Imagine Dragons facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Imagine Dragons
|
|
|---|---|
Imagine Dragons at Mohegan Sun in 2017. Left to right: Wayne Sermon, Dan Reynolds, former drummer Daniel Platzman, and Ben McKee.
|
|
| Background information | |
| Origin | Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Labels |
|
| Members |
|
| Past members |
|
Imagine Dragons is a very popular American pop rock band. They started in 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The band's main members are lead singer Dan Reynolds, guitarist Wayne Sermon, and bassist Ben McKee.
Their first big song, "It's Time", came out in 2012. It quickly became a Top 20 hit around the world. Their first album, Night Visions, was released in September 2012. This album featured huge songs like "Radioactive" and "Demons". Night Visions reached No. 2 in America and sold millions of copies.
Rolling Stone magazine called "Radioactive" the "biggest rock hit of the year." This song also held a record for staying on the Billboard chart for a very long time. Imagine Dragons was named "Breakthrough Band of 2013" by Billboard. They were also recognized as the "Biggest Band of 2017."
The band's second album, Smoke + Mirrors (2015), reached number one in the US, Canada, and the UK. Their third album, Evolve (2017), had three more chart-topping songs: "Believer", "Thunder", and "Whatever It Takes". These songs helped them set a record for the most weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart.
Imagine Dragons' fourth album, Origins (2018), included the hit "Natural". This song became their fifth to top the Hot Rock Songs chart. More recently, they released Mercury – Acts 1 & 2 (2022), which featured the popular song "Enemy". Their latest album, Loom, was released in 2024.
Imagine Dragons has won many awards, including three American Music Awards, nine Billboard Music Awards, and one Grammy Award. They have sold over 74 million albums and 65 million digital songs worldwide. This makes them one of the best-selling music artists ever. They are also the first rock band to have four songs—"Radioactive", "Demons", "Believer", and "Thunder"—each streamed over one billion times.
Contents
- How Imagine Dragons Started (2008–2011)
- Night Visions and Huge Success (2012–2014)
- Smoke + Mirrors (2014–2016)
- Evolve and Origins (2016–2020)
- Mercury Albums and Changes (2021–2023)
- Loom and Recent Music (2024–Present)
- Musical Style
- Helping Others (Philanthropy)
- Band members
- Discography
- Awards and Nominations
- Tours
- See also
How Imagine Dragons Started (2008–2011)
In 2008, lead singer Dan Reynolds met drummer Andrew Tolman at college. They decided to form a band. The band's name, Imagine Dragons, is a secret phrase that only the members know.
Early on, other musicians joined and left the band. In 2009, Andrew Tolman invited his high school friend Wayne Sermon to play guitar. Later, Ben McKee joined as the bassist. This completed the main lineup of the band.
The band became very popular in their hometown of Provo, Utah. Then, they moved to Las Vegas, Dan Reynolds' hometown. There, they recorded their first three short albums, called EPs. These EPs were Imagine Dragons (2009), Hell and Silence (2010), and It's Time (2011).
Imagine Dragons got their first big break in 2009. The lead singer of the band Train got sick before a festival, and Imagine Dragons was asked to perform instead. They played for over 26,000 people! This helped them gain a lot of attention. In November 2011, they signed a record deal with Interscope Records. Around this time, drummer Daniel Platzman joined the band.
Night Visions and Huge Success (2012–2014)
Imagine Dragons worked closely with producer Alex da Kid on their first major album. They released an EP called Continued Silence in February 2012. It reached number 40 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Soon after, their song "It's Time" was released as a single. It climbed to number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100. The music video for "It's Time" was even nominated for an MTV Video Music Award.
The band finished their first full album, Night Visions, in the summer of 2012. It was released in September 2012 and quickly reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album was also a top hit in many other countries.
The second song from the album, "Radioactive", became a massive hit. It reached No. 1 on several rock charts and sold over 14 million copies in the United States. "Radioactive" held the record for the longest time a song stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for many years. It also won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance. Imagine Dragons even performed "Radioactive" with rapper Kendrick Lamar at the Grammy Awards.
Their third single, "Demons", also became a huge success. It reached No. 1 on the Billboard Pop Songs chart and No. 6 on the Hot 100. By 2021, "Demons" became the band's third song to sell over 10 million copies in the US.
Billboard magazine called Imagine Dragons "The Breakout Band of 2013." They won several Billboard Music Awards in 2014, including Top Duo/Group and Top Rock Artist. In 2013, the band toured Europe and North America with their Night Visions Tour, playing to many fans.
Smoke + Mirrors (2014–2016)
While touring for Night Visions, the band was already writing new songs for their next album. They had many ideas and demos ready before they even went into the studio.
Before the album came out, Imagine Dragons released some songs for other projects. These included "Battle Cry" for the movie Transformers: Age of Extinction in 2014. They also released "Warriors" for the 2014 League of Legends World Championship.
On October 27, 2014, they released "I Bet My Life" as the first song from their new album. Their second album, Smoke + Mirrors, was announced in December 2014 and released on February 17, 2015. It quickly debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 chart, becoming their first number one album.
The band started a world tour to support Smoke + Mirrors in June 2015. During this tour, they released two more songs, "Roots" and "I Was Me". They also covered a song called "I Love You All the Time" to help victims of attacks in Paris. The Smoke + Mirrors Tour ended in February 2016.
After the tour, the band took a short break. They also released songs for movie soundtracks, like "Not Today" for Me Before You and "Sucker for Pain" for Suicide Squad.
Evolve and Origins (2016–2020)
Imagine Dragons began working on their third album in September 2016. They hinted at new music on social media. In December 2016, they released "Levitate" for the movie Passengers.
On February 1, 2017, they released "Believer" as the first song from their new album. "Believer" was even featured in a Super Bowl advertisement. Then came "Thunder" in April 2017.
On May 8, 2017, Imagine Dragons announced their third album, Evolve. They also released another new song, "Whatever It Takes", on the same day. A big world tour, the Evolve Tour, followed, lasting from September 2017 to September 2018.
Evolve was released on June 23, 2017. It reached the top five in many countries. The album and the song "Thunder" were nominated for Grammy Awards. "Whatever It Takes" later won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Rock Video in 2018.
In 2018, Imagine Dragons released more new music. This included "Next to Me" and a collaboration with Kygo called "Born to Be Yours". They also released "Natural", which became the anthem for the 2018 ESPN College Football season. Another song, "Zero", was used in the movie Ralph Breaks the Internet.
On October 3, 2018, the band announced their fourth album, Origins, which was released on November 9, 2018. "Natural" and "Zero" were the main songs from this album. Origins reached number two in the US.
In January 2019, Imagine Dragons performed at the College Football Championship game. They played some of their hits and a special version of "Believer" with rapper Lil Wayne. Later that year, Dan Reynolds announced he was taking a break from music to spend more time with his family.
Mercury Albums and Changes (2021–2023)
On March 8, 2021, Imagine Dragons announced two new songs, "Follow You" and "Cutthroat", which were released on March 12. They were teasing their upcoming album, which was produced by Rick Rubin.
Their fifth album, Mercury – Act 1, was released on September 3, 2021. It reached number nine in the US. Around the same time, they released the song "Enemy" with rapper JID. This song was part of the soundtrack for the Netflix series Arcane.
Soon after, the band started working on a follow-up album. Mercury – Act 2 was released on July 1, 2022. This album included the songs "Bones" and "Sharks". Both Mercury albums were also released together as a compilation.
Imagine Dragons released music videos for several songs from Mercury – Act 2. The video for "I Don't Like Myself" was released to support World Mental Health Day. The video for "Crushed" told the true story of a brave 14-year-old boy named Sasha, who showed great strength during difficult times in his village. Imagine Dragons used this video to help raise support for people in need.
On March 3, 2023, drummer Daniel Platzman announced he would be taking a break from touring for health reasons. Andrew Tolman, an original member of the band, filled in as the touring drummer. Daniel Platzman officially left the band on August 21, 2024. Andrew Tolman continues to be the band's touring drummer.
A concert film called Imagine Dragons: Live in Vegas was released on Hulu in July 2023. It showed their concert at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. In August 2023, they released the song "Children of the Sky" for the video game Starfield.
Loom and Recent Music (2024–Present)
In April 2024, Imagine Dragons announced a new song called "Eyes Closed". It was released on April 3, 2024. They also announced their sixth studio album, Loom, which was released on June 28, 2024.
The Loom World Tour was announced on April 22, 2024, and began on July 30, 2024, with many dates across the United States. They released a remix of "Eyes Closed" with J Balvin in May 2024. Another song from the album, "Nice to Meet You", was released on May 24, 2024. A music video for "Wake Up" was unveiled on July 2, 2024.
On September 27, 2024, they released "Stars Will Align", their second song with Kygo. In October 2024, the band released a live album as part of Amazon Music's Songline series. They also released several remixes of their song "Take Me to the Beach" with different artists throughout late 2024.
On February 21, 2025, Imagine Dragons released Reflections (from the Vault of Smoke + Mirrors). This album contained fourteen songs that were recorded but not released during the Smoke + Mirrors era. In March 2025, a concert film called Imagine Dragons: Live From The Hollywood Bowl was released in theaters. It showed their performance at the Hollywood Bowl in October 2024.
Musical Style
Imagine Dragons blends different types of music, mixing rock and pop sounds. Their music is often described as pop rock, electropop, and alternative rock.
They also use elements from other styles like dance-pop, folk, and hip-hop in their songs. Lead singer Dan Reynolds has said that bands like The Beatles, Coldplay, and Muse have inspired their music.
Helping Others (Philanthropy)
Imagine Dragons is known for their charity work. In 2013, they started the Tyler Robinson Foundation with the family of Tyler Robinson. This charity helps young people who are battling cancer. They hold an annual gala in Las Vegas to raise money for this cause.
The band has also supported music programs in schools. They worked with Amnesty International for a concert to promote human rights. In 2015, they released the song "I Was Me" to help refugees through the UN Refugee Agency. They also covered a song to help victims of attacks in Paris.
In 2017, the band helped organize the LoveLoud Festival. This festival aims to support young people and promote kindness and acceptance.
On July 23, 2022, Imagine Dragons became official ambassadors for the United24 platform. They helped raise over $6 million to buy ambulances and medical supplies for people in need. Their music video for "Crushed" also helped raise awareness and support for people facing difficult times.
Band members
|
Current members
Current touring musicians
|
Former members
Former touring musicians
|
Timeline
Discography
- Night Visions (2012)
- Smoke + Mirrors (2015)
- Evolve (2017)
- Origins (2018)
- Mercury – Acts 1 & 2 (2022)
- Mercury – Act 1 (2021)
- Mercury – Act 2 (2022)
- Loom (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 (2022–2023)
- Loom World Tour (2024–2025)
See also
In Spanish: Imagine Dragons para niños
