Swing featuring Dr. Alban version In 1995, American rapper and singer
Swing (aka Richard Silva II) released a
dance cover of "Sweet Dreams" featuring the
Sweden-based musician and producer
Dr. Alban. The female singer in the song is Swedish singer Birgitta Edoff. Alban produced the single after Swing was signed to his label, Dr. Records. This version was a major hit in Europe, peaking at number four in Finland, number nine in Denmark, number 12 in Sweden, and number 44 in the Netherlands. In the UK, the track reached number 59.
Critical reception Pan-European magazine
Music & Media commented, "Nomen est omen; indeed it's a cover of Eurythmics' first hit. Also, what Swing promises is what you get. It's heavily
Eurofied with the Swedish
rap specialist cutting his teeth on it." Alan Jones from
Music Week wrote, "From Sweden, Swing featuring Dr. Alban offer a bludgeoning
techno version dominated by rap, with occasional reprises of the title line by Birgitta Edoff".
James Hamilton from the
RM Dance Update described it as a "cheesier cornily rapped Swedish remake".
Track listings Charts Marilyn Manson version •
Trent Reznor | type = single | file = Marilyn Manson - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This).ogg | description = "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" }} }}
Marilyn Manson released a
cover version as the first single from
Smells Like Children (1995), an
EP of covers, remixes and interludes. In his
1998 autobiography, the band's
eponymous vocalist said he fought then-label
Interscope Records to have this track released as a single, saying: "They didn't want to release [it], which I knew would be a song that even people who didn't like our band would like.
[Nothing] wanted to release our version of
Screamin' Jay Hawkins' '
I Put a Spell on You', which was far too dark, sprawling and esoteric, even for some of our own fans. We battled the label this time, and learned we could win. ... It was a disheartening experience, but it didn't hurt half as much as the fact that no one at our label ever congratulated us on the success of the song." The track became the band's first legitimate hit. The music video was directed by American
photographer Dean Karr, and was shot near downtown Los Angeles. It featured images of the vocalist
self-mutilating while wearing a
tutu, as well as scenes of him riding a pig. It was placed on heavy rotation on MTV, and was nominated for
Best Rock Video at the
1996 MTV Video Music Awards. In 2010,
Billboard rated it the "scariest music video ever made", beating
Michael Jackson's "
Thriller". Dave Stewart has said that he liked this version of his song, and that "the video was one of the scariest things [he]'d seen at the time." As of 2020, the track has sold 80,000 copies through digital retailers in the United Kingdom, where it is also the band's most streamed music video, generating almost twelve million audio and video streams. The song went on to appear on the band's 2004 greatest hits album,
Lest We Forget: The Best Of. It also featured on soundtracks to the films
Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005),
Gamer (2009), and
A Perfect Day (2015), in movies such as
House on Haunted Hill (1999), and ''
Trick 'r Treat (2007), as well as the trailer for Wrath of the Titans (2012), in the pilot episode of The Following, on the BBC drama Luther'', and the
Nature three-part miniseries "Okavango: River of Dreams".
Britney Spears created a music video using Manson's version of the song. This video – also directed by Chris Ashbrook – was used as an interlude on her 2009
concert tour The Circus Starring Britney Spears.
Track listing •
CD single • "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" – 4:25 • "
Dance of the Dope Hats" – 4:46 • "
Down in the Park" – 4:58 • "
Lunchbox (Next Motherfucker)" – 4:47
Charts Certifications JX Riders featuring Skylar Stecker version In 2016, JX Riders featuring
Skylar Stecker went to number one on the US dance chart with their version.
Weekly charts Year-end charts == Notable usage in media ==