You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs

Three singles were released from the album. The first was "How Do I Live."{{cite AV media

| title = How Do I Live (Dance Mix)

| type = CD Single

| date = 1998

| publisher = The Hit Label, Curb Records

| id = CUBCX 30

| quote = Track 5 taken from the album You Light Up My Life

}}{{cite AV media

| title = How Do I Live

| type = CD Single

| date = 1998

| publisher = The Hit Label, Curb Records

| id = CUBC 30

| quote = Tracks 1 & 2 taken from the album You Light Up My Life

}}{{cite book |last1=Carlin |first1=Richard |title=American Popular Music: Country |date=2005 |publisher=Facts On File, Incorporated |isbn=9780816069774}} The single was highly successful, peaking at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and being certified 4 times Platinum.{{Cite magazine|last=Mamo|first=Heran|date=November 23, 2021|title=The Greatest Hit: The New No. 1 Song of All Time|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/features/the-weeknd-blinding-lights-billboard-cover-story-2021-interview-1235001282/|access-date=November 24, 2021|magazine=Billboard|language=en-US}}{{certification Cite Ref|type=single|title=How Do I Live|artist=LeAnn Rimes|region=United States}} In the UK, it peaked at number 7, spending 30 weeks on the UK Top 40 singles chart and ranking as the sixth highest selling single on the UK year-end chart for 1998.{{Cite web |last=Griffiths |first=George |date=July 16, 2021 |title=Official Top 40 best-selling singles of 1998 |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/official-top-40-best-selling-singles-of-1998__33595/ |website=Official Charts}}{{Cite web |title=LeAnn Rimes Chart History |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/1892/leann-rimes/ |website=Official Charts}}

The album's second single, "You Light Up My Life", peaked at number 34 and was certified gold in the United States. The third and final single released from the album, "On the Side of Angels", peaked at number 4 on the US Country Chart.

{{Music ratings

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|3|5}}{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r312598|first=Thom|last=Owens}}

| rev3 = Entertainment Weekly

| rev3Score = C−{{cite magazine|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,289344,00.html|title=You Light Up My Life Review|last=Browne|first=David|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=1997-09-12|access-date=2012-10-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070122002921/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,289344,00.html|archive-date=2007-01-22}}

| rev2 = Robert Christgau

| rev2Score = {{Rating-Christgau|dud}}{{cite web|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=leann+rimes|title=CG: LeAnn Rimes|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|publisher=RobertChristgau.com|access-date=2012-10-17}}

| rev4 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

| rev4score = {{Rating|1|5}}{{cite book |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |date=2004 |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=9780743201698 |page=692}}

}}

You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs received generally negative to mixed reviews from music critics. Most criticism was given to the album's production. Writing for The Rolling Stone Album Guide, Arion Berger described the album as "an incoherent mess of western fluff and overblown ballads". He went on to say that "many of the songs are quite fine, but the arrangements are poisoned with bad decisions". David Browne from Entertainment Weekly felt that the covers on the album did little to distinguish from the original songs.

Criticism was also given to the album for being more adult contemporary than her previous record, Blue. Browne said that the album's "arrangements forsake the sleek honky-tonk of Blue for gloppy adult contemporary". Thom Owens from AllMusic described the album as having "a bland, homogenous quality" that "could have used a bit of country grit". He praised "How Do I Live" and went on to say that the album was "far from disastrous", opining that "Rimes has too much natural talent to be sunk by poorly chosen material".

You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs debuted at number one on Billboard 200 with 186,000 copies sold in its first week,{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KBQEAAAAMBAJ |title=Billboard – Google 도서 |access-date=October 7, 2011|date=2001-02-17 }} the album dropped to number two in its second week but with a 10% increase with sales of 204,500. It returned to number one in its sixth week with 131,500 copies sold. The album spent 13 weeks in the top 5, 17 weeks in the top 10 and a total of 55 weeks in Billboard 200. You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs was certified 4× Platinum by RIAA, denoting shipments of over 4 million copies.

All tracks produced by Wilbur C. Rimes, except where noted.

{{Track listing

| headline = You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| total_length = 43:33

| title1 = You Light Up My Life

| writer1 = Joe Brooks

| extra1 = {{hlist|Wilbur C. Rimes|Chuck Howard|Mike Curb}}

| length1 = 3:37

| title2 = The Rose

| writer2 = Amanda McBroom

| length2 = 3:33

| title3 = Bridge Over Troubled Water

| writer3 = Paul Simon

| length3 = 4:40

| title4 = I Believe

| writer4 = {{hlist|Ervin Drake|Irvin Graham|Jimmy Shirl|Al Stillman}}

| length4 = 2:22

| title5 = Ten Thousand Angels Cried

| writer5 = David Patillo

| length5 = 3:59

| title6 = Clinging to a Saving Hand

| writer6 = Bill Mack

| length6 = 2:44

| title7 = On the Side of Angels

| writer7 = {{hlist|Gary Burr|Gerry House}}

| length7 = 3:49

| title8 = I Know Who Holds Tomorrow

| writer8 = Ira Stanphill

| length8 = 4:41

| title9 = God Bless America

| writer9 = Irving Berlin

| length9 = 3:06

| title10 = How Do I Live

| note10 = Extended Mix

| writer10 = Diane Warren

| extra10 = {{hlist|W. Rimes|Howard|Curb}}

| length10 = 4:57

| title11 = Amazing Grace

| writer11 = John Newton

| length11 = 4:06

| title12 = National Anthem

| writer12 = Francis Scott Key

| length12 = 1:59

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Japanese bonus track{{cite AV media notes|title=You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs|others=LeAnn Rimes|year=1997|type=Compact disc|publisher=Curb Denon Records|id=COCB-83084}}

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| title12 = How Do I Live

| note12 = Mr. Mig Remix

| extra12 = {{hlist|W. Rimes|Howard|Curb|Mr. Mig{{ref|a|[a]}}}}

| writer12 = Warren

| length12 = 3:54

}}

Notes

• {{small|{{note|a|a}}}} signifies a remixer

Credits adapted from You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs liner notes.{{cite AV media notes|title=You Light Up My Life: Inspirational Songs|others=LeAnn Rimes|year=1997|type=CD|publisher=Curb Records|id=D2-77885}}

;Musicians

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

• LeAnn Rimes – lead vocals
• Kelly Glenn – keyboards
• Jimmy Kelly – keyboards
• Steve Nathan – keyboards
• Jerry Matheny – electric guitars
• John Willis – electric guitars
• Milo Deering – acoustic guitars, steel guitar, fiddle
• Michael Spriggs – acoustic guitars
• Paul Franklin – steel guitar
• Bob Gentry – bass
• Curtis Randall – bass, backing vocals
• Michael Rhodes – bass
• Fred Gleber – drums
• Greg Morrow – drums
• Dan Wojciechowski — drums
• Michael Black – backing vocals
• Mary Ann Kennedy – backing vocals
• Gary Leach – backing vocals
• Pam Rose – backing vocals
• Dennis Willson – backing vocals

{{div col end}}

;Production

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

• Wilbur C. Rimes – producer, management
• Mike Curb – producer (1, 10)
• Chuck Howard – producer (1, 10)
• Greg Hunt – recording, mixing
• Mike McClain – recording, mixing
• Bob Campbell-Smith – additional recording, BGV recording, mixing (1, 10, 11)
• Csaba Pectoz – overdub engineer
• Mick Guzauski – mixing (10)
• Scott Ahaus – additional recording, recording assistant, assistant overdub engineer, mix assistant (10)
• David Boyer – additional recording, recording assistant
• Daniel Kresco – additional recording, recording assistant, assistant overdub engineer
• Gary Leach – recording assistant, mix assistant
• Jim Rogers – additional recording, recording assistant
• Jeff Watkins – additional recording, recording assistant, BGV recording assistant
• David Hall – assistant overdub engineer
• Glenn Meadows – mastering at Masterfonics (Nashville, Tennessee)
• Lesley Albert – project coordinator
• Sue Austin – album design coordinator
• Frank Lucero – art direction, design
• Neuman, Walker & Associates, Inc. – art direction, design
• John Chiasson – photography
• Lyle Walker – management

{{div col end}}

{{col-begin}}

{{col-2}}

{{col-2}}

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|title=You Light Up My Life|artist=LeAnn Rimes|type=album|award=Platinum|certyear=1997}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|title=You Light Up My Life|artist=LeAnn Rimes|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1997|certyear=1997}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=You Light Up My Life|artist=LeAnn Rimes|type=album|award=Platinum|number=4}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=yes}}

{{col-end}}

{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

{{LeAnn Rimes}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1997 albums

Category:Curb Records albums

Category:LeAnn Rimes albums

Category:Albums produced by Mike Curb