Christian alternative music is form of religious music where the focus remains largely on the artistic expression of music, but from a Christian (often Protestant) perspective. This contrasts with mainstream Contemporary Christian music (CCM) in that CCM is often viewed as a tool for ministry, where the art of the music is not as important. Some of these bands border on the style of the Christian metal genre.

Christian alternative music has its roots in the early 1980s, as the earliest efforts at Christian punk and new wave music were recorded by artists like Daniel Amos,Andy McCarroll and Moral Support,Undercover, The 77s, Adam Again, Quickflight, Youth Choir (later renamed The Choir), Lifesavers Underground, The Altar Boys, Steve Taylor,David Edwards and Vector. By the 1990s, many of these bands were forced to go independent because their music had been largely rejected by the mainstream Christian music industry and Christian radio, since their songs tended to be more lyrically complex, and often more controversial, than the typical CCM song.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Christian alternative music was dominated by artists like Jars of Clay, Newsboys, Audio Adrenaline, and MxPx.