# What movie or tv show is the song “Don’t Dream It’s Over” from? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [April 6, 2025, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714 "2025-04-06T21:43:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GailForce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@GailForce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GailForce)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/1 "2025-04-06T21:43:06Z")
I understand it was a popular song in the 1980s, my lost decade for music, but I’m familiar with it from the soundtrack to something I’ve watched many times. What am I thinking of? Opening myself up here to ridicule for not recognizing the obvious, but I’d swear on a stack of bibulous uncles that I never heard the song outside of this movie or TV series. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/2 "2025-04-06T21:46:24Z")
Maybe Glee? [https://youtu.be/iZgqtV1eDYg?si=G7ZD6WKWMByiX6j7](https://youtu.be/iZgqtV1eDYg?si=G7ZD6WKWMByiX6j7) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/3 "2025-04-06T21:46:43Z")
It was used in “The Stand,” (1999 version) ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/4 "2025-04-06T21:47:01Z")
It was used in The Stand miniseries, but popular before that. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/5 "2025-04-06T21:47:07Z")
- Glee - Stranger Things - The Office - The Perks of Being a Wallflower ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/6 "2025-04-06T21:49:18Z")
Mean Girls? ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/7 "2025-04-06T21:49:27Z")
[imdb.com](http://imdb.com) doesn’t list credits by song, but all of Neil Finn’s soundtrack credits including the OP’s song are [here](https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0278154/?ref_=ttsnd) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/8 "2025-04-06T21:51:28Z")
From Wikipedia, “‘Don’t Dream It’s Over’ was prominently featured in the 1994 miniseries adaptation of Stephen King’s novel The Stand and in the Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story in which the song was also referenced in the episode of the same name.” ---
**Author:** ![GailForce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@GailForce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GailForce)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/9 "2025-04-06T22:07:03Z")
I’ve never seen any of those things. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/10 "2025-04-06T22:08:49Z")
Slithy Tove’s link covers a ton of other bases: Smallville, American Dad, Miami Vice… ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/11 "2025-04-06T22:14:08Z")
It was used in the TV show The Americans. I believe it was Season 6. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/12 "2025-04-06T22:17:19Z")
> [@Ellecram](#): > > It was used in the TV show The Americans. [Here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kq85_l9OwQ4). ---
**Author:** ![GailForce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@GailForce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GailForce)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/13 "2025-04-06T22:25:57Z")
> [@Ellecram](#): > > It was used in the TV show The Americans. That’s it. I’ve watched that series at least five times. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/14 "2025-04-06T22:33:54Z")
Since the OP’s question has apparently been answered, I’ll point out for anyone who doesn’t know that the song is originally by Crowded House, from 1986. If I remember correctly it was that band’s first single. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/J9gKyRmic20/maxresdefault.jpg "Crowded House - Don't Dream It's Over (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9gKyRmic20) The band Sixpence None The Richer released a cover of the song in 2003. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ZUHKDHkRasc/maxresdefault.jpg "Don’t Dream It’s Over Official Video Sixpence None The Richer") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUHKDHkRasc) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/15 "2025-04-06T22:41:16Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Since the OP’s question has apparently been answered, I’ll point out for anyone who doesn’t know that the song is originally by Crowded House, from 1986. If I remember correctly it was that band’s first single. Technically their fourth single: the first one, “Mean to Me,” was only released in Australia, then the next two (“World Where You Live” and “Now We’re Getting Somewhere”), while released internationally, didn’t chart in the U.S. “Don’t Dream It’s Over” reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard chart. (Also, for music nerds, Crowded House was essentially a spin-off from the New Zealand-based new wave band Split Enz; after that group broke up, two of its members formed Crowded House as a new project.) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/16 "2025-04-06T22:44:31Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > the next two (“World Where You Live” and “Now We’re Getting Somewhere”), while released internationally, didn’t chart in the U.S. “Don’t Dream It’s Over” reached #2 on the U.S. Billboard chart. I remember hearing all three of those songs on the radio and/or MTV, but I can’t be sure about which order. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/17 "2025-04-06T22:48:03Z")
> [@GailForce](#): > > > [@Ellecram](#): > > > > It was used in the TV show The Americans. > > That’s it. I’ve watched that series at least five times. Thanks.. I think I have also watched it at least 5 times. One of my favorite shows. First thing I thought of when I read your post. ---
**Author:** ![GailForce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dfb087/32.png) [@GailForce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GailForce)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/18 "2025-04-06T23:56:03Z")
> [@Ellecram](#): > > have also watched it at least 5 times. Do you remember when it was heard? My guess would be late in the final season, just based on the sad tone of the song. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2025, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-movie-or-tv-show-is-the-song-don-t-dream-it-s-over-from/1016714/19 "2025-04-06T23:58:05Z")
Season Six Episode one - _Dead Hand_. It was a montage setting up all the changes from Season Five.