MercyMe is an American Christian rock band formed in 1994 in Edmond, Oklahoma, led by singer Bart Millard. The band owes its worldwide fame to I Can Only Imagine, a song written after Millard's father died, which became a church classic and was adapted into a film in 2018.
MercyMe was formed in 1994 in Edmond, Oklahoma, when singer Bart Millard and pianist James Bryson decided to fully devote themselves to ministry music. The band released several independent albums in the 1990s before signing with INO Records in 2001. Bart Millard, born in 1972 in Greenville, Texas, then wrote I Can Only Imagine, a song inspired by his father's death, which would become the band's defining song.
Carried by that song, the album Almost There (2001) reached double platinum status and launched MercyMe onto Christian radio and eventually mainstream radio across the United States. The band has released albums for more than twenty-five years since, from Spoken For (2002) to Wonder & Awe (2025), with songs like Word of God Speak, Even If, and Greater. In 2018, a biographical film told the story of I Can Only Imagine and the Millard family.
- Origin
- Edmond, Oklahoma, USA
- Style
- Christian rock
- Active since
- 1994
- Good to know
- I Can Only Imagine was adapted into a film in 2018 and earned 86 million dollars worldwide on a 7 million dollar budget
- Discography
- About a dozen studio albums, from Almost There (2001) to Wonder & Awe (2025)
How did MercyMe get started?
Bart Millard and James Bryson met in Florida and decided, in 1994, to form a band devoted to ministry music. Back in the Edmond, Oklahoma area, they released several self-produced albums over six years, playing mostly in churches and Christian camps.
The turning point came with their signing to INO Records in 2001 and the release of Almost There, carried by I Can Only Imagine. Written by Bart Millard after his father's death, the song imagines the first meeting with God in heaven: it became a success that reached far beyond the usual Christian audience.
What makes MercyMe stand out?
Few American Christian bands have seen one of their songs become such a cultural phenomenon: I Can Only Imagine was certified triple platinum and adapted into a feature film in 2018, with Dennis Quaid playing Bart Millard's father. The band's name itself comes from a remark by his grandmother, who asked him why he did not look for a real job instead of making music, mercy me being an expression of astonishment in English.
Where should you start with MercyMe?
I Can Only Imagine remains the essential starting point: a meditation on eternity that many French-speaking churches have sung in various translations. You can continue with Wake Up Sleeper, the band's most recent single, before exploring Even If or Word of God Speak to see the consistency of their songwriting over more than twenty-five years.
songs
I Can Only Imagine
The band's defining song, written by Bart Millard after his father's death, imagining the meeting with God in heaven.
Wake Up Sleeper
The band's most recent single, a call to wake up spiritually, taken from their 2025-2026 releases.
Make It Well
A live performance with Tim Timmons and Sam Wesley at the K-LOVE Fan Awards, a song about inner healing.
Discography
- 2025Wonder & Awe
- 2022Always Only Jesus
- 2021Inhale (Exhale)
- 2017Lifer
- 2014Welcome to the New
- 2012The Hurt & The Healer
- 2010The Generous Mr. Lovewell
- 2007All That Is Within Me
- 2006Coming Up to Breathe
- 2004Undone
- 2002Spoken For
- 2001Almost There· album carried by I Can Only Imagine
Read also
Frequently asked questions
Who is MercyMe?
MercyMe is an American Christian rock band formed in 1994 in Oklahoma, led by Bart Millard. The band is known worldwide for I Can Only Imagine, a song that became a church classic and was adapted into a film in 2018.
What is MercyMe's most famous song?
I Can Only Imagine, released in 2001, remains by far their best known song: certified triple platinum, it inspired a biographical film released in 2018.
Where does the name MercyMe come from?
The name comes from a remark by Bart Millard's grandmother, who asked him why he did not find a real job instead of making music, mercy me being an English expression of astonishment or affectionate exasperation.
Is MercyMe a Christian band?
Yes, MercyMe has defined itself as a ministry-focused Christian band since its founding, and nearly its entire catalog explores themes of faith.
Is there a movie about MercyMe?
Yes, I Can Only Imagine (2018) tells the story of Bart Millard, his father, and the writing of the song of the same name, starring Dennis Quaid.
Where can you listen to MercyMe?
MercyMe's songs are available on their official YouTube channel and on the usual streaming platforms. Their official website, mercyme.org, centralizes their news and tour dates.