They weren’t one of the bands that came crashing in with the first musical boats of the British New Wave. But Tears For Fears quickly established their own beachhead in America with a series of smash singles.
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Tears For Fears has enjoyed a bit of a resurgence in recent years, both with outstanding new music and people reappraising their classic work. Here are the five songs from their catalog that did the best in the US.
5. “Mother’s Talk” – No. 27 in 1986
Tears For Fears took four years between the massive success of Songs From The Big Chair and its follow-up Seeds Of Love. Yet they managed to stay in the spotlight in the US during that stretch. Songs From The Big Chair had a lot of legs, which helped them out in that regard. But the choice to release “Mother’s Talk” as a single in the US, some two years after it had arrived in the UK, also aided them staying in the spotlight. The duo rerecorded the song for the US market. Its clangorous percussion helped it stand out among other Top 40 fare of the day.
4. “Head Over Heels” – No. 3 in 1985
When Tears For Fears blew up in the US with their first two American hit singles (both of which are still to come on this list), they stood out as one of the more serious acts of the British New Wave. But they could easily have gone too far in that direction and risked coming off as humorless. “Head Over Heels”, a love song that wallows in sweet emotion, helped to stave that concern off. Even the video presented a new side of the band. (They can smile!) The song, rich in melodic goodness, proved they could lighten up and still make a lasting impression.
3. “Sowing The Seeds Of Love” – No. 2 in 1989
Occasionally, a band can mimic the sound of the Fab Four. Maybe, if they’re talented enough, they can deliver lyrics that you might term Beatlesque. Then there’s “Sowing The Seeds Of Love”, which nails just about every part of its Beatles’ homage. If you could put the band’s 1967 output in a blender to create one song, you might end up with something like this. The slightly disorienting vibe and trippy drum effects in the verses recall “Strawberry Fields”. And the triumphant chorus with its skyscraping horns gives a “Penny Lane” vibe. In other words, Tears For Fears was in heady company with this one.
2. “Shout” – No. 1 in 1985
“Shout” manages to hit home in a lot of different ways. If you’re not singing the chorus by heart the first time you hear it, you just aren’t paying much attention. In other words, it passes the catchiness test. The music features so many ear-grabbing aspects that the repeat-listenability factor remains high. When you dive into Roland Orzabal’s lyrics, you’ll find plenty of striking lines, all of which speak to the urgency of standing for something important. 80s hits didn’t get much smarter or affecting than this. Unless you’re thinking about the song ahead of it on this list.
1. “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” – No. 1 in 1985
Yet another example of how a song’s creator can sometimes be one of the worst judges of its worth. Roland Orzabal didn’t think much of “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” as he was putting it together with keyboardist Ian Stanley and producer Chris Hughes. The lyrics stand out as eternally relevant. Good thing he didn’t shelve it. Whether you’re 18 or 81, you can relate to the struggle to make sense of what’s important and to find some grounding on this recklessly spinning globe. Curt Smith’s vocals are soothing and yearning all at once. And Roland Orzabal’s guitar solo leading into the final refrains stands out as one of the finest of the decade.
Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns
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