"Only in My Dreams" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter-actress Debbie Gibson. Released December 16, 1986, as a maxi single (Atlantic DM 86744), and then in remixed form (Vocal/3:50, as described herein) February 1987, the song was written by Gibson in 1984, two years before she recorded it. Produced by Fred Zarr and engineered by Don Feinberg for BiZarr Music, Inc., mixed by "Little" Louie Vega and mastered by Herb "Pump" Powers, the dance-pop song reached No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in the summer of 1987. Douglas Breitbart for Broadbeard Productions, Inc. served as executive producer (see also Debbie Gibson).
While it did not initially make the UK top 50, 'Dreams' re-entered the UK singles chart in 1988 on the back of the success of her second single (viz., "Shake Your Love," Atlantic UK A9187), eventually peaking at No. 11. The Extended Club Mix/Vocal track (6:34) from DM 86744 was excerpted for a dance medley, "Medley: Out of the Blue/Shake Your Love/Only in My Dreams" (Debbie Gibson Mega Mix), that became Track 4 on Atlantic DM 86556 "Foolish Beat."
A different mix, "Only in My Dreams" (LP Version/3:54), mastered from the original multi-track for DM 86744, became track 3 on Gibson's debut album Out of the Blue (Atlantic LP 81780), and a further variation, "Only in My Dreams (Dream House Mix/10:03)", was Track 3 on Atlantic DM 86556 "Foolish Beat".
Since the song's release, Gibson has re-recorded the song twice: in 1997 for her album Deborah and in 2010 for the Deluxe Edition release of the Japan-exclusive Ms. Vocalist.
The song was voted 95th on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the 80s.
Last Updated: June 12, 2021
