#14 "Is it a Dream" by Classix Nouveaux

I'm not a very big fan of this song. In fact, I almost didn't list it. It just doesn't do anything for me at all. I guess it is supposed to sound deep, and tell us how everything could be OK "if we could only see things as they're meant to be." Spare me. Overall, this song is more of a bad dream than anything. Although, it is the only song I know of that uses the word "backbiting", so it does have that going for it. Which is nice.

#13 "Sweet Dreams" by Air Supply

Ah, good old Air Supply. Few things say the 80's like 'Air Supply', and this song is no exception. A love song to some unknown woman who Graham Russell can't see except in his dreams. The weird part to me is he tells her "Close your eyes, I want to see you tonight in my sweet dreams." Gee Graham, shouldn't you be the one closing your eyes if you want to dream? Silly Graham Russell of Air Supply...

#12 "Wildest Dreams" by Asia

"Some mens dreams for others turn to nightmares". That lyric pretty much sums up this song, which is not so much a song about dreams as it is some description of a nightmare of imperialistic soldiers crushing children under their feet. Yikes! With such lyrics as "They recommended euthanasia for non-conformists anywhere," this isn't your typical light-hearted Asia fare. The smile has left your eyes, indeed.

#11 "Dreamtime" by Daryl Hall

Half of the 80's duo Hall and Oates, Daryl parted ways with his odd looking counterpart and stepped out on his own every now and again. Here he sings to an apparently angry girl who is considering running away with a man with "Movie Star Eyes." Kind of a weird song, all things considered, but it is definitely dream-esque, so it must be mentioned here.

#10 "Shattered Dreams" by Johnny Hates Jazz

Poor Johnny. He's been done wrong by his lover, and he's been given nothing but shattered dreams. He "woke up to reality, and found the future not too bright." Is this the same poor soul from "Who's Johnny?" who is teased by his girl pretending she doesn't even remember his name? Why must Johnny suffer so?

Don't worry. I hate jazz too, Johnny.

# 9 "Only in my Dreams" by Debbie Gibson

Old Debbie (or Deborah nowadays) can't decide what to do in this song. Does she want to get back with her old flame, or remain free without him? She literally doesn't know if she wants to hold him or scold him. There is one thing she does know for sure. "Now I see my world come tumbling down. Now I see the road is bent." Methinks you're using too much hair spray, Debbie. It has started to leak through into your brain fluid.

#8 "Your Wildest Dreams" by The Moody Blues

This song mourns "the one that got away" that the singer still dreams about. However, I have to say that the lead singer might be viewing the entire affair through rose-colored glasses. Most likely this is a song about a one-night stand with some groupie from the 3rd row, but you wouldn't guess that with such sappy, over-the-top lyrics as "Once beneath the stars, the universe was ours." The universe was ours? That's not casual sex, that's Darth Vader talk!

#7 "Together in Electric Dreams" by the Human League

Okay, so technically this is a Philip Oakey single, but it is so closely associated with the Human League I'm not going to split hairs. This song is from the soundtrack to the wonderfully 80's movie Electric Dreams, and it actually surpassed the movie in popularity. Another interesting fact (thanks, Wikipedia!): the song was recorded in only 10 minutes, which just goes to show that sometimes hit songs are recorded in only 10 minutes. The singer sounds wistful for his lost chance at love, but consoles himself that he and she will always be "together in electric dreams" (hence the title). Whatever that means. Still, how close could these two have been? The song opens with the lyrics "I only knew you for a while, I never saw your smile." You never even saw the girl smile? I don't think she was interested in you, buddy...

#6 "I Can Dream About You" by Dan Hartman

Dan Hartman is missing his girl, so... Hold on a minute. What's with these last few "dream" songs about lost loves and crap like that? This is starting to get a little monotonous! It's like a recurring dream. Get it? Recurring dream? Oh screw it.

Anyway, Dan Hartman is missing his girl, so he decides to be pragmatic about the situation and chooses to dream about her if he can't hold her tonight. Personally, I'd be more concerned about the "moving sidewalks I can't see under my feet", but that's just me. Does he live in a Jetson's-like future where the sidewalks are automated and invisible? Who can say.

#5 "Get Out of My Dreams" by Billy Ocean

Billy Ocean has a car, and he wants the woman in this song to get in it's backseat. Hey, I know how it sounds. Apparently, he wants to be her chauffeur. Which lets me imagine just how bad Driving Miss Daisy would have been with Billy Ocean playing Morgan Freeman's character.

Not only does Billy want to be a chauffeur, according to the lyrics, he also wants to be the sun, a hero, and a road runner. Hey, how about that? Billy Ocean is clinically insane. I didn't know that.

#4 "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)" by The Eurythmics

Speaking of clinically insane, that might be the best way to describe Annie Lennox's appearance in the video for this song. No, "creepy clown dominatrix" might be a better way to describe it.

Still, you know that somewhere out there, a creepy clown dominatrix is somebody's goal in life, and it's somebody else's desire to be on the receiving end of the tender mercies of said creepy clown dominatrix. Some of them want to abuse you, and some of them want to be abused. I guess everybody's looking for something. Who am I to disagree?

#3 "Don't Dream it's Over" by Crowded House

This song is sort of a feel-good "Hey baby, don't worry, everything's going to be OK" song directed at the singer's girl. However, it is also filled with some really non-sequitur lyrics that don't seem to have anything to do with anything. In between the encouragements to not let the world build a wall between him and her, the singer talks about towing his car, reading the newspaper, and trying to "catch a deluge in a paper cup". Maybe the words don't make any sense. Maybe they're too deep for me. But it is still a great classic 80's song.

#2 "You Make My Dreams Come True" by Hall & Oates

Oh, Hall and Oates. Is there a better 80's group where the two members could pass for a gay couple? Not for my money. This song has some fun dream-related lyrics, my favorite being "On a night when bad dreams become a screamer, When they're messin' with the dreamer, I can laugh it in the face, Twist and shout my way out, And wrap yourself around me, 'Cause I ain't the way that you found me, and I'll never be the same." You know this song wouldn't play on the radio today, but somehow that makes it even better (at least to me). Aren't 80's songs great?