Pure Imagination

{{About|the 1971 song|the topic|Imagination|other uses|Pure Imagination (disambiguation)}}

{{EngvarB|date=September 2017}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}

{{more citations needed|date=September 2013}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Pure Imagination

| artist = Gene Wilder

| album = Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (Music from the Original Soundtrack of the Paramount Picture)

| released = {{Start date|1971}}

| genre =

| length = 4:20

| label = Paramount

| writer = Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley

}}

"Pure Imagination" is a song from the 1971 film Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. It was written by British composers Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley specifically for the movie.{{cite web |title=Stories of Standards: "Pure Imagination" |url=https://www.kuvo.org/stories-of-standards-pure-imagination/ |website=KUVO|date=3 April 2019 }} It was sung by Gene Wilder, who played the character of Willy Wonka. Bricusse has stated that the song was written over the phone in one day.{{cite web |last1=Riedel |first1=Michael |title=Gene Wilder's most famous song was originally a dud |url=https://nypost.com/2016/08/30/gene-wilders-most-famous-song-was-originally-a-dud/ |website=New York Post |date=August 30, 2016}} The song has a spoken introduction.

Since its release, the song has been covered and remixed hundreds of times by a wide variety of artists.{{cite web |title=Why Has 'Pure Imagination' Been Covered So Many Times? |url=https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/soundcheck/segments/why-has-pure-imagination-been-covered-so-many-times |website=WNYC Studios |date=October 22, 2014}} The original song was not popular when it was first released. The film itself was not a blockbuster and other songs from the soundtrack performed better. It was not until the movie began appearing on television reruns in the 1980s that the film and "Pure Imagination" became more well known.{{cite web |last1=Geddes |first1=James |title='Pure Imagination' By Gene Wilder From 'Willy Wonka' Hits iTunes Chart 45 Years After Initial Release |url=https://www.techtimes.com/articles/175691/20160831/pure-imagination-by-gene-wilder-from-willy-wonka-hits-itunes-chart-45-years-after-initial-release-video.htm |website=Tech Times |date=August 31, 2016}} Although the original song never charted, some cover versions have done so.

In the week following Wilder's death in 2016, the song rose in streams and sales by more than 1000%.{{cite magazine |last1=Zellner |first1=Xander |title='Pure Imagination' Streams Increase 1,061% After Gene Wilder's Death |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7502780/pure-imagination-gene-wilder-death-sales |magazine=Billboard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910032137/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/7502780/pure-imagination-gene-wilder-death-sales |archive-date=September 10, 2016 |date=September 7, 2016}} The song was featured in television, radio, and social media tributes to Wilder.{{cite web |last1=Hines |first1=Ree |title=Coldplay performs touching Gene Wilder tribute with 'Pure Imagination' |url=https://www.today.com/popculture/coldplay-performs-touching-gene-wilder-tribute-pure-imagination-t102406 |website=Today |date=August 31, 2016}} While it was absent from the 2005 film adaptation Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the song was featured in the 2023 prequel film Wonka, both in its promotional materials and the film itself, sung by Timothée Chalamet as Wonka.{{cite web|url=https://screenrant.com/wonka-movie-trailer-timothee-chalamet-singing-pure-imagination/|title=Timothée Chalamet Finally Sings Iconic Gene Wilder Song In New Wonka Trailer|accessdate=November 28, 2023|date=November 14, 2023|last=Rudoy|first=Matthew|work=ScreenRant}}

{{External media|audio1=[https://archive.org/download/willy-wonka-the-chocolate-factory-soundtrack/Willy%20Wonka%20%26%20The%20Chocolate%20Factory/07%20Pure%20Imagination.flac From "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory"]|float=right|audio2=[https://ia801302.us.archive.org/14/items/wonka-flac/18%20-%20Pure%20Imagination%20%28from%20_Wonka_%29.flac From "Wonka"]}}