"Thunder"
Single by Imagine Dragons
from the album Evolve
ReleasedApril 27, 2017 (2017-04-27)
Genre
Length3:07
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Alex Da Kid
  • Jayson DeZuzio
Imagine Dragons singles chronology
"Believer"
(2017) 		"Thunder"
(2017) 		"Whatever It Takes"
(2017)
Music video
"Thunder" on YouTube

"Thunder" is a song by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons. It was released by Interscope Records and Kidinakorner on April 27, 2017, as the second single from their third studio album, Evolve (2017).[5] Written by band members Dan Reynolds, Wayne Sermon, Ben McKee, Daniel Platzman, and its producers Alex Da Kid and Jayson DeZuzio, "Thunder" peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song became the band's fourth single in that country to reach the top ten after "Radioactive", "Demons" and "Believer". It also reached the top 10 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance.

Music video

The official music video for the song was released on Imagine Dragons' YouTube channel on May 2, 2017. The video was shot in Dubai, filmed in black and white.[6] It features the band's lead vocalist, Dan Reynolds, singing and dancing among extraterrestrials, portrayed by dancers Haroon Al Abdali, Mamadou Bathily, and Gianna Gi, around Downtown Dubai and the Burj Khalifa. It was directed by Joseph Kahn.[7][8]

As of June 2023, the video has over 2 billion views on YouTube, making it the group's second most viewed video, only behind Believer. It also has over 12 million likes.

Live performances

Imagine Dragons performed the song at the 2017 American Music Awards, in a medley with singer Khalid's "Young Dumb & Broke", with Khalid joining them for the performance.[9] A little over a month later, on December 20, a studio version of the mash-up was released.[10]

Chart performance

"Thunder" peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100.[11][12] The single has also reached number one in Belarus, the Czech Republic and the top ten in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Paraguay, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland. It topped the Billboard Hot Rock Songs chart for 21 weeks,[11][13] Alternative Songs (three weeks),[14] Adult Top 40 (seven weeks), and the Mainstream Top 40 (for one week) charts.[15]

It became the ninth best-selling song of 2017 in the United States, with 1,189,000 copies sold in the year.[16]

Critical reception

Critics from Billboard magazine placed it number 84 on its list of best songs of 2017, stating "'Thunder' is relatively stripped down, and between its soldierly cadence and a bouncy, helium-inflated, one-word hook, it makes for a curious pop gem".[17] In a review of the band's live performance at London's O2 Arena, The Guardian wrote of the song: "...the irresistible, hiccupping electro-pop of Thunder, a tune that could sit equally happily in a set by Pink or Rihanna".[18]

Track listing

Digital download[19]
No.TitleLength
1."Thunder"3:07
Digital download – official remix[20]
No.TitleLength
1."Thunder" (official remix) (with K.Flay)3:15
CD single[21]
No.TitleLength
1."Thunder"3:08
2."Believer"3:22
Digital download – medley[10]
No.TitleLength
1."Thunder / Young Dumb & Broke" (medley) (with Khalid)4:11

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[111] 10× Platinum 700,000‡
Austria (IFPI Austria)[112] 3× Platinum 90,000‡
Belgium (BEA)[113] 2× Platinum 40,000‡
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[114] Diamond 250,000‡
Canada (Music Canada)[115] 6× Platinum 480,000‡
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[116] Platinum 90,000‡
France (SNEP)[117] Diamond 233,333‡
Germany (BVMI)[118] 3× Platinum 1,200,000‡
Italy (FIMI)[119] 5× Platinum 250,000‡
New Zealand (RMNZ)[120] 2× Platinum 60,000‡
Norway (IFPI Norway)[121] 2× Platinum 120,000‡
Poland (ZPAV)[122] Diamond 100,000‡
Portugal (AFP)[123] 2× Platinum 20,000‡
South Korea — 2,500,000[124]
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[125] Platinum 40,000‡
Sweden (GLF)[126] 5× Platinum 40,000,000†
United Kingdom (BPI)[127] 2× Platinum 1,200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[128] 12× Platinum 12,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format Label Ref.
United States April 27, 2017 Digital download
[19]
Italy May 26, 2017 Contemporary hit radio Universal [129]
United States September 8, 2017 Digital download – official remix
  • Kidinakorner
  • Interscope
 [20]
September 11, 2017 Hot adult contemporary radio [130]
September 19, 2017 Contemporary hit radio [131]
December 20, 2017 Digital download – medley [10]

See also

References

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