Did Billboard Call Imagine Dragons “The Biggest Rock Band of the 21st Century”? A Deep Dive

There’s been some confusion in recent months online: a headline floated around (especially via suggesting that Billboard had declared Imagine Dragons the “biggest rock band of the 21st century.” But is that actually true? And if not, where does this idea come from, what do the data show, and how does Imagine Dragons really rank among rock acts of our time?

What the Sources Actually Say

To begin, I looked through Loudwire’s coverage and the original Billboard data that Loudwire references. Key findings:

Loudwire has an article, “Billboard Names Biggest Rock Band of 21st Century (7 More in Top 100)”, which talks about Billboard’s “Top 100 Artists of the 21st Century” across all charting formats.
In that list, Nickelback is named as the rock act that ranks highest, placed No. 26 overall among all artists.
Imagine Dragons are also on that Billboard list. As per Loudwire’s report, they are placed at No. 38 overall among artists of the 21st century.

So, the claim that Billboard called Imagine Dragons the biggest rock band of the 21st century is not accurate, at least not in that sense. Billboard did not rank them as the #1 rock band; that distinction goes to Nickelback, according to that particular set of data. Imagine Dragons are among the top, but not topmost.

Understanding the Rankings: What Criteria Did Billboard Use?

To fairly assess the situation, we need to understand how Billboard determined their rankings in “Top 100 Artists of the 21st Century.” Based on Loudwire’s description:

The ranking draws from all charting formats. That means it’s not just rock charts, but also pop, streaming, radio airplay, etc.
It’s an aggregate across the full span of the 21st century so far (up through the date of the ranking), which gives advantage to artists with longevity, consistent hits, cross-genre appeal, and high volume of plays/sales.
For rock acts specifically, they are being compared not just against each other, but against all acts; the ranking is global in scope among artists, not just among rock artists. So a rock act being No. 38 overall is a strong showing.

So, “biggest rock band” in this context would mean: the rock act with highest overall charting performance across all charts (not just rock charts), among all artists and not excluding pop, hip-hop, etc. And by that metric, Nickelback leads among rock acts; Imagine Dragons follow somewhat behind.

Imagine Dragons: Where They Stand

Given that background, it’s useful to examine how Imagine Dragons have performed, what metrics support their “bigness,” and where the criticisms lie.

What they’ve achieved

Here are some of the data points and accomplishments of Imagine Dragons that help support their elevated status in modern rock/pop culture:

Chart Success
- Their song “Radioactive” became a global phenomenon; it topped Billboard’s Hot Rock Songs chart, won a Grammy for Best Rock Performance, and achieved Diamond certification.
- They have had multiple No.1s on Hot Rock Songs and alternative/rock radio charts.
- Albums like Night Visions (2012), Smoke + Mirrors (2015), EVOLVE (2017), Origins (2018) all had major commercial success, charting highly on Billboard 200, selling many units, streaming heavily.
Streaming, Sales & Popularity
- Imagine Dragons have enormous streaming numbers. The band has songs that have each crossed the 1 billion streams mark (“Radioactive,” “Believer,” “Thunder,” “Demons”) .
- They’ve sold many albums and singles, both physical and digital, and have a significant number of certified units in the U.S. and globally. .
Awards and Recognition
- They have received multiple Billboard Music Awards, American Music Awards, and Grammy nominations. .
- Their songs and presence have been prominent in decade-end charts, rock-song rankings, etc. For example, “Radioactive,” “Believer,” “Thunder” show up in the Top Rock Songs of the Decade. (
Cross-over Appeal
- Their music often crosses over into pop, mainstream radio, streaming platforms—not just rock or alternative channels. This gives them a broader base. This cross-genre appeal contributes to their placement in all-artist rankings.

Where the claim breaks down

As noted, Billboard did not place Imagine Dragons at the very top among rock artists in its “Top 100 Artists of 21st Century” list; that spot was taken by Nickelback. Thus, any headline saying “Imagine Dragons are the biggest rock band of the 21st century” in the sense of being #1 is misleading.
Some confusion likely arises from mixing different lists: decade-end rock song lists, rock/alternative charts, and all-artist rankings. Being “top rock artist of 2017” or having several top rock songs in the decade doesn’t automatically equate to being “the biggest rock band of the century so far.”
Also, there is debate about genre labels. Many fans, critics, and rock purists question whether Imagine Dragons’ later work (which often veers heavily into pop production) qualifies strictly as rock. This doesn’t deny their commercial success, but it complicates the narrative of “rock band” in a classical or genre-purist sense.

What Led to the Misinterpretation

Given the data and what’s been reported, why do people think Billboard named Imagine Dragons the biggest rock band of the 21st century? A few reasons:

Headline Simplification & Clickbait
Headlines often reduce nuance—for maximum impact. “Biggest rock band of the 21st century” sounds catchier than “Imagine Dragons among the top rock acts of the century according to Billboard, placing No. 38.” Tightening language can lead to claims that oversell or slightly misrepresent.
Multiple Metrics, Multiple Lists
There are lots of overlapping lists: “Top Rock Hits of the Decade”, “Top Rock Songs / Artists in Alternative / Rock Radio”, etc. Imagine Dragons often feature prominently. Over time, people see multiple statements and begin to conflate them into a singular claim.
Success + Popularity = Assumption
Because Imagine Dragons have done so well commercially, in streaming, on radio, and in awards, many people assume they must be the biggest rock band—especially among recent bands. That assumption gets reinforced when articles tout their chart successes, record-breaking streaming, etc.

Comparing Imagine Dragons with Nickelback & Others

To understand whether Imagine Dragons might reasonably be considered among the very top rock acts, it helps to compare them with others who are often in similar conversations.

Nickelback

According to the Billboard “Top 100 Artists of the 21st Century” list, Nickelback is the highest-charting rock act. They are placed No. 26 overall among all artists.
Their song “How You Remind Me” was one of the most played songs on radio across all formats in the 2000s.
They have multiple crossover hits and a large catalog of radio-friendly rock/pop songs, strong international sales, etc. All of that contributes to their “biggest” label in many metrics—especially when accounting for earlier years in the century when streaming was less dominant and radio/sales were more important.

Linkin Park

Also ranks high among rock acts in Billboard’s lists. For example, in the Loudwire article, Linkin Park is No. 37 overall among rock acts on the same “Top 100 Artists” list.
Linkin Park’s strength is often credited to crossover between rock, alternative, and in some cases (especially earlier) rap/nu-metal. They also have longevity and a large fan base. Their hits like “In the End,” “What I’ve Done,” “New Divide”, etc., have performed well in multiple formats.

As noted, they are No. 38 on Billboard’s “Top 100 Artists of the 21st Century” (all genres). So they are close behind these giants but not the very top.
Their successes are more recent (2010s onward) compared to some earlier rock acts, meaning they’re “younger” in terms of chart-age. That works both ways: less cumulative time, but high intensity of success.

What “Biggest Rock Band” Could Mean (Beyond Just Rankings)

Because “biggest rock band” is vague, it’s worth discussing what that might entail and how different metrics lead to different conclusions:

Metric	What it Measures	Who Might Win on That Metric	How Imagine Dragons Do
Billboard / Chart Performance (all genres over time)	Number of hot songs, sales, streams, radio plays etc.	Older, consistently successful acts (Nickelback, perhaps Green Day, Linkin Park)	Very well; multiple hits, strong streaming; though not #1
Rock/Alternative Radio & Rock-Specific Charts	How often an act appears on rock-only charts, how many hits, etc.	Bands leaning more purely rock/alt (Linkin Park, Foo Fighters, etc.)	Strong; Imagine Dragons have many #1s on rock/alt charts ($\ldots$)
Streaming & Digital Usage	Plays on platforms like Spotify, YouTube, etc.	Acts with large catalogs & popular singles, younger fanbases	Very strong for Imagine Dragons; many songs with over 1B streams
Longevity / Influence	How long they’ve been active, influence on other artists, staying power	Bands with long careers since early 2000s or earlier	Imagine Dragons are relatively recent (2008 onward), so less time but fast rise; influence still building
Cultural Visibility / Awards	Presence in media, awards, TV usage, cross-genre appeal	Those who cross into mainstream pop culture widely (again, Nickelback, maybe Coldplay)	Imagine Dragons do well here too; prominent in mainstream media, award shows, etc.

So depending on which metric you use, you might crown different “biggest rock bands.” If “biggest” means “most streamed modern rock/pop cross-over act,” Imagine Dragons are very likely near the top. If “biggest” means “most consistently at the top of rock-specific charts over two decades,” other bands might have an edge.

Why the Nickelback Title Seems More Accurate (Per Billboard / Loudwire)

From the source, Loudwire quotes Billboard’s “Top 100 Artists of the 21st Century” list. The critical points:

Nickelback is the top rock act in that list. That is, among artists that can be classified as rock, Nickelback outranks all others.
They are at No. 26 overall among all artists. Since a lot of artists ahead of them are from pop, hip-hop, etc., being No. 26 is very high.
Imagine Dragons, although high, are placed lower (No. 38). That makes sense: given their later start and the fact that others had earlier cumulative chart success.

Thus, in terms of Billboard’s metric for that list, the “No. 1 Rock Band of the 21st Century (so far)” is Nickelback—not Imagine Dragons. Unless one is using a different metric/list that we haven’t discussed.

Possible Origins of the Misquote / Misattribution

Given the mix of metrics and media coverage, here’s how the misperception may have spread:

Loudwire’s article appears to be carefully written, and it does not say “Imagine Dragons are the biggest rock band,” but notes their high position. But some secondhand headlines or summaries likely truncated or paraphrased improperly.
Fans and media often amplify statements like “Imagine Dragons had the top 3 Rock Songs of the Decade” (which is true: “Radioactive,” “Believer,” “Thunder”) That achievement is impressive and can feed into the idea of them being the biggest.
The difference between “rock band” and “rock-adjacent/pop-rock” is often blurred in mainstream reporting. Because Imagine Dragons have crossover hits, many outlets may treat them as the rock band in contexts where traditionally stricter genre definitions might exclude them.
Over time, social media memes or discussions may further distort nuance (“Imagine Dragons named biggest rock band”) because people prefer simpler narratives.

What the Data Suggests If We Accept a Looser Definition

If we loosen the requirement of “number 1 rock band” and instead consider “one of the biggest, most commercially successful rock/alternative crossover bands of the 21st century,” then Imagine Dragons do very well. Indicators in favor:

Their peak streaming numbers and sales, especially relative to when they were active. For example, they are one of the few rock acts with multiple songs exceeding 1 billion streams.
Their presence on both rock-specific and mainstream (pop/alternative) charts.
Awards, media visibility, cultural saturation (songs used in commercials, games, movie trailers, etc.).
Multiple songs appear on decade-end and year-end rock/alternative lists, showing consistency.

So while they are not the statistical “top rock act” in the one every-encompassing Billboard list (that goes to Nickelback), in many other narrower metrics they arguably are among the top.

Critical & Fan Perspectives

It’s not all praise—there is non-trivial criticism and debate around Imagine Dragons, especially from rock purists. Some common critiques:

Genre Purity: Some argue that some of their albums lean more pop than rock, both in instrumentation and production. This becomes more pronounced in later albums where there is more electronic production, background pop hooks, etc. For some fans, that dilutes their “rock band” status.
Artistic Depth vs. Commercial Success: Commercial success does not always equal critical acclaim. Some critics argue that while Imagine Dragons are effective at making catchy, radio-friendly songs, they sometimes lack the experimental risk, guitar-driven edge, or thematic depth that many associate with rock at its best.
Chart Inflation / Changing Industry: The means by which success is measured have shifted dramatically in the 2010s and 2020s (streaming, digital sales, multiple platform metrics). So comparisons with earlier bands (who might have done more via album sales, radio) are not always apples-to-apples.

Despite those critiques, many fans and observers accept that Imagine Dragons have made a major impact commercially, even if not always hailed as “rock” in the strictest sense.

Conclusion: What Can We Accurately Say?

Putting all this together, here’s what the evidence supports and what is likely untrue or exaggerated:

Supported Claims

Billboard placed Nickelback as the highest-charting rock act in their “Top 100 Artists of the 21st Century” list.
Imagine Dragons are also on that list, at No. 38 overall.
They have had multiple rock/alternative hits, major streaming success, and cultural visibility that make them one of the most commercially successful rock-adjacent bands of the 21st century.
They occupy high places in many rock song rankings, decade-end lists, streaming records, etc.

Claims That Overreach

Saying Billboard named Imagine Dragons the biggest rock band of the 21st century is not accurate under the metric used in the article in question. That title, if according to Billboard’s “Top 100 Artists” ranking, belongs to Nickelback.
Using vague phrasing (“biggest rock band”) can mislead by conflating different lists or metrics (e.g. rock-specific vs. all artists, decade-end vs. century-long).

Why This Matters

Understanding the precise facts is important, for a few reasons:

Credibility: When discussions, articles, social media posts misrepresent what metrics say, it can lead to misunderstanding about how success in music is measured.
Genre Definitions: Rock has historically been fluid (alternative, pop-rock, indie, hard rock, etc.), but precision helps in debates about what belongs in the genre and what doesn’t.
Understanding Trends: The rise of streaming, changes in audience behavior, merging of genre categories—these all affect who “wins” in modern music metrics. Recognizing these shifts helps explain why a band like Imagine Dragons can succeed so massively even if some purists question their rock bona fides.

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Capturing Stories, Celebrating Lives

Billboard named Imagine Dragons the biggest rock band of the 21st century, according to Loudwire.