Running Up The Charts: Eurythmics and "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)"

That synth-percussion mix is pure perfection, and Eurythmics' first U.S. hit is a necessary addition to a workout playlist

Eurythmics - “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)”

Chart peak:

• #1 on the Hot 100 (Sept. 3, 1983)

I have a lot of early memories of music, with specific songs I can recall from the beginning of my life that left an indelible mark on my toddler brain. I was born in 1979, so my earliest memories of modern pop music were right in the middle of the synth/new-wave boom of the early 1980s. That said, my very first memories of songs I heard on the radio were classics like “You Can Do Magic” by America and “Africa” by Toto, both of which didn’t really fit the new-wave/synth aesthetic I described above. Both great songs, mind you, but not really the foundational hits that would define the synth/new-wave genre going forward.

It wasn’t long after these songs became fused in my brain that I was introduced to Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart, and their biggest U.S. hit, “Sweet Dreams.” I don’t recall the make and model of the car I was driving in, but my recollection of hearing the song for the first time is still crystal clear in my head. I remember riding in the back seat, listening to the song and wondering what the lead singer was hoping to find by traveling the world “and the seven seas.” I asked myself why there were seven seas, and what their names were. I wondered what the heck she was saying before the song launched into another synth-heavy interlude between verses (turns out it was “Hold your head up, movin' on, Keep your head up, movin' on” … over and over again).

Like most ‘80s songs of the era, I grew out of them and moved on to the music that would ultimately define my generation in the 1990s and 2000s, but the thing about great songs is that they always find a way to creep back into your life, even outside of the occasional spin on an adult-contemporary radio station or ‘80s mix tape.

And so there I was minding my own business a couple of years ago and I fell down a YouTube rabbit hole related to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and comic-book movies in general. And even though I’ve seen most of the movies in that genre over the years, one that I missed completely was 2016’s “X-Men: Apocalypse.” I’d heard it was bad, and since it didn’t have a tie-in to the rest of the Marvel movies at the time, I dismissed it. But somehow my YouTube searching led me to what many seem to consider to be one of the coolest sequences in the movie: when Quicksilver saves all the X-Men students from an explosion at their school.

I must have watched this sequence about 10 times, catching new little details with every rewatch, but something about the choice of song triggered a newfound love for a song still omnipresent on radio but long since removed from any regular playlists. And so, it worked itself into regular rotation, and I listened to it so much that year that it actually became my #1 most listened-to song in 2021, according to Spotify.

Since I was making several failed attempts to get back into shape at the time, it also crossed over to my workout playlist, and for good reason. This song has one of the best power-percussion beats in music, and it drives into your skull from the first moment all the way through. You can’t help but get caught up in the moment, chasing after that something that Lennox is singing about. There’s urgency, but there’s also a futuristic vibe to it, almost like you’re a robot running forward, not needing to rest or take a break. It’s like you’re exercising in the future, and you can’t stop because it feels amazing.

That might not have been the intention, but “Sweet Dreams” works on a lot of different levels, and now I can’t imagine it being left off of my workout playlist. The song itself only spent one week at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, though it spent four weeks at #2 behind that year’s juggernaut single from The Police, “Every Breath You Take,” which held the top spot for eight total weeks.

“Sweet Dreams” knocked it out of the penthouse, but it ran out of steam and slowly faded away. But, like most great songs, it never goes away completely, and still comes up from time to time in contemporary conversation. Just last week, it came up in the excellent Substack run by Rik and Adam called The Buzz Files. These guys run their own radio station (and I highly recommend you give it a listen; you’ll hear songs you love AND songs you didn’t know and didn’t realize you’d love), and produce a weekly newsletter full of lists and links. One of those links from their October 20 post included this very cool recap of how “Sweet Dreams” came to be, courtesy of Dave Stewart himself:

@theothersongsWant to know how Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox of the Eurythmics came up with their Iconic “Sweet Dreams?” 🤯 Love this breakdown from Dave Stewart at The Other Songs 🙌 #behindthesong #theothersongs #sweetdreams #sweetdreamsaremadeofthis #singersongwriter

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Tip of the hat to the folks running The Buzz Files and Buzz Mcr, and of course, tip of the hat to Annie Lennox, Dave Stewart, and Eurythmics for bringing this timeless classic to life and making it a part of my everyday workout routine.

---

Running Progress - #DadBod2BeastMode

As I mentioned in my first “Running Up The Charts” article, I am training for a 10-mile race in September 2024 called “Beast On The Bay,” which is taking place 321 days from the date this article is published. I’ve been working out as frequently as life and time permits, but happy to say I’ve been consistent with my workout plan so far.

This morning, I did another Sunday 5k run, which has become both a habit and a method by which I can gauge my progress. The race I’m completing will involve a lot more than running, but given the distance of the race, it’s important I continue to build back my endurance and running capacity. I’m happy to say that I am still making progress, and am hopeful I can continue this stretch of improvements going forward.

Three runs on three different Sundays. It’s been less than a month, but I’m already seeing significant improvements in my overall pace. Little by little, I’m getting there.

Do you have songs that you use in your workout playlist? Do you like “Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)” as a workout song? Let me know in the comments. I’m eager to hear more about the songs that inspire and ignite your workouts.