All I Have to Do Is Dream
Encyclopedia
"All I Have to Do Is Dream" is a popular
song
made famous by the Everly Brothers
, written by the husband and wife songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
, and published in 1958. The song is ranked No. 141 on the Rolling Stone
magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
and released as a single in April 1958. It had been recorded in just two takes on March 6, 1958 and features Chet Atkins
on guitar. It is the only single to be at #1 on all of Billboard's singles charts simultaneously, on June 2, 1958. It first reached #1 on the "Most played by Jockeys" and "Top 100" charts on May 19, 1958, and remained there for five and three weeks, respectively; with the August 1958 introduction of the Billboard Hot 100
chart, the song ended the year at #2. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" also hit number one on the R&B charts as well as becoming The Everly Brothers' third number one on the country chart . The Everly Brothers briefly returned to the Hot 100 in 1961 with this song. It entered the UK singles chart on May 23rd, 1958, reaching the number one position on July 11th and remaining there for six weeks and spending 21 weeks on the singles chart.
The song has also featured on several notable lists of the best songs or singles of all time, including Q
' s 1001 best songs ever in 2003 and Rolling Stone
s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, where it placed 141. It was named one of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award
in 2004.
The B-side, "Claudette", was the first major songwriting success for Roy Orbison
, and was named for his wife. As a result of this song he terminated his contract with Sun Records and affiliated himself with the Everly's publisher, Acuff-Rose.
The song appears in the game Mafia 2. However the game is set in 1951, 7 years before the song was released
in 1963, peaking at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Other hit versions of the song include duets by Bobbie Gentry
and Glen Campbell
in 1969 (No. 27 U.S. pop, No. 6 U.S. country, No. 3 UK, No. 6 Euro Hit 50, No. 6 Sweden) and by Andy Gibb
and actress Victoria Principal
in 1981 (No. 51 U.S. pop).
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's version hit No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. Cliff Richard
, singing with Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers, took the song to No. 14 on the UK singles chart in 1994.
included the song on his successful album, In Dreams.
In 1981, Grammy winner Juice Newton
included the song on her career-establishing Juice album.
In 1984, Jeff Bridges
and Karen Allen
recorded a duet of the song for the film Starman
in which they also starred.
In 1994, Linda Ronstadt
and Kermit the Frog
recorded a duet cover for the Muppet
album Kermit Unpigged
.
R.E.M.
covered the song as "(All I've Got to Do Is) Dream".
A version performed by The Dandy Warhols
was featured in the 2005 videogame Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse.
The Corrs
included a cover of the song on their 2006 greatest hits album Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection
. The song's vocals featured a duet between Andrea Corr
and Laurent Voulzy
.
On November 4, 2010, Stephen Colbert
and Elvis Costello
ended "The Colbert Report" with a duet of the song, the full version of which appeared on the ColbertNation web site by the following morning.
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
made famous by the Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
, written by the husband and wife songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
Felice and Boudleaux Bryant
Felice Bryant and Boudleaux Bryant were an American husband-and-wife country music and pop songwriting team best known for songs such as "Rocky Top," "Love Hurts" and numerous Everly Brothers hits, including "All I Have to Do Is Dream" and "Bye Bye Love".-Beginnings:Boudleaux was born Diadorius...
, and published in 1958. The song is ranked No. 141 on the Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
The Everly Brothers version
By far the best-known version was recorded by The Everly BrothersThe Everly Brothers
The Everly Brothers are country-influenced rock and roll performers, known for steel-string guitar playing and close harmony singing...
and released as a single in April 1958. It had been recorded in just two takes on March 6, 1958 and features Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
on guitar. It is the only single to be at #1 on all of Billboard's singles charts simultaneously, on June 2, 1958. It first reached #1 on the "Most played by Jockeys" and "Top 100" charts on May 19, 1958, and remained there for five and three weeks, respectively; with the August 1958 introduction of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, the song ended the year at #2. "All I Have to Do Is Dream" also hit number one on the R&B charts as well as becoming The Everly Brothers' third number one on the country chart . The Everly Brothers briefly returned to the Hot 100 in 1961 with this song. It entered the UK singles chart on May 23rd, 1958, reaching the number one position on July 11th and remaining there for six weeks and spending 21 weeks on the singles chart.
The song has also featured on several notable lists of the best songs or singles of all time, including Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, where it placed 141. It was named one of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received the Grammy Hall of Fame Award
Grammy Hall of Fame Award
The Grammy Hall of Fame Award is a special Grammy award established in 1973 to honor recordings that are at least twenty-five years old and that have "qualitative or historical significance"...
in 2004.
The B-side, "Claudette", was the first major songwriting success for Roy Orbison
Roy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
, and was named for his wife. As a result of this song he terminated his contract with Sun Records and affiliated himself with the Everly's publisher, Acuff-Rose.
The song appears in the game Mafia 2. However the game is set in 1951, 7 years before the song was released
Hit recordings
Another well known version was released by Richard Chamberlain on his album Richard Chamberlain Sings. This version became a hit when released as a singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in 1963, peaking at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
Other hit versions of the song include duets by Bobbie Gentry
Bobbie Gentry
Roberta Lee Streeter , professionally known as Bobbie Gentry, is a former American singer-songwriter notable as one of the first female country artists to compose and produce her own material...
and Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
in 1969 (No. 27 U.S. pop, No. 6 U.S. country, No. 3 UK, No. 6 Euro Hit 50, No. 6 Sweden) and by Andy Gibb
Andy Gibb
Andy Gibb was an English singer and teen idol, and the youngest brother of the family whose other male siblings formed the Bee Gees: Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb.-The early years:...
and actress Victoria Principal
Victoria Principal
Victoria Principal is an American actress, best known for her role as Pamela Barnes Ewing on the CBS nighttime drama Dallas from 1978 to 1987.-Early life:...
in 1981 (No. 51 U.S. pop).
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's version hit No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
, singing with Phil Everly of the Everly Brothers, took the song to No. 14 on the UK singles chart in 1994.
Other versions
In 1963, Rock & Roll legend, Roy OrbisonRoy Orbison
Roy Kelton Orbison was an American singer-songwriter, well known for his distinctive, powerful voice, complex compositions, and dark emotional ballads. Orbison grew up in Texas and began singing in a rockabilly/country & western band in high school until he was signed by Sun Records in Memphis...
included the song on his successful album, In Dreams.
In 1981, Grammy winner Juice Newton
Juice Newton
Judith Kay "Juice" Newton is an American Pop music and Country singer, songwriter and guitarist...
included the song on her career-establishing Juice album.
In 1984, Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges
Jeffrey Leon "Jeff" Bridges is an American actor and musician. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Otis "Bad" Blake in the 2009 film Crazy Heart....
and Karen Allen
Karen Allen
Karen Jane Allen is an American actress best known for her role as Marion Ravenwood in Raiders of the Lost Ark and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull...
recorded a duet of the song for the film Starman
Starman (film)
John Carpenter's Starman is a 1984 science-fiction fantasy film directed by John Carpenter that tells the story of an alien who has come to Earth in response to the invitation found on the gold phonograph record installed on the Voyager 2 space probe.The screenplay was written by Bruce A. Evans,...
in which they also starred.
In 1994, Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
and Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog
Kermit the Frog is puppeteer Jim Henson's most famous Muppet creation, first introduced in 1955. He is the protagonist of many Muppet projects, most notably as the host of The Muppet Show, and has appeared in various sketches on Sesame Street, in commercials and in public service announcements over...
recorded a duet cover for the Muppet
The Muppets
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
album Kermit Unpigged
Kermit Unpigged
Kermit Unpigged is a music and comedy record released by The Jim Henson Company through BMG Kidz in 1995, and the last album released by Jim Henson Records...
.
R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
covered the song as "(All I've Got to Do Is) Dream".
A version performed by The Dandy Warhols
The Dandy Warhols
The Dandy Warhols are an American alternative rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1994. The band was founded by singer-guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor and guitarist Peter Holmström, with keyboardist Zia McCabe and drummer Eric Hedford later joining. Hedford left in 1998 and was replaced by...
was featured in the 2005 videogame Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse.
The Corrs
The Corrs
The Corrs are an Irish band which combine pop rock with traditional Celtic folk music. The brother and sisters are from Dundalk, Ireland. The group consists of the Corr siblings: Andrea ; Sharon ; Caroline ; and Jim .The Corrs came to international prominence with their performance at the...
included a cover of the song on their 2006 greatest hits album Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection
Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection
Dreams: The Ultimate Corrs Collection is a compilation album by Irish band The Corrs, released on 20 November 2006.-Track listing:#"Goodbye" – 3:45...
. The song's vocals featured a duet between Andrea Corr
Andrea Corr
Andrea Jane Corr is an Irish musician, songwriter and actress. Corr debuted in 1990 as the lead singer of the Celtic folk rock and pop rock group The Corrs along with her three elder siblings Caroline, Sharon, and Jim...
and Laurent Voulzy
Laurent Voulzy
Laurent Voulzy is a French singer and composer.-Biography:Voulzy originally led the English-pop-influenced Le Temple de Vénus before joining Pascal Danel as guitarist from 1969 to 1974...
.
On November 4, 2010, Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
and Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
ended "The Colbert Report" with a duet of the song, the full version of which appeared on the ColbertNation web site by the following morning.