The discography of Michael W. Smith, an American contemporary Christian musician, consists of 15 studio albums and 80 singles as well as multiple holiday albums, compilation albums, instrumental albums, and video releases. Smith has sold over 18 million albums as of May 2018. He has recorded more top-ten albums on the Billboard Christian Albums chart (31) than any other artist, and his 16 No. 1 albums on the chart are second only to Amy Grant.
| Michael W. Smith discography | |
|---|---|
 Michael W. Smith performing in 2014 | |
| Studio albums | 15 |
| Live albums | 6 |
| Compilation albums | 3 |
| Video albums | 3as |
| Singles | 80 |
| Holiday albums | 4 |
| Instrumental albums | 2 |
| Box sets | 3 |
In 1982, Smith was hired as a keyboardist for Grant and began writing and performing on her albums as well as touring with her as an opening act at her concerts. His first album, Michael W. Smith Project (1983), charted at No. 9 on the Billboard Christian Albums chart and was his first album to be certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His next albums, Michael W. Smith 2 (1984) and The Big Picture (1986), also charted in the top ten, but attempts to market The Big Picture to mainstream audiences did not succeed. I 2 (EYE) (1988) became Smith's first No. 1 album on the Christian Albums chart and his second gold album, and seven of its singles reached the top ten on the CCM Update Christian radio charts.
Go West Young Man (1990) became Smith's first album to chart on the Billboard 200, and the singles "Place in This World" and "For You" peaked at Nos. 6 and 60 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified platinum by the RIAA and certified gold by Music Canada. Change Your World (1992) and I'll Lead You Home (1995) also received platinum certifications. "I Will Be Here for You", the lead single from Change Your World, topped the adult contemporary charts in the United States and Canada while charting at No. 8 in Canada and No. 27 on the Hot 100, and I'll Lead You Home was the first Christian album to debut in the top 20 on the Billboard 200.
Live the Life (1998), This Is Your Time (1999), and Healing Rain (2004) all received gold certifications; other gold-certified albums include the compilation album The First Decade (1983–1993) (1993), the holiday albums Christmas (1989) and Christmastime (1998), and the instrumental release Freedom (2000). Smith's live albums Worship (2001) and Worship Again (2002) have been certified double platinum and platinum, respectively, by the RIAA. His album Sovereign (2014) debuted at No. 10 on the Billboard 200, his highest career ranking on the chart. His most recent studio album, A Million Lights (2018), was released a week apart from his live album Surrounded (2018); both albums charted at No. 2 on the Christian Albums chart.
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Christ | ||||||||
| Michael W. Smith Project |
| — | 9 |
| |||||
| Michael W. Smith 2 |
| — | 4 | ||||||
| The Big Picture |
| — | 2 | ||||||
| i 2 (EYE) |
| — | 1 |
| |||||
| Go West Young Man |
| 74 | 1 |
| |||||
| Change Your World |
| 86 | 1 |
| |||||
| I'll Lead You Home |
| 16 | 1 |
| |||||
| Live the Life |
| 23 | 1 |
| |||||
| This Is Your Time |
| 21 | 1 |
| |||||
| Healing Rain |
| 11 | 1 |
| |||||
| Stand |
| 48 | 1 | ||||||
| Wonder |
| 26 | 2 | | |||||
| Sovereign |
| 10 | 1 | ||||||
| A Million Lights |
| — | 2 | ||||||
| Still, Vol. 1 |
| — | 42 | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Box sets
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ | US Holiday | ||||||||
| The Wonder Years | 30 | — | |||||||
| The Christmas Collection |
| 14 | 24 | ||||||
| The Ultimate Christmas Collection |
| 46 | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | |||||||||
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Christ | ||||||||
| The First Decade (1983–1993) | — | 1 |
| ||||||
| The Second Decade (1993–2003) |
| 38 | 1 | ||||||
| Decades of Worship |
| 99 | 5 | ||||||
| "—" denotes the album did not chart. | |||||||||
Holiday albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Christ | US Holiday | |||||||
| Christmas |
| — | 3 | — |
| ||||
| Christmastime |
| 90 | 5 | 4 |
| ||||
| It's a Wonderful Christmas |
| 54 | 2 | 2 | |||||
| The Spirit of Christmas |
| 16 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Instrumental albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Christ | |||
| Freedom |
| 70 | 2 |
|
| Glory |
| 121 | 7 | |
Live albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Christ | ||||||||
| The Live Set |
| — | 4 | ||||||
| Worship |
| 20 | 1 | ||||||
| Worship Again |
| 14 | 1 |
| |||||
| A New Hallelujah |
| 19 | 1 | ||||||
| Surrounded |
| 188 | 2 | ||||||
| Awaken: The Surrounded Experience |
| — | 13 | ||||||
| Worship Forever (Live) |
| — | 4 | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Other albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US Christ | US Kid | |||||||
| Hymns |
| 25 | 1 | — | |||||
| Hymns II – Shine on Us |
| 172 | 3 | — | |||||
| Lullaby |
| — | — | 8 | |||||
| Worthy is the Lamb (Live) |
| — | — | — | |||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Videos
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Video | |||||||||
| Worship | 1 | ||||||||
| Live in Concert – A 20 Year Celebration |
| 12 |
| ||||||
| A New Hallelujah: The Live Worship DVD |
| 2 | |||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
Singles
1980s
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ AC | US Christ CHR | ||||||||
| "Great Is the Lord" | 1983 | 1 | Michael W. Smith Project | ||||||
| "Could He Be the Messiah" | 21 | ||||||||
| "Friends" (w/ Amy Grant) | 7 | ||||||||
| "Hosanna" | 1984 | 2 | Michael W. Smith 2 | ||||||
| "I Am Sure" | 8 | ||||||||
| "I Know" | 1986 | 5 | 1 | The Live Set | |||||
| "Rocketown" | 1 | 1 | The Big Picture | ||||||
| "Voices" | 5 | 19 | |||||||
| "Wired for Sound" | — | 4 | |||||||
| "Old Enough to Know" | 1987 | 24 | 6 | ||||||
| "Emily" | 8 | 1 | The Live Set | ||||||
| "Nothin' But the Blood" | 28 | 5 | |||||||
| "Friends (Live)" | 1988 | 34 | 13 | ||||||
| "Pray for Me" | 1 | 2 | I 2 (EYE) | ||||||
| "Help You Find Your Way" | — | 13 | |||||||
| "Hand of Providence" | 2 | 4 | |||||||
| "I Miss the Way" | 1989 | 4 | — | ||||||
| "Live and Learn" | 7 | 7 | |||||||
| "The Throne" | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| "On the Other Side" | 2 | 3 | |||||||
| "Holy, Holy, Holy" | 5 | — | Our Hymns | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
1990s
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US AC | CAN | CAN AC | US Christ AC | US Christ CHR | ||||
| "I Hear Leesha" | 1990 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 5 | I 2 (EYE) | |
| "Go West Young Man" | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | Go West Young Man | ||
| "Place in This World" | 1991 | 6 | 5 | 25 | 8 | 1 | 1 | ||
| "How Long Will Be Too Long" | — | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | |||
| "For You" | 60 | 20 | 65 | 12 | 2 | 1 | |||
| "Seed to Sow" | 1992 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | ||
| "Cross My Heart" | — | — | — | — | 3 | — | |||
| "Love Crusade" | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | |||
| "I Will Be Here for You" | 27 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Change Your World | ||
| "Somebody Love Me" | 1993 | 71 | 10 | 32 | 11 | 12 | 4 | ||
| "Give It Away" | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | |||
| "Picture Perfect" | — | — | — | — | 25 | 1 | |||
| "Kentucky Rose" | — | — | — | — | 12 | 25 | The First Decade (1983–1993) | ||
| "Cross of Gold" | 1994 | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | Change Your World | |
| "Cry for Love" | 1995 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | I'll Lead You Home | |
| "Straight to the Heart" | — | — | — | — | 3 | 25 | |||
| "Breakdown" | — | — | — | — | — | 4 | |||
| "I'll Lead You Home" | 1996 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 2 | ||
| "I'll Be Around" | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | |||
| "A Little Stronger Every Day" | — | — | — | — | 2 | 5 | |||
| "Someday" | — | — | — | — | 5 | 3 | |||
| "Emmanuel" (w/ Amy Grant) | — | — | — | — | 37 | — | Emmanuel: A Musical Celebration of the Life of Christ | ||
| "Jesus Is the Answer" | 1997 | — | — | — | — | 4 | 9 | Tribute: The Songs of Andrae Crouch | |
| "Live the Life" | — | — | — | — | 1 | 3 | Live the Life | ||
| "Love Me Good" | 1998 | 61 | — | — | — | 5 | 4 | ||
| "Never Been Unloved" | — | — | — | — | 1 | 9 | |||
| "Missing Person" | — | — | — | — | 1 | 2 | |||
| "Christmastime" | — | — | — | — | 12 | — | Christmastime | ||
| "Let Me Show You the Way" | 1999 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 16 | Live the Life | |
| "This is Your Time" | — | 25 | — | — | 1 | 5 | This Is Your Time | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||
2000–present
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US AC | US Christ. | Christ. Airplay | ||||||||||
| "I Will Be Your Friend" | 2000 | — | — | This Is Your Time | ||||||||
| "I Still Have the Dream" | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Worth It All" | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Above All" | 2001 | — | — | Worship | ||||||||
| "Breathe" | 2002 | — | — | |||||||||
| "Purified" | — | — | ||||||||||
| "Lord Have Mercy" | — | — | Worship Again | |||||||||
| "Step by Step/Forever We Will Sing" | 2003 | — | 21 | |||||||||
| "Friends 2003" | — | 39 | The Second Decade (1993–2003) | |||||||||
| "Signs" | — | 12 | ||||||||||
| "Healing Rain" | 2004 | — | 5 | Healing Rain | ||||||||
| "Here I Am" | 2005 | — | — | |||||||||
| "Bridge Over Troubled Water" | 28 | 29 | ||||||||||
| "All in the Serve" | 2006 | — | 36 | The Second Chance | ||||||||
| "Come to the Cross" | — | 19 | Stand | |||||||||
| "Be Lifted High" | 2007 | — | — | |||||||||
| "Christmas Day" (w/ Mandisa) | 18 | 2 | It's a Wonderful Christmas | |||||||||
| "A New Hallelujah" (w/ the African Children's Choir) | 2008 | — | 14 | A New Hallelujah | ||||||||
| "Mighty to Save" | 2009 | — | 25 | |||||||||
| "Save Me From Myself" | 2010 | — | — | Wonder | ||||||||
| "I'll Wait for You" | — | — | ||||||||||
| "You Won't Let Go" | 2014 | — | 13 | 16 | Sovereign | |||||||
| "Sovereign Over Us" | — | — | 38 | |||||||||
| "Sky Spills Over" | 2015 | — | 18 | 20 | ||||||||
| "A Million Lights" | 2017 | 24 | 44 | 47 | A Million Lights | |||||||
| "Surrounded (Fight My Battles)" | 2018 | — | 33 | — | Surrounded | |||||||
| "Waymaker" (with Vanessa Campagna and Madelyn Berry) | 2019 | — | 3 | 1 | * RIAA: Gold | Awaken: The Surrounded Experience | ||||||
| "Silver Bells" (with Amy Grant and Marc Martel) | — | 22 | 7 | non-album single | ||||||||
| "Canto Ancora/Sing Again" (with Jonathan Cilia Faro) | 2022 | - | - | non-album single | ||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||||||||
As featured artist
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US AC | Christ. Airplay | |||||||||||
| "Love of My Life" (Jim Brickman featuring Michael W. Smith) | 1999 | 9 | — | Destiny | ||||||||
| "All Is Well" (Jordan Smith featuring Michael W. Smith) | 2018 | — | 22 | Non-album single | ||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||||||||
Other charted songs
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Christ. | Christ. Airplay | |||||||||||
| "Missing Person" | 2003 | 40 | Live The Life | |||||||||
| "All Is Well" (with Carrie Underwood) | 2013 | 6 | 22 | The Spirit of Christmas | ||||||||
| "White Christmas" (with Lady Antebellum) | 39 | — | ||||||||||
| "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" | 2014 | 38 | 24 | |||||||||
| "Happy Holiday/Holiday Season" | 39 | 22 | ||||||||||
| "Silent Night" (with Little Big Town) | 48 | — | ||||||||||
| "Almost There" (with Amy Grant) | 27 | 35 | ||||||||||
| "Christmas Day" (with Jennifer Nettles) | 49 | — | ||||||||||
| "Reve du Noel" | 2017 | — | 43 | Our Christmas | ||||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | ||||||||||||
Notes
References
General
- Brothers, Jeffery Lee (2003). Hot Hits: Adult Contemporary Charts 1978—2001. CCM Magazine. pp. 58–59. ISBN 1-4107-3294-0.
- Powell, Mark Allan (March 2003). The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music. Hendrickson Publishers. p. 161. ISBN 1-56563-679-1.