The I Heart Revolution: We're All in This Together (Documentary DVD/Blu-ray) 2012: Live in Miami (Music DVD/Blu-ray) 2013: Zion Acoustic Sessions (Music DVD) 2016: Of Dirt and Grace: Live from the Land (Music DVD/Blu-ray)
A documentary, Hillsong: Let Hope Rise'', directed by Michael John Warren, chronicles the rise of the band, was originally supposed to be released by Warner Bros. during the 2015 Easter weekend. As Alcon Entertainment and Warner Bros. were unable to close a deal, the film was pulled out from Warner Bros' schedule. In March 2015, Relativity Media obtained the distribution rights and the film shifted to a 29 May release. In April, Relativity moved the film to 30 September 2015. However, Relativity Media filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in July and let go of the rights to the producers. PureFlix acquired the film and it was released on 16 September 2016.
Awards
As of 2020 the group has received 11 Dove Awards.Gospel Music Association, Past winners : Hillsong United, doveawards.com, USA, retrieved 5 December 2020
See also
Hillsong Young & Free Youth Alive Australia The I Heart Revolution: With Hearts as One
Notes
References