Richard Smallwood has written and recorded many influential contemporary gospel songs, with a core group that listeners regularly cite as his most beloved and most performed works worldwide.

Signature songs

These are widely recognized as his best-known Richard Smallwood songs, often covered by choirs and worship teams:

  • “Total Praise” – his most iconic worship anthem, frequently performed by church choirs around the world.
  • “Center of My Joy” – a classic gospel ballad, often associated with both worship services and formal concerts.
  • “I Love the Lord” – a deeply emotional song that has become a standard in many gospel repertoires.
  • “Anthem of Praise” – a high-energy praise song drawn from Psalms that opens many live gospel sets.
  • “My Everything (Praise Waiteth)” – a worship piece often featured with the group Vision.

Other notable favorites

Beyond the biggest hits, he has a long list of powerful songs that gospel fans and choirs return to often.

  • “Don’t Cry” (with Kirk Franklin) – a collaboration that charted and broadened his reach in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
  • “His Mercy Endureth Forever” – a scripture-based praise song centered on God’s enduring mercy.
  • “Psalm 8” – another scripture-saturated choral selection that choirs use in worship and concerts.
  • “Angels” – a worship song that appears on his praise and worship collections with Vision.
  • “Dear God” – a slower, reflective prayer-like piece that resonates with listeners walking through difficulty.

Albums to explore his songs

Richard Smallwood’s catalog is spread across solo work, the Richard Smallwood Singers, and Richard Smallwood with Vision.

  • “The Praise & Worship Songs of Richard Smallwood” – a compilation focused on his major praise and worship tracks like “Anthem of Praise” and “Angels.”
  • Projects with “Vision” (such as “Persuaded: Live in D.C.”) highlight live arrangements of “Anthem of Praise,” “Total Praise,” and other choir-driven songs.

Where to listen

To dive into more Richard Smallwood songs, you can:

  • Browse the full song list and popularity rankings on lyric and song catalog sites, which list over 100 titles in his discography.
  • Stream his albums and playlists (including “Total Praise,” “Calvary,” and “My Everything [Praise Waiteth]”) on major music platforms that host dedicated Richard Smallwood pages and playlists.

If you share what kind of gospel songs you like (slow worship, big choir anthems, collaborations, etc.), a tailored starter playlist of Richard Smallwood songs can be suggested.