One of the classics of 1980s new wave music was the Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This).” Marilyn Manson covered the song, making the dark side of its lyrics that much more obvious. One of the members of the Eurythmics revealed what he thought when he heard Manson demolish his signature tune and build it up anew.

How the Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams’ changed Marilyn Manson’s career

In the 1980s, the Eurythmics ruled the airwaves with “Sweet Dreams,” a new wave single that came out at the height of that style of music. In the 1990s, Manson reinterpreted the track as a Satanic-sounding hard rock number. His version garnered enough attention that he went on to remake many new wave songs, such as Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” and Depeche Mode’s “Personal Jesus.”

During a 2013 interview with Metro, the Eurythmics’ David A. Stewart was asked to name the most covered song in his catalog. “‘Sweet Dreams’ is covered constantly,” he said. “It’s one of the most played songs on the radio because everyone from Kanye West and Beyoncé to Marilyn Manson has recorded it.” 

Stewart revealed he particularly hated some covers and liked others. “There have been a few weird Korean and German versions,” he admitted. “They have to translate the lyrics and you get to see them and say: ‘Hang on, this isn’t what the song’s about.’ You just remember the ones that come to the surface. I liked the Marilyn Manson version when it first came out — the video was one of the scariest things I’d seen at the time.” The heavily distorted, chaotic video for Manson’s cover burned its way into the memories of millions of ’90s kids.

1 of the Eurythmics performed the song with Marilyn Manson

Stewart further discussed the impact of “Sweet Dreams.” “Parts of ‘Sweet Dreams’ are used in all sorts of songs,” he said. “I just saw a video from the Creamfields festival — there was ‘Sweet Dreams’ blasting out to 100,000 people.”

Stewart discussed working with the “Lunchbox” singer on his birthday. “It was a great one,” he recalled. “I had a jam session in a club with loads of people — I ended up doing ‘Sweet Dreams’ with Marilyn Manson. It was the first time we’d stepped on stage together. It was fun.”

How the 2 versions of ‘Sweet Dreams’ performed

So, which version of the song connected more with the public? The original became the first and only song by the Eurythmics to top the Billboard Hot 100. It was No. 1 for one of its 26 weeks on the chart. The tune’s parent album, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This), climbed to No. 15 on the Billboard 200 and lasted on the Billboard 200 for 59 weeks.

Meanwhile, Manson’s “Sweet Dreams” was less of a blockbuster and more of a really well-known cult classic. The cover did not reach the Billboard Hot 100. However, its parent album, the bizarre EP Smells Like Children, peaked at No. 31 and lasted on the Billboard 200 for 50 weeks. Considering Smells Like Children is a random mix of covers, remixes, and other assorted oddities, it did very well.

The Eurythmics’ “Sweet Dreams” is a great song — and Manson proved it worked in a completely different genre.