Old-School Easter

Easter means different things to different people. Maybe it conjures up images of colored baskets full of jelly beans and chocolate bunnies and marshmallow Peeps. Or it might spark unpleasant memories of being forced to don itchy, ruffled dresses and sit through family dinners with relatives whose names you can't remember. Hunting for dyed eggs. Creepy guys in rabbit costumes. Gorgeous white lilies. A pastel overdose.

Easter is all of those things.

It's also a religious holiday for nearly 2 billion Christians worldwide. Church services are packed, and "The Hallelujah Chorus" rings out. For the faithful, it's a day to commemorate the sacrifice Jesus made. And for 2,000 years, we've been trying to set our sentiments about that sacrifice to music. Everyone from U2 to Michael W. Smith to Phil Keaggy has attempted to capture a little piece of the faith journey in song. I've gathered some of my favorites here, focusing specifically on the '80s, the decade when the lines between pop and religious music began to blur. Happy listening, and happy Easter!

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