There isn’t much I could say about Christian music legend Michael W. Smith that hasn’t already been said, so my comments will be short and largely personal. Suffice to say, he’s an icon and Christian music and the industry largely is what it is today due to his decades long influence.
Smith was my very first favorite artist, quickly to be joined by contemporary Steven Curtis Chapman. Michael’s album Go West Young Man was my first exposer to his music, and Change Your World was the first (or one of the first my memory gets foggier by the year) cds I bought with my own money. I grew up with him as a foundational artist shaping my pop taste, and though I check in on his newer stuff, I typically prefer his 80s and 90s era catalogue. They are the decades and songs I return to most and will have the largest representation on this Top 20 list.
So, without any further commentary, here we go…The Top 20 Songs of 20 Artists: Michael W. Smith edition!
20. “You Are The Lord” – Worship Again (2002)
19. “Friends” – Change Your World (1992)
18. “I Am Sure” – MWS 2 (1984)
17. “I Will Be Here For You” – Change Your World (1992)
16. “Crown Him With Many Crowns” – I’ll Lead You Home (1995)
15. “Carol Ann” – Freedom (2000)
14. “Go West Young Man” – Go West Young Man (1990)
13. “You Need A Savior” – MWS Project (1983)
12. “Could He Be The Messiah” – MWS Project (1983)
11. “Hand of Providence” – I 2 Eye (1988)
10. “Great is the Lord” – MWS Project (1983)
9. “Angus Dei” – Go West Young Man (1990)
8. “Picture Perfect” – Change Your World (1992)
7. “Place In This World” – Go West Young Man (1990)
6. “Live the Life” – Live The Life (1997)
5. “For You” – Go West Young Man (1990)
4. “Old Enough to Know” – The Big Picture (1986)
3. “Rocketown” – The Big Picture (1986)
2. “Missing Person” – Live The Life (1997)
1. “Secret Ambition” – I 2 Eye (1988)
How about you, what are your favorite Smitty songs! Let me know in the comments!
Happy listening friends! – Josh
joshbalogh 
Love the love for Smitty – my absolute favourite artist of all time.
I love the 90s the best, but I thought the front half of Sovereign was excellent, and A Million Lights was the album I’ve waited for since Live the Life.
Top 20 songs:
20. Hey You, It’s Me – This is Your Time
19. Here I Am – Healing Rain
18. Let Me Show You the Way – LTL
17. Love Always Wins – Million Lights
16. Rocketown – Big Picture
15. Crashing Waves – A Million Lights
14. He Will Never End – single
13. For You – Go West
12. Cross of Gold – Change Your World
11. Healing Rain – Healing Rain
10. I Will Be Here For You – Change Your World
9. Place in This World – Go West
8. Live the Life- Live the Life
7. This is Your Time – TIYT
6. Cry for Love – I’ll Lead You Home
5. Picture Perfect – Change Your World
4. I’ll Lead You Home- ILYH
3. Secret Ambition i2 eye
2. Sky Spills Over – Sovereign
1. Missing Person – Live the life
Top 5 Albums:
5. Go West Young Man
4. A Million Lights (seriously)
3. I’ll Lead You Home
2. Change Your World
1. Live the life
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20. Hand of Providence (i2eye)
19. Cross Of Gold (change your world)
18. Do you dream of me? (First decade)
17. Somewhere somehow (Change your world)
16. Emily (go west young man)
15. Out of this world (change your world)
14. Kentucky Rose (first decade)
13. I will be here for you (change your world)
12. I’ll lead you home (I’ll lead you home)
11. Picture Perfect (Change your world)
10. Go West Young Man (GWYM)
9. Friends (change your world)
8. Live and Learn (I2eye)
7. Somebody Love Me (change your world)
6. This is your time (This is your time)
5. Missing Person (live the life)
4. Cry For Love (I’ll lead you home)
3. Pray for me (i2eye)
2. Secret Ambition (i2eye)
1. Place in this world (GWYM).
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Like you Josh I lean toward the 80s/90s smitty. His last great album was Live the Life but had some great tunes after that. Heres my chosing…
20. Let me show you the way (Live the life)
19. I miss the way (i2eye)
18. Cross my heart (GWYM)
17. Somewhere somehow (Change your world)
16. I know you name (Live the life)
15. Lamu (Big Picture)
14. You wont let go (Soverign)
13. Do you dream of me? (First decade)
12. I know (Live set)
11. Picture Perfect (Change your world)
10. Agnus Dei (GWYM)
9. Friends (Project)
8. The other side (I2eye)
7. Old enough to know (Big Picture)
6. Worth it all (This is your time)
5. Secret Ambition (i2eye)
4. Away (2)
3. Pray for me (i2eye)
2. Missing person (Live the life)
1. Place in this world (GWYM).
So I raise you one…. 5 best Smitty Albums?
5. Go west young man
4. Change your world
3. Big Picture.
2. i2eye
1. Live the life.
Tell me how wrong I am lol.
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You lean ballad I see! Nothing wrong with that. My Smitty top 5 album rank would look like this:
5. MWS Project
4. I’ll Lead You Home
3. Live the Life
2. Change Your World
1. Go West Young Man
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Missing Person is finally getting its due! I remember walking into our extended family Christmas gathering hosted by my aunt, who at times was hard-drinking and hard-living. Blasting on the late 90’s Aiwa mini stereo?
Missing Person by MWS.
It’s 22 years later and I’m still in shock.
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This list is truly solid. My only must adds would be “Healing Rain” and “Cross of Gold”. But the important thing is “Secret Ambition” is the runaway #1.
Here’s my contribution:
Top 20 Smitty Deep Cuts
20. Anything from the movie The Second Chance
I’m still surprised this movie was so unsuccessful. Incredibly flawed, but Whitney Houston made terrible movies that sold tickets based on the soundtrack alone. What? MWS isn’t Whitney? OK, fine.
19. “Do You Dream of Me” – The First Decade
18. “Hello, Goodbye” – Live the Life
SCC had the incredible deep cut “With Hope” from Speechless. This is MWS’s song of the same concept. 1 year earlier and maybe even more heartbreaking.
17. “You’re Alright” – The Big Picture
But we all know the best version of this rocker is on the impossible to find The Live Set.
16. “Restless Heart” – II
Amy.
15. “Hey You – It’s Me” – This Is Your Time
Did you know TIYT is just the B sides of Live the Life? Back then I wondered why 2 very similar albums were released so close together.
14. “There She Stands” – Worship Again
Ever the patriot, Smitty still does this one live sometimes.
13. “We Can’t Wait Any Longer” – Healing Rain
This was me takes a while to completely crush your heart to powder. Thanks for that, MWS.
12. “Cross My Heart” – Go West
You thought “For You” was the best live song on GWYM? Wrong. Dead wrong.
11. “How To Say Goodbye” – Stand
My daughter is little and I’m pre-weeping over this thing.
10. “Whitaker’s Wonder” – Glory
Obviously a John Williams inspired holiday instrumental.
9. “Hey Love” – A Million Lights
I know: 2018 Smitty don’t count. Then I heard this track…
8. “Hang On” – Healing Rain
Admittedly, The Second Chance remix is the best version of this, but I blew my chance on #20! Listen anyhow.
7. “Lamu” – The Big Picture
Remember that time you were running from God by taking a pleasure cruise off the coast of East Africa? Smitty does and he’s fixin to tell you bout it.
6. Reve du Noel – Our Christmas
AKA “Sing We Now / Emmanuel”. It took me years to find this thing on Spotify! Various Artists albums and SMH.
5. “Fly To the Moon” – Healing Rain
This album is king when it come to deep cuts. 1 hit but whole album is really underrated, including this mind-bending piece of rhythmic, piano-based pop.
4. “Lead Me On” – 20th Anniversary DVD
This is an Amy Grant song, but it was the genius of MWS that made it what it is. Seeing AG walk out and do this song made for an incredible live moment.
3. “How Long Will Be Too Long” – Go West
Is this even a deep cut? It’s starting lineup as far as I care.
2. “Hibernia” – Freedom
Another unreal soundscape from this album.
1. “Wired For Sound” – The Big Picture
I have a thing for the MWS that tells weird stories with bizarre lyrics. Really, this guy should have been 3 different artists with separate monikers. His talent is just that spread out.
I’m probably making this into a Spotify playlist posthaste.
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Nice! I’d listen to that playlist!
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And here it is:
(No idea if that automatically hyperlinks.)
I found out that “How Long Will Be Too Long” was indeed a radio single, so it’s been replaced by the equally gospel-tinged “Crown Him With Many Crowns” featuring Anointed from I’ll Lead You Home. “Lead Me On” is represented by the two-track version featuring MWS on keys from the Lead Me On 20th Anniversary Edition.
Wow. This post really got me rolling. Thanks for the inspiration!
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