Vibing

Fleetwood Mac's 'Dreams,' a forever mood, can't stop going viral

374%

The increase in digital downloads of "Dreams" between Sept. 25 and Sept. 27.

Nielsen Music/MRC Data via Billboard

Classic Rock Magazine/Future/Getty Images

It's never the wrong time to listen to Rumours, the 1977 album that has come to define Fleetwood Mac's enduring legacy both for its sheer excellence and its melodramatic backstory. Whether you're nursing a broken heart or celebrating your independence, going for a careless autumn cruise or hexing some fool who scorned you, the legendary album is always the mood. That could explain why some of its most beloved songs are still seeing viral fame 43 years after release.

Case in point: the meme-fueled popularity of "Dreams." The internet just can't get enough of this song. It's back on our minds and the top of the streaming charts this week after it was featured in a TikTok shared by "stoner uncle" Nathan Apodaca, a.k.a. @420doggface208. It's a wholesome moment of serenity in the midst of our living hell — just a man and his longboard, sipping cran-raspberry juice from the bottle with the ethereal voice of Stevie Nicks to guide him. If you don't smile the moment he breaks character and starts lip-syncing, you're a monster.

Just what the doctor ordered — Apodaca's video is viral content in its purest form, exactly when we needed it most. The numbers speak for themselves; the TikTok posted a week ago has over 19 million views, and downloads of "Dreams" (actual digital sales) have skyrocketed 374 percent. According to Billboard, citing Nielsen Music/MRC Data, the 43-year-old song was streamed 2.9 million times between September 25 and 27.

Now, you might be thinking, "Didn't this song just go viral like two years ago?" Yes, it did. "Dreams" similarly popped off in 2018 when it got caught up in the "Me, an intellectual" meme cycle. That time, a Twitter user set footage from a performance by the Alcorn State University Golden Girls dance line to the song and birthed an instant classic.

Why the memelords have latched onto this particular song so hard is a mystery, but who am I to keep you down? We're happy just to enjoy the ride.