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Signed to a record company at the age of sixteen, Grant's first, self-titled album (largely self-composed) in 1977, was a runaway success in terms of the Christian music market of the time. As an English major at Vanderbilt University, Grant made a few more albums before dropping out of college to pursue a career in music. These albums included 1979's ''My Father's Eyes'' (the title track written by Grant's future first husband, singer-songwriter Gary Chapman) and ''Never Alone'' in 1980.The year 1982 marked a turning point in both Grant's career and personal life. After marrying Chapman in June, her album ''Age to Age'' forced critics to sit up and take notice. The breakthrough album contained the now signature track, "El Shaddai" and the Grant-Chapman penned song, "In A Little While." She was now a star. Grant received her first Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Gospel Performance, as well two Dove Awards for Gospel Artist of the Year and Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year.Grant followed up this album with the first of her Christmas albums - albums that later would be the basis for her trademark holiday shows. 1984 saw the release of another pop-oriented Christian hit, ''Straight Ahead,'' earning Grant her first appearance at the Grammy Awards show.Hardly had Grant established herself as the "Queen of Christian Pop", however, when she changed directions to widen her fan base (and hence her musical message). Her goal was to become the first Christian singer-songwriter who was also successful as a contemporary pop singer, being successful in both genres. 1985's ''Unguarded'' shocked some fans for its very mainstream sound (and Grant's leopard-print jacket, in four poses for four different covers). "Find a Way," from ''Unguarded'', became the first Christian song to hit Billboard's Top 40 list, also reaching #7 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Amy Grant scored her first Billboard Number One hit in 1986 with "The Next Time I Fall", a breezy duet with former Chicago singer/bassist Peter Cetera.1988's ''Lead Me On'', released after Grant had become a mother and undergone considerable strain in her marriage, is considered her most mature album, both lyrically and musically. This album, too, contained many songs that were still about Christianity and love relationships, but some interpreted it as not being an obviously "Christian" record; though the album's title track is now considered a CCM classic. This song talks about intense sufferings among people through racism, and that the comfort they seek, as their lives are threatened, is in their relationships with God. The track "1974" is clearly about young people experiencing the salvation of Christ for the first time; as the lyrics state, "Quite a change, somewhere we had crossed a big line, down upon our knees we had tasted Holy wine and nothing could sway us in lifetime." The mainstream song, "Saved by Love", was a minor hit, receiving airplay on radio stations featuring newly emerging Adult Contemporary format. It gives a message of great love for family, affected by her greatest love for Jesus. "Faithless Heart" is an honest, heartfelt song about resisting inner temptations of infidelity. "What About The Love?" talks about the absence of faith in certain worldly things and the importance of resisting judgment of others. Other songs included were engaging love songs, including "If These Walls Could Speak," which, like "Saved By Love," includes a message about love of family and children. This was a deeply introspective album that she dedicated to one of her children, so that they could understand her at that time in her life. The album's fiery title song received some Top 40 airplay (including on WCZY-FM in Detroit) and crossed over to #96 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "1974 (We Were Young)" and "Saved By Love" also charted AC.

Nevertheless, when ''Heart in Motion'' was released three years later, many fans were shocked and outraged that the album was so clearly one of contemporary pop music. The track "Baby Baby" (written for Grant's newborn daughter, Millie), however, became a massive hit (hitting number 1 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 pop chart), and Grant was established as a name in the mainstream music world. "Baby Baby" received Grammy nominations for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Record and Song of the Year (although it failed to win in any of those categories). Four other hits from the album made the pop top 20: "Every Heartbeat" (#2), "That's What Love Is For" (#7), "Good For Me" (#8), and "I Will Remember You" (#20). On the AC chart, all five songs were top 10 hits with two of the five ("Baby Baby" and "That's What Love Is For") making it all the way to #1. Many Christian fans remained loyal, though, as the album also topped the Billboard's Contemporary Christian Chart for 32 weeks. ''Heart in Motion'' is her best-selling album, having sold over 5 million copies. Tracks like "Hope Set High" and "Ask Me" (the tale of an abused child who, as a grown woman, comes to terms with her past through her faith in God) were songs with clear religious messages. Amy Grant