"Thunder" is a song by American 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). 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, tying with "Believer" 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 and the Netherlands. 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. 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.
As of October 2025, the video has over 2.3 billion views on YouTube, making it the group's second most viewed video, only behind "Believer". It also has over 13 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. A little over a month later, on December 20, a studio version of the mash-up was released.
Chart performance "Thunder" peaked at number four on the US Billboard Hot 100. 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, Alternative Songs (three weeks), Adult Top 40 (seven weeks), and the Mainstream Top 40 (for one week) charts.
It became the ninth best-selling song of 2017 in the United States, with 1,189,000 copies sold in the year.
Critical reception Critics from Billboard magazine placed the song at 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". 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".
Track listing
Charts
Weekly charts Chart (2017–2023) Peak position Belarus Airplay (Eurofest) 1 El Salvador Airplay (Monitor Latino) 17 Latvia Streaming (LaIPA) 24 Lebanon (Lebanese Top 20) 12 Malaysia (RIM) 15 Mexico Airplay (Billboard) 12 Paraguay Airplay (Monitor Latino) 8 Philippines (Philippine Hot 100) 24 Slovenia Airplay (SloTop50) 5
Medley version Chart (2018) Peakposition
Year-end charts Chart (2017) Position Australia (ARIA) 6 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) 3 Belgium (Ultratop Flanders) 18 Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia) 34 Brazil Streaming (Pro-Música Brasil) 80 Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 43 France (SNEP) 61 Germany (Official German Charts) 4 Hungary (Single Top 40) 23 Hungary (Stream Top 40) 4 Italy (FIMI) 12 Latvia Airplay (LaIPA) 19 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) 27 Netherlands (Single Top 100) 42 New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) 6 Poland Airplay (ZPAV) 67 Portugal (AFP) 15 Slovenia Airplay (SloTop50) 41 Spain (Promusicae) 88 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 19 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 11 UK Singles (OCC) 100 US Billboard Hot 100 51 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard) 47 US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard) 4 US Rock Airplay (Billboard) 11 Chart (2018) Position Australia (ARIA) 50 Canada (Canadian Hot 100) 18 Hungary (Single Top 40) 32 Portugal (AFP) 38 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) 99 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) 77 US Billboard Hot 100 22 US Radio Songs (Billboard) 14 US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) 10 US Adult Top 40 (Billboard) 7 US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard) 1 US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard) 34 US Rock Airplay (Billboard) 21 Chart (2019) Position Portugal (AFP) 156 Chart (2022) Position Global 200 (Billboard) 196 Hungary (Rádiós Top 40) 47 Chart (2023) Position Belarus Airplay (TopHit) 157 Global 200 (Billboard) 173Hungary (Rádiós Top 40) 46 Chart (2024) Position Belarus Airplay (TopHit) 169
Medley version Chart (2018) Position US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard) 43
Decade-end charts Chart (2010–2019) Position Australia (ARIA) 50US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard) 2
Certifications
Release history Region Date Format Label United States April 27, 2017 Digital download Italy May 26, 2017 Contemporary hit radio Universal United States September 8, 2017 Digital download – official remix September 11, 2017 Hot adult contemporary radio September 19, 2017 Contemporary hit radio December 20, 2017 Digital download – medley
See also List of best-selling singles in Australia
References