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"Dreams" is a song by British-American
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
band
Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...
from their eleventh studio album, '' Rumours'' (1977). In the United States, "Dreams" was released as the second single from ''Rumours'' in March 1977, while in the United Kingdom, the song was released as the third single in June 1977. A stage performance of "Dreams" was used as the promotional music video. In the US, "Dreams" sold more than one million copies and reached the top spot on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, the band's only number-one single in the country. In Canada, "Dreams" also reached number one on the ''RPM'' Top 100 Singles chart. In late 2020, the song experienced a widespread resurgence in popularity as a result of a viral TikTok video created by Nathan Apodaca. The song subsequently re-entered national music charts in certain countries and also entered the Spotify and Apple Music charts in certain countries. "Dreams" was ranked number nine on ''Rolling Stones 2021 list of " The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".


Background and composition

The members of Fleetwood Mac were experiencing emotional upheavals while recording the ''Rumours'' album. Mick Fleetwood was going through a divorce. Christine McVie and John McVie were separating, while Lindsey Buckingham and
Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...
were ending their eight-year relationship. "We had to go through this elaborate exercise of denial," explained Buckingham to '' Blender'' magazine, "keeping our personal feelings in one corner of the room while trying to be professional in the other.""The Greatest Songs Ever! Dreams"
. ''Blender Magazine''. Retrieved 1 January 2007.
Stevie Nicks wrote the song in early 1976 at
Record Plant The Record Plant is a recording studio established in New York City in 1968 and currently operating in Los Angeles, California. Known for innovations in the recording artists' workspace, it has produced highly influential albums, including Blon ...
studio in Sausalito, California. "One day when I wasn't required in the main studio," remembers Nicks to ''Blender'' magazine, "I took a
Fender Rhodes The Rhodes piano (also known as the Fender Rhodes piano) is an electric piano invented by Harold Rhodes, which became popular in the 1970s. Like a conventional piano, the Rhodes generates sound with keys and hammers, but instead of strings, th ...
piano and went into another studio that was said to belong to Sly Stone, of Sly and the Family Stone. It was a black-and-red room, with a sunken pit in the middle where there was a piano, and a big black-velvet bed with Victorian drapes." "I sat down on the bed with my keyboard in front of me," continues Nicks. "I found a drum pattern, switched my little cassette player on and wrote 'Dreams' in about 10 minutes. Right away I liked the fact that I was doing something with a dance beat, because that made it a little unusual for me." When Nicks played the song to the rest of the group, "They weren't nuts about it. But I said 'Please! Please record this song, at least try it.' Because the way I play things sometimes... you really have to listen." The band recorded it the following day. Only a basic track was recorded at Sausalito, with Nicks playing the Rhodes piano and singing. Recording assistant Cris Morris remembers how "all (they) kept was the drum track and live vocal from Stevie – the guitars and bass were added later in Los Angeles." Christine McVie described the song as having "just three chords and one note in the left hand" and "boring" when Nicks played a rough version on the piano. McVie changed her mind after Buckingham "fashioned three sections out of identical chords, making each section sound completely different. He created the impression that there's a thread running through the whole thing." Buckingham, in an interview with Nile Rodgers, said "In order to take a song of hers, like 'Dreams', which needed so much construction around it to take those same two chords and make them evolve from section A to section B to section C. And the love and the choice to do the right thing and to have the integrity to do that. It comes at a price sometimes, you know? It comes at the price of having your defences come up, and sometimes over a period of time, it's hard to get those down."


Reception

''
Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an online ...
'' said that "a softly droning bass backs Stevie Nicks' alluring lead vocal" and "subdued in comparison to the previous 'Go Your Own Way' this record has its own subtly building intensity." '' New York Times'' critic John Rockwell called the single a "classy record" and commenting on the appeal provided by Stevie Nicks' "strange, nasal yet husky
soprano A soprano () is a type of classical female singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261  Hz to "high A" (A5) = 880&n ...
" and on Mick Fleetwood's "wonderfully crisp, exact drumming."


Chart performance and legacy

In the United States, "Dreams" reached the number-one spot on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart on 18 June 1977, and held it for one week. On the Adult Contemporary chart, "Dreams" was Fleetwood Mac's highest-charting single during the 1970s where it reached number 11. In the UK Singles Chart, "Dreams" went to number 24, staying in the top 40 for eight weeks. Since its initial release, "Dreams" has re-entered the charts on various occasions. It picked up two additional weeks on the UK charts in 2011 following the airing of the Glee Rumours episode. In 2018, "Dreams" returned to the
Billboard Hot Rock Songs Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (formerly known as Rock Songs and Hot Rock Songs) is a record chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine. From its debut on June 20, 2009, through October 13, 2012, the chart ranked the airplay of songs across alternati ...
chart at number 14, re-popularized by a viral tweet. The song also returned to the New Zealand charts for one week in 2019 at number 40. The song then re-entered the New Zealand charts on 5 October 2020 at number 28, and has since spent 71 consecutive weeks in the top 40, whilst also reaching a new peak of 3 consecutive weeks at number 6. The same year, it also entered the Irish charts for the first time. In October 2020, the song reached number one on the Billboard Rock Digital Song Sales chart as a result of a viral TikTok video of Nathan Apodaca lip syncing to the song while skateboarding down a highway in Idaho Falls, Idaho drinking Ocean Spray cran-raspberry juice. Following the popularity of the video, "Dreams" also placed among the Top 50 most-streamed songs on Spotify and Apple Music in the US, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, re-entering the ARIA in Australia (where it reached a new peak) and the UK Official Charts. "Dreams" also re-entered the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 at number 21 on 17 October 2020, giving the band its highest placement on the Hot 100 since 20 February 1988, when " Everywhere" charted at number 17. "Dreams" then rose to number 12 the following week.


Personnel

*
Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...
lead vocals, backing vocals * Christine McVie Fender Rhodes electric piano, organ, vibraphone backing vocals * Lindsey Buckinghamelectric and acoustic guitars, backing vocals * Mick Fleetwooddrums,
conga The conga, also known as tumbadora, is a tall, narrow, single-headed drum from Cuba. Congas are staved like barrels and classified into three types: quinto (lead drum, highest), tres dos or tres golpes (middle), and tumba or salidor (lowest). ...
s * John McViebass guitar


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


The Corrs version

Irish band the Corrs originally recorded "Dreams" for ''Legacy: A Tribute to Fleetwood Mac's Rumours'', the 20th anniversary album of cover versions which also featured " Don't Stop" by
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
, " You Make Loving Fun" by Jewel and others from the Goo Goo Dolls and the Cranberries. The cover version was originally recorded similar to the original song until
Oliver Leiber Ta Mara and the Seen was an American R&B group based in Minneapolis. They were signed by A&M Records to capitalize on the mid-1980s chart success of the "Minneapolis sound", which included acts such as Prince, Vanity 6, Sheila E., and the Time. ...
transformed the recording into a
dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
track mixed with a violin and tin whistle hook. It was then remixed by Todd Terry for single release and became the first big hit for the Corrs in the UK, reaching number six on the UK Singles Chart and staying on the chart for 10 weeks. The video also won the "Best Adult Contemporary Video" award from ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' magazine in 1998. The Corrs' second studio album, ''
Talk on Corners ''Talk on Corners'' is the second studio album by Irish pop rock band the Corrs. It was released on 17 October 1997 by 143, Lava and Atlantic Records. Preceded by lead single " Only When I Sleep", which became a top ten hit internationally, t ...
'', was then re-released with "Dreams" added. The Corrs performed "Dreams" with Mick Fleetwood from Fleetwood Mac in their concert at the
Royal Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
on St. Patrick's Day, 1998 (which was also
Caroline Corr Caroline Georgina Corr MBE (born 17 March 1973), known to fans as the "Chick with the Stick", is an Irish singer and drummer for the Celtic folk rock band The Corrs. In addition to the drums, Corr plays the ''bodhrán'', ''cajón'', percussions ...
's 25th birthday).


Critical reception

Larry Flick Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...
from ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' wrote, "The Corrs bring an interesting
Celtic Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to: Language and ethnicity *pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia **Celts (modern) *Celtic languages **Proto-Celtic language * Celtic music *Celtic nations Sports Fo ...
flavor to the first pop single from ''Legacy: A Tribute To Fleetwood Mac's Rumours''. Although it's difficult to let go of the intense drama of the original recording, the act's earnest delivery is to be commended and appreciated. In an effort to better connect with the kids of crossover radio, club icon Todd Terry has been enlisted to remix the song with a more forceful
disco Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
sound. It was a wise move that gives this single a fighting chance in drawing the positive attention of the pop masses." '' Daily Record'' said the cover version is "superb". British newspaper ''
Sunday Mirror The ''Sunday Mirror'' is the Sunday sister paper of the ''Daily Mirror''. It began life in 1915 as the ''Sunday Pictorial'' and was renamed the ''Sunday Mirror'' in 1963. In 2016 it had an average weekly circulation of 620,861, dropping marke ...
'' stated that "Ireland's three most beautiful women and their brother should finally crack it over here with this Todd Terry remix."


Music video

A music video was made to accompany the song, directed by British music video director and editor
Dani Jacobs Dani Jacobs (born April 16, 1963) is a British music video director and editor. Background Jacobs was born in London, United Kingdom. He went to University of Manchester to study physics but left to pursue his interests in film. He worked at T ...
. It was published on YouTube in September 2009. As of July 2022, the video has been viewed over 23 million times. The video for the Todd Terry Remix was published in March 2014. In 2020, it has got over 1 million views. The music video won the "Best Adult Contemporary Video" award from ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' magazine in 1998.


Track listings

* UK CD1 # "Dreams" (
Tee A tee is a stand used in sport to support and elevate a stationary ball prior to striking with a foot, club or bat. Tees are used extensively in golf, tee-ball, baseball, American football, and rugby. Etymology The word tee is derived from the ...
's radio) – 3:53 # "Dreams" (Tee's new radio) – 3:32 # "Dreams" (TNT Pop extended) – 7:38 # "Dreams" (Tee's club) – 7:39 # "Dreams" (In House mix) – 4:32 * UK CD2 # "Dreams" – 5:21 # " The Right Time" – 3:52 # "Queen of Hollywood" – 4:56 # "
Haste to the Wedding ''Haste to the Wedding'' is a three-act comic opera with a libretto by W. S. Gilbert and music by George Grossmith, based on Gilbert's 1873 play, ''The Wedding March''. The opera was the most ambitious piece of composition undertaken by Grossmi ...
" – 3:38 * UK cassette single # "Dreams" (Tee's radio) – 3:53 # "Dreams" (Tee's AC radio) – 3:49 * European CD single # "Dreams" (radio edit) – 3:59 # "Dreams" (Tee's radio) – 3:53 * Australian and Japanese CD single # "Dreams" (radio edit) – 3:59 # "Dreams" (Tee's radio) – 3:53 # "Dreams" (Tee's new radio) – 3:32 # "Dreams" (TNT Pop extended mix) – 8:40 # "Dreams" (Tee's club) – 7:39 # "Dreams" (In House mix) – 4:32


Charts and certifications


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Certifications


Release history


Deep Dish version

Nicks contributed new vocals to a remake of "Dreams" by DJ and
house music House is a music genre characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 120 beats per minute. It was created by Disc jockey, DJs and music producers from Chicago metropolitan area, Chicago' ...
duo Deep Dish. The song appears on their second album, ''
George Is On ''George is On'' is the second album by American dance music duo Deep Dish. It features their ''Billboard'' Hot Dance Club Play chart hit "Flashdance" (which features Anousheh Khalili and is also their biggest UK chart hit, reaching No. 3), ...
'' (2005), and was a top-20 UK Singles Chart hit and climbed to number 26 on the US Hot Dance Club Play chart. An edited version of the song is included on Nicks' 2007 album '' Crystal Visions – The Very Best of Stevie Nicks''. In the music video, directed by Honey, model and actress
Winter Ave Zoli Winter Ave Zoli (born June 28, 1980) is an American actress and model. She is best known for her role as Lyla Winston in FX's TV series ''Sons of Anarchy'', Amy Snyder in '' Bosch'' (2017-2018), and for '' Deserted'' (2016). Zoli also appears ...
plays as the protagonist.


Charts


Weekly charts


Year-end charts


Release history


Nathan Apodaca TikTok

In 2020, after his truck broke down, an Idaho man named Nathan Apodaca filmed himself riding his skateboard to work while drinking Ocean Spray cran-raspberry juice and lip-syncing to "Dreams". The video went viral, garnering over 50 million views around the world. As a result, "Dreams" skyrocketed in popularity, reappearing on many worldwide music charts. Mick Fleetwood, Lindsey Buckingham, and Stevie Nicks released responses to Apodaca's video on TikTok, with Nicks donning a pair of roller skates while performing the song. Subsequently, Ocean Spray gave Nathan a brand new
pickup truck A pickup truck or pickup is a light-duty truck that has an enclosed cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (this cargo bed back end sometimes consists of a tailgate and removable covering) ...
after Ocean Spray received unexpected publicity when the video went viral.


Jolyon Petch version

In 2021, the New Zealand-born, Australian-based DJ, Jolyon Petch released a version of the song that became a Number 1 track on the ARIA Top 50 Club Tracks chart. The cover, featuring an uncredited vocal from the reality TV star Reigan, peaked at number 16 on the main Australian singles chart. The single went on to be nominated in the category of Best Dance Release at the
2021 ARIA Music Awards The 2021 ARIA Music Awards are the 35th Annual Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (generally known as ARIA Music Awards or simply The ARIAs) and consist of a series of awards, including the 2021 ARIA Artisan Awards, ARIA H ...
, but lost out to " Alive" by Rüfüs Du Sol. It was certified 2× Platinum by Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) in 2022.


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dreams (Fleetwood Mac Song) Songs about dreams 143 Records singles 1977 singles 1977 songs 1998 singles 2020s fads and trends Atlantic Records singles Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles Cashbox number-one singles RPM Top Singles number-one singles Deep Dish (band) songs Fleetwood Mac songs Lava Records singles Perfecto Records singles Song recordings produced by Richard Dashut Songs written by Stevie Nicks Warner Records singles Internet memes introduced in 2020 Songs about heartache