Top 10 Best Songs by Imagine Dragons

This list guide features the top 10 best songs by Imagine Dragons. They are a rock band from Las Vegas, Nevada, consisting of lead vocalist Dan Reynolds, lead guitarist Wayne Sermon, bassist Ben McKee, and drummer Daniel Platzman.

Imagine Dragons has 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 fourteen 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 eleven more times for Billboard Music Awards. Imagine Dragons have sold 12 million albums and 35 million singles worldwide.

1. Believer

“Believer” was released on February 1, 2017  as the lead single from the band’s third studio album, Evolve (2017). It peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band’s third top ten single after “Radioactive” and “Demons”.

“Believer” was the number one song on several Billboard year-end charts, including the Hot Rock Songs chart, the Rock Airplay chart, and the Alternative Songs chart. The song was the fifth best-selling song of 2017 in the United States, selling 1,598,000 copies in the year.

2. Thunder

“Thunder” is the second single from Imagine Dragons’ third album Evolve, following “Believer”. The song was released on April 27, 2017, and peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. “Thunder” became the band’s fourth single in that country to reach the top ten after “Radioactive”, “Demons” and “Believer”.

It topped the Billboard Hot Rock Songs (nineteen weeks so far), Alternative Songs (three weeks), Adult Top 40 (seven weeks), and the Mainstream Top 40 (for one week) charts.

It became the ninth best-selling song in the United States, with 1,189,000 copies sold in that year.

3. Natural

“Natural”  was released on July 17, 2018. The members co-wrote the song with Justin Tranter and their producers Mattman & Robin. It was the lead single from the band’s fourth studio album Origins (2018). It became their fifth number one song on the US Hot Rock Songs chart.

Sam Tornow of Billboard described the song as “ferocious” and “smash-mouth”. Mike Wass of Idolator named the song a “radio-ready anthem”, expecting it to be “another smash” following the success of the band’s third studio album Evolve (2017).

4. Whatever It Takes

“Whatever It Takes” was released on May 8, 2017, as a promotional single. It would later become the third single from the band’s third studio album, Evolve, on October 6, 2017.

The Guardian wrote that “Whatever It Takes” was “written with a sports highlights package in mind (“I love the adrenaline in my veins”, wails frontman Dan Reynolds, before chart pop’s current obligatory chorus of “woah-ohs” enters).” As of May 15, 2018, the song had peaked at number 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

5. Radioactive

“Radioactive” was part of the band’s major-label debut EP Continued Silence and later on their debut studio album, Night Visions (2012), as the opening track. The song peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and becoming the band’s first top 10 single as well as being the third best selling song in that country in 2013.

It also broke the record for slowest ascension to the top 5 in chart history and currently holds the record for most weeks spent on the Billboard Hot 100 at 87 weeks. “Radioactive” received two Grammy Awards nominations for Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance, winning the latter.

Jon Dolan of Rolling Stone was critical of the song, calling it “a dour moaner that sound[s] like Chris Martin trying to write an Eminem ballad about the end of the world.” “Radioactive” was certified Diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

6. Demons

“Demons” was written by Imagine Dragons and Alex da Kid, with the latter producing it. and produced by Alex da Kid. The song appears on their major-label debut extended play Continued Silence and also makes an appearance on their debut studio album Night Visions as the fourth track.

The song was the second top ten single of the band after “Radioactive”. It spent twelve weeks in the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, four of which were spent at its number six peak.

Within two years of its release, more than 4.1 million copies were sold in the United States, making it the eighth most downloaded song in rock history.

The song won a MuchMusic Video Award for International Video of the Year – Group (2014) and an iHeartRadio Music Awardfor Alternative Rock Song of the Year (2014).

7. Shots

“Shots” was written by band members Ben McKee, Daniel Platzman, Dan Reynolds and Wayne Sermon and released as the third single from their second studio album Smoke + Mirrors (2015). The official music video was directed by Robert Hales.

8. On Top Of The World

“On Top of the World” is the third track of the band’s major-label debut EP Continued Silence (2012). The song also appears on their debut studio album Night Visions (2012) as the fifth track and is produced by Alex Da Kid.

It peaked at 79 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and 10 on the Hot Rock Songs charts. “On Top of the World” reached a million copies sold in the U.S. in April 2014. It’s the fourth million seller from the Night Visions album.

9. I Bet My Life

“I Bet My Life” was written by band members Ben McKee, Daniel Platzman, Dan Reynolds and Wayne Sermon, was released as the lead single from their second studio album Smoke + Mirrors on October 27, 2014. Carolyn Menyes of Music Times called the song “Another [Imagine Dragons] strong armed rolling anthem.”

In an interview with Billboard, Dan Reynolds stated, “Like many teenagers, I really hit heads with my parents at times growing up. My mom and dad are from a really conservative background, so when I told them I wanted to be a musician, that obviously wasn’t a thing that they particularly wanted to hear,” he says.

“But my entire life I’ve been the black sheep in my family and been in and out of trouble. So the song’s about my relationship with my parents, but still celebrating through it all everything that we’ve been through. We try to see past our differences and celebrate the relationship that we have and that we still share today.”

10.  It’s Time

“It’s Time” is from the band’s 2011 EP, It’s Time, their major label debut EP, Continued Silence, as well as their major debut studio album, Night Visions (2012). The song reached number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the band’s first Top 40 single, as well as number four on the Alternative Songs chart and number three on the Rock Songs chart.

With 32 weeks, it had the longest run on the Alternative Songs Top 10 in 2012.  It was certified Platinum by the RIAA and CRIA, and Platinum by the ARIA. It was also nominated for Best Rock Video at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards.

Conclusion

On October 3, 2018, Imagine Dragons announced their fourth studio album, Origins, which was released on November 9, 2018. “Natural” and “Zero” serve as the lead singles off the album.

Dan Reynolds cites Arcade Fire, Nirvana, Muse, The Beatles, Paul Simon, Coldplay, Linkin Park, Harry Nilsson, and U2 as some of his and the band’s artistic influences. In terms of success, Reynolds credits bands like Foster the People and Mumford & Sons for bringing alternative pop music to a new level of commercial success in recent years.

 

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