'70s Rock Band Released First No. 1 Hit Song 19 Years After Forming
Sometimes, chart success doesn't come right away, even for the most enduring artists.
For Heart, that long-awaited moment arrived in 1986 with "These Dreams," the band's first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, nearly two decades after they first formed in the late 1960s.
By the time "These Dreams" was released in 1985, Heart had already built a loyal fanbase and a reputation for blending hard rock with emotional ballads. But the song marked a turning point, helping the band reach a new level of mainstream success.
Written by Martin Page and Bernie Taupin, "These Dreams" stood out for its softer, more atmospheric sound. It also featured a lead vocal from Nancy Wilson, rather than her sister Ann, an unexpected shift that added to the song's distinctive feel.
"We were fish out of water for the first part of the '80s, and then we grabbed on to the Prince & The Revolution vibe with the stylists, and worked with other songwriters," Nancy Wilson told Guitar World. "We'd only written our own songs up until then, but 'Alone' and 'These Dreams' and 'What About Love' are great songs that could be out of any era."
With its dreamy production and introspective lyrics, the track resonated with listeners, offering something different from the band's earlier, heavier hits. That evolution paid off, as the song climbed the charts and ultimately reached the top spot.
The achievement was especially significant given how long Heart had been working toward it. Formed years earlier and already successful by many measures, the band's first No. 1 hit felt like both a breakthrough and a validation of their staying power.
"These Dreams" helped usher in a new era for Heart, proving they could adapt to changing musical trends while still maintaining their identity.
"It was a real interesting switcheroo culturally in the '80s after the mind-expanded '60s. With new wave and then MTV came along, the studio and recording technology changed to be more digital," Wilson told Skate Fantom.
"The music fashion changed, with MTV, it became more about image making than it was about the music. That part was a way less comfortable fit, because we were not from LA. We were street urchins from Seattle, hippie girls. We didn't have the big city, industry town mentality like LA. Which was all about what you're going to wear, the makeup, the hair, the lighting."
Decades later, the song remains one of the band'''s most recognizable hits, a timeless anthem that shows sometimes the biggest milestones come later than expected, but are all the more meaningful because of it.
Related: 1978 Timeless Classic, Originally Written for a Movie, Became a No . 1 Hit
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This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 1:18 PM.