The story behind Van Halen’s epic “Dreams” video with the Blue Angels

When I’m not writing about military aviation for Simple Flying, I often listen to music while completing projects around the house. Such was the case recently when a playlist of “Old School Classics of the ’80s” pushed a nearby speaker to its limits while I was painting the walls of our laundry room.

As I bent down to dip my thirsty brush into the bucket of fresh paint, a particular song caught my attention. It was “Dreams” by Van Halen. I put down my brush, sat on my rickety wooden step stool, and just listened. The nostalgia was palpable.

Like many of you, I was a teenager when I first heard this song in a music video on MTV. For those who haven’t seen it, the video is 4 minutes and 54 seconds long and features the US Navy’s Blue Angels performing breathtaking aerial acrobatics in their McDonnel Douglas A-4 Skyhawks. As a child, it was a treat for the senses, one of the coolest things my teenage eyes and ears had ever experienced. To this day, the song’s triumphant chorus still gives me goosebumps.

“It was a very, very spiritual moment, and this song is a very, very spiritual song.” – Sammy Hagar, from an article on UltimateClassicRock.com

As the last notes of “Dreams” faded away, I picked up my trusty paintbrush to get back to work, and it occurred to me that an audience of military aviation enthusiasts might have the same connection to this song as I did, and similar fond memories and personal connections to it.

So I thought it might be fun to revisit this video, learn a little more about it, and share my findings with our Simple Flying audience. So, without further ado, please join me on a trip down memory lane as we learn the story behind the iconic music video for Van Halen’s “Dreams” featuring the legendary Blue Angels.

Roth’s departure opens doors for the US Navy

When Sammy Hagar replaced David Lee Roth as frontman of the legendary rock band Van Halen, it shook the foundations of rock music. Not only did it lead to one of the most enduring and heated debates among Van Halen fans, “Roth vs. Hagar,” but the juxtaposition of Roth’s over-the-top showmanship and Hagar’s no-frills style left fans wondering what to expect from the new-look Van Halen in 1985.

When 5150When the band’s first album with Hagar on vocals was released in March 1986, they decided not to release any music videos to support the new record. Van Halen believed that the best way to introduce their new lead singer to fans was not through music videos, but live on stage, where the “Red Rocker” really shines.

This decision was notable and unexpected, as Van Halen had previously released music videos for previous albums. Videos for songs such as “Jump, Panama and Hot for Teacher” were played on repeat on MTV and contributed to the band’s overwhelming success. Nevertheless, Van Halen stood firm, much to the chagrin of their record company, Warner Bros., who no doubt viewed this as a missed opportunity in the meteoric rise of the music video era.

From cinema to music television

Shortly thereafter 5150 When the film was released in May 1986, a Warner Bros. executive attended a screening of Top Gun, which was released just two months later. The WB executive left the theater not only craving speed, but also wanting a more aggressive soundtrack. The executive loved the film, which relied heavily on its soundtrack, but thought the scenes with the fighter planes would have been even better with hard rock music, which gave him an idea.

”
Two weeks before Liberty Weekend, a couple of music executives from Warner Bros. Music and MTV executives came to me after seeing the movie Top Gun. They asked me if I could provide a Blue Angels video for MTV for Liberty Weekend. We all chose the song “Dreams” from the latest Van Halen album.
.”-Jim Cross, video producer, from an article in the Pensacola News Journal

Cross asked the Blue Angels for permission to use their footage in the video, and they happily obliged.

”
Of course we had no objections
.”- Lt. Doug Hocking, spokesman for the Naval Flight Demonstration Squadron

Van Halen manager Ed Leffler gave the green light on behalf of Eddie and the guys, and McDonnell Douglas agreed to provide extensive Blue Angels archival material from the past ten years.

Within two weeks, all the necessary parties were on board. Working at a feverish pace with the help of producers John Moranville and Michael Polito, Cross completed the following video in just three days, carefully piecing together footage of the Blue Angels’ spectacular maneuvers to perfectly match the rhythm and emotion of “Dreams.”

Make sure the sound on your playback device is turned on and the volume is turned up – all the way up.

According to comments on avgeekery.com by Lieutenant Al Cisneros, who flew with the Blue Angels from 1975 to 1977 and also appears in the video “Dreams,” the pilots appearing in the video are:

• Lieutenant Al Cisneros
• Cdr. Casey Jones
• Captain Dan Keating
• LCdr. Don Simmons
• John Miller and
• Lieutenant Vance Parker

A dream come true for the US Navy

The video was scheduled to air four times a day on MTV from July 1 to July 8, as part of New York’s Liberty Weekend celebrations, which commemorated the centennial of the Statue of Liberty in 1986. It quickly became a sensation upon its debut, and the overwhelmingly positive response resulted in “Dreams” being aired on MTV for two more weeks, more frequently than originally planned.

”
The MTV studio in Los Angeles received countless calls with questions like “Who are they?” and “Where can I get a copy of the tape?”
– Lt. Doug Hocking, spokesman for the Naval Flight Demonstration Squadron

With Top Gun already having a recruiting boost, a popular music video on MTV featuring one of the hottest bands in the country was the icing on the cake, as “Dreams” brought even more attention and notoriety to the U.S. Navy. The video was essentially free advertising.

“I came at a time when the movie Top Gun came out and the Blue Angels were making cool videos with Van Halen singing in the background.” – Rear Admiral Linda Wackerman, Deputy Inspector General of the Navy

“Dreams” was a win-win-win for everyone involved. The U.S. Navy got a recruiting boost, Van Halen (and Warner Bros.) had another hit (#22 on the Billboard Hot 100), and MTV had a viral video, which back then meant people would record it on their VCRs (or “videocassette recorders” to our younger audience) and pass it around or invite friends over to watch it.

Like all music videos, its time in regular MTV rotation eventually came to an end. But unlike most music videos, the powerful mix of rock music and military might has a unique way of sticking in the minds of many people who, ever since they saw the video, can’t listen to the song without imagining those blue and yellow Skyhawks soaring into the sky.

Ironically, the US Navy retired the A-4 Skyhawks in 1986. In the following demo season, the Blue Angels flew McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornets.

Keeping the dream alive

The concept behind “Dreams” has since inspired fans to create similar music videos of their own. Below are two videos featuring stunning updated footage of the Blue Angels, one produced in 2022 and the other in 2024.

With each new version of “Dreams,” the powerful synergy between Van Halen’s timeless song and the exciting world of military aviation is renewed, further cementing the lasting legacy of the Warner Bros. original.

In 2021, Sammy Hagar and his band “The Circle” celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Blue Angels and the 35th anniversary of “Dreams” with a performance at the Afterburner Music Festival in Huntington Beach, Southern California. The festival took place immediately following the Pacific Airshow with the Blue Angels.

Sadly, Eddie Van Halen passed away on October 6, 2020 at the age of 65 and is now watching the Blue Angels from above.

“RIP Eddie Van Halen. Thanks for the great music and for reminding us to dream.” – Blue Angels Association, October 6, 2020.