Eurythmics released their second album Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) on Jan. 4, 1983. The project launched them into stardom with its iconic title track and abstract music video right in the heyday of MTV.
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In honor of the album’s 40th anniversary, Eurythmics‘ Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox acknowledged the milestone by sharing a few words on social media.
“It’s almost impossible to believe that ‘Sweet Dreams are Made of This’ was released 40 years ago,” wrote Lennox on Instagram on January 4. “It has continued to travel the world and the seven seas ever since, which is a wonderful and miraculous story all to itself.
“Songs are like ships. They have their own particular voyages and destinations. Once they’ve been launched, there’s no turning back. You just have to follow the journey.”
Added Stewart with an image of the original 1983 cover art on January 4: “Released 40 years ago today.”
“When somebody says, ‘Sweet Dreams’ is 40 years [old],’ you go, ‘Blimey,’” said Stewart in a 2021 interview. “So much fun, so little time. And if I get in a car, somehow every third car ride, Eurythmics comes on the radio. Or I’m in a coffee shop or wherever, it’s around all the time 40 years later. I think it has a lot to do with the person, the duo, or the band, but I really do believe it’s the power of the song. The song is king, really.”
“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” was released as a single on Jan. 21, 1983. The song spent 21 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and hit No. 1 in September 1983. Throughout the past four decades “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” has been covered more than 200 times, along with other artistic interpretations of the song.
Most recently Lennox praised former American’s Got Talent season 17 semi-finalists Funkanometry, made up of dancers Jacksun Fryer and Carlow Rush, for their dance rendition of the hit. “Wowza!” wrote Lennox. “I just saw this incredible interpretation of ‘Sweet Dreams.’ Gentlemen, you’re Amazing! Thanks for choosing our song!”
The album, which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and spent 59 weeks on the chart, was an important milestone for the duo. Eurythmics formed in 1980 after the pair parted ways with their previous band the Tourists and had broken up as a couple. Following the little attention around their 1981 debut, In the Garden, Stewart and Lennox took out a loan and set up an eight-track recording studio above a picture-framing factory in London to start working on the album.
“I suppose Sonny and Cher did it in reverse—they became really famous and then broke up,” said Stewart. “Annie and I were a couple who lived together, broke up, and then became strapped to a rocket. And we remained very respectful. Most couples who break up would find it hard working together. … One thing that’s amazing about Annie and I is that we never fought through 45 years. We never argued. We’ve had disagreements: one person wants to do this one thing, and the other person doesn’t want to do it.”
Stewart added, “When you imagine couples or people suddenly having screaming arguments or sniping matches–we’ve never had that. We just agree to disagree.”
Photo: Paul Natkin/Getty Images
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