Blondie “Dreaming” released

 

Dreaming Blondie

Writer(s): Debbie Harry, Chris Stein (see lyrics here) Released: September 14, 1979 First Charted: September 29, 1979 Peak: 27 US, 20 CB, 24 GR, 23 HR, 18 RR, 7 CL, 2 CO, 2 UK, 4 CN, 53 AU, 2 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- US, 0.25 UK Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 12.2 video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The new wave group Blondie was formed in 1974 by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. They were an underground band who released their self-titled debut in 1976 and its follow-up, Plastic Letters, the next year. They broke through to the mainstream in 1978 with Parallel Lines and its #1 smash “Heart of Glass.” The next album, Eat to the Beat, didn’t match the top-10 success of the previous album, but its long stay on the charts put it in Billboard magazine’s rankings of the top 10 albums of 1980. It also achieved platinum status, as did its predecessor. The album generated two top-40 hits with “Dreaming” and “Atomic.” “The Hardest Part” reached #84 and “Union City Blues” failed to chart. “The fast-paced new wave song” WK “Dreaming” was the first and most successful single of the four. Its #27 peak in the U.S. was a disappointment to the band, but it has been praised by music writers. Ultimate Classic Rock said the song “wraps everything Blondie did so well – girl-group bounce, big pop hook, [and] the meshing of styles and eras.” WK American Songwriter’s Jim Beviglia said “it’s easy to overlook their depth and the craft behind [Blondie’s songs]. Don’t make that mistake with ‘Dreaming’ or you might miss the hurting yet ultimately hopeful heart beatin inside that pristine pop shell.” WK Billboard described it as a “driving rocker that moves with rollercoaster intensity.” WK That can be partially attributed to what All Music Guide’s Stewart Mason called “possibly the most over-the-top effort by a rock & roll drummer in the entire 1970s.” AMG To be clear, he also referred to it as “a must to hear” and “an amazing performance.” AMG Drummer Clem Burke didn’t expect it to make it to the final recording and even said it “would have been a bigger hit had I not played like that.” WK Harry and Stein were partially inspired by Abba’s “Dancing Queen” in writing the song. Stein wrote the music for the song and “dreamed up” the line “dreaming is free.” SF Harry then wrote the rest of the lyrics. It starts with her “getting propositioned in a restaurant, but it quickly veers off in many directions, simulating a dream where one idea jumps to the next with no real rhyme or reason.” SF Green Day, the Smashing Pumpkins, and Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs have recorded the song. Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Blondie AMG All Music Guide SF Songfacts DT Dave Thompson (2011). 1000 Songs That Rock Your World. Krause Publications: Iola, WI. Page 283. WK Wikipedia First posted 3/11/2023; last updated 4/1/2023.