Matthew West
Matthew West (born April 25, 1977 in Downers Grove , Illinois ) is an American musician in the field of Christian pop music .
biography
West was a successful baseball player in high school ; but after he had received a music scholarship at Millikin University , he decided to pursue a career in music. While still a student, he released several of his own albums. After graduating in 1999, however, he first worked as a songwriter and wrote for Billy Ray Cyrus , the Rascal Flatts and Point of Grace , among others .
The major label Universal signed him in 2003 and released his first album that same year, entitled Happy , which won a Dove Award from the Gospel Music Association. His debut single More became one of the radio hits on Christian Music stations. The second album History also produced more successful songs, but commercial success was limited. After his first major tour, there were also voice problems that forced him to have an operation and a longer break in 2007.
The following year, however, he returned more successfully than ever with the album Something to Say . For the first time it came into the top 100 of the US album charts and the song You Are Everything became the hit of the year in the Christian charts. With The Motions and the album bonus song Give This Christmas Away , a duet with Amy Grant , he had two more number one hits in the genre charts.
The album The Story of Your Life , which was released in 2010, could not build on the song successes, but was his most successful to date at number 42 on the official album charts.
Discography
Studio albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US
|
Christian
|
|||
| 1997 | September Sun | - | - |
First published: 1997
|
| 1998 | Every step of the way | - | - |
First published: 1998
|
| 2002 | Sellout | - | - |
First published: February 5, 2002
Republished: 2006 |
| 2003 | Happy | - |
Christian28 (6 weeks) Christian |
First published: December 26, 2003
|
| 2005 | History | - |
Christian17 (17 weeks) Christian |
First published: June 21, 2005
|
| 2008 | Something to say |
US95 (6 weeks) US |
Christian7 (87 weeks) Christian |
First published: January 15, 2008
|
| 2010 | The Story of Your Life |
US42 (7 weeks) US |
Christian3 (71 weeks) Christian |
First published: October 5, 2010
|
| 2012 | Into the light |
US51 (20 weeks) US |
Christian4 (78 weeks) Christian |
First published: September 25, 2012
|
| 2015 | Live forever |
US51 (2 weeks) US |
Christian1 (74 weeks) Christian |
First published: April 28, 2015
|
| 2017 | All in |
US65 (1 week) US |
Christian2 (39 weeks) Christian |
First published: September 22, 2017
|
| 2020 | Brand New | - |
Christian4 (10 weeks) Christian |
First published: February 14, 2020
|
Compilations
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Christian
|
|||
| 2019 | Hello, My Name Is: Greatest Hits |
Christian33 (9 weeks) Christian |
First published: August 2, 2019
|
Christmas albums
| year | title |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChart placementsChart placements (Year, title, rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
US
|
Christian
|
|||
| 2011 | The Heart of Christmas |
US165 (2 weeks) US |
Christian9 (13 weeks) Christian |
First published: October 4, 2011
|
| 2016 | Unto Us: A Christmas Collection | - |
Christian21 (10 weeks) Christian |
First published: October 22, 2016
|
Singles
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Christian
|
|||
| 2003 | More happy |
Christian1 (60 weeks) Christian |
|
| The End Happy |
Christian16 (21 weeks) Christian |
||
| You Know Where to Find Me Happy |
Christian31 (8 weeks) Christian |
||
| 2005 | Next Thing You Know (Thirteen) History |
Christian3 (26 weeks) Christian |
|
| Only Grace History |
Christian6 (38 weeks) Christian |
||
| History History |
Christian13 (18 weeks) Christian |
||
| 2006 |
Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow |
Christian11 (3 weeks) Christian |
|
| 2008 | You Are Everything Something to Say |
Christian1 (47 weeks) Christian |
|
| Something to Say Something to Say |
Christian8 (21 weeks) Christian |
||
| The Motions Something to Say |
Christian1  (52 weeks)Christian |
Sales: + 1,000,000
|
|
| Save a Place for Me Something to Say |
Christian17 (21 weeks) Christian |
||
| 2010 | Give This Christmas Away The Heart of Christmas |
Christian1 (6 weeks) Christian |
feat. Amy Grant
|
| My Own Little World The Story of Your Life |
Christian6 (21 weeks) Christian |
||
| Strong Enough The Story of Your Life |
Christian3 (47 weeks) Christian |
||
| 2011 | One Last Christmas The Heart of Christmas |
Christian11 (5 weeks) Christian |
|
| The Heart of Christmas The Heart of Christmas |
Christian2 (5 weeks) Christian |
||
| 2012 | Forgiveness Into the Light |
Christian2 (40 weeks) Christian |
|
| 2013 | Hello, My Name Is Into the Light |
Christian1  (43 weeks)Christian |
Sales: + 500,000
|
| 2014 | Do Something Into the Light |
Christian4 (26 weeks) Christian |
|
| A Christmas to Believe In Unto Us: A Christmas Collection |
Christian22 (5 weeks) Christian |
||
| 2015 | Day One Live Forever |
Christian10 (26 weeks) Christian |
|
| Grace Wins Live Forever |
Christian5 (35 weeks) Christian |
||
| 2016 | Mended Live Forever |
Christian13 (32 weeks) Christian |
|
| Unto Us Unto Us: A Christmas Collection |
Christian21 (4 weeks) Christian |
||
| 2017 | Broken Things All In |
Christian5 (37 weeks) Christian |
|
| Jesus & You All In |
Christian38 (1 week) Christian |
||
| 2018 | The Beautiful Things We Miss All In |
Christian43 (4 weeks) Christian |
|
| All in all in |
Christian12 (23 weeks) Christian |
||
| Mercy Is a Song All In |
Christian26 (21 weeks) Christian |
||
| 2019 | Unplanned |
Christian27 (7 weeks) Christian |
|
| The God Who Stays Brand New |
Christian3 (40 weeks) Christian |
||
| Truth Be Told Brand New |
Christian31 (... weeks) Christian |
||
| 2020 | Take Heart |
Christian50 (1 week) Christian |
More singles
- 2008: The Center
- 2008: Hold You Up
- 2009: When I Say I Do
- 2011: Family Tree
Guest Posts
| year | Title album |
Top ranking, total weeks, awardChartsChart placements (Year, title, album , rankings, weeks, awards, notes) |
Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Christian
|
|||
| 2007 | Christmas Makes Me Cry It’s Christmas |
Christian3 (5 weeks) Christian |
Mandisa feat. Matthew West
|
| 2019 | Nobody Only Jesus |
Christian3 (50 weeks)Christian |
Casting Crowns feat. Matthew West
Sales: + 500,000 |
swell
- ↑ a b c d e Chart sources: US
- ↑ a b c d e Music Sales Awards: US
- ^ Matthew West - Sellout , jesusfreakhideout.com
Web links
- official website (English)
- Biography at Todays Christian Music (English)
- Matthew West at Allmusic (English)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | West, Matthew |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American singer of Christian pop music |
| DATE OF BIRTH | April 25, 1977 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Downers Grove , Illinois , USA |