NASHVILLE, TN.....3/20/08.....As their headline run on the Winter Jam Spectacular closed out this past weekend in Nashville, MercyMe fans needn’t fear as the band’s iTunes ® Original album made its way into the main newsletter from iTunes ® this week, hitting #1 on the Christian album chart for iTunes and #32 on their overall chart.

Recorded in Southern California for iTunes ® during MercyMe’s “All That Is Within Me” Tour last fall, the band spent a day in a recording studio before their show in Irvine. The iTunes ® Original is a collection of six exclusive new recordings, in-depth interviews with frontman Bart Millard and key tracks from MercyMe's previous releases. The set lists includes “I Would Die for You,” the Dove-Award winning and NO. 1 single “Word of God Speak,” a cover of Tom Petty’s “Won’t Back Down,” and of course the biggest fan favorite of all, the multi-format smash hit “I Can Only Imagine.”

“We're thrilled to be a part of anything iTunes is doing,” remarked MercyMe guitarist Mike Scheuchzer. “They are so forward thinking in getting our music out for people to listen to, so to have the opportunity to do an iTunes original to share with our fans was awesome! We can't wait to get some more new music and extras out there for the world to hear!”

At the close of 2007, MercyMe was the No. 1 Most Played AC artist (R&R/CRW) and Inspo artist (CRW) in 2007, while their latest studio project, All That Is Within Me, garnered their 10th No. 1 Christian single, “God With Us.” The album remains in the top five on Billboard’s Contemporary Christian SoundScan chart after 17 weeks and entering the Top 200 chart at No. 15 and selling an impressive 83,626 units, a personal record for units sold in a project’s first week.

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Since their debut in 2001, Grammy-nominated, American Music Award and multiple GMA Music Award winners MercyMe have sold over 5 million units in CD and DVD sales, including Almost There, nearly triple platinum, their 2003 project Spoken For which is approaching platinum sales, and the RIAA Gold certification for Undone, the MercyMe Live DVD, and Coming Up to Breathe. Their latest, All That Is Within Me, entered the Billboard Top 200 chart at No. 15 and sold an impressive 83,626 units, the most they’ve ever sold in a project’s first week. MercyMe is one of few Contemporary Christian music groups to have had all of their recordings certified Gold or Platinum, as well as garner four consecutive mainstream radio hits with “I Can Only Imagine,” (No. 4 AC/top 25 on Top 40/Hot AC), “Here With Me” (No. 4 AC), “Homesick” (top 10 AC), and “So Long Self.” With their multi-platinum sales, and one of the industry's most notable talents, MercyMe has sold out venues including Radio City Music Hall and received media attention from the likes of The Tonight Show, CNN, Fox New Channel’s Fox & Friends, ABC News, CBS’ Early Show, and has been seen on the pages of Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, USA Today, Billboard, and more.