when did the song i can only imagine released
2001
title: I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe song) text: I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe song) "I Can Only Imagine" (sometimes shortened to "Imagine") is a single recorded by Christian rock band MercyMe. Written and composed by lead vocalist 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 title: I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe song) text: 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. With 200 million copies sold, it is the best-selling Christian single of all time, having been certified 3x platinum by the RIAA. As of 2018, it is the only Christian song to reach that milestone. "I Can Only Imagine" was the debut single for United States contemporary Christian and Christian rock band MercyMe. Bart Millard, the band's vocalist, lost his father, Arthur Wesley Millard Jr., in 1991. Millard was 18 title: I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe song) text: Dennis Quaid. The film was released on March 16, 2018. I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe song) "I Can Only Imagine" (sometimes shortened to "Imagine") is a single recorded by Christian rock band MercyMe. Written and composed by lead vocalist 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 title: I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe song) text: 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 title: I Can Only Imagine (MercyMe song) text: 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