After landing a record deal with Lyric Street Records, the trio released their eponymous debut in 2000.
"I Melt" controversy
Rascal Flatts achieved notoriety in 2003 with their music video, "I Melt." Some fans objected to the video - which starred band member Rooney and model Christina Auria - because it contained brief scenes of nudity, and wanted the video banned from airplay on CMT and Great American Country (Ironically, DeMarcus was a member of the Christian pop group East to West in the mid 1990s). Eventually, Rascal Flatts released an edited version of the video, which aired during daytime hours on CMT. http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/SAUCY%20COUNTRY%20VIDEO%20CREATES%20A%20STORM%20OF%20CONTROVERSYThe song "I Melt" came from Rascal Flatts' second album, ''Melt'', which contained the band's first No. 1 country single, "These Days" (which reached the top spot of Billboard magazine's Hot Country Singles and Tracks chart in December 2002).On the flip side of "I Melt," the group was widely praised for a video they released for the song "Skin (Sarabeth)." The song - a hidden track from the album ''Feels Like Today'' - and video chronicle a teen-aged girl's struggles with cancer. The video, which features the Cirque du Soleil performers, has earned critical acclaim for being emotionally uplifting and heartfelt.
Other trivia
colspan="2"| Chart Positions width="303" rowspan="2"| Album |-! width="83"| US Hot 100width="83"| US Country |-
| 2000
| "Prayin' for Daylight"
#38 #3 | ''Rascal Flatts''
|-
| 2000
| "This Everyday Love"
#56 #9 | ''Rascal Flatts''
|-
| 2001
| "While You Loved Me"
#60 #7 | ''Rascal Flatts''
|-
| 2001
| "I'm Movin' On"
#41 #4 | ''Rascal Flatts''
|-
| 2002
| "These Days"
#23 #1 | ''Melt''
|-
| 2003
| "Love You Out Loud"
#30 #3 | ''Melt''
|-
| 2004
| "I Melt"
#34 #2 | ''Melt''
|-
| 2004
| "Mayberry"
#21 #1 | ''Melt''
|-
| 2004
| "Feels Like Today"
#56 #9 | ''Feels Like Today''
|-
| 2005
| "Bless the Broken Road"
#29 #1 | ''Feels Like Today''
|-
| 2005
| "Fast Cars and Freedom"
#38 #1 | ''Feels Like Today''
|-
| 2005
| "Skin (Sarabeth)"
#42 #2 | ''Feels Like Today''
|-
| 2005
| "Here's to You"
- #48 | ''Feels Like Today''
|}
Videography
- ''Rascal Flatts Live'' (2003) Recorded in Daytona Beach, Florida