After signing with INO Records, the band released its first major debut album, "Almost There". The single "I Can Only Imagine" earned the band a Dove Award in 2002 for song of the year. However, it was not until three years after its release that the song began to gain mainstream success, topping the "Billboard" 200 sales chart for seven weeks, and peaking at No. 71 on the Hot 100, No. 33 on the Mainstream Top 40, No. 27 on the Adult Top 40, No. 5 on the Adult Contemporary, and No. 52 on the Country Songs charts. The success of the single ultimately propelled "Almost There" to being certified double platinum, representing sales of over 2 million albums, as well as the single itself being certified platinum.