Area Reporter felt it was a "blatant Hollywood hyperballad that perfectly showcased her gilded throat". Larry Flick from Billboard stated that it's a "delicate, well-sung ballad that could give the long-overlooked McKee her first bonafide hit." A reviewer from Cashbox viewed the singer as the "lost goddess of the pop airwaves", remarking her "heartachingly lovely jewel of a voice [that] can squeeze diamonds out of the coal-black grooves of a record." Greg Sandow from Entertainment Weekly called the song "affecting". Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger declared it as a "post-Madonna power ballad", adding that McKee "can belt, but she's most comfortable away from the chorus, giving "Show Me Heaven" a more tender and dynamic performance." Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report constated that "there aren't many singers on the planet who can outdo Maria's remarkable vocal range. It was her voice that first endeared me to her band Lone Justice. Now as a soloist, she puts all that special ability to the test on the heart-stopping love theme from the Tom Cruise film, Days of Thunder. A couple of listens won me over." David Giles from Music Week felt that McKee's "powerful voice endows a fairly ordinary MOR soft rock song with a certain piquancy that lifts it well above the average soundtrack song." Gene Sandbloom from The Network Forty praised the singer's "tremendous voice and stage presence", naming the song "one of the most memorable ballads of the year." He added, "Before you even get to the chorus, you know this is the kind of heart warming song that can't miss bringing in across the board demos come weekly music research time. If you missed the film, don't worry. If you didn't like McKee's past work, forget it. This is one of those magic moments when everything falls perfectly into place, and you'll realize it with one listen." Stuart Bailie from NME named it "Single of the Week", viewing it as "a deal more sophisticated" than her debut as a solo artist the year before. Another editor, Mark Ramshaw, described it as "floaty". John Wirt from The News-Journal complimented it as a "stunning love song with bite." Sunday Tribune'''s reviewer praised it as a "Californian voice of an angel". Track listings Charts Weekly charts Year-end charts Certifications Tina Arena version Australian singer Tina Arena released her version of "Show Me Heaven" as the fifth single from her third studio