worst Imagine Dragons single

Hmm. Nowhere to vote for It's Time, Demons or Top of the World.

idk if I"ve ever heard those.

My wife only knew the "Thunder" one as "Fun Dip," because it sounded like they were chanting "Fun dip, fu-fu-fun dip." Anyway, isn't that one about rubbing your arena success into a naysayer's face?

"Kids were laughing in my classes
While I was scheming for the masses
Who do you think you are?
Dreaming 'bout being a big star
They say, "You're basic," they say, "You're easy"
You're always riding in the backseat
Now I'm smiling from the stage
While you were clapping in the nosebleeds"

Fuck you Imagine Dragons.

oh my god, I have heard "It's Time". It sounds like Dredg's brain damaged cousin on a coke binge

oh god I know "Demons" too, that was the one that the chorus sounds like "It's when my penis hot"

thanks I just spit out my water

none of the above, it's this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOsM-DYAEhY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_b-gDwfz84A

Radioactive because it originated from them writing for the spider-man musical

i was relieved when their second album didnt have the same sort of inescapable hits as the first as i hoped that would mean they were done for, unfortunately not

I don’t know where you’ve been but it certainly isn’t listening to Top 40 radio, where songs like “Believer” and “Thunder” have been dominating even more than the comparatively-excellent “Radioactive” did in 2013.

Speaking of which I’m starting to second-guess my vote for “Thunder” after playing “Believer” more extensively in my head and realizing I can’t even bear imagining that song for too long

Oh wait there was a sophomore album that had stuff like “I Bet My Life” on it. I just sort of rolled all that material into the debut in my head lol

"believer" is the worst of these

"i bet my life" and "top of the world" are also absolutely horrible, astonishing that they were even allowed to release that (comparative flop) album

"it's time" is actually good

"Radioactive" is the most classic of these. No song seems to be as inspiring to 10 year olds I work with. I also kind of like the hooks in "Thunder". I never really liked "Believer" so I voted for it.

"First things first
Ima say all the words inside my head"

Nah im good

"Radioactive" is the only one I recognize from the title alone, and it sucks, so that.

Oh shit I was about to call Demons was the worst song of the decade but then I heard the word 'dangereez' & now I have to say Brad otm

i hate these dudes

I can't remember the last time there was such a sudden and vigorous backlash against a top 40 act. They had a good run but this might be the end.

I imagine they’ll survive some bad-mouthing on a decade-old forum primarily populated by music critics (and the larger online backlash this is but one emanation of) to keep pulling massive streaming numbers and landing lucrative ad placements. But that said, yeah, they seem fated for a Nickleback-esque place in music history, if they even prove to be memorable in the way that Nickleback was.

I just hate that Chris-Martin-while-riding-the-Gravotron vocal affectation

Like people sound like that on purpose?

fwiw the backlash isn't just on bb's it's been in Spin and other big mags,
/papers. And I think they're already bigger than Nickelback ever was!

Wait, what backlash? Didn't they just sell out arenas on their last tour? I know that a pair of my neighbors went and came back with matching t-shirts.

Anyway, if you want backlash against a top 40 act, look no further than Iggy Azalea and Macklemore.

"thunder" is just so overwhelmingly stupid, i voted for it. i can't listen to "believer" or i legitimately start to feel very shitty.

"radioactive" - god if that's the best our culture can produce wrt boys hitting puberty we are so fucked

for a minute these guys knew exactly what buttons to push to engage the culture of high school students and adults with high school mentalities in the red state intermountain west and that's the best thing i can say about them.

I can’t hate these guys. My 8yo son loves them—“Radioactive,” “Warriors,” “Thunder,” “Monster”—this stuff is made for kids who love to pretend they’re Star Wars characters or superheroes. I felt the same way when I was a kid getting into Scandal’s “Warrior” or Def Leppard, Quiet Riot or AC/DC.

It’s not for me—I’m 42 and have spent my morning listening to dub and krautrock. But it’s not like I didn’t have a gateway into music all those years ago that began with me chanting along with music that made me feel larger than life. I see it happening with my kid and I think it’s awesome.

That said, “Whatever it Takes” is their worst single.

There is something incredibly depressing about the entrenchment of alt-butt in the pop landscape, which is what I think ID ultimately represents

Didn’t that happen a long time ago? Like, Candlebox or Stone Temple Pilots? Aren’t they the alt-butt pioneers?

At least based on their singles, it seems notable that there is a lack of the sentiments I associate with most 'alt' (including Nickelback): afaict, Imagine Dragons are not expressing angst, alienation, self-loathing, bitterness (except in the sense of having triumphed over sceptics), or irony.

Pretty amazing the amount of discussion Imagine Dragons is generating here.

??

they've been lingering in the billboard top 10 for years now and are the most-listened to artist in like 20 states according to some dumb chart i don't care enough to find again.

that's like saying "pretty amazing the amount of discussion donald trump is generating here"

i don't know anyone who would ever cop to liking them. this is bragging btw.

like ultimately there isn't much there but since the band is everywhere it's the opposite of amazing that people would want to talk about it. but good on you for having an opposites day take xp

You know me and I just copped to liking two of their songs. xp

lol i haven't read the thread. i'll listen to those sund4r

dude sounds really bad live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfFCVjkmbP4

mostly cos he has that vocal flutter that pushes him off pitch every so often

A Jamiroquai for the modern era

I mean, don't rush. 2xp

I keep coming back to the thought of how awful it must be to have to tour these songs, especially as the lead vocalist. Not that I'm feeling sorry for them, they are all worth over $10MM lol

A Jamiroquai for the modern era

― an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Saturday, January 12, 2019 8:54 PM (thirty-four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

jamiroquai?????

well just an incredibly dull feelgood band with a douche bro frontman

hold up

Heeeeeyyyyy

sorry but that's ... virtual insanity

How many ilx members do we need to reach cloture on any debate re: Imagine Dragons being analogous to Jamiroquai

when you gonna learn

if it pleases the court I can withdraw my statement

Like, Candlebox or Stone Temple Pilots? Aren’t they the alt-butt pioneers?

That's my point: that that whole mode of radio rock--surely the blandest strain to come out of the grunge era--has remained relevant over the years and continues to evolves and is basically becoming an essential part of how pop sees itself

Oh, yeah. Agreed. I think you could also look at hair metal and nu-metal / rap-rock as part of that tradition.

And as far as Imagine Dragons being the “new” anything, I think they are the new Incubus. Not as terrible as Limp Bizkit or Nickelback, maybe even a smart or decent person or two in the band, but also yes that boring strain of alt rock.

"Thunder" is the dudebro "Drop It Like It's Hot"

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Spraying the strikers with firehoses would have been more humane https://t.co/vNc2dGBc2H

— John McFerrin (@tarkus1980) May 10, 2023

Sund4r
Gimme Sund4r
Light-neen anna Sund4r

The greatest punishment I have ever inflicted on myself is making “thunder” the first song I teach to my 6-8 year old ukulele students. It’s just too easy and they all love it, but I really feel the weight of the sun I’m inflicting on the world every time I teach it.

Hot take, relative to the rest of their work (very strong emphasis on RELATIVE), on top of the world isn’t that bad.

Relative to anything else, still a terrible song

The greatest punishment I have ever inflicted on myself is making “thunder” the first song I teach to my 6-8 year old ukulele students. It’s just too easy and they all love it, but I really feel the weight of the sun I’m inflicting on the world every time I teach it.

Hot take, relative to the rest of their work (very strong emphasis on RELATIVE), on top of the world isn’t that bad.

Relative to anything else, still a terrible song

At least you can take thunder slightly tongue-in-cheek if you squint hard enough and ignore all evidence to the contrary. Radioactive and believer though……. You can’t give them that benefit of the doubt. They should be the equal winners in this poll