Imagine Dragons

This article is about the band. For their self-titled EP, see Imagine Dragons (EP).

Imagine Dragons
Imagine Dragons at Mohegan Sun in 2017. Left to right: Wayne Sermon, Dan Reynolds, former drummer Daniel Platzman, and Ben McKee.
Imagine Dragons at Mohegan Sun in 2017. Left to right: Wayne Sermon, Dan Reynolds, former drummer Daniel Platzman, and Ben McKee.
Background information
Also known asRagged Insomnia
OriginLas Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
Genres
Years active2008–present
Labels
SpinoffsEgyptian
Members
Past members
Websiteimaginedragonsmusic.com

Imagine Dragons are an American pop rock band formed in 2008, based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and currently consisting of lead singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, and bassist Ben McKee.[1][2] The band first gained exposure with the release of their single "It's Time", followed by their debut album Night Visions (2012), which resulted in the chart-topping singles "Radioactive" and "Demons". Rolling Stone named "Radioactive", which held the record for most weeks charted on the Billboard Hot 100, the "biggest rock hit of the year".[3][4][5][6] MTV called them "the year's biggest breakout band",[7] and Billboard named them their "Breakthrough Band of 2013" and "Biggest Band of 2017",[8] and placed them at the top of their "Year in Rock" rankings for 2013,[9] 2017,[10] and 2018.[11] Imagine Dragons topped the Billboard Year-End "Top Artists – Duo/Group" category in 2018.[12]

The band's second studio album Smoke + Mirrors (2015) reached number one in the US, Canada and the UK.[13][14] This was followed by their third studio album Evolve (2017), which resulted in three chart-topping singles, "Believer", "Thunder", and "Whatever It Takes", also making them the artist with the most weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart. The album reached the top five in many countries.[15] The band's fourth studio album Origins (2018) featured the single "Natural", which became their fifth song to top the Hot Rock Songs chart. The band has since released Mercury – Acts 1 & 2 (2022), a double album featuring the US top 5 hit "Enemy", and Loom (2024), their first album without longtime drummer Daniel Platzman. Despite their popularity and commercial success, the band's music has been consistently met with mixed critical reception.

Imagine Dragons have won three American Music Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, one Grammy Award, one MTV Video Music Award, and one World Music Award. In May 2014, the band was nominated for 14 Billboard Music Awards, including Top Artist of the Year and a Milestone Award, which recognizes innovation and creativity of artists across different genres. In April 2018, the band was nominated 11 more times for Billboard Music Awards.[16]

Imagine Dragons have sold more than 74 million albums and 65 million digital songs worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling music artists.[17] They have also earned 160 billion streams across music platforms.[17] They were the most streamed group of 2018 on Spotify,[18] the first rock act to have four songs, "Radioactive", "Demons", "Believer", and "Thunder", to surpass one billion streams each,[19] and the only group in RIAA history to have four songs certified higher than Diamond.[20] According to Billboard, "Believer", "Thunder", and "Radioactive" were the three best performing rock songs of the 2010s.[21]

  1. ^ DeSantis, Rachel (June 28, 2024). "Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds Wrote New Album After His World Was 'Turned Upside Down': 'I Was Refinding Myself' (Exclusive)". Peoplemag. Retrieved July 5, 2024.
  2. ^ Greene, Andy (July 2, 2024). "Imagine Dragons' Dan Reynolds Knows His Band Isn't for Everyone: 'You Either Love It or You Hate It'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
  3. ^ "About: Imagine Dragons". imaginedragonsmusic.com. March 11, 2015. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
  4. ^ Greene, Andy (May 8, 2013). "Imagine Dragons Go 'Radioactive' on the Charts". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  5. ^ "Imagine Dragons: The Billboard Cover Story". Billboard. July 12, 2013. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
  6. ^ "The Weeknd scores longest-running hit in US chart history". the Guardian. August 17, 2021. Archived from the original on August 17, 2021. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  7. ^ "Imagine Dragons Slept Through Their Grammy Nominations". MTV News. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016. Retrieved October 25, 2021.
  8. ^ "Imagine Dragons: Who Wants to Talk About the Biggest Band of 2017?". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 29, 2017. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  9. ^ "The Year In Rock 2013: Imagine Dragons Top Billboard's Year-End Rock Rankings". Billboard. December 13, 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2014.
  10. ^ "The Year In Rock Charts: Imagine Dragons, Portugal. The Man & Metallica Reign". Billboard.com. December 11, 2017. Archived from the original on December 12, 2017. Retrieved December 12, 2017.
  11. ^ "Top Rock Artists – Year-End". Billboard.
  12. ^ "Top Artists – Duo/Group – Year-End". Billboard.
  13. ^ "Imagine Dragons Slay at No. 1 on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard.
  14. ^ Gibsone, Harriet (February 23, 2015). "Imagine Dragons score debut UK No 1, while Ellie Goulding breaks streaming record". the Guardian. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2016.
  15. ^ "Imagine Dragons' 'Evolve' Debuts at No. 1 on Top Rock & Alternative Albums Charts". Billboard. Retrieved February 6, 2019.
  16. ^ "Billboard Music Awards 2018 Nominations: See the Full List". Billboard.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2018.
  17. ^ a b "Imagine Dragons Sign Global Publishing Deal with Warner Chappell Music". Warner Music Group. July 26, 2023. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
  18. ^ "The Top Songs, Artists, Playlists, and Podcasts of 2018". Spotify. December 4, 2018. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  19. ^ McIntyre, Hugh. "Imagine Dragons Are The First Rock Act To Manage This Major Feat On Spotify". Forbes. Archived from the original on May 3, 2019. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  20. ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Archived from the original on February 9, 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
  21. ^ "The Decade in Rock Charts: Imagine Dragons On Fire, High-Flying Twenty One Pilots & More". Billboard. Retrieved December 4, 2019.