"In My Dreams" by Dokken

Song#:  2631
Date:  02/22/1986
Debut:  93
Peak:  77
Weeks:  7
Genre:  Hard Rock



Pop Bits:  Although it only peaked at #45, Dokken's third album Tooth and Nail became a platinum seller thanks to three Rock chart hits including the #20 "Alone Again" (#64 Pop). That set them up well for their next effort, Under Lock and Key. The first single from the LP, "The Hunter," was able to get to #25 Rock, but it just wasn't right for Pop radio. This second single fit the bill a tad more and it was able to chart at Pop for a few weeks while getting to #24 Rock. These were not huge hits, but combined with MTV exposure and their reputation as a great live act, Dokken gained more fans and that resulted in a second platinum selling album.

ReduxReview:  Instead of a power ballad, the guys released this mid-tempo, radio-ready track. It's a good song, but it's just not as hooky or memorable as it needs to be to pass muster at pop radio. Luckily for the band they had built a solid fan base that showed up to buy records. They were never really able to get that one big mainstream hit, but with three platinum albums under their belt, I doubt they were complaining.

ReduxRating:  5/10

Trivia:  In the summer of '86, Dokken was on tour opening for Judas Priest. One of their stops was at the Capitol Centre in Landover, Maryland. Two aspiring film makers, Jeff Krulik and John Heyn, decided to film the people and what goes on at the tailgating that happens in the parking lot prior to the show. They turned their footage into the documentary short Heavy Metal Parking Lot. Done on VHS tape, they couldn't really get it shown much anywhere, but bootleg copies of the film started to make the rounds over the years. Later in the 90s, it had become an underground classic and was even touted by other film makers and even bands like Nirvana. With the cult of Parking Lot growing, the makers finally secured the rights to formally issue the film on DVD in 2006. These days you can catch the documentary on YouTube.

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