Considering Michael W. Smith is one of CCM’s most successful crossover artists, it should come as little surprise that he grew up listening to both sacred and secular music in the ’70s. While early Christian singer/songwriters like Dan Peek and the eccentric Larry Norman taught him how to marry religious themes to pop-rock compositions, it’s Elton John and Billy Joel who offered him a crash course in crafting catchy, chart-topping melodies.