Lyrically, it imagines what it would be like to be in front of God in heaven; it opens with just a piano before building to include guitar and drums.

After being released on October 12, 2001, as the second single from Almost There, "I Can Only Imagine" became a major success on Christian radio; it spent two weeks at No.

[1] It has been certified five-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and as of April 2018, it has sold over 2.5 million copies.

MercyMe was formed in 1994 by vocalist Bart Millard, guitarist Mike Scheuchzer, and keyboardist Jim Bryson.

[5] This album, The Worship Project, utilized a simple verse–chorus format designed to easily fit on a PowerPoint screen.

[7] His father began to make amends for his actions and started becoming more religiously observant, reading the Bible and going to church regularly.

[16] "I Can Only Imagine" was one of several songs from the band's independent records that were selected to be included on their debut album with INO, Almost There (2001).

[18] The song has a directly Christian message;[29] its religious lyrics weren't edited for mainstream radio.

[30] In the refrain, the singer ponders "Will I dance for You Jesus/or in awe of you be still/Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall/Will I sing hallelujah/will I be able to speak at all/I can only imagine/I can only imagine".

[23] Regarding the lyrical theme of "I Can Only Imagine", Millard explained to Fox News that "I was always told that if [my father] could choose, he would rather be in Heaven than here with me.

[24] It was called the "definite highlight" of Almost There by New Release Tuesday's Kevin McNeese, who also praised its piano intro, saying it "instantly invokes chills", as well as the song's lyrical content.

[18] Charisma writer Margaret Feinburg lauded the song's "heart-gripping" lyrics,[32] and it was cited as the centerpiece of the album by Megumi Nakamura of Cross Rhythms, who called it "beautiful and touching".

[25] Although Russ Breimeier of Christianity Today called it "beautiful and inspiring", he questioned if "I Can Only Imagine" was actually a worship song.

[49] It received mixed to positive reviews from critics,[48] and exceeded initial expectations at the box office, grossing $17.1 million in its opening week.

[50] This was the fourth best-ever opening for a faith-based film, behind only The Passion of the Christ, Son of God, and Heaven Is for Real.

[52] As of August 2019, it ranks as the fifth-highest grossing music biopic of all-time in the United States (behind Bohemian Rhapsody, Straight Outta Compton, Walk the Line, and Rocketman)[53] and was the highest-grossing independent film of 2018.

After consulting with his pastor, who felt Millard should accept the opportunity, he began to reconsider, and finally agreed to let her cover it after talking with Grant over the phone.

[61] As a result of its success on radio, Almost There experienced a "surge" in sales,[62] debuting on the Billboard 200 in December 2001[63] and entering the top ten on the Christian Albums chart in January 2002.

[64] The song stayed on Christian radio for so long that plans to release a third single from Almost There were cancelled, with the band instead beginning work on a new album.

[14][61][66] They had responded to a caller's repeated requests and the urgings of the program's producer, Todd Sheppard, a former seminary student.

[69] Its initial success was seen as surprising due to its overtly religious themes, although several other Christian artists had begun achieving mainstream success at the same time, including Stacie Orrico, whose singles "Stuck" and "(There's Gotta Be) More to Life" had both hit the Billboard Hot 100.

[74] In 2012, "I Can Only Imagine" appeared on France's Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) chart, spending two weeks and peaking at No.

[85][86] According to Millard, the video's inspiration came from seeing people holding empty picture frames at their concerts, symbolizing their deceased loved ones.

[86] The video features everyday people as well as several music artists including Michael Tait, 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.

[86] Despite including "I Can Only Imagine" on The Worship Project, MercyMe initially did not perform the song in concerts because they felt it did not fit with the rest of the record.

[90] The band also performed the song at the 40th GMA Dove Awards, held on April 23, 2009, in a medley with "Finally Home".

[91] At the 2017 National Prayer Breakfast, MercyMe performed the song with President Donald Trump in attendance.

[95][96] On their compilation album 10, MercyMe released a new recording of the song featuring the London Session Orchestra as well as a live version.

In 2002, Amy Grant released her reworked version of the song, titled "Imagine" and paired with "Sing the Wondrous Love of Jesus", on her album Legacy... Hymns and Faith.

[102] CD release[70] (Credits from the album liner notes)[20] MercyMe Additional performers Technical