Imagine Dragons’ ‘Whatever It Takes’ Dethrones ‘Thunder’ Atop Hot Rock Songs Chart
"Whatever" marks the band's record-setting fourth No. 1 dating to the list's 2009 launch.
Imagine Dragons replaces itself atop Billboard‘s Hot Rock Songs chart, as “Whatever It Takes” rises 2-1, supplanting “Thunder” (1-2) on the tally dated April 7.
“Whatever” is the group’s fourth Hot Rock Songs No. 1 and the third from its latest album, Evolve, following “Believer” (29 weeks at No. 1) and “Thunder” (21). The act first led with “Radioactive” for 23 weeks in 2013.
Imagine Dragons scores two never-before-accomplished distinctions on Hot Rock Songs (which blends streaming, airplay and sales data). It’s the first act to notch four No. 1s on the chart (which began in 2009), breaking out of a four-way tie with Foo Fighters, Linkin Park and twenty one pilots, each with three.
Imagine Dragons is also the first act to generate as many as three No. 1s from the same album.
“Whatever” takes the throne with increases in all chart metrics, most notably a 10 percent bump in radio airplay. It concurrently leads the all-rock-format Rock Airplay chart for a sixth week (12.4 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen Music) and Rock Digital Song Sales for a third frame (30,000 downloads sold). The track bullets at No. 5 on Rock Streaming Songs (7.2 million U.S. streams, up 7 percent).
The last time an act replaced itself atop the Hot Rock Songs chart was when twenty one pilots did so with “Heathens” supplanting “Ride” in August 2016.
In the past year (the last 52 weeks), Imagine Dragons have led Hot Rock Songs for all but five frames, when Portugal. The Man’s “Feel It Still” assumed the lead late in 2017.
“Whatever” continues to cross over outside of rock radio formats. It lifts 7-6 on Adult Pop Songs, where Evolve‘s first two singles hit No. 1, and 12-11 on Pop Songs, which “Thunder” led for a week in December. Overall, “Whatever” drew 65.5 million audience impressions across all radio formats in the tracking week, as it bullets at No. 12 on Radio Songs.
On the all-genre streaming-, airplay- and sales-based Billboard Hot 100, “Whatever” rises 24-23, one spot above “Thunder.”
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