I Can Only Imagine
Encyclopedia
"I Can Only Imagine" is a single recorded by contemporary Christian
and Christian rock
band MercyMe
. Written and composed by Bart Millard, the song, based around a main piano
track, was inspired by the death of Millard's father and considers what it would be like in Heaven and to be standing before God. The song was first issued as a track on MercyMe's 1999 album The Worship Project
, which was released on an independent record label. The song was re-recorded and included on their 2001 major-label debut album Almost There
as the fifth song on the album.
"I Can Only Imagine" was released in 2001 as the album's lead single
. It gained significant airplay on Christian radio formats before crossing over to mainstream radio formats such as adult contemporary
and Top 40
in late 2003 and into 2004; to aid in promotion to these markets, a double A-side physical single (combined with "Word of God Speak
") was released in 2003. It charted on several formats, including the Billboard
Adult Contemporary (where it peaked at No. 5) and the Hot 100
(where it peaked at No. 71). In 2002, "I Can Only Imagine" earned the Dove Awards for 'Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year' and 'Song of the Year
'; Millard earned the Dove Award 'Songwriter of the Year
' at the same ceremony. In 2010, the song was certified platinum by the RIAA
for sales of over one million digital downloads, and is the first (and so far only) Christian single to reach that milestone.
and Christian rock
band MercyMe
. The father of Bart Millard, the band's vocalist, died in 1991. Millard was 18 at the time. Millard began writing the words "I can only imagine" on items when he was thinking about his father. During the recording of the band's 1999 independent album The Worship Project
, MercyMe needed one more song to fill out the album. Millard, alone on a bus in the middle of the night, finally wrote the lyrics to the song by drawing on his thoughts and personal faith about what one would experience standing before God in Heaven. Millard attests that "['I Can Only Imagine'] is one of the only songs I have ever written where there wasn't any mistakes, it was just written the way it is and left at that", and estimated that it took him only ten minutes to write the lyrics.
In writing the music for the song, however, the band faced more difficulty; Millard noted that "at first it was a fast song... it was all these random ideas". Keyboardist Jim Bryson noted that "we were literally tearing down the stuff... [Millard] and I were talking about arranging it differently and doing a slower version, so we just tried out a piano intro... it was literally the first thing I played. It wasn't anything to do with me, I think it was just a guide thing. [Millard] said 'here it is, this is what's going to happen', and we laid the song down in about five minutes." At that time, the other MercyMe members were Robby Shaffer on drums and percussion, Nathan Cochran on bass guitar and Michael Scheuchzer on guitar. This line-up recorded the first version of the song for The Worship Project. In 2006, it was included in the 'Platinum Edition' of Almost There.
with a length of four minutes and eight seconds. The song is set in the key of E major
and has a moderately slow tempo
of 80 beats per minute with a vocal range from B3–G5. The song opens up with only a piano
, and builds up to include guitar and drums. Millard is credited with both the lyrics and music to the song. The song was produced by Pete Kipley, who had worked with MercyMe previously as well as with artists including Rebecca St. James
and Lincoln Brewster
.
The lyrics to the song are based around the narrator wondering what it will be like in Heaven and to be standing before God. Regarding this theme, Millard explained to Fox News that "I was always told that if he could choose, he would rather be in Heaven than here with me. As a Christian I believed that, but as an 18-year-old it was a little hard to swallow. So the questions in the song came from me asking God what was so great about Him that my dad would rather be there."
in 2001. The album was recorded in various locations: Ivy Park, The Indigo Room, Paradise Sound and IBC Studios. The single gained radio airplay on some contemporary Christian formats; by November, it peaked at number-one on the Radio & Records
Christian AC format and in the top twenty of the Radio & Records Christian CHR chart.
In 2003, a Dallas mainstream radio station, 100.3 Wild-FM, first played the song on its morning show, The Fitz Radio Program. They had responded to a caller's repeated requests and the urgings of the program's producer, Todd Sheppard. The song soon became the most requested and most played song on the station. After hearing the song played on the station, Millard called-in and spoke with the crew; MercyMe then came in and played the song live.
As other stations around the country caught on, MercyMe's label, INO Records
, partnered with Curb Records
. They marketed the single to wider audiences, such as Top 40 radio
. In September, INO and Curb also released a double A-side physical single, "I Can Only Imagine/Word of God Speak
". The latter track was co-written by Millard with the band's producer, Kipley. Eventually, the song cracked into secular charts, including the Billboard Hot 100
and the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts.
, Tammy Trent, Bob Herdman
, and Jesse Katina
, each holding an empty picture frame to signify their loss of a loved one; as the video progresses, they are holding pictures of their loved ones including Millard with his father's photograph.
's reviewer Kevin Chamberlin felt "The lyrics for the song are amazing. If you haven't listened to the lyrics, because you're afraid of hearing pop music, get over it and listen to it." Kevin McNeese of NewReleaseTuesday commented that "The definite highlight on [Almost There] is the worship/ballad 'I Can Only Imagine'... The song starts out with just piano that instantly invokes chills and builds dynamically into a powerful display of drums and guitar. But what makes the song are the lyrics, penned by Bart Millard himself. The song speaks about that day that we all dream about when we finally meet Jesus... It's a song that can't be listened to with eyes open".
On the Adult Top 40 chart, "I Can Only Imagine" debuted at No. 39 for the chart week of August 9, 2003 and reached a peak position of No. 27, holding that spot for three consecutive weeks; in all, the song spent twenty-six weeks on the chart. On the Mainstream Top 40
chart, the song debuted at No. 37 for the chart week of July 12, 2003, reaching an eventual peak of No. 33. On the Country Songs chart, the song debuted at No. 58 for the chart week of December 27, 2003, reaching an eventual peak of No. 52, which it held for two weeks. According to Mike Curb
on the Curb Records website, "I Can Only Imagine" also peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales chart for ten weeks, No. 1 on the Radio & Records
Christian AC chart for two weeks, and No. 15 on the Christian CHR chart.
In April of 2010, "I Can Only Imagine" was certified platinum
by the RIAA
, signifying sales of over 1,000,000 digital downloads. It is the first single by any artist in the Christian music genre to go platinum.
'. Millard also won 'Songwriter of the Year
' at the same ceremony. In November 2009, the song was played on board Space Shuttle Atlantis
as a wake-up call for Barry E. Wilmore
during STS-129
.
album. In 2009, two further variants were included on their compilation album 10
; a 'symphony version' featuring the London Symphony Orchestra
, and a live version.
"I Can Only Imagine" has also been covered by several artists. In 2002 Amy Grant
released a reworked version of the song (titled "Imagine" and paired with "Sing the Wondrous Love of Jesus") on her album, Legacy... Hymns and Faith. In 2003, Jeff Carson
and Kathryn Scott each issued variants of the song; Carson's version peaked at No. 50 on the Country Songs chart. In 2005 Wynonna Judd
issued her form of the song; while in 2007 Emerson Drive
provided theirs.
Year-end charts
Certifications
Contemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
and Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
band MercyMe
MercyMe
MercyMe is an American Christian rock band founded in Greenville, Texas. The band consists of vocalist Bart Millard, keyboardist James Bryson, percussionist Robby Shaffer, bassist Nathan Cochran and guitarists Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul....
. Written and composed by Bart Millard, the song, based around a main piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
track, was inspired by the death of Millard's father and considers what it would be like in Heaven and to be standing before God. The song was first issued as a track on MercyMe's 1999 album The Worship Project
The Worship Project
The Worship Project is the fifth independent album by the contemporary Christian/Christian Rock band MercyMe. The album was intended to contain easy-to-sing worship songs, and contains the first version of the band's future hit single "I Can Only Imagine"...
, which was released on an independent record label. The song was re-recorded and included on their 2001 major-label debut album Almost There
Almost There (MercyMe album)
Almost There is the first major-label studio album from Contemporary Christian band MercyMe. Released on August 14, 2001, the album met to positive critical response and spawned the single "I Can Only Imagine", which achieved crossover success on mainstream radio.-Critical reception:Almost There...
as the fifth song on the album.
"I Can Only Imagine" was released in 2001 as the album's lead single
Lead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
. It gained significant airplay on Christian radio formats before crossing over to mainstream radio formats such as adult contemporary
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
and Top 40
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
in late 2003 and into 2004; to aid in promotion to these markets, a double A-side physical single (combined with "Word of God Speak
Word of God Speak
"Word of God Speak" is a song by contemporary Christian/Christian Rock band MercyMe. Written by Bart Millard and Pete Kipley, the song uses sparse instrumentation, featuring only piano and strings to accompany Millard's vocals...
") was released in 2003. It charted on several formats, including the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Adult Contemporary (where it peaked at No. 5) and the Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
(where it peaked at No. 71). In 2002, "I Can Only Imagine" earned the Dove Awards for 'Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year' and 'Song of the Year
Dove Award for Song of the Year
The following is a list of recipients of the GMA Dove Award for Song of the Year:* 2011 "Sometimes I Cry" * 2010 "By Your Side" * 2009 "Give Me Your Eyes" * 2008 "East to West"...
'; Millard earned the Dove Award 'Songwriter of the Year
Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year
Winners of the Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year are:* 2010 Jennie Lee Riddle* 2009 Steven Curtis Chapman* 2008 Cindy Morgan* 2007 Aaron Shust* 2006 Christa Wells* 2005 Mark Hall* 2004 Mark Hall* 2003 Nichole Nordeman...
' at the same ceremony. In 2010, the song was certified platinum by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
for sales of over one million digital downloads, and is the first (and so far only) Christian single to reach that milestone.
Background
"I Can Only Imagine" was the debut single for United States contemporary ChristianContemporary Christian music
Contemporary Christian music is a genre of modern popular music which is lyrically focused on matters concerned with the Christian faith...
and Christian rock
Christian rock
Christian rock is a form of rock music played by individuals and bands whose members are Christians and who often focus the lyrics on matters concerned with the Christian faith. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Christian varies between bands...
band MercyMe
MercyMe
MercyMe is an American Christian rock band founded in Greenville, Texas. The band consists of vocalist Bart Millard, keyboardist James Bryson, percussionist Robby Shaffer, bassist Nathan Cochran and guitarists Michael Scheuchzer and Barry Graul....
. The father of Bart Millard, the band's vocalist, died in 1991. Millard was 18 at the time. Millard began writing the words "I can only imagine" on items when he was thinking about his father. During the recording of the band's 1999 independent album The Worship Project
The Worship Project
The Worship Project is the fifth independent album by the contemporary Christian/Christian Rock band MercyMe. The album was intended to contain easy-to-sing worship songs, and contains the first version of the band's future hit single "I Can Only Imagine"...
, MercyMe needed one more song to fill out the album. Millard, alone on a bus in the middle of the night, finally wrote the lyrics to the song by drawing on his thoughts and personal faith about what one would experience standing before God in Heaven. Millard attests that "['I Can Only Imagine'] is one of the only songs I have ever written where there wasn't any mistakes, it was just written the way it is and left at that", and estimated that it took him only ten minutes to write the lyrics.
In writing the music for the song, however, the band faced more difficulty; Millard noted that "at first it was a fast song... it was all these random ideas". Keyboardist Jim Bryson noted that "we were literally tearing down the stuff... [Millard] and I were talking about arranging it differently and doing a slower version, so we just tried out a piano intro... it was literally the first thing I played. It wasn't anything to do with me, I think it was just a guide thing. [Millard] said 'here it is, this is what's going to happen', and we laid the song down in about five minutes." At that time, the other MercyMe members were Robby Shaffer on drums and percussion, Nathan Cochran on bass guitar and Michael Scheuchzer on guitar. This line-up recorded the first version of the song for The Worship Project. In 2006, it was included in the 'Platinum Edition' of Almost There.
Composition
"I Can Only Imagine" is a balladBallad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
with a length of four minutes and eight seconds. The song is set in the key of E major
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
and has a moderately slow tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
of 80 beats per minute with a vocal range from B3–G5. The song opens up with only a piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, and builds up to include guitar and drums. Millard is credited with both the lyrics and music to the song. The song was produced by Pete Kipley, who had worked with MercyMe previously as well as with artists including Rebecca St. James
Rebecca St. James
Rebecca St. James , is a Christian pop rock singer, songwriter, musician, author, and actor. She began performing in Australia in the late 1980s and released her first full-length studio album in 1991. In 1993 she was signed to the record label ForeFront Records and released her major label debut a...
and Lincoln Brewster
Lincoln Brewster
Lincoln Brewster is a contemporary Christian musician and pastor. As a guitarist, singer, and songwriter, Brewster became a sought-after session guitarist in the early 90s. Brewster is the senior worship pastor at Bayside Church in Roseville, California.-Biography:Brewster has been musically...
.
The lyrics to the song are based around the narrator wondering what it will be like in Heaven and to be standing before God. Regarding this theme, Millard explained to Fox News that "I was always told that if he could choose, he would rather be in Heaven than here with me. As a Christian I believed that, but as an 18-year-old it was a little hard to swallow. So the questions in the song came from me asking God what was so great about Him that my dad would rather be there."
Release and promotion
"I Can Only Imagine" was re-recorded for their major-label debut record Almost There and released as its lead singleLead single
A lead single is usually the first single released by a musician or a band before the release of its home album.During the era of the grammophone record, all music arrived in the marketplace as what is now termed a single, one potential hit song backed by an additional song of generally less...
in 2001. The album was recorded in various locations: Ivy Park, The Indigo Room, Paradise Sound and IBC Studios. The single gained radio airplay on some contemporary Christian formats; by November, it peaked at number-one on the Radio & Records
Radio & Records
Radio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and...
Christian AC format and in the top twenty of the Radio & Records Christian CHR chart.
In 2003, a Dallas mainstream radio station, 100.3 Wild-FM, first played the song on its morning show, The Fitz Radio Program. They had responded to a caller's repeated requests and the urgings of the program's producer, Todd Sheppard. The song soon became the most requested and most played song on the station. After hearing the song played on the station, Millard called-in and spoke with the crew; MercyMe then came in and played the song live.
As other stations around the country caught on, MercyMe's label, INO Records
INO Records
INO Records, also known as Fair Trade Services, is an American record label based in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, specializing in Contemporary Christian music . It is distributed through Sony Music Entertainment, and was owned by Integrity Media until June 2011. When Integrity Media sold its assets...
, partnered with Curb Records
Curb Records
Curb Records is a record label started by Mike Curb originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963...
. They marketed the single to wider audiences, such as Top 40 radio
Contemporary hit radio
Contemporary hit radio is a radio format that is common in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by the Top 40 music charts...
. In September, INO and Curb also released a double A-side physical single, "I Can Only Imagine/Word of God Speak
Word of God Speak
"Word of God Speak" is a song by contemporary Christian/Christian Rock band MercyMe. Written by Bart Millard and Pete Kipley, the song uses sparse instrumentation, featuring only piano and strings to accompany Millard's vocals...
". The latter track was co-written by Millard with the band's producer, Kipley. Eventually, the song cracked into secular charts, including the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks charts.
Impact
MercyMe did not expect "I Can Only Imagine" to gain mainstream success, in part due to its explicit references to Jesus and Heaven. Millard noted that the band joked around about "the top five songs never to cross over, and they had included "I Can Only Imagine" on that list. Millard also believed some radio stations were playing the song to prove it could not succeed on mainstream radio. The song had a significant affect on the band's musical image; in an interview, Millard commented that "We were a rock band when we started 11 years ago. But we kind of became the 'adult contemporary poster child' when 'I Can Only Imagine' took off".Background
A music video was released for "I Can Only Imagine". Millard recalled the video's inspiration: "I just kept seeing all these people holding picture frames [at MercyMe concerts] that are empty because we all carry these people with us in some way. I've had so many people after a show pull out a picture of someone they've lost. These people embrace these photos and I just thought how can we tap into that". The video features everyday people as well as several music artists including Michael TaitMichael Tait
Michael DeWayne Tait is a Contemporary Christian Music artist. Michael Tait met Toby McKeehan and Kevin Max while attending Liberty University in the late 1980s, and formed four-time grammy winning band DC Talk, with whom he released 5 acclaimed studio albums...
, Tammy Trent, Bob Herdman
Bob Herdman
Bob Mortimer Herdman is a Christian musician, songwriter and producer more known for being a member of the band Audio Adrenaline.-Biography:...
, and Jesse Katina
The Katinas
The Katinas are a Contemporary Christian music group. The family of five brothers hails from American Samoa, and moved to Washington, USA after the death of their mother in 1988. The group's members sang in church as children, and began playing fairs, soon moving up to nationwide slots opening for...
, each holding an empty picture frame to signify their loss of a loved one; as the video progresses, they are holding pictures of their loved ones including Millard with his father's photograph.
Synposis
The video opens with a shot of an empty room and a chair, shifting to show a young boy climbing up a flight of stairs. The camera then shifts to the band before returning to the boy, now in an attic which is filled with many empty picture frames. The video alternates between shots of the boy and the band before shifting to individual shots of other people, each holding an empty picture frame. As the other instruments join in, the camera comes back to the band, focusing on them before returning to shots of the people, whose picture frames now contain pictures of deceased relatives. At the end of the video, the camera returns to the boy, now running down a street with an empty frame, climaxing with him lying down in a field with the empty frame.Critical response
Critical reception for "I Can Only Imagine" was positive. Steve Losey of Allmusic commented that "[the song] is a passionate piano-driven ballad. The song considers what it would be like to be in the presence of God. Delivered with conviction, the song is emotionally compelling". Jesus Freak HideoutJesus Freak Hideout
Jesus Freak Hideout is a Christian music website. The website specializes in reviewing, previewing, and selling Christian albums. The website is known for its album reviews, independent music, artist interviews, concert dates and ministry through devotionals and prayer...
's reviewer Kevin Chamberlin felt "The lyrics for the song are amazing. If you haven't listened to the lyrics, because you're afraid of hearing pop music, get over it and listen to it." Kevin McNeese of NewReleaseTuesday commented that "The definite highlight on [Almost There] is the worship/ballad 'I Can Only Imagine'... The song starts out with just piano that instantly invokes chills and builds dynamically into a powerful display of drums and guitar. But what makes the song are the lyrics, penned by Bart Millard himself. The song speaks about that day that we all dream about when we finally meet Jesus... It's a song that can't be listened to with eyes open".
Chart performance
"I Can Only Imagine" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 for the chart week of October 11, 2003 at No. 76. The song peaked at No. 71 for two weeks and spent a total of spent sixteen non-consecutive weeks on the Hot 100. On the Adult Contemporary chart, "I Can Only Imagine" debuted at No. 29 for the chart week of May 23, 2003, with an eventual peak of No. 5 for the chart week of September 8, 2003; in all, "I Can Only Imagine" spent thirty weeks on the chart.On the Adult Top 40 chart, "I Can Only Imagine" debuted at No. 39 for the chart week of August 9, 2003 and reached a peak position of No. 27, holding that spot for three consecutive weeks; in all, the song spent twenty-six weeks on the chart. On the Mainstream Top 40
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...
chart, the song debuted at No. 37 for the chart week of July 12, 2003, reaching an eventual peak of No. 33. On the Country Songs chart, the song debuted at No. 58 for the chart week of December 27, 2003, reaching an eventual peak of No. 52, which it held for two weeks. According to Mike Curb
Mike Curb
Michael Curb is an American musician, record company executive, NASCAR and IRL race car owner. A Republican, he served as the 42nd Lieutenant Governor of California from 1979-1983 under Democratic Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown, Jr...
on the Curb Records website, "I Can Only Imagine" also peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales chart for ten weeks, No. 1 on the Radio & Records
Radio & Records
Radio & Records was a trade publication providing news and airplay information for the radio and music industries. It originally started out as an independent trade from 1973 to 2006 until VNU Media took over in 2006, up until its final issue in 2009.-History:The company was founded in 1973 and...
Christian AC chart for two weeks, and No. 15 on the Christian CHR chart.
In April of 2010, "I Can Only Imagine" was certified platinum
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
, signifying sales of over 1,000,000 digital downloads. It is the first single by any artist in the Christian music genre to go platinum.
Awards and accolades
"I Can Only Imagine" earned two GMA Dove Awards in 2002; 'Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year' and 'Song of the YearDove Award for Song of the Year
The following is a list of recipients of the GMA Dove Award for Song of the Year:* 2011 "Sometimes I Cry" * 2010 "By Your Side" * 2009 "Give Me Your Eyes" * 2008 "East to West"...
'. Millard also won 'Songwriter of the Year
Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year
Winners of the Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year are:* 2010 Jennie Lee Riddle* 2009 Steven Curtis Chapman* 2008 Cindy Morgan* 2007 Aaron Shust* 2006 Christa Wells* 2005 Mark Hall* 2004 Mark Hall* 2003 Nichole Nordeman...
' at the same ceremony. In November 2009, the song was played on board Space Shuttle Atlantis
Space Shuttle Atlantis
The Space Shuttle Atlantis is a retired Space Shuttle orbiter in the Space Shuttle fleet belonging to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration , the spaceflight and space exploration agency of the United States...
as a wake-up call for Barry E. Wilmore
Barry E. Wilmore
Barry Eugene "Butch" Wilmore is a NASA astronaut and United States Navy test pilot. He has had one spaceflight, which was an 11-day Space Shuttle mission in November 2009, to the International Space Station...
during STS-129
STS-129
-Crew seat assignments:-Mission payload:-ExPRESS Logistics Carriers 1 and 2:The primary payload of STS-129 was the ExPRESS Logistics Carrier and the ELC-2. The mass capacity of each ELC is with a volume of 30 meters cubed...
.
Other versions
The original version of "I Can Only Imagine" was a track on MercyMe's 1999 independent release The Worship Project. In August 2006, both an acoustic and live form (as well as the original 1999 version) were included in the 'Platinum edition' of Almost There. MercyMe recorded a version of the song for their iTunes OriginalsITunes Originals
iTunes Originals is a series of digital releases available exclusively through the iTunes Store. It was developed and produced by longtime KCRW DJ and film music supervisor Chris Douridas, who recruited Stephen Marsh to provide audio mastering for the albums. Each release features the music of a...
album. In 2009, two further variants were included on their compilation album 10
10 (MercyMe album)
- Personnel :*Brown Bannister – producer, engineer, digital editing, overdub engineer*Kristin Barlowe – photography*Steve Bishir – engineer, mixing, overdub engineer, tracking*Jim Bryson – piano, keyboards*Joel Cameron – mixing...
; a 'symphony version' featuring the London Symphony Orchestra
London Symphony Orchestra
The London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
, and a live version.
"I Can Only Imagine" has also been covered by several artists. In 2002 Amy Grant
Amy Grant
Amy Lee Grant is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, media personality and actress, best known for her Christian music. She has been referred to as "The Queen of Christian Pop"...
released a reworked version of the song (titled "Imagine" and paired with "Sing the Wondrous Love of Jesus") on her album, Legacy... Hymns and Faith. In 2003, Jeff Carson
Jeff Carson
Jeffrey Lee Herndon , known professionally as Jeff Carson, is an American country music artist. Originally a session musician in Branson, Missouri and later a demo singer, he was signed to Curb Records in 1995, releasing his self-titled debut album that year, followed by Butterfly Kisses in 1998...
and Kathryn Scott each issued variants of the song; Carson's version peaked at No. 50 on the Country Songs chart. In 2005 Wynonna Judd
Wynonna Judd
Wynonna Ellen Judd is an American country music singer. Her solo albums and singles are all credited to the singular name Wynonna. Wynonna first rose to fame in the 1980s alongside her mother, Naomi, in the country music duo The Judds...
issued her form of the song; while in 2007 Emerson Drive
Emerson Drive
Emerson Drive is a country music band founded in Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada in 1995. The band is Brad Mates , Danick Dupelle , Mike Melancon , Dale Wallace , and David Pichette .Early on, the band found minor success in Canada, releasing two albums under the name of 12 Gauge, the first Open...
provided theirs.
Track listing
CD release- "I Can Only Imagine" – 4:08 (Bart Millard)
- "Word of God SpeakWord of God Speak"Word of God Speak" is a song by contemporary Christian/Christian Rock band MercyMe. Written by Bart Millard and Pete Kipley, the song uses sparse instrumentation, featuring only piano and strings to accompany Millard's vocals...
" – 3:07 (Peter Kipley, Millard)
Release history
| Date | Territory | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
INO INO Records INO Records, also known as Fair Trade Services, is an American record label based in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, specializing in Contemporary Christian music . It is distributed through Sony Music Entertainment, and was owned by Integrity Media until June 2011. When Integrity Media sold its assets... |
Airplay Airplay * Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay... |
| September 23, 2003 | INO/Curb Curb Records Curb Records is a record label started by Mike Curb originally as Sidewalk Records in 1963... |
CD | |
| January 4, 2005 | INO/Epic Epic Records Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A... |
Digital Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... |
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Charts and certifications
Weekly charts| Chart (2001–2002) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Radio and Records Christian AC | 1 |
| Radio and Records Christian CHR | 15 |
| Chart (2003–2004) | Peak Position |
| Billboard Adult Contemporary | 5 |
| Billboard Adult Top 40 | 27 |
| Billboard Country Songs | 52 |
| Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
71 |
| Billboard Mainstream Top 40 Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs) The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart... |
33 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (2003) | Position |
|---|---|
| Billboard Adult Contemporary | 20 |
| Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales | 24 |
| Chart (2010) | Position |
| Billboard Christian/Gospel Digital Songs | 9 |
Certifications
| Country | Certifications Music recording sales certification Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,... (sales thresholds) |
|---|---|
| United States Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
Platinum |