Your Wildest Dreams
Encyclopedia
"Your Wildest Dreams" is a 1986 single by the progressive rock
band The Moody Blues
, and it was written by the band's lead guitarist Justin Hayward
. The song was first released as a single, and was later released on the Moody Blues 1986 album The Other Side of Life
. It was a top-10 hit in the United States, peaking at #9, which had not happened to a Moody Blues song since "Nights in White Satin
" in 1972. The song also became an Adult Contemporary
number-one hit, and also charted at number two on the Mainstream Rock chart.
The Moody Blues' previous album, The Present
, was relatively unsuccessful, although it did contain a couple of moderately successful singles. This caused the Moody Blues to lose some of their popularity among younger audiences. The success of "Your Wildest Dreams" reintroduced the Moody Blues to this younger audience, and their popularity was boosted even higher than before as a result.
With the band moving towards a more electronic sound, the Moody Blues relied less upon band member Ray Thomas
and his flute skills—"Your Wildest Dreams" was one of the first singles not to feature Thomas at all—though Thomas would continue to be a major asset to the Moody Blues' concerts, as he would continue to play flute on their earlier songs, in addition to being a back-up vocalist.
The lyrics of "Your Wildest Dreams" tell the story of a man who is remembering his first love, and wonders if she remembers him the way he remembers her. "Your Wildest Dreams" was followed up by a sequel in 1988. The sequel is titled "I Know You're Out There Somewhere
", and it appears on the Moody Blues album Sur la Mer
.
A music video was also produced for "Your Wildest Dreams", which received a Billboard Video of the Year award. The video was frequently featured on MTV
. The model in the video is Janet Spencer-Turner.
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
band The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues
The Moody Blues are an English rock band. Among their innovations was a fusion with classical music, most notably in their 1967 album Days of Future Passed....
, and it was written by the band's lead guitarist Justin Hayward
Justin Hayward
Justin Hayward is an English musician, best known as singer, songwriter and guitarist in the rock band The Moody Blues.Hayward was born in Dean Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, England...
. The song was first released as a single, and was later released on the Moody Blues 1986 album The Other Side of Life
The Other Side of Life
The Other Side of Life is the twelfth album by the rock band The Moody Blues. It contains the major hit, "Your Wildest Dreams," which, like "Nights in White Satin" before it, was a top-10 hit in the United States. It is the third album of the Patrick Moraz era, and the first for flautist and...
. It was a top-10 hit in the United States, peaking at #9, which had not happened to a Moody Blues song since "Nights in White Satin
Nights in White Satin
"Nights in White Satin" is a 1967 single by The Moody Blues, written by Justin Hayward and first featured on the album Days of Future Passed.It is in the key of E minor Aeolian.-Single releases:...
" in 1972. The song also became an Adult Contemporary
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
number-one hit, and also charted at number two on the Mainstream Rock chart.
The Moody Blues' previous album, The Present
The Present
The Present is the eleventh album by The Moody Blues. It is the second album of the Patrick Moraz era. It had three minor hit singles, "Blue World" , "Sitting at the Wheel" and "Running Water"....
, was relatively unsuccessful, although it did contain a couple of moderately successful singles. This caused the Moody Blues to lose some of their popularity among younger audiences. The success of "Your Wildest Dreams" reintroduced the Moody Blues to this younger audience, and their popularity was boosted even higher than before as a result.
With the band moving towards a more electronic sound, the Moody Blues relied less upon band member Ray Thomas
Ray Thomas
Ray Thomas is an English musician, best known as the flautist and as a singer and composer in the rock band, The Moody Blues.-Career:...
and his flute skills—"Your Wildest Dreams" was one of the first singles not to feature Thomas at all—though Thomas would continue to be a major asset to the Moody Blues' concerts, as he would continue to play flute on their earlier songs, in addition to being a back-up vocalist.
The lyrics of "Your Wildest Dreams" tell the story of a man who is remembering his first love, and wonders if she remembers him the way he remembers her. "Your Wildest Dreams" was followed up by a sequel in 1988. The sequel is titled "I Know You're Out There Somewhere
I Know You're Out There Somewhere
"I Know You're Out There Somewhere" is a 1988 single by the progressive rock band The Moody Blues. It was written by guitarist Justin Hayward, and it is the sequel to the Moody Blues' 1986 single "Your Wildest Dreams", also written by Hayward...
", and it appears on the Moody Blues album Sur la Mer
Sur La Mer
Sur La Mer is the fourteenth album released by The Moody Blues'. It features the hit single "I Know You're Out There Somewhere," a sequel to their 1986 hit "Your Wildest Dreams." Much of the music on this album would fit in the "synthpop" genre, though it does bear more rock and acoustic...
.
A music video was also produced for "Your Wildest Dreams", which received a Billboard Video of the Year award. The video was frequently featured on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
. The model in the video is Janet Spencer-Turner.
Chart positions
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Adult Contemporary | 1 |
| 1986 | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 2 |
| 1986 | Billboard Hot 100 | 9 |
Personnel
- Justin HaywardJustin HaywardJustin Hayward is an English musician, best known as singer, songwriter and guitarist in the rock band The Moody Blues.Hayward was born in Dean Street, Swindon, Wiltshire, England...
: acoustic guitar, vocals - John Lodge: bass guitar
- Patrick MorazPatrick MorazPatrick Philippe Moraz is a progressive rock keyboard player. He is best known as the keyboardist for the progressive rock band Yes, from 1974 to 1976, and the Moody Blues from 1978 to 1991...
: keyboards - Graeme EdgeGraeme EdgeGraeme Charles Edge is best known as the drummer and a songwriter for the Moody Blues, but has also led his own outfit, the Graeme Edge Band.-Biography:...
: drums, percussion