Walking the Wire (song)

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"Walking the Wire"
Promotional single by Imagine Dragons
from the album Evolve
ReleasedJune 15, 2017 (2017-06-15)
GenrePop rock, indie pop[1]
Length3:52
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Mattman & Robin
Imagine Dragons promotional singles chronology
"I'm So Sorry"
(2015)
"Walking the Wire"
(2017)
Licensed audio
"Imagine Dragons - Walking The Wire (Official Audio)" on YouTube

"Walking the Wire" is a song by American pop rock band Imagine Dragons. The song was written by Dan Reynolds, Wayne Sermon, Ben McKee, Daniel Platzman, Robin Fredriksson, Mattias Larsson, Justin Tranter with production handled by Mattman & Robin. It was released to digital retailers on June 15, 2017, as the third promotional single released off their third studio album, Evolve.

Background[edit]

On June 15, "Walking the Wire" was made available for download with any purchase from the band's online shop.[2] The song was accidentally released onto YouTube and Vevo a day earlier than planned, only to be taken down within a few hours.[3]

Critical reception[edit]

Bobby Olivier of Billboard magazine wrote that the song "may be the band's most overtly pleasing pop anthem to date".[4] Lauren Murphy of The Irish Times wrote: "Walking the Wire and Whatever It Takes are both arms-aloft anthems, but the more enjoyable tracks follow an 1980s pop template, like the Hall & Oates-style Make It Up to You and Start Over."[5] Rob Harvilla of The Ringer wrote: "'Walking the Wire,' with a romantic and inspirational anthem that at least sands off the rough edges of all that bellowing/screeching, is the closest these guys have come to their own version of Katy Perry's 'Roar,' or OneRepublic's 'Counting Stars,' or Rachel Platten's 'Fight Song.'"[6] Allen Pham of Daily Trojan wrote: "'Walking the Wire' is one of the usually songs on Evolve's tracklist. Though Imagine Dragons uses less acoustics and more country music here, the song is evidence of the group's potential to achieve 2017-style music stardom while not completely straying from their roots."[7]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[20] Platinum 60,000
Italy (FIMI)[21] Gold 25,000
Portugal (AFP)[22] Gold 5,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] Silver 200,000
United States (RIAA)[24] Gold 500,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Bobby Olivier (June 22, 2017). "If Any Band Has Figured Out Rock's Future in the Mainstream, It's Imagine Dragons". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  2. ^ "New song Walking The Wire comes out TONIGHT at 12am ET. But you can get it NOW w/ANY merch bundle for a limited time". Twitter. June 15, 2017. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  3. ^ Carolinianweb (June 29, 2017). "Imagine Dragon's "Evolve" – Album Review". The Carolinian. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  4. ^ Bobby Olivier (June 22, 2017). "If Any Band Has Figured Out Rock's Future in the Mainstream, It's Imagine Dragons". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  5. ^ Lauren Murphy (June 21, 2017). "Imagine Dragons – Evolve album review: Worthy of the hipster kudos it seeks". The Irish Times. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  6. ^ Rob Harvilla (23 June 2017). "It Is Time to Talk About Imagine Dragons". The Ringer. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  7. ^ Allen Pham (June 27, 2017). "REVIEW: Imagine Dragons experiments with new sounds in Evolve". Daily Trojan. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  8. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Digital Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – SINGLES DIGITAL – TOP 100 and insert 201726 into search. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  9. ^ "Imagine Dragons – I don't know why" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  10. ^ "Imagine Dragons – I don't know why" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  11. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved May 28, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Imagine Dragons".
  12. ^ "NZ Heatseekers Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. June 26, 2017. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
  13. ^ "Imagine Dragons – Walking the Wire". AFP Top 100 Singles. Retrieved July 5, 2017.
  14. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: insert 201747 into search. Retrieved November 28, 2017.
  15. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 201726 into search. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  16. ^ "Imagine Dragons – Walking The Wire". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  17. ^ "Imagine Dragons Chart History (Bubbling Under Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved January 16, 2022.
  18. ^ "Imagine Dragons Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2017.
  19. ^ "Hot Rock Songs – Year-End 2017". Billboard. Retrieved May 19, 2020.
  20. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Imagine Dragons – Walking the Wire" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  21. ^ "Italian single certifications – Imagine Dragons – Walking the Wire" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved 9 April 2018. Select "2018" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Walking the Wire" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  22. ^ "Portuguese single certifications – Imagine Dragons – Walking the Wire" (PDF) (in Portuguese). Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  23. ^ "British single certifications – Imagine Dragons – Walking the Wire". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 16 June 2023.
  24. ^ "American single certifications – Imagine Dragons – Walking the Wire". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 1 September 2021.