I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe song)

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I can only imagine
MercyMe
publication October 12, 2001
length 4:08
Genre (s) Christian pop music
Author (s) Bart Millard
Producer (s) Pete Kipley
Label INO Records
album Almost there

I Can Only Imagine is a song by the American Christian band MercyMe , which was released in October 2001 as a single from the album Almost There .

background

The song was written by Bart Millard, the band's lead singer, and produced by Pete Kipley. It was written in 1999 and is included on the band's fifth independent album, The Worship Project . After the band signed with INO Records , the album Almost There was released in 2001, their first album on a major label . The song is also included on this. According to Millard, the song was written within ten minutes and processed the death of his father, who died in 1991. In I Can Only Imagine , the lyrical self asks itself what it might be like to stand before God in heaven. On October 12, 2001, the title was first released as a single .

reception

I Can Only Imagine is considered the best-selling Christian song of all time, with 2.5 million units sold by 2018.

Awards

The song won a Dove Award in the Song of the Year category in 2002, and Bart Millard was also named Songwriter of the Year .

Movie

The story behind the song became the basis of the 2018 film I Can Only Imagine . It was released on March 16 in the United States. With gross revenues of $ 17.1 million in its first week, the film had the fourth highest-grossing Christian film launch in the United States. With a total of over 83.4 million US dollars, I Can Only Imagine is the most successful independent film of 2018. A new version of the song entitled I Can Only Imagine (The Movie Session) was also recorded for the film.

Chart placements

I Can Only Imagine only became a hit in 2003 after a listener on 100.3 Wild-FM from Dallas asked several times to play the song. A little later it became the most played song on the station and other radio stations also began to play the song. In October 2003 the first entry into the Billboard Hot 100 followed at number 76. The highest position, number 71, was reached on November 1st. To date it was the only song by the band that made it into the Hot 100. In addition, the song was able to place in the Hot Country Songs in December 2003 . After the release of the film, I Can Only Imagine rose to number two in the Hot Christian Songs for the first time and reached number one there the following week, making it the band's 13th number one hit in these charts. Internationally, the single was in France in 2012 for two weeks in the charts.

Chart placements
Charts Top ranking Weeks
Chart placements
United States (Billboard) United States (Billboard) 71 (18 weeks) 18th

Awards for music sales

On September 27, 2019, I Can Only Imagine was certified quadruple platinum for four million units sold in the United States.

Country / Region Award Sales
Awards for music sales
(country / region, Award, Sales)
United States (RIAA) United States (RIAA) Platinum record icon.svg 4 × platinum 4,000,000
All in all Platinum record icon.svg 4 × platinum
 4,000,000

Web links

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  1. ↑ Almost There - Credits , Allmusic
  2. ^ The Worship Project at Discogs
  3. ↑ Meet MercyMe , christianbook.com
  4. ^ The Quality of MercyMe , ascap.com
  5. ↑ Almost There at Allmusic
  6. ^ I Can Only Imagine , barnesandnoble.com
  7. ↑ a b How did 'I Can Only Imagine' become the biggest Christian hit ever (and inspire a movie)? , USA Today
  8. ↑ Real People. Real Worship. , todayschristianmusic.com
  9. ↑ Video: Oklahoma-made faith-based movie 'I Can Only Imagine' to be released in theaters March 16 , The Oklahoman
  10. ↑ Box Office: 'I Can Only Imagine' Revives Faith-Based Genre , The Hollywood Reporter
  11. ↑ The 20 Highest Grossing Indies of 2018 (A Running List) , IndieWire
  12. ^ I Can Only Imagine , songfacts.com
  13. ^ I Can Only Imagine Impacts Mainstream Radio , crosswalk.com
  14. ^ Billboard Hot 100, October 11, 2003
  15. ^ Billboard Hot 100, Nov. 1, 2003
  16. ^ Billboard Hot Country Songs, December 27, 2003
  17. ↑ MercyMe's 'I Can Only Imagine' Crowns Hot Christian Songs Chart , Billboard
  18. ↑ Chart placement in France
  19. ↑ Chart placement in the United States
  20. ↑ Distinction in the United States