In the history of
music, there have been hundred of songs centered on dreams and dreaming.Dreams are one of the most
mysterious functions of the human mind and they have the strange ability to illicit strong emotional responses.Dreams bring you into a world of past experience, make believe, excitement, dread, fear, and sometimes reality.Many people experience dreams of lost love and romantic longing.This article will be examining
the greatest musical singles that have the word “dream” in the title of the song.Many
famous musicians have used their dreams to express a lyrical story and sometimes dreams tell us more about a person then
any interview ever could.
25. John Mayer
- Dreaming with a Broken Heart
Dreaming with a Broken
Heart is a song by John Mayer that was released on his 2006 album Continuum.The single entered the
U.S Billboard Hot 100 chart at its peak position of #99.It also peaked on the Hot Adult Contemporary
Tracks at #8, making it Mayer's eighth single to enter the Top 10 on the U.S. AC Chart.Billboard
Magazine called the song "Another bull's-eye from a rare singer/songwriter who has proven to be a major success."
24. Dan Hartman
- I Can Dream About You
I Can Dream About You is
a song performed by Dan Hartman for the soundtrack album Streets of Fire.It was originally released
in 1984 as a single off Hartman's album I Can Dream About You and peaked at #6 on the U.S. singles chart.Sadly, Dan Hartman died of a brain tumor resulting from AIDS on March 22, 1994 in his home in Westport, Connecticut
at the age of 43.
23. The Dirt Band
- An American Dream (with Linda Ronstadt)
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
is an American country-folk-rock band that was founded in Long Beach, California in 1966. The group's
membership has had at least a dozen changes over the years, including a period from 1976 to 1981 when they performed
and recorded as The Dirt Band.Albums during this period included The Dirt Band and An American Dream.
The single American Dream featuring Linda Ronstadt reached #13 on the popular music charts in
the U.S.The band also appeared on Saturday Night Live, and, billed as The Toot Uncommons, provided
backing for Steve Martin on his million-selling novelty tune, King Tut.
22. Selena - Dreaming
of You
Dreaming of You is the
name of a Selena love song written by Franne Golde and Tom Snow.It was Selena's biggest single,
peaking at #21 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.The song was released at the end of the first quarter
of 1995, after Selena's murder.It appeared on the album of the same name, which was also
released posthumously.
21. Tom Waits -
Innocent When You Dream
Tom Waits is an American
singer-songwriter, composer and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz
as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then
taken outside and run over with a car.”With this trademark growl, he has incorporated many
musical styles, including blues, jazz, and vaudeville.He has a cult following and has influenced
subsequent songwriters despite having little radio or music video support.
Tom Waits has been nominated for a number of major music awards and has won two Grammy Awards.Innocent
When You Dream is a song that was released on Waits 1987 album Franks Wild Years.Subsequently, the song has been plagiarized and used in commercials.Tom Waits has been forced to sue, as he will
not allow any of his music to be commercialized.
20. Gabrielle -
Dreams
Dreams is the debut
single from Gabrielle.It was written by Gabrielle and Tim Laws and produced by Richie Fermie.The song reached #1 on the UK singles chart for three weeks in June of 1993.It entered the
British charts at #2, which was the highest chart entry by a debut act at that time.The song peaked
at #26 in the U.S. and #2 in Australia.Dreams was also a hit in Italy, Switzerland, France, and New
Zealand.
19. Johnny Burnette
- Dreamin'
Johnny Burnette was a Rockabilly
pioneer. Along with his older brother Dorsey Burnette and a friend named Paul Burlison, Johnny Burnette
was a founding member of The Rock and Roll Trio.The song Dreamin’ was released on May
4, 1960, and made Johnny famous to millions of people who had never heard of The Rock and Roll Trio, although Johnny
released Dreamin’ as a solo artist.The song reached #11 on the U.S. singles chart and
peaked at #5 in Britain. Unlike his older recordings, Dreamin’ was overlaid with an orchestral
backing.
18. John Lennon
- #9 Dream
#9 Dream is a song
written and performed by John Lennon.It was featured as the seventh track on his 1974 album Walls
and Bridges.It continues Lennon's fascination with the number nine (he was born on October 9,
and, coincidentally, the track also peaked at #9 in the U.S. charts).Lennon wrote and arranged
the song around his dream, hence the title and the atmospheric, dreamlike feel of the song.
17.
The Moody Blues - Your Wildest Dreams
Your Wildest Dreams
is a hit single performed by the rock band The Moody Blues.The song was first released as a single,
and was later part of the band’s 1986 album The Other Side of Life.Your Wildest Dreams was
a top- 10 hit in the United States, peaking at #9, which had not happened to a Moody Blues song since the 1967 single
Nights in White Satin.Your Wildest Dreams lyrics tells the story of a man who is remembering his
first love, and wonders if she remembers him the way he remembers her.
16. 009 Sound System
- Dreamscape
009 Sound System
is an experimental pop project that started in 2008. Songs performed by 009 Sound System are entirely written, performed, and produced by Alexander Perls.His music is officially characterized as trance, which is a genre
of electronic dance music that was developed in the 1990s.Dreamscape is the band’s most successful
song to date and it has received quite a following over the Internet.
15. Gary Wright
- Dream Weaver
Dream
Weaver is a song by Gary Wright that was a hit single in the U.S. reaching #2 in the Billboard charts, while it reached
#1 in the Cash Box charts, Australia, Canada and Europe in 1976.The song was featured on the
album The Dream Weaver released in 1975.It was one of the first-ever records that showcased a synthesizer
and keyboard.Dream Weaver, and its keyboard introduction, according to Wes Craven, inspired the concept behind the film A Nightmare on Elm Street.It was also sampled in a highly successful 1990 Wayne's
World episode of Saturday Night Live and featured on the Wayne’s World soundtrack.
14. The Cranberries
- Dreams
Dreams is a song by rock
band The Cranberries.It was released on their 1993 debut album Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why
Can't We?The backing vocals on the song are sung by Mike Mahoney, ex-boyfriend of Cranberries
lead singer Dolores O'Riordan.The Cranberries debut album peaked at #9 on the Irish charts and
#1 in the UK.The single Dreams reached the Top 30 in Ireland, Australia, the UK, and in the U.S.
13. Billy Ocean
- Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car
Get Outta My Dreams,
Get into My Car is a #1 single by singer Billy Ocean. The song gained major popularity due to its cutting-edge video,
which featured cartoon mixed with live-action sequences. In 1988, the song reached the top of the charts in the
United States, Austria, the Netherlands, and Norway.It peaked at #3 in the UK.It
was also featured in the 1988 teen comedy License to Drive.
12. Ella Fitzgerald
& Louis Armstrong - Dream a Little Dream of Me
Dream a Little Dream
of Me is a song that was written by Fabian Andre and Wilbur Schwandt, with lyrics by Gus Kahn.The
song was originally recorded by Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra on February 16, 1931 for Brunswick Records.Since that time, it has been covered by hundreds of artists.For this article I have included
the Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald version of Dream a Little Dream of Me.The most commercially
successful version of the song was recorded by the Mamas & the Papas in April of 1968.
11. Crowded House
- Don't Dream It's Over
Don't Dream It's
Over is a pop/rock song written by New Zealander Neil Finn and performed by Crowded House.In 1987,
the song was used on the band’s debut album titled Crowded House.Don’t Dream It’s
Over peaked at #2 in the U.S. and reached the top of the charts in Australia and New Zealand.It
was ranked #7 on a list of the 100 Best Australian Songs of all time, even though lead singer Neil Finn is from New Zealand.
10. Mariah Carey
- Dreamlover
Dreamlover is a song written
and produced by American singer Mariah Carey, Dave Hall and Walter Afanasieff.The song was released
on Mariah Carey’s fourth album Music Box (1993).Dreamlover became Carey's seventh
#1 single in the United States.The song spent eight weeks at the top spot, from September 5 to October
30, 1993.Dreamlover was also a major success outside the U.S., becoming Carey's fourth #1 single
in Canada.It peaked at #2 in New Zealand and reached the Top 10 in several countries, including
the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Netherlands.
9. Roy Orbison
- In Dreams
In Dreams is a song
composed and sung by rock and roll performer Roy Orbison.It is an operatic ballad of lost love and
was released as a single in February of 1963.The song became the title track on the album In Dreams, released in July of the same year.It has a unique structure and contains seven distinct musical
movements, in which Orbison sings through two octaves.The song peaked at #7 in the U.S. and charted
in England for five months during the early 1960s, while Roy Orbison toured and sharing billing with The Beatles.
8. Eurythmics -
Sweet Dreams
Sweet Dreams is a
song by the pop music duo Eurythmics, which includes David A. Stewart and Annie Lennox. The song was
released as a single and was the title track of the group’s album Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). Sweet Dreams
provided Eurythmics with their breakthrough into commercial success.In 1983, it reached the top of
the U.S. singles chart and peaked at #2 in the UK.Sweet Dreams also reached the Top 10 in Ireland,
Austria, Australia, Germany, Switzerland, and South Africa.
7. Ozzy Osbourne
- Dreamer
Dreamer is the third
track from Ozzy Osbourne's album Down to Earth, which was released in October of 2001. The single
peaked at #10 on U.S. Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart.It describes Ozzy’s vision of a
better world for his children, where they are happy and safe.Ozzy Osbourne compares Dreamer
to John Lennon's hugely famous Imagine, which contains the line: "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm
not the only one." Ozzy has said that The Beatles have had a huge influence on him and his music.Another reference to John Lennon is the line "After all, there's only just the two of us.”This is an acknowledgment of the Beatles song Two of Us.
6. The Lovin'
Spoonful - Daydream
Daydream is the second
album by The Lovin' Spoonful, released in 1966. The record featured two hit songs, the title track, which reached
#2 on the U.S. singles chart, and You Didn't Have to Be So Nice.The single Daydream also
peaked at #2 in the UK. The song originated with John Sebastian's attempt to rewrite The Supremes
hit Baby Love.
5. Aerosmith -
Dream On
Dream On is the first single
from Aerosmith’s1973 debut album.The song was written by lead singer Steven Tyler and became
the band’s first major hit.Dream On was officially released in June of 1973 and peaked at number 59 in the U.S.It was a big radio hit in the band's native city of Boston. Dream On frequently
rivals Sweet Emotion and Walk This Way for the title of Aerosmith's signature song.In the early
1990s, the band performed the song live with an orchestra for MTV's 10th Anniversary.
4. The Monkees
- Daydream Believer
Daydream Believer is a
song composed by John Stewart shortly before he left the Kingston Trio.The song was recorded by The
Monkees, with Davy Jones singing lead vocals.The single hit the number one spot on the U.S. Billboard
Hot 100 chart in December 1967, remaining there for four weeks. It peaked at #5 on the UK Singles Chart. The
song was also popular in Norway, Japan, Austria, and Switzerland.It was The Monkees last #1 hit in the U.S.
3. Fleetwood Mac
- Dreams
Dreams is a song
that was released on Fleetwood Mac's 1977 album Rumours.The song was written and performed by
Stevie Nicks.It remains the only U.S. #1 hit for the group, and is a popular song all over the world. Dreams reached the top 10 in Ireland, Canada, and the UK.
2. The Everly Brothers
- All I Have to do is Dream
All I Have to do
Is Dream is a popular song made famous by the Everly Brothers.The lyrics were written by the legendary
husband and wife songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant.The song reached #1 on the U.S.
singles chart in 1958.It is ranked as #141 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest
Songs of All Time. All I Have to do is Dream remains one of the most covered songs
in history.
R.E.M. Version
1. Bobby Darin
- Dream Lover
Dream Lover is a
song written and recorded by Bobby Darin on March 5, 1959. It is considered a soulful rock song. The
song became a multi-million seller, reaching #2 onthe U.S. singles chart and #1 in UK.It was released as a single on Atco Records. In addition to Darin's vocal, the song features Neil Sedaka
on the piano.
Honorable
Mentions
The Coral - Dreaming Of You
Dreaming of You is
a song by the English band The Coral and is featured on their debut album.It was released on October
29, 2002.The melody used in the song resembles My World Is Empty Without You by The Supremes. Dreaming of You peaked at #13 in the UK.
Hall
& Oates - You Make My Dreams
You Make My Dream is a
1980 single by Hall & Oates.It was released on their album Voices and reached #5 on the U.S.
singles chart in 1981.The song made a minor comeback in 2009 when it was featured prominently in the indie Sundance film, (500) Days of Summer.
Songs
About Dreams
Metallica - Enter Sandman
Enter Sandman is
a song by American heavy metal band Metallica.It is featured as the opening track and lead single
from their eponymous 1991 album. The song was produced by Bob Rock, and the music was written by Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich, and James Hetfield.Vocalist and guitarist Hetfield wrote the lyrics,
which deal with the concept of a child's nightmares. The video included shows Metallica in true rock star form.
Queensrÿche
- Silent Lucidity
Silent Lucidity is
a single by the American progressive metal band Queensrÿche. It was released on the bands 1990
album Empire.The song peaked at #9 on the U.S. singles chart and #18 in the UK.The
lyrics of Silent Lucidity are based on the subject of lucid dreaming. If you have ever experienced a lucid
dream, this song is a must listen.The video includes the lyrics.