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Imagine Dragons are an American
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
band formed in 2008, based in
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
,
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
. The band currently consists of lead singer
Dan Reynolds Daniel Coulter Reynolds (born July 14, 1987) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is the lead vocalist and a founding member of the pop rock band Imagine Dragons, which formed in 2008. He is a recipient of the Songwriters Hall o ...
, guitarist
Wayne Sermon Daniel Wayne Sermon (born June 15, 1984) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is the lead guitarist for the pop rock band Imagine Dragons. Early life Sermon was born on June 15, 1984, in American Fork, Utah, to parents ...
, and bassist
Ben McKee Benjamin Arthur McKee (born April 7, 1985) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is the bassist for the pop rock band Imagine Dragons. Early life McKee was raised in Forestville, California, and graduated from El Molino ...
. They first gained exposure with the release of their single " It's Time", followed by their debut album ''
Night Visions ''Night Visions'' is the debut studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons. It was released on September 4, 2012, through Kidinakorner and Interscope Records. The album was primarily produced by the band themselves, as well as Engli ...
'' (2012), which resulted in the chart-topping singles "
Radioactive Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is conside ...
" and "
Demons A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in media including fiction, comics, film, t ...
". ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' named "Radioactive", which held the record for most weeks charted on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the "biggest rock hit of the year".
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
called them "the year's biggest breakout band", and ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' named them their "Breakthrough Band of 2013" and "Biggest Band of 2017", and placed them at the top of their "Year in Rock" rankings for 2013, 2017, and 2018. Imagine Dragons topped the ''Billboard'' Year-End "Top Artists – Duo/Group" category in 2018. The band's second studio album ''
Smoke + Mirrors ''Smoke + Mirrors'' is the second studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons. The album was recorded during 2014 at the band's home studio in Las Vegas, Nevada. Self-produced by members of the band along with English hip-hop produce ...
'' (2015) reached number one in the US, Canada, and the UK. This was followed by their third studio album '' Evolve'' (2017), which resulted in three chart-topping singles, " Believer", "
Thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
", 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. The band's fourth studio album ''
Origins Origin(s) or The Origin may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics and manga * ''Origin'' (comics), a Wolverine comic book mini-series published by Marvel Comics in 2002 * ''The Origin'' (Buffy comic), a 1999 ''Buffy the Vampire Sl ...
'' (2018) featured the single "
Natural Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the laws, elements and phenomena of the physical world, including life. Although humans are part ...
", which became their fifth song to top the Hot Rock Songs chart. The band has since released ''
Mercury – Acts 1 & 2 ''Mercury – Acts 1 & 2'' is the full fifth studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons, released through Kidinakorner and Interscope Records. It is a double album consisting of 32 tracks, with the first half, '' Mercury – Act 1'' ...
'' (2022), a double album featuring the US top 5 hit "
Enemy An enemy or a foe is an individual or a group that is considered as forcefully adverse or threatening. The concept of an enemy has been observed to be "basic for both individuals and communities". The term "enemy" serves the social function of d ...
", and ''
Loom A loom is a device used to weaving, weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the Warp (weaving), warp threads under tension (mechanics), tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of ...
'' (2024), their first album without longtime drummer
Daniel Platzman Daniel James Platzman (born September 28, 1986) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and composer. He is best known as the former drummer for the pop rock band Imagine Dragons. Early life Platzman was born on September 28, 1986 ...
. Despite their popularity and commercial success, the band's music has been consistently met with mixed critical reception. Imagine Dragons won three
American Music Awards The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show produced by Dick Clark Productions since 1974. Nominees are selected on commercial performance such as sales and airplay. Winners are determined by a poll of the public and ...
, nine ''Billboard'' Music Awards, one
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
, one
MTV Video Music Award The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
, and one
World Music Award The World Music Awards was an international award show founded in 1989 under the patronage of Albert II, Prince of Monaco and co-founder/executive producer John Martinotti. The event was based in Monte Carlo. Awards were presented to the worl ...
. 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. 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 The following list of best-selling music artists includes musical artists from the 20th century to the present with claims of 75 million or more record sales worldwide. The sales figures are calculated based on the formula detailed below. The ...
. They have also earned 160 billion streams across music platforms. They were the most streamed group of 2018 on
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
, the first rock act to have four songs, "Radioactive", "Demons", "Believer", and "Thunder", to surpass one billion streams each, and the only group in RIAA history to have four songs certified higher than Diamond. According to ''Billboard'', "Believer", "Thunder", and "Radioactive" were the three best performing rock songs of the 2010s.


History


2008–2011: Lineup changes and early EPs

In 2008, lead singer
Dan Reynolds Daniel Coulter Reynolds (born July 14, 1987) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is the lead vocalist and a founding member of the pop rock band Imagine Dragons, which formed in 2008. He is a recipient of the Songwriters Hall o ...
met drummer
Andrew Tolman Andrew Tolman (born January 9, 1986) is an American studio musician and songwriter. He is a member of the cult club band the Moth & The Flame. He was also a founding member of the pop rock band Imagine Dragons, leaving the group before the releas ...
at
Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...
, where they were both students. Reynolds and Tolman recruited Andrew Beck, Dave Lemke, and Aurora Florence to play guitar, bass, and piano, respectively, for their band. Their name is an
anagram An anagram is a word or phrase formed by rearranging the letters of a different word or phrase, typically using all the original letters exactly once. For example, the word ''anagram'' itself can be rearranged into the phrase "nag a ram"; which ...
for a phrase only known to members of the group, which Reynolds stated each member approved of. The five-piece recorded demos that they uploaded to MySpace that year, but Beck and Florence left the band later that year. In 2009, Tolman recruited long-time high school friend
Wayne Sermon Daniel Wayne Sermon (born June 15, 1984) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is the lead guitarist for the pop rock band Imagine Dragons. Early life Sermon was born on June 15, 1984, in American Fork, Utah, to parents ...
, who had graduated from
Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music () is a Private university, private music college in Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern Music of the United ...
, to play guitar. Tolman later recruited his wife, Brittany Tolman, to sing back-up and play keys, and the band began to play shows together again. Lemke left the band shortly thereafter, leading Sermon to recruit another Berklee music student,
Ben McKee Benjamin Arthur McKee (born April 7, 1985) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is the bassist for the pop rock band Imagine Dragons. Early life McKee was raised in Forestville, California, and graduated from El Molino ...
, to join the band as their bassist and complete the line-up. The band garnered a large following in their hometown of
Provo, Utah Provo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Utah County, Utah, United States. It is south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front, and lies between the cities of Orem, Utah, Orem to the north and Springville, Utah, Springville to the south ...
, before the members moved to
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, the hometown of Dan Reynolds, where the band recorded and released their first three EPs. The band released a self-titled EP ''
Imagine Dragons Imagine Dragons are an American pop rock band formed in 2008, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. The band currently consists of lead singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, and bassist Ben McKee. They first gained exposure with the release of ...
'' on September 1, 2009, and ''
Hell and Silence ''Hell and Silence'' is the third extended play (EP) by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons, released on March 12, 2010. It was recorded at Battle Born Studios. All songs were written and produced by Imagine Dragons. " Hear Me" was remastere ...
'' on March 10, 2010, both recorded at Battle Born Studios, in Las Vegas. Six months after releasing their third EP, '' It's Time'', on March 12, 2011, they signed a record deal with Interscope Records on November 18, 2011. They got their first big break when
Train A train (from Old French , from Latin">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ... , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles th ...
's frontman
Pat Monahan Patrick Monahan (born February 28, 1969) is an American musician. He is best known as the lead singer and sole constant member of the band Train. He has also collaborated with multiple artists and has recorded a solo album, '' Last of Seven''. ...
fell sick just prior to the Bite of Las Vegas Festival 2009. Imagine Dragons were called to fill in and performed to a crowd of more than 26,000 people. Local accolades including "Best CD of 2011" (''Vegas SEVEN''), "Best Local Indie Band 2010" (''
Las Vegas Weekly ''Las Vegas Weekly'' is a free alternative weekly newspaper based in Henderson, Nevada Henderson is a city in Clark County, Nevada, United States, about southeast of downtown Las Vegas. It is the List of cities in Nevada, 2nd most populous ...
''), "Las Vegas' Newest Must See Live Act" (''
Las Vegas CityLife ''Las Vegas CityLife'' was an American Alternative newspaper, alternative weekly newspaper founded in August 1996. It was the oldest such newspaper in Southern Nevada and covered news about the Las Vegas Valley and surrounding areas. Coverage inc ...
''), Vegas Music Summit Headliner 2010, and more sent the band on a positive trajectory. In November 2011, they signed with
Interscope Records Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...
and began working with English Grammy Award-winning producer
Alex da Kid Alexander Junior Grant (born 27 August 1983), professionally known as Alex da Kid or by.ALEXANDER, is a British music producer from Wood Green, London. He has gained recognition for producing several hit singles for artists of multiple music g ...
. Eventually, the Tolmans left the group. Drummer
Daniel Platzman Daniel James Platzman (born September 28, 1986) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and composer. He is best known as the former drummer for the pop rock band Imagine Dragons. Early life Platzman was born on September 28, 1986 ...
and keyboardist Theresa Flaminio were recruited by McKee in August 2011, prior to the band's label deal in November 2011. Flaminio departed from the group around the time of the band's deal with Interscope, leaving the band a four-piece.


2012–2014: ''Night Visions''

The band worked closely with Alex da Kid, with whom they recorded their first major-label release at
Westlake Recording Studios Westlake Recording Studios is a music recording studio with two locations in Los Angeles and West Hollywood, California. History Westlake Recording Studios was founded in the early 1970s by the American audio engineer Tom Hidley under the name ...
in
West Hollywood, California West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. History Most historical writing ...
. An EP entitled '' Continued Silence'' was released on February 14, 2012 digitally and peaked at number 40 on the ''Billboard'' 200. The band also released an EP titled '' Hear Me'' in 2012. Shortly after, " It's Time" was released as a single and peaked at number 15 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. The music video debuted on April 17, 2012, on all
MTV MTV (an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable television television channel, channel and the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on ...
affiliates and was subsequently nominated for an
MTV Video Music Award The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category) ...
in the "Best Rock Video" category. "It's Time" was certified a 7× platinum single by the
RIAA The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
. The band finished recording their debut album ''
Night Visions ''Night Visions'' is the debut studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons. It was released on September 4, 2012, through Kidinakorner and Interscope Records. The album was primarily produced by the band themselves, as well as Engli ...
'' in the summer of 2012 at
Studio X Studio X (formerly known as Bad Animals Studio and Kaye-Smith Studios.) is a music and media recording studio in Seattle, Washington, United States. Originally part of the Kaye-Smith Enterprises media conglomerate founded by Lester Smith and ac ...
inside
Palms Casino Resort Palms Casino Resort is a hotel and casino located near the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States. It is owned and operated by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. It includes 703 rooms and a casino. It was originally owned by th ...
and released the album in the United States on September 4, 2012. It peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart with first week sales in excess of 83,000 copies, the highest charting for a debut rock album since 2006. The album also reached No. 1 on the Billboard
Alternative Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (Kamen Rider), Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * Alternative comics, or independent comics are an altern ...
and
Rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
Album charts as well as the top ten on the Australian, Austrian, Canadian, Dutch, German, Irish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Scottish, Spanish, and United Kingdom Albums charts. It won a
Billboard Music Award The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a Billboard charts, music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annu ...
for Top Rock Album and was nominated for the Juno Award for International Album of the Year. ''Night Visions'' is certified platinum in the US by the RIAA as well as in Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. The album produced three tracks that reached the ''Billboard'' Top 40, four tracks in the ARIA Top 40, and five tracks charting in the UK Top 40. The album's second single "
Radioactive Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is conside ...
" reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Alternative Songs, ''Billboard'' Rock Songs, and Swedish singles chart and has sold more than 14 million singles in the United States, entering the top 3 of the most selling songs digitally ever. It also smashed the record of the longest running song on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 by spending 87 weeks before being broken by
The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...
's "
Blinding Lights "Blinding Lights" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd, from his fourth studio album, '' After Hours'' (2020). The song was released through XO and Republic Records on November 29, 2019, as the album's second single. It is a synt ...
" in 2021. "Radioactive" stayed at No. 1 on the Hot Rock Songs chart for a record-breaking 23 weeks and ultimately became the genre's biggest hit of 2013. It peaked at No. 3, becoming their first top ten single in the United States and broke the record for the longest run into the top five. It is the best-selling rock song on the Nielsen SoundScan running list of best-selling rock songs in digital history. By the end of 2013, "Radioactive" had already sold over three million copies. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' called it "the biggest rock hit of the year". It was also the most streamed song of 2013 on
Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...
in the United States. It was nominated for the
Grammy Award for Record of the Year The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
and the
Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance The Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guide it is designed for ...
at the
56th Annual Grammy Awards The 56th Annual Grammy Awards presentation was held on January 26, 2014, at Staples Center in Los Angeles. The show was broadcast on CBS at 8 p.m. ET/PT and was hosted for the third time by LL Cool J. The show was moved to January to avoid co ...
, winning the latter of the two. The band performed a medley of "Radioactive" and "
M.A.A.D City "m.A.A.d city" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his second studio album ''Good Kid, M.A.A.D City'' (2012). The song, which appears as the eighth track on the album, features a guest appearance from fellow Compton native and West ...
" alongside rapper
Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, he was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first music ...
at the ceremony. A remixed version of "Radioactive", featuring a newly added verse from Lamar, was released the next day and performed on the February 1, 2014 episode of ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''. Third single "
Demons A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in folklore, mythology, religion, occultism, and literature; these beliefs are reflected in media including fiction, comics, film, t ...
" reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' Pop Songs, peaked at No. 6 on the ''Billboard''
Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), o ...
and spent 61 weeks on it. In 2021, RIAA declared that the song has become the band's third diamond selling song in the US. Fourth single " On Top Of The World" reached a peak of No. 79 on the
Billboard Hot 100 The ''Billboard'' Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. Chart rankings are based on sales (physical and digital), ...
and also spent 20 weeks on the chart. In the US, the non-singles off the album, "Bleeding Out" and "Amsterdam" were certified platinum while "Hear Me" and "Tiptoe" were certified gold. ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' listed them as one of "2012's Brightest New Stars" and later "The Breakout Band of 2013". Imagine Dragons won the 2014
Billboard Music Awards The ''Billboard'' Music Awards are honors given out annually by '' Billboard'', a publication covering the music business and a music popularity chart. The ''Billboard'' Music Awards show has been held annually since 1990, with the exception of ...
for Top Duo/Group, Top Hot 100 Artist, and Top Rock Artist. Amazon.com called the band their "Favorite Rock Artist of 2012". In 2013, Imagine Dragons returned to Europe and North America with the Night Visions Tour. The band announced 13 additional US summer tour dates which also sold out. The band then announced a North America Amphitheatre tour.
Pollstar ''Pollstar'' is a trade publication for the concert and live music industry. The publication was purchased by Oak View Group, a venue consultancy founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, in July 2017. ''Pollstar'' holds an annual award ce ...
listed the band in their Top 20 Concert Tours list by average box office gross despite their average ticket price being the third lowest on the list. The band released a live album, '' Live at Independent Records'', in April 2013.


2014–2016: ''Smoke + Mirrors''

The idea behind the second studio album, dubbed as their " New Year's resolution", was to create music and finish it when the band feels that their work is done. Since the beginning of the Night Visions Tour, the band had been writing new material for an upcoming album, and, even as early as the start of the tour, had been recording
demos Demos may refer to: Computing * DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system * DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR * Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems * Plural for Demo (computer programming ...
for the album, before entering the studio. By the time that they entered the studio to work on the album, they had amassed 50 demos to work from. Prior to the album's release, Imagine Dragons released a number of singles for other projects including a song for the film '' Transformers: Age of Extinction'', called "
Battle Cry A battle cry or war cry is a yell or chant taken up in battle, usually by members of the same combatant group. Battle cries are not necessarily articulate (e.g. "Eulaliaaaa!", "Alala"..), although they often aim to invoke patriotic or religio ...
" in June, 2014 and the song "
Warriors A warrior is a guardian specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracy, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have been p ...
" for the 2014 ''League of Legends'' World Championship in September, 2014. On October 24, they revealed the lead single to the upcoming album, " I Bet My Life" via several visual snippets on Facebook and Instagram. It was released on October 27. It was sent to US Alternative radio for ads on November 3. On December 16, the band announced their second album ''
Smoke + Mirrors ''Smoke + Mirrors'' is the second studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons. The album was recorded during 2014 at the band's home studio in Las Vegas, Nevada. Self-produced by members of the band along with English hip-hop produce ...
'', along with the release of its second single "
Gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
". " Shots" was released as the album's third single on January 26, 2015. Imagine Dragons played at the
Mayan Theater The Mayan Theater in Los Angeles, California, is a landmark former movie palace and current nightclub and music venue. History The Mayan Theater opened in August 1927 as a performance arts theater specializing in musical comedy. Leon Hefflin ...
in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
on February 5, 2015. The half-hour set included the live debut of unreleased songs "Summer" and " I'm So Sorry". On February 8, the band partnered with
Target Target may refer to: Warfare and shooting * Shooting target, used in marksmanship training and various shooting sports ** Bullseye (target), the goal one for which one aims in many of these sports ** Aiming point, in field artille ...
for a performance of "Shots" as part of a live commercial aired during the
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious a ...
. ''Smoke + Mirrors'' was released on February 17. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200, making it the band's first number one album. The band began a world tour in support of the album on June 3 in
Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...
. During the band's tour, Imagine Dragons released two non-album singles. "
Roots A root is the part of a plant, generally underground, that anchors the plant body, and absorbs and stores water and nutrients. Root or roots may also refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''The Root'' (magazine), an online magazine focusin ...
" was released on August 26, 2015, and "
I Was Me "I Was Me" is a Charity record, charity single by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons. Background On October 12, 2015, "I Was Me" was released to iTunes Stores for the One4 project with all proceeds going to the UN Refugee Agency to support f ...
" on October 12, 2015, via
iTunes iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
. The band also released a cover of "I Love You All the Time" by
Eagles of Death Metal Eagles of Death Metal is an American rock band from Palm Desert, California, formed in 1998. Founded by Jesse Hughes (vocals, guitar) and Josh Homme (drums), the band also includes a wide range of other musicians who perform both on the band's ...
on December 18, 2015, in support of the victims of the
November 2015 Paris attacks A series of coordinated Islamist terrorist attacks took place on Friday, 13 November 2015 in Paris, France, and the city's northern suburb, Saint-Denis. Beginning at 21:16, three suicide bombers struck outside the Stade de France in Saint-De ...
. The Smoke + Mirrors Tour ended on February 5, 2016, in
Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
. The band released a one night only
concert film A concert film or concert movie is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert, by either a musician or a Stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian. Ea ...
, ''Imagine Dragons In Concert: Smoke + Mirrors'', in select theaters on March 2, 2016, which was later released on DVD and Blu-Ray. Following the tour, the band planned to take a hiatus. They released the soundtracks songs " Not Today" from '' Me Before You'' and "
Sucker for Pain "Sucker for Pain" is a song by American rappers Lil Wayne and Wiz Khalifa and American pop rock band Imagine Dragons with fellow American rapper Logic and American singer Ty Dolla $ign featuring fellow American pop rock band X Ambassadors. The s ...
" from ''
Suicide Squad The Suicide Squad is an antihero/supervillain team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The first version of the Suicide Squad debuted in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #25 (September 1959) and the second and modern version, cre ...
'' with
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
,
Wiz Khalifa Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he signed with the local independent label Rostrum Records to re ...
,
Logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the study of deductively valid inferences or logical truths. It examines how conclusions follow from premises based on the structure o ...
,
Ty Dolla Sign Tyrone William Griffin Jr. (born April 13, 1982), known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign (stylized as Ty Dolla $ign or Ty$), is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, Griffin gai ...
, and
X Ambassadors X Ambassadors (also stylized XA) are an American pop rock band from Ithaca, New York, that consists of lead vocalist Sam Harris, keyboardist Casey Harris, and drummer Adam Levin. Russ Flynn is a touring member who plays guitar and bass. Their m ...
in April and June, respectively.


2016–2020: ''Evolve'' and ''Origins''

Imagine Dragons began recording their third studio album in September 2016. The band teased the upcoming album by posting cryptic messages on their Twitter account for the next four months. They released the song " Levitate", recorded for the film ''
Passengers A passenger is a person who travels in a vehicle, but does not bear any responsibility for the tasks required for that vehicle to arrive at its destination or otherwise operate the vehicle, and is not a steward. The vehicles may be bicycles, ...
'', on December 2, 2016. On January 28, 2017, the band started posting a series of videos teasing the album's first single. The time-lapse videos featured lead singer Dan Reynolds drawing surreal images on a drawing pad.
Morse code Morse code is a telecommunications method which Character encoding, encodes Written language, text characters as standardized sequences of two different signal durations, called ''dots'' and ''dashes'', or ''dits'' and ''dahs''. Morse code i ...
was hidden in the videos and translated to "objects of same color". On February 1, 2017, Imagine Dragons released " Believer" as the lead single for their next album. "Believer" was used as part of a
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual History of the NFL championship, league championship game of the National Football League (NFL) of the United States. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966 NFL season, 1966 (with the excep ...
ad for the
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
. On April 27, 2017, the band released "
Thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
" as the second single from their third album. On May 8, 2017, Imagine Dragons announced their third studio album '' Evolve'', as well as a new track " Whatever It Takes", which was released on the same day. A tour in support for the album was also announced within the same day. The tour was held across 33 countries from September 2017 through September 2018. ''Evolve'' was released on June 23, 2017, worldwide. The album reached the top five in most countries but was met with mixed critical reception. The album and the single "Thunder" received nominations for
Best Pop Vocal Album The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
and
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance The Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 63rd Grammy Awards category rules, "this categ ...
, respectively, at the
60th Annual Grammy Awards The 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 28, 2018. The CBS network broadcast the show live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The show was moved to January to avoid coinciding with the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongch ...
. "Whatever It Takes" was released as an official single off the album a few months later on October 6, 2017. The song won the
MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video The MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock was first given out in , one of the four original genre categories added to the VMAs that year. In its first year, the award was called Best Heavy Metal Video, and from 1990 to 1995, it was renamed Best Meta ...
in
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
. On February 14, 2018, Imagine Dragons announced a new single titled " Next to Me" on Twitter. The song was released as part of a re-issue of ''Evolve'' on February 21, 2018. On June 12, 2018, Imagine Dragons announced a new single in collaboration with
Kygo Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll (; born 11 September 1991), known professionally as Kygo (), is a Norwegian DJ and music producer. He first received international attention with his December 2013 remix of the track " I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran and his De ...
titled " Born to Be Yours" on Twitter. The song was released on June 15, 2018. In 2018, Imagine Dragons also became co-owners of esports team Rogue. On July 12, 2018, Imagine Dragons announced a new single titled "
Natural Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the laws, elements and phenomena of the physical world, including life. Although humans are part ...
" on Twitter. The song was released on July 17, 2018. The song was used as the anthem for the 2018 ''
ESPN College Football ''ESPN College Football'' is the branding used for broadcasts of NCAA Division I FBS college football across ESPN properties, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, ESPN+, ABC, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPNews and ESPN Radio. ''ESPN College Fo ...
'' season. The band concluded the Evolve tour in Tampa, Florida on August 10. On September 18, 2018, Imagine Dragons announced a new single titled "
Zero 0 (zero) is a number representing an empty quantity. Adding (or subtracting) 0 to any number leaves that number unchanged; in mathematical terminology, 0 is the additive identity of the integers, rational numbers, real numbers, and compl ...
", which was released the following day. It was used in the end credits of the
Walt Disney Animation Studios Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that produces animated feature films and short films for the Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a s ...
film ''
Ralph Breaks the Internet ''Ralph Breaks the Internet'' is a 2018 American animated comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. It is the sequel to the 2012 film ''Wreck-It Ralph''. The film was directed by Rich Moore and Phil Johnston (filmmaker), Phil Joh ...
''. On October 3, 2018, Imagine Dragons announced their fourth studio album, ''
Origins Origin(s) or The Origin may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics and manga * ''Origin'' (comics), a Wolverine comic book mini-series published by Marvel Comics in 2002 * ''The Origin'' (Buffy comic), a 1999 ''Buffy the Vampire Sl ...
'', which was released on November 9, 2018. "Natural" and "Zero" serve as the lead singles off the album, while " Born to Be Yours" is featured on the international deluxe edition of the album. The band has described this album as a sister album to their previous work ''Evolve''. On October 31, 2018, Imagine Dragons released the third single off the album, "
Machine A machine is a physical system that uses power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromol ...
". Lastly, on November 6, 2018, Imagine Dragons released the album's fourth single, " Bad Liar". ''Origins'' debuted at number two in the US, making it their fourth top five album. It reached the top ten in multiple countries, but received mixed reviews from critics. On January 7, 2019, Imagine Dragons performed the halftime show for the 2019 College Football Championship game. The band performed "
Natural Nature is an inherent character or constitution, particularly of the ecosphere or the universe as a whole. In this general sense nature refers to the laws, elements and phenomena of the physical world, including life. Although humans are part ...
", " Bad Liar", "
Thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...
", and a special version of " Believer" with rapper
Lil Wayne Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper. He is often regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, as well as one of the greatest rappers of all ...
. The new version of the song was released on streaming platforms the following day. In June 2019, Beat Games released a paid
downloadable content content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can be added for no extra cost or as a form of video game monetization, enabling the publisher to gain ad ...
(DLC) music pack for
virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a Simulation, simulated experience that employs 3D near-eye displays and pose tracking to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video gam ...
rhythm game Rhythm game or rhythm action is a genre of music-themed action video game that challenges a player's sense of rhythm. Games in the genre typically focus on dance or the simulated performance of musical instruments, and require players to pres ...
''
Beat Saber ''Beat Saber'' is a virtual reality rhythm game developed by Ján Ilavský, Vladimír Hrinčár, and Peter Hrinčár. The game was published by Czech game developer Beat Games and was later obtained by Oculus Studios. It takes place in many di ...
'', called "Imagine Dragons Music Pack", that includes ten songs by Imagine Dragons. On June 20, 2019, Imagine Dragons released a new version "
Birds Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...
", featuring Italian singer
Elisa The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (, ) is a commonly used analytical biochemistry assay, first described by Eva Engvall and Peter Perlmann in 1971. The assay is a solid-phase type of enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to detect the presence of ...
, as the fifth and final single from ''Origins''. On July 23, 2019, an animated video for the original version of the song was released. In December 2019, Reynolds announced that he was taking a break from producing and writing music to focus on fatherhood. On January 20, 2020, the band released a music video for "Nothing Left to Say", a song from their debut album ''
Night Visions ''Night Visions'' is the debut studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons. It was released on September 4, 2012, through Kidinakorner and Interscope Records. The album was primarily produced by the band themselves, as well as Engli ...
''.


2021–2023: ''Mercury – Acts 1'' & ''2''

On March 8, 2021, Imagine Dragons announced the release of two singles, " Follow You" and " Cutthroat", which were released on March 12. The band began teasing their upcoming album which was executively produced by
Rick Rubin Frederick Jay Rubin (, ; born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He is a co-founder of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popularize hip hop by produci ...
. On June 29, 2021, the band announced the single " Wrecked", along with the pre-order for their fifth studio album ''
Mercury – Act 1 ''Mercury – Act 1'' is the first half of the fifth studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons, released on September 3, 2021, by Kidinakorner and Interscope Records in the United States. Imagine Dragons recorded the album in 2018 af ...
'' a day later. The song was released on July 2, 2021. ''Mercury – Act 1'' was released on September 3, along with the single "Monday". Similar to their previous work, the album was met with mixed critical reception. It debuted at number nine in the US. The album's release coincided with the announcement of a tour in support of the album. In October, the band re-released their first three extended plays onto streaming services and digital retailers. Each EP features a previously unreleased bonus track. The band also released the single "
Enemy An enemy or a foe is an individual or a group that is considered as forcefully adverse or threatening. The concept of an enemy has been observed to be "basic for both individuals and communities". The term "enemy" serves the social function of d ...
" featuring rapper
JID Destin Choice Route (born October 31, 1990), better known by his stage name JID (also stylized J.I.D), is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Atlanta, he signed with J. Cole's Dreamville Records, an imprint of Interscop ...
, as part of the soundtrack to the
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
series ''Arcane'', on October 28. It is the second collaboration between Imagine Dragons and ''
League of Legends ''League of Legends'' (''LoL'', commonly referred to as ''League'', is a multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Riot Games. Inspired by ''Defense of the Ancients'', a Mod (video games), custom map for ''Warcraf ...
'', following "
Warriors A warrior is a guardian specializing in combat or warfare, especially within the context of a tribal or clan-based warrior culture society that recognizes a separate warrior aristocracy, class, or caste. History Warriors seem to have been p ...
". Soon after the release of ''Mercury – Act 1'', the band began teasing towards a follow-up album that would also be executive produced by Rubin. In January 2022, Reynolds stated that the album was "almost done" and would be released following the first leg of the Mercury Tour. The tour began on February 6 in
Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
and concluded on September 15 in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. On March 11, 2022, the band released a single titled "
Bones A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...
", which serves as the lead single to the second part of their fifth studio album '' Mercury – Act 2''. On April 6, the band announced that ''Mercury – Act 2'' would be released on July 1, 2022. The second single, "
Sharks Sharks are a group of elasmobranch cartilaginous fish characterized by a ribless endoskeleton, dermal denticles, five to seven gill slits on each side, and pectoral fins that are not fused to the head. Modern sharks are classified within the ...
", was released June 24, 2022. The 18-track album was released as part of a compilation album containing both ''Mercury'' albums. Three singles from ''Mercury – Act 2'' were released following its release: " I Don't Like Myself", on October 10, 2022, "
Symphony A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning c ...
", on November 7, and "
Crushed Crushed may refer to: Music * "Crushed" (Roland Lee Gift song) a 2009 single by Roland Lee Gift * "Crushed", a song by Cocteau Twins from the 1991 compilation album '' The Box Set'' * "Crushed", a song by Dala from the 2009 album ''Everyone Is So ...
", on May 10, 2023. The music video for "I Don't Like Myself" was released in support of
World Mental Health Day World Mental Health Day (10 October) is an List of minor secular observances#October, international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the W ...
. "Symphony" was released as a single with a visualizer video. The song was treated to an alternate version released with the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles and Coke Studio and June 23, 2023. "Crushed" was released with a music video in support of United24 on May 10, 2023. The band released a ten year anniversary expanded edition of ''Night Visions'' on September 9, 2022 featuring two previously unreleased demos, "Love of Mine" and "Bubble". "Love of Mine" was released as a promotional single on September 2. On March 3, 2023, drummer Daniel Platzman announced that he would be absent from the South American leg of the Mercury Tour to focus on his health. The band's former drummer Andrew Tolman sat in for Platzman during the tour and all other performances throughout 2023. On July 14, 2023, a concert film titled ''Imagine Dragons: Live in Vegas'' was released on
Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
. The film showcases the band's full concert at
Allegiant Stadium Allegiant Stadium is a domed multi-purpose stadium located in Paradise, Nevada, southwest of adjacent Las Vegas. Opened in 2020, it is the home field of the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL) and the University of Nevada ...
in Las Vegas on September 10, 2022. A live album of the concert was released on July 28, 2023. On August 30, 2023, they released the song " Children of the Sky" in promotion of the video game '' Starfield''.


2024–present: ''Loom'' and Daniel Platzman's departure

On March 10, 2024, the band began teasing new music on their social media. On April 1, they announced a new song titled " Eyes Closed" would release on April 3. It was released as the lead single from the band's sixth studio album which was announced to be titled ''
Loom A loom is a device used to weaving, weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the Warp (weaving), warp threads under tension (mechanics), tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of ...
'' on April 22, releasing June 28. On that same day, the
Loom World Tour The Loom World Tour is the ongoing fifth concert tour by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons in support of their sixth studio album ''Loom (Imagine Dragons album), Loom'' (2024). The tour started on July 30, 2024, at the Freedom Mortgage Pavil ...
was also announced with 30 dates across the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
, starting on July 30, 2024. On May 3, a remix of "Eyes Closed" with
J Balvin José Álvaro Osorio Balvín (born 7 May 1985), known professionally as J Balvin, is a Colombian singer. He is one of the best-selling Latin artists, with 35 million records sold worldwide. Balvin was born in Medellín. At age 17, he moved to th ...
was released. On May 24, the band released the song " Nice to Meet You" as the album’s second single. On July 2, they unveiled a music video for " Wake Up", directed by Matt Eastin. The album also marks the band's first studio album without drummer Daniel Platzman, who had stopped performing with them in 2023 and officially announced his departure on August 21, 2024. In his absence, Andrew Tolman continued to serve as the band's touring drummer for the Loom World Tour. On September 27, they dropped "
Stars Will Align "Stars Will Align" is a song by Norwegian DJ Kygo and American band Imagine Dragons. It released through Sony Music on 27 September 2024. It marks the second song between the two artists, with them previously collaborating on "Born to Be Yours" ...
", their second collaboration with
Kygo Kyrre Gørvell-Dahll (; born 11 September 1991), known professionally as Kygo (), is a Norwegian DJ and music producer. He first received international attention with his December 2013 remix of the track " I See Fire" by Ed Sheeran and his De ...
. On October 11, The band released a live album as part of
Amazon Music Amazon Music (previously Amazon MP3) is a music streaming platform and digital music store operated by Amazon. As of January 2020, the service had 55 million subscribers. It was the first music store to sell music without digital rights manag ...
's ''Songline'' docuseries. On the same day, they released a remix of "
Take Me to the Beach "Take Me to the Beach" is a song by American band Imagine Dragons. It was released as a single through Kidinakorner and Interscope Records on October 11, 2024. The song was included on the band's sixth studio album ''Loom'' with four remixes al ...
" featuring
Baker Boy Danzal James Baker (born 10 October 1996), known professionally as Baker Boy, is a Yolngu rapper, dancer, and artist. Baker Boy is known for performing original hip-hop songs incorporating both English language, English and Yolŋu languages, ...
, followed by additional remixes featuring
Ernia Matteo Professione (born 29 November 1993), known professionally as Ernia, is an Italian rapper. Together with fellow hip hop artist Ghali, he founded the crew Troupe D'Elite, also including Maite and producer Fawzi. The group released the epon ...
on October 18,
Jungeli Joel Ungeli (born 6 October 2008), known professionally as Jungeli, is a Congolese-French singer, songwriter and television personality. Raised in Sevran, he began his recording career in mid-2023 and later introduced his debut single, "À moi" ...
on November 1, and Ado on December 16. On February 21, 2025, Imagine Dragons released '' ''Reflections (from the Vault of Smoke + Mirrors)'''' containing fourteen previously unreleased demos from ''Smoke + Mirrors'', commemorating the album's tenth anniversary. It was preceded by the release of the promotional single "Monica". In March 2025, the band released the concert film ''Imagine Dragons: Live From The Hollywood Bowl (with the LA Film Orchestra)'' exclusively in theaters. The film features the band's performance at the
Hollywood Bowl The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheatre and Urban park, public park in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles, California. It was named one of the 10 best live music venues in the United States by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2018 and was listed on ...
in October 2024, at the conclusion of a four-night residency.


Musical style and influences

Imagine Dragons' musical style has mainly been described as
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
,
electropop Electropop is a popular music fusion genre combining elements of the electronic and pop styles. It has been described as a variant of synth-pop with emphasis on a hard electronic sound. The genre was developed in the 1980s and saw a rev ...
,
pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop! (British group), a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Album ...
,
indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with a DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music. It originated from British post-punk in the late 1970s and s ...
,
indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United Kingdom, United States and New Zealand in the early to mid-1980s. Although the term was originally used to describe rock music released through independent reco ...
,
arena rock Arena rock (also known as stadium rock, pomp rock or corporate rock) is a style of rock music that became mainstream in the 1970s. It typically involves radio-friendly rock music that was designed to be played for large audiences. As hard rock ...
, and
alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
. Their music also contains influences from
synth-pop Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a music genre that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s b ...
,
dance-pop Dance-pop is a Music genre, genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1970s to early 1980s. It is generally uptempo music intended for nightclubs with the intention of being danceable but also suitable for contemporary hit ra ...
,
trip hop Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...
,
folk Folk or Folks may refer to: Sociology *Nation *People * Folklore ** Folk art ** Folk dance ** Folk hero ** Folk horror ** Folk music *** Folk metal *** Folk punk *** Folk rock ** Folk religion * Folk taxonomy Arts, entertainment, and media * Fo ...
,
drum and bass Drum and bass (commonly abbreviated as DnB, D&B, or D'n'B) is a genre of electronic dance music characterised by fast Break (music)#Breakbeat (element of music), breakbeats (typically 165–185 Tempo, beats per minute) with heavy Bass (music) ...
,
dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken ...
, industrial, EDM, R&B, and
hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...
. Dan Reynolds cites
Arcade Fire Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, and Jeremy Gara. The band's touring line-up includes former core ...
,
Nirvana Nirvana, in the Indian religions (Jainism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism), is the concept of an individual's passions being extinguished as the ultimate state of salvation, release, or liberation from suffering ('' duḥkha'') and from the ...
,
Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...
,
The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
,
Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter known for his solo work and his collaborations with Art Garfunkel. He and Garfunkel, whom he met in elementary school in 1953, came to prominence in the 1960s as Sim ...
,
Coldplay Coldplay are a British Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer and percussionist Will Champion, and manager Phil Harvey (band m ...
,
Linkin Park Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...
,
Harry Nilsson Harry Edward Nilsson III (June 15, 1941 – January 15, 1994), sometimes credited as Nilsson, was an American singer-songwriter who reached the peak of his success in the early 1970s. His work is characterized by pioneering vocal overdub experi ...
, and U2 as some of his and the band's artistic influences. In terms of success, Reynolds credits bands like
Foster the People Foster the People is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2009. Its members include founder and frontman Mark Foster (musician), Mark Foster and keyboardist Isom Innis. Foster founded the band in 2009 after spending ...
and
Mumford & Sons Mumford & Sons are a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, double bass, bass guitar), and Ben Lovett (British musician), B ...
for bringing alternative pop music to a new level of commercial success in recent years.


Public image

Despite their popularity and large social media followings, reception towards Imagine Dragons from other musicians and music critics has been mixed since their breakthrough to the mainstream. Review aggregator
Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
reports that the band's first four studio albums—''Night Visions'', ''Smoke + Mirrors'', ''Evolve'', and ''Origins''—have scores of 53, 60, 47, and 59, respectively, out of 100, indicating generally mixed reviews. The band's music has been criticized for its repetitive lyrics, "overblown" arena rock production, overemphasis on reverberation effects, sticking to formulas, and genre-hopping. Following the band's halftime show performance at the
2019 College Football Playoff National Championship The 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship was a college football bowl game played on January 7, 2019, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The fifth College Football Playoff National Championship, the game determined a ...
, American music publication ''
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
'' ran an article titled 'Is Imagine Dragons The Worst Band Ever?', which described the band's songs as having lyrics that are "a composite of motivational platitudes and pseudo-dramatic yelps" which "barely merit repeating, if only because Reynolds seems so willing to do that himself" and featuring a "punishing, squelching rhythmic force". The band has frequently been compared to Canadian rock band
Nickelback Nickelback is a Canadian Rock music, rock band formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta, Hanna, Alberta. Throughout its history, it has consisted of lead guitarist and lead vocalist Chad Kroeger, rhythm guitarist, keyboardist and backing vocalist Ryan ...
by critics, referring to Nickelback's own negative public perception. Despite this criticism, the band has described themselves as "genre-less". In an interview with ''Billboard'' at the
60th Annual Grammy Awards The 60th Annual Grammy Awards ceremony was held on January 28, 2018. The CBS network broadcast the show live from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The show was moved to January to avoid coinciding with the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongch ...
, Reynolds stated, "We've always kind of prided ourselves on being kind of a genre-less band. ..I have no idea how I'd categorize us. Sometimes it's definitely pop; sometimes the songs are all guitar-driven. It depends on the song." The band has been praised by some for their genre-bending style, and for keeping arena rock popular during the 2010s, a decade which saw guitars and bands dwindling in mainstream music. The band has also been the subject of ridicule by several musicians. In a 2019 interview,
Slipknot The slip knot is a stopper knot which is easily undone by pulling the tail ( working end). The slip knot is related to the running knot, which will release when the standing end is pulled. Both knots are identical and are composed of a slipp ...
frontman
Corey Taylor Corey Todd Taylor (born December 8, 1973) is an American musician, songwriter, author and actor. He is the lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Slipknot (band), Slipknot, in which he is designated #8, as well as the lead vocalist, guitarist, ly ...
echoed the Nickelback comparisons, claiming that Nickelback were "passing the baton of being rock and roll's scapegoat" to Imagine Dragons.
Matty Healy Matthew Timothy Healy (born 8 April 1989) is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who is the lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the pop rock band the 1975. He is recognised for his Lyricist, lyricism, Eclecticism in music, ...
of
the 1975 The 1975 are an English pop rock band formed in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 2002. The band consists of Matty Healy (lead vocals, guitar, primary songwriter), Adam Hann (lead guitar), Ross MacDonald (bass), and George Daniel (drums, primary produ ...
described "Radioactive" as 'nothingness', stating, "It might as well be called 'Pikachu Banana'." In a 2018 interview, Mark Foster joked that his band
Foster the People Foster the People is an American indie pop band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2009. Its members include founder and frontman Mark Foster (musician), Mark Foster and keyboardist Isom Innis. Foster founded the band in 2009 after spending ...
give their rejected material to Imagine Dragons. In response, Reynolds took to Twitter, denouncing what he described as "click-bait horse shit filled with vile and hate meant to feed humanity's need to laugh at each other's imperfections and fails." Foster issued an apology to Reynolds on Twitter, expressing regret over the joke and praising him for his humanitarian efforts. Taylor, on the other hand, criticized Reynolds and claimed that his words were taken out of context, tweeting, "As long as people are stupid, letting salacious headlines do their thinking for them, there will always be controversy. Do some research and find the truth...". Healy responded in a radio interview, stating, "You're a millionaire in a huge band. You don't say, 'Oh, I'm gonna do this, and also can I be void of criticism?' It's like … no." The band has ignored calls from pro-Palestinian activists to boycott Israel, performing in
Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( or , ; ), sometimes rendered as Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and usually referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the Gush Dan metropolitan area of Israel. Located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline and with a popula ...
,
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
on August 30, 2023. In a similar case, the band performed in
Baku Baku (, ; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Azerbaijan, largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region. Baku is below sea level, which makes it the List of capital ci ...
,
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is a Boundaries between the continents, transcontinental and landlocked country at the boundary of West Asia and Eastern Europe. It is a part of the South Caucasus region and is bounded by ...
, which was criticized by System of a Down singer and activist
Serj Tankian Serj Tankian ( , ; born August 21, 1967) is an Armenian-American musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative metal band System of a Down, which was formed in 1994. Tankian has released five albums with System of a Down ...
, as it could be seen as "an endorsement of Azerbeijan's authoritarian president,
Ilham Aliyev Ilham Heydar Oghlu Aliyev (born 24 December 1961) is an Azerbaijani politician who has been the fourth president of Azerbaijan since 2003. He is also the leader of the New Azerbaijan Party since 2005. The son and second child of former Aze ...
". Reynolds defended the performances in a 2024 interview with ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'', stating, "I don't believe in depriving our fans who want to see us play because of the acts of their leaders and their governments. I think that's a really slippery slope. I think the second you start to do that, there's corrupt leaders and warmongers all over the world, and where do you draw the line?" In May 2025, the band garnered attention when Reynolds displayed the Palestinian flag at the end of the band's performance in
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
,
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
.


Philanthropy

In 2013, along with the family of Tyler Robinson, Imagine Dragons started a charity called the Tyler Robinson Foundation, helping young people battling cancer. Beginning in 2014, the first annual Tyler Robinson Foundation Gala was held in Las Vegas. Imagine Dragons performed for "Playing It Forward" (S1 E2) to raise $100,000 for school music programs. The band partnered with
mtvU MTVU (formerly stylized as MtvU and mtvU) is an American digital cable TV channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group, a unit of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. MTVU programming initially served 750 college and univ ...
to help choose four Fulbright-mtvU Fellowship recipients. They partnered with Do the Write Thing: National Campaign to Stop Violence for a fundraising event. Imagine Dragons performed as part of
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
's "Bringing Human Rights Home" concert in Brooklyn on February 5, 2014. In 2015, Imagine Dragons released the track "
I Was Me "I Was Me" is a Charity record, charity single by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons. Background On October 12, 2015, "I Was Me" was released to iTunes Stores for the One4 project with all proceeds going to the UN Refugee Agency to support f ...
" for the One4 project with all proceeds going to the
UN Refugee Agency The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, lo ...
to support fleeing refugees, particularly in the Middle East. Imagine Dragons also released cover track "I Love You All The Time" to benefit the victims of the terrorist attacks in Paris. In 2017, the band helped organize the annual LoveLoud Festival which aims to raise awareness about LGBTQ youth and benefit LGBTQ organizations such as
the Trevor Project The Trevor Project is an American nonprofit organization founded in 1998. Focused on suicide prevention efforts for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth, they offer a toll-free telephone number where con ...
. On June 22, 2018, in collaboration with film score composer
Hans Zimmer Hans Florian Zimmer (; born 12 September 1957) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, five Grammy Awards, and has been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, Emmy Awards and a Tony ...
, lead singer Dan Reynolds released a single titled "Skipping Stones". The song was released to correspond with his new documentary, '' Believer'', a film that discusses the topic of the intersection between the
LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
community and
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...
. All proceeds from the song benefit LGBTQ charities. On July 23, 2022, Imagine Dragons became the official
ambassadors An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...
of the United24 platform, joining the fundraising for C-type
ambulances An ambulance is a medically-equipped vehicle used to transport patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to ...
, which allow medics to save even the most seriously injured. In total, the project, announced at the First Ladies and Gentlemen Summit, raised more than $6 million. These funds were used to purchase 92 vehicles that are already helping Ukrainian medics in the field. On May 10, 2023, the band released a music video for the song "
Crushed Crushed may refer to: Music * "Crushed" (Roland Lee Gift song) a 2009 single by Roland Lee Gift * "Crushed", a song by Cocteau Twins from the 1991 compilation album '' The Box Set'' * "Crushed", a song by Dala from the 2009 album ''Everyone Is So ...
". Directed by Ty Arnold, the video tells the true story of a 14-year-old boy named Sasha. Russian troops occupied his village for five months until Ukrainian forces finally liberated it. Despite this, the conflict left his home, school and neighborhood in ruins. He survived the shelling only by hiding in an underground shelter. The visualization details his story of perseverance as he walks through the rubble.


Band members

Current members *
Dan Reynolds Daniel Coulter Reynolds (born July 14, 1987) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He is the lead vocalist and a founding member of the pop rock band Imagine Dragons, which formed in 2008. He is a recipient of the Songwriters Hall o ...
– lead vocals, guitars, piano, keyboards, percussion (2008–present) *
Wayne Sermon Daniel Wayne Sermon (born June 15, 1984) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is the lead guitarist for the pop rock band Imagine Dragons. Early life Sermon was born on June 15, 1984, in American Fork, Utah, to parents ...
– guitars, backing vocals, mandolin, synthesizers, violin (2009–present) *
Ben McKee Benjamin Arthur McKee (born April 7, 1985) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is the bassist for the pop rock band Imagine Dragons. Early life McKee was raised in Forestville, California, and graduated from El Molino ...
– bass, keyboards, backing vocals (2009–present) Former members *
Andrew Tolman Andrew Tolman (born January 9, 1986) is an American studio musician and songwriter. He is a member of the cult club band the Moth & The Flame. He was also a founding member of the pop rock band Imagine Dragons, leaving the group before the releas ...
– drums, percussion, backing vocals (2008–2011; touring 2023–present) * Andrew Beck – guitars, backing vocals (2008–2009) * Aurora Florence – keyboards, backing vocals (2008–2009) * Dave Lemke – bass, backing vocals (2008–2009) * Brittany Tolman – keyboards, backing vocals (2009–2011) *
Daniel Platzman Daniel James Platzman (born September 28, 1986) is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and composer. He is best known as the former drummer for the pop rock band Imagine Dragons. Early life Platzman was born on September 28, 1986 ...
– drums, percussion, backing vocals, viola (2011–2024) * Theresa Flaminio – keyboards, backing vocals (2011) Former touring musicians * Ryan Walker – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals (2011–2015) * Will Wells – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals (2015–2017) * Elliot Schwartzman – keyboards, guitar, backing vocals (2017–2022)


Timeline


Discography

* ''
Night Visions ''Night Visions'' is the debut studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons. It was released on September 4, 2012, through Kidinakorner and Interscope Records. The album was primarily produced by the band themselves, as well as Engli ...
'' (2012) * ''
Smoke + Mirrors ''Smoke + Mirrors'' is the second studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons. The album was recorded during 2014 at the band's home studio in Las Vegas, Nevada. Self-produced by members of the band along with English hip-hop produce ...
'' (2015) * '' Evolve'' (2017) * ''
Origins Origin(s) or The Origin may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics and manga * ''Origin'' (comics), a Wolverine comic book mini-series published by Marvel Comics in 2002 * ''The Origin'' (Buffy comic), a 1999 ''Buffy the Vampire Sl ...
'' (2018) * ''
Mercury – Acts 1 & 2 ''Mercury – Acts 1 & 2'' is the full fifth studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons, released through Kidinakorner and Interscope Records. It is a double album consisting of 32 tracks, with the first half, '' Mercury – Act 1'' ...
'' (2022) ** ''
Mercury – Act 1 ''Mercury – Act 1'' is the first half of the fifth studio album by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons, released on September 3, 2021, by Kidinakorner and Interscope Records in the United States. Imagine Dragons recorded the album in 2018 af ...
'' (2021) ** ''Mercury – Act 2'' (2022) * ''
Loom A loom is a device used to weaving, weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the Warp (weaving), warp threads under tension (mechanics), tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of ...
'' (2024)


Awards and nominations


Tours

* Imagine Dragons on Tour (2011–2012) * Fall Tour 2012 (2012) * Night Visions Tour (2013–2014) * Smoke + Mirrors Tour (2015–2016) * Evolve World Tour (2017–2019) *
Mercury World Tour The Mercury World Tour was the fourth concert tour by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons in support of their full fifth studio album consisting of '' Mercury – Acts 1'' (2021) and '' 2'' (2022). The tour began on February 6, 2022, at the FT ...
(2022–2023) *
Loom World Tour The Loom World Tour is the ongoing fifth concert tour by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons in support of their sixth studio album ''Loom (Imagine Dragons album), Loom'' (2024). The tour started on July 30, 2024, at the Freedom Mortgage Pavil ...
(2024–2025)


References


External links

*
Tyler Robinson Foundation

Official - Imagine Dragons (YouTube)
{{Authority control 2008 establishments in Nevada Alternative rock groups from Nevada Grammy Award winners Interscope Records artists Musical groups established in 2008 Musical groups from the Las Vegas Valley American musical quartets American pop rock music groups American pop music groups American alternative rock groups MTV Video Music Award winners American indie pop groups