Reviews (page 10 of 15)
Interesting!
Solid 80s album with a hanful of pretty great hits.
Like so many albums of this era, it's got some bangers (❤️Head over Heals), tracks that made 31 on #TOTP and some absolute fillers. But definitely very polished and great singalong material.
head over heels is one of my all time favs and the album is great
Loved it when it came out. Still sounds very good.
Seminal 80s power-pop
This was an interesting ones. The only songs I knew by Tears For fears were Mad World and Shout and I had no idea that the two songs are by the same band. That feeling holds true for this entire album. Between one song and the next it can feel difficult to believe that it's the same album. Some tracks are really straightforward and simple, while others are really deep and ambitious. Some seem more akin to synth-pop while others are more akin to prog rock, yet their basic sound stays very recognizable with a character of its own. I needed to give it two spins and still can't entirely wrap my head around it, but I certainly enjoyed it.
-I liked this album -Love the 80's feel -Kind of wish the last song on the album was a little more exciting -Favourite songs are Shout, Mothers Talk, Head Over Heels/Broken
head over heels es un hit universal nunca identifiqué shout con ellos
The sounds of the '80s
some solid classics and these guys have great voices. Very stereotypical 80's, makes me miss GLOW worried I might not remember these guys when I want to listen to just 80's because this is a solid album. Def 4 out of 5
A great 80s pop album, great songs throughout though a couple get annoying at times (Mothers talk, I believe). The keyboards and guitar drive this album with heart-warming songs of Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Head over Heels, to darker material including The Working Hour. Apart from a couple of songs, a fantastic album.
Yes.
Opening track is a killer, and Everybody... is pretty much the 80's encapsulated in pop perfection. Rest of the album is great too.
Solid. 7.5/10. One bummer song- #2
VERY EXCELLENT
Some real classics on this. A general theme of the album is the oppression of the working man so it felt satisfying listening to this when I should have had my head in spreadsheets. Sounds similiar to Talk Talk's Colour of Spring (just not as good)
Big fan of that lead in to 'Head Over Heels' from 'Broken'.
80s goodness with a twist that excels it forward, great album
Muy buen disco
Excellent album. A couple of slower songs that weren't great, but almost all bangers.
A 4.5 that just doesn't quite reach 5 level. Don't get me wrong, this album is amazing - Everybody Wants To Rule The World might be a top ten song all time for me, but I feel like it wanes a bit in the middle. Last song is a little weird, too, but everything else is very strong Already Saved: Everybody Wants To Rule The World Saved After Listening: Shout, Head Over Heels / Broken*
This album has all the hits.
Songs from the Big Chair is the second studio album by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released on 25 February 1985 by Phonogram Records. The album peaked at number two in the UK and at number one in the US and Canada, becoming a multi-platinum seller in all three countries. It also reached number one in Germany and the Netherlands and the top 10 in various other countries including Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland.
4/5 well that was a surprise, nice!
Big fan of this group… loved this album
Great album “Shout & Head over Heals, Mothers Talk, Listen Like their ability to make such varied songs on one album 💿 makes this a great listen
Classic album alert! All the great Tears for Fears songs are here on one album. I didn't fall in love with any of the songs that weren't hits but of course Shout, Everybody wants to rule the world, and Head over heels are enough to push this into the 4 category.
Here's one we all know and love, with the big hits too! A lot of long songs on here, and unfortunately I kind of feel the length on some of them. But as a whole, this is a great '80s pop album. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" continues to rip almost 40 years later, as does "Head Over Heels." I also really liked the interlude prior to Head Over Heels, with hints of the melody to come. This is a terrific album, I think it's against the law to give this any lower than a 4. Favorite tracks: Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Head Over Heels, Listen, Shout, Broken. Album art: Not a bad band photo, very intimate. Are they lovers? It's not super interesting but I wouldn't disagree with anyone labelling this iconic. Love the sweater, need that sweater. 4.5/5
Solid gold pop bangers. The kind of "don't give a fuck" pop music that feels very 2020s.
This was good. Enjoyable to listen to in the background.
Sympa les premières notes de l'instru de la première. - Everybody Wants to Rule the World: validé - The Marauders: très longue et redondante
A few classic 80s anthems interspersed with some not as well known but equally as excellent synth pop. A few tracks dragged on a bit (only 8 songs in a 40 minute record!) and the last track didn’t add much for me which stops it being a 5
Still a completely unique sound in my mind, plus three huge hits.
Good album with a couple of big hits…
Shout was my favorite so far
There are some indispensable bangers, but a lot of space fillers too... "Listen" is three times too long
A classic. The sound is dated, but I love it for that.
9/10 👌🏽
I often confuse TFF with depeche mode. fun 80s music! 4.0
Not my cup of tea.
Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule The World, and Head Over Heels are pretty foundational 80s songs for me. But I think it's a pretty objective truth that this is a very good album.
Ich habe gerade nach 10 Tagen work am Stück einfach nicht mehr die Energie jeden Songs bis ins kleinste Detail zu analysieren. Die Singles sind geil, Shout ist geil, everybody wants to rule the world ist geil und jetzt kenn ich endlich den interpreten davon haha, Head over heels auch geil und listen klingt gerade ziemlich nice. Sehr coole 80s synths sounds auf der Platte ok bye next
Очень хороший альбом. Shout / Everybody Wants To Rule The World прекрасны.
Sounded great, singer had an interesting voice, recognized some classic songs too! Now I can place some faces to the name 'Tears for Fears'
Really good pop album. Not usually my style but this is the gold standard
A good album. Really, really strong singles, unfortunately muddled by some lackluster deep cuts, but overall a great slice of 80s synth pop
Probably 3.5*. Much better than I expected. Very 80s, but huge sound.
Big bangers, classic nostalgia and interesting percussion. Some filler.
Was not expecting to really like this. It slaps.
Good fun 80's vibes
Peak 80's with some classics.
Nice
Nice 80's vibe, with an awesome opening number ;)
The Working Hour Everybody Wants to Rule the World I Believe
7.5 solid
Shout. Everybody Wants to Rule the World. Another great album.
Really good
Pretty good! I liked the sounds and instrumentation a lot but I felt like the songwriting had some weak moments
Biggest surprise was me liking _The Working Hour_, despite it having a sax
I used to think the 80s was crap. I was wrong
Well, Everybody Wants to Rule the World is good of course, and Shout has some nostalgic value for me that makes up for the fact I don't really like the song. Head Over Heels was good too, and most songs were at least pleasant to listen to passively.
Sound of the 80s. 2 temazos, buenas instrumentales. Shout!
Das war die erste Platte mit der ich meine Mutter „geschockt“ habe. Als Cassette ausgeliehen aus der Katholischen Öffentlichen Bücherei und dann mangels eigener Technik immer in der Küche gespielt. „Was ist das denn für schreckliche Musik, Guido? So unmelodisch!“. Über diese 36 Jahre alte Aussage/Einschätzung denke ich tatsächlich bis heute immer mal wieder nach, weil ich sie so komplett nicht nachvollziehen konnte/kann. Ich war Riesenfan von Shout und Everybody Wants To Rule The World, und was bitteschön ist denn an diesem Songs unmelodisch??? Da jetzt echt mal 3 (!!!) Fragezeichen dran. Jedenfalls: mit bombastigen Synthie-Arrangements krichse mich ja immer, luftige 80s-Drums dazu und dann noch so räudige Gitarren: Ja klar komm ich mit! Ach so, Stimmen von den beiden fand ich auch immer top, von mir aus auch in Balladen. Vom Sound her kaum deutlicher in den 80ern einzuordnen und trotzdem fresh wie Ulricke Jokiels Kühlschrank morgens um 6 - dieses Album hält für mich alles, was Depeche Mode letzte Woche versemmelt haben. Einmal mit Profis arbeiten! 4,2 Punkte.
I just knew one song from this band, but this album surprised me. It's very good.
Iconic song
Un 4 ... no me ha encantado el álbum del todo. Aunque está muy bien.
Aussie classic
Pop rock
I already knew I liked this album beforehand. Everybody Wants to Rule the World & Head Over Heels are classics. Honestly both Shout and Mothers Talk are a bit boring compared to the rest of them. Production is insanely clean as well.
3 good songs but they’re really good songs
The first song is amazing
Just "Shout" and "Everybody wants to rule the world" already make this album worth it. I liked it!
The album is short and stripped of filler, just how I like it. The opening track, "Shout", is a 10/10 masterpiece, but some others are a bit too singy for me.
Really cool album from the 80's, I'm normally more of a rock/metal guy, but the writing and mixing is fantastic
So many great songs, but I think the sequencing is kinda whack. You can’t follow “Shout” with “The Working Hour,” sorry. Total buzzkill. Pretty amazing sax solo on that one tune!
So so 80s
classic 80s new wave. some classic 80s cheesy sax in there too.
No sabía qué esperar de este disco y vaya que me sorprendió. Shout se me hace la mejor, inclusive arriba de Everyboyd Wants To Rule The World. Después el disco se cae un poco, Head Over Heels / Broken es la rescatable. No me encantaron las dos canciones casi instrumentales, The Working Hour y Listen. Creo que le restan al disco. 3.5 que subo a 4 porque en general sí es fácil de escuchar completo.
A damn classic. It even has their two most popular songs on it but don't let them distract form the rest of this bad boy
A few classics, forgettable others. Still a good listen
Great album top to bottom. Got to love that 80's synth pop sound.
Great songs, great production.
Great album. Can’t believe Shout, Everybody..., and Head Over Heels are all from the same album. Some songs are forgettable, but the highs are so high. The transition from Broken to Head Over Heels is so smooth. Head over heels is my fave, followed by Shout.
Actually good
This album and duo made more of the 80s than you would think
Some solid classics here.
I really enjoyed this album, but I have really mixed feelings about this genre. I don’t like the vocal style, it’s just weird to me. On the other hand, the layers to the music is incredible, for being “pop” music there are a good amount of complex rhythms, instrumentation, and chords.
I thought this was gunna be hella shit and yes it was cheesy but so catchy and ‘everybody wants to rule the world’ is just a classic hit
Some good tracks and memories
No había escuchado el disco completo y que gusto haberlo hecho tiene coherencia entre canciones y te hace sentir en un solo track sin molestia EWTRTW es una de mis canciones favoritas y ahora mas con el plus de tener rolas tan buenas al lado a muy pocas bandas le ha funcionado tener sax en la mayoría de sus canciones
De todo el synth-pop ochentero que nos ha tocado en la lista, este es por mucho el que más me ha gustado. Quizá es porque tiene mucho menos énfasis en el lado synth, o porque es un disco corto y va al grano, o porque cada canción tiene su sonido propio, sin convertirse en una rola original y luego un montón de malas copias de ella.
Shout fucks.
This is one of the defining albums of 80s New Wave. This is a big budget record with a big budget sound. The layers of synths and drum machines provide good color while their voices are clearly the focus when they’re present. Overall, very solid record. Favorite song: Shout Least favorite song: Broken
Good songs but a lot of them sounded very similar.
Enjoyed that, blast from the very past.
Actually quite enjoyed, have never sat down with a Tears for Fears album before. Might listen again.
Mother's Talk is the best song, and I don't see how that can be argued. This album is a hit parade, and even someone who had never heard the name Tears for Fears would have recognized at least one song. Shout is far too long- it could have been cut down by two minutes. I enjoyed the jazz elements and the vocals were great.
The first part is the best
Am a Tears For Fears fan in general, but had never heard more than the singles from this album. They were definitely the strongest offerings, as it turns out. The album is still a good one though, and I'd easily listen to it again. 4 stars.
Has a few big hits, really enjoy this album.
Classic 80s. What's not to love?
Different start then I expected. Has a weird psychedelic sound meshed with the 80s. Shout has a real stadium sound. Working Hour has a weirdly George Michael feel but with more rock. Ok so Working Hour is SMOOTH. Everybody Wants To Rule The World is a classic for a reason and it sounds like a Full House opening. Mothers Talk took me off guard sounding like funky fight music. Mothers Talk is fine kinda funky but kind of a mess maybe i don't know. Was I Believe made by Joji? I Believe is actually one of the best jazz lounge sleep songs I've heard. Broken should not come after I Believe it took me way off guard. Broken was fine but Head Over Heels/Broken is a really awesome transition song. OH MY GOD IT'S THIS SONG. 🎶Something happens and I'm head over heels🎶 Best song on the album so far so triumphant and high energy. I adore the transition into Listen. Listen sort of sounds like OG vaporwave and I just wanna drift off to it. Listen was really strange but I also think it's one of my favorites on this album.
Classic New Wave. Curt Smith is an 80s god. Classic songs too.
Great album
its nice but i dont think its exceptional
progressive pop for the time. i loved shout and everybody wants to rule the world.
Absolutely slaps, closer to a 5 but not quite there for me. S/o Jake making this my 5th (?) Listen this year
Usually not a fan of new wave so I was surprised to find myself liking this so much. Great album
Gen Z 80's nostalgia aside, pretty good!
Geen gem toch
Maybe I've watched too much Psych, but I enjoyed the album.
I am aware of the existence of this band. This was first released when I was in college, and you could not avoid hearing the songs "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" if you wanted to. For this reason, I kinda got tired of this group and never really gave them a chance. Also, they were too "poppy" for my tastes at the time - which tended to skew towards rock bands such as U2, The Police, Pretenders, Springsteen, Petty and Mellencamp etc. - around that time. For this reason I never actually bought this album nor revisited it on Spotify once that existed. I am curious how this holds up after 40+ years. I must add that I was not into The Cure at the time for similar reasons - but I've grown to really like them over time - so I am hoping this will have some good surprises. I was surprised (in a good way) to see that this only has 8 songs - and that most of them are over 5 minutes long. I like songs that build. I forgot how much saxophone was used in the 80s. Oh yeah - "Head Over Heels" was also pretty popular and ubiquitous at that time as I recall. Ok - I ended up liking 4 songs on this - the big hits "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" PLUS 2 that I never heard before which kind of have a slower, more hypnotic feel to them "The Working Hour" and "Listen". The lyrics to "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" seem even more relevant in 2026 - with the greater influence of billionaires on government, media and society in general PLUS the delusions of grandeur we see in many people on social media and reality TV. And "turn our backs on Mother Nature" has proven to be very prophetic where despite reducing "pollution" we have managed to literally change the weather patterns of the earth through relentless growing of greenhouse gas emissions since that time - making many parts of the earth much less hospitable to human civilization. I'm glad I relistened to this one after so long. Liked songs on Spotify: 4/8 Rating: 3/5
not bad
the songs that slap SLAPPP
Skibidi Toilet Music
I recognised the two big singles. I don't think I had realised quite how much "Shout" is six-and-a-half minutes of a chorus on repeat. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is shorter and sharper. For me, the album kind of fizzled out. I guess that if you really love that archetypal 1980s synth sound then the closing track "Listen" is great to immerse yourself in. I found it just went on and on in a landscape of electronic sounds that didn't really have a purpose.
Mid
nice
every track on this album felt like its own epic. And Each song kinda felt repetitive from beginning to end. It was a little bit boring at the first time honestly. But strangely, that very repetition became the part of the album's charm. Every track had its own distinct identity, yet each maintained a consistency, and I found that balance surprisingly beautiful. (I'll rate 3 stars because this is the first recommendation)
I found this album mid. It has one iconic song and that's it.
Very 80s pop rock, if you like that this album is good, but honestly for me it was a drag. I prefer taking heads remain in light when it comes to layered 80s songs. This album has some popular songs that compliment the album well.
another one i've already heard! never been too crazy about this album to be honest. obviously everybody wants to rule the world is one of the greatest songs of all time, but the rest of the album is pretty lackluster. even shout, which i've heard called just as good as everybody wants to rule the world by some people, doesn't really click with me. 3/5 largely off the backs of everybody wants to rule the world and head over heels, though definitely deserves to be on this list, js not something i like too much myself.
Pretty good. Some real icons in here. With their most popular/best songs coming off this album, I suspect this is their opus. The sound is full and alive, and the hits have aged very well. Probably like 3.75 or so.
357/1089 i fear shout has been overplayed, and the repetitiveness is a bit too much the working hour was cute everybody wants to rule the world is iconic for a reason, genuinely timeless (but also still identifiably 80s) i will say though that i do prefer the Lorde version from Hunger Games/Assassin’s Creed Unity Head Over Heels is another great track i think the album was decent but was carried by a couple of tracks, the rest did feel a bit too dated to the 80s imo faves: Everybody…, Head over heels/Broken 67/100
No es mi estilo favorito, pero honestamente tiene unas canciones muy buenas y una vibra oscura que me gusta. De todas formas no es algo que escucharía.
Good first three tracks and then it runs out of steam
Idk, besides a few highlights it didnt really stick with me Everybody Wants To Rule The World is great ofc, so is The Working Hour or Head Over Heels, but the rest didnt really stick with me that much Still an enjoyable expirience, just not that much for me
I can't believe I'm saying this but, this album is easy too overblown. It got a bit much to listen to
3.5. Not ideal listening for sitting on the beach, but a few of these songs are pretty great.
2.75 - The best songs on the album are GREAT. A lot of the other stuff is forgettable. Maybe I just need to listen more.
Enjoyed this far more than I expected. I was never that keen on them back when they were having hits, but I don’t think I had really paid attention to how good his voice was. The album tracks on here struggle against the big hits on here, and again with those hits, which were so ubiquitous in the 80s, I don’t think I stopped to properly listen to them until now.
I was looking forward to this and the songs Shout, Head over Heels and Everybody Wants to Rule the World are iconic but the other album tracks while well written and produced didn’t enthral me.
Oo
JL: 3, Listen A : 3 ,Head Over Heels
Enjoyable synthy goodness. Lots of big 80s bangers on here. Good fun. I gather this was once serious music.
Mid
everybody wants to rule the worldddd head over heels liked some didn't like others
I mean it was okay, that's kind of as much as I can say. It felt like a greatest hits compilation. Every song has a very similar feel, 2.5 (3) stars
Obvs the popular songs are good but the rest kinda meh
gross
Probably like a 2.5/5, I liked 2 songs
Every song goes on like a minute too long but otherwise a nice time
Starts off really strong with Shout, Working Hour, Rule The World. Then drops off into the sound that I hated from the 80s style music. Not sure what it is, but that pop rock sound doesn't do it for me. The first three tracks are great though and for that I have to give some credit
probably wouldnt listen it again but i liked it, especially the first track
Shout is a great song and Everybody wants to rule the world is a classic, but honestly i did not love it.
I had heard everybody wants to rule the world before but not the rest of the album; and I quite enjoyed it. Their vocals are great, and the variety of the album was enjoyable. While nothing in it blew me away, I’m glad I could listen to the rest of it
Classic 80s, a couple of good songs in there but a bit too 80s for me
Progressive pop Shout Everybody wants to rule the world Head over heels
The good kind of 80s cheese. Had fun with this but my car speakers definitely struggled with the maximalist approach to synths on some of these songs. Some of the songs also got a bit repetitive and could've been cut down in my opinion.
This had some real classics on it but just a mediocre album as a whole. 3 side of a 3.5.
3/4
This album was a big deal mid 80's. Still good but hasn't aged a well as others.
nice 3/5
Classic Tears for Fears album
3.5 the two or three big hits on this are very good, it’s not my style, too earnest and emo I guess.
Nothing to write home about.
Love me some sax
3 all time hits, but the rest is filler
Classic 80s jams. Good stuff.
To my millennial brain, this is another band that wrote the soundtrack to the decade they belonged to. Another album that plays like a greatest hits, glad to go on the journey
Very 80's, nice mediocre
i can't even hate on the 80s stench because everyone wants to rule the world fills me with so much whimsy it's insane Would I listen again: yeah, fine Deserves to be on this list: yep. 3.4
Such a strong start followed by a slow, gentle decline into pleasant but forgettable background music
Probably the most 80s album ever made
Not sure how this has been rated so highly! Its inoffensive, and pleasant enough but nothing revolutionary and hella dated.
I liked the two most popular songs but besides that I wasn’t super into it
Not fearing tears was a major requirement if you wanted to be a wife of Len Houmous. 3.4 7/8 Head Over Heels
Synth-pop de los 80 siempre serás enorme! Everybody wants to rule the world, Shout y Head over heels son temas que conocía de antes (gracias a la herencia musical de mi padre y su pasión por la música de los 80) y me gustan mucho. El resto de canciones no me pareció para tanto tbh, pero está ok.
Friday, 22 May, 2026 The hits are great! The rest is…eh?
Real Genius
Lacking energetic choir refrain makes it unsuitable for listening during a gym workout.
Really interesting listen better the second time through starts strong
A few hits with some uneven 80s fare in between
Not bad at all
I'm surprised to find that I like this album. The style/genre of music is not among my favorites, but Tears For Fears have crafted some great melodies, and they didn't take synth-pop too far, a problem I have with many 80s pop bands.
Quitando a de "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" o resto non me chama moito. Non son moi fan da musica dos 80.
This is the quintessential 80's music I think of. Every instrument and melody is peak. I want to pop my color and wear short shorts.
The transition from slow ballad to fast poppy synth is where it’s at. Slow songs are boring but all the others are fun. Unfortunately missed out on growing up with 80s music but I could totally see myself in a roller blading arena with fishnet fingerless gloves on, too much hairspray in my teased hair and disco ball lighting up the rink while listening to this
This was fine.
It’s a good album, not my style
Not a terrible album and boast two of their biggest hits. However, it does seem a bit dated now
Nice Nostalgia hit from my teenage years
Drömmer ibland om att få vara bög i New York på 80-talet och gå på klubbarna. Att höra Shout i högtalarna samtidigt som man nycklar i sig en buse och hittar någon välbyggd man att dra in på toaletten. Hade absolut kunnat dö i AIDS för att fått uppleva en sån kväll. Skivan då? Blev så glad att få detta men det är ojämnt med ett par trist ballader. Everybody wants to rule the world är en av världens bästa låtar att åka bil till. Älskade Broken.
Det finns ändå ett par bangers, men mycket är medelmåtta. Stark trea
Kanonhits men lite väl mycket avslappningsband-synth-pop däremellan. Trea rakt av
Fick mig att dansa stel synthdans. Stark trea!
I wish I could give half stars. With such a capability I would rate it a 3.5. Certainly a magnum opus that sends me drifting through the cyberspace like Homer Simpson , thumped occasionally by an unwieldy joystick or a stray Atari fighter, with nostalgia for something I never experienced. Story of my life. Ta ta
3.5/5. The good tracks were good but the rest was largely forgettable
I feel like i'm in an 80's movie playing a keytar and am taking a girl with big poofy hair from hairspray and then go on an adventure to return an alien home.
its okay its not bad but bad at the same time.. imo most of the songs that are 6 minutes is just them repeating the same lyrics over and over again n I dont really like it. I only liked a few songs but the one I like the most is I Believe bc it reminds me of sade a lil
"Something happens and I'm head over heels,I never find out till I'm head over heels" Esse álbum conseguiu me transportar para os anos 80, para os filmes de John Hughes, para Breakfast Club, A garota de Rosa Choque, a batida synth... esse álbum me toca muito! Não me parece que será um álbum para escutar todo sempre, mas tem faixas que irão estar sempre no repeat. Apenas conhecia "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" que já gostava, e ao ouvir agora "Head Over Heels", essa me pegou de primeira! 3 músicas principais: Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World e Head Over Heels (a qual citei dois versos acima).
Classic.
Buen album, solido con algunos temas muy conocidos, Shout y Everybody wants. Tengo dudas sobre el tono de la batería, funciona bien para la parte más dance, pero resulta invasiva en el resto de los momentos, muy saturada y de la epoca. Listen es la revelación del album, lento y medido, con sonido amplio, la batería está bastante más atras que en el resto del album, lo que ayuda. Curiosamente es la canción con menos reproducciones.
good group, good album.
3.5/5
Mothers Talk
Su canción más famosa: "Everybody wants to rule the World" viene de este álbum, por eso imaginé que quizás iba a ser más creativo y mejor... Solo me gustó esa canción...
Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Listen - two thumbs up The rest of the album - it's fine
welcome to your life <3
Got some absolute classics. Other songs are alright. It's a good album. The songs outside of the hits are pretty forgettable, but the hits are so good it carries.
Alright
A lot of hits came from this album. I thought it was decent overall.
Liked it a lot.
Very 80s. Second half dragged a bit.
3.7
super uneven, 3 great songs, the rest is meh
Очень восьмидесято Приятно звучит, есть хиты Короткий 3.6
This was an album where I was reminded of the songs I like "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" but it didn't move the needle on the other tracks on the album.
Hard not to love the bangers on this one.
Hm ok bon en vrai j'ai jamais réellement exploré tears for fears donc c'est peut-être le moment ! C'était grv cool bcp de bons solos de sax et guitare. Vraie ambiance cohérente à essayer de recréer !
album carino con canzoni iconiche come everybody wants to ruke the world e shout. suoni piacevoli
Iconic songs. This makes me appreciate albums with less than 10 songs.
Best of the shit pop
Pretty good. I understand why most of the songs on this album aren't radio popular, even the ones I really liked could feel like they dragged on a bit. That said Tears for Fears has a sound I really love.
Listen has some fun Spanish interludes. Hits on the album rock.
Wasn’t a big fan at the time, still not really my thing. The singles are decent enough and the sax is pretty cool but don’t think I’ll be revisiting any time soon
Mouth gang once again
7/10 Buen album, tiene dos temas muy buenos, el resto no decepcionan pero tampoco son una locura, bien los ritmos y divertidos para escuchar
i liked the popular songs but not my favourite
for 80s chart music quite interesting.
This album triggered quite a powerful sense of dread. Some great songs but i don’t know that i could say i enjoyed listening to any of them. Undeniably evocative…
I actually had quite high expectations for this which were sadly not met. It sounded very 80s not necessarily in a good way, the songs felt a bit hollow? Considering there were three quite big and familiar singles on here i thought it might sound more exciting. I've heard their debut is a lot better?
Meh…2 good songs.
'You shouldn't have to jump for joy'; 'Find out, find out / What this fear is about'; 'We can, we can work it out.' Unjustifiably repetitious, Songs From The Big Chair is dark but soft, emotional but small, & not as good as other eighties releases that do more w/ similar stocks of sounds & rhythms, e.g., The Blue Nile. I'm not even sure we can count this as sincere, which would be its saving grace, since the lyrics are mostly uninspired & uninspiring, the saxophonic moments are sterile, & Orzabal bitches faintly, especially when he's louder than he ought to be. This is indeed a record that has one great song, the ubiquitous 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World,' & another one that's at least notable, 'Head Over Heels.' The rest? Drabber than G Ford.
7/10 shout is overrated
Intelligent, progressive synth-pop. And out of all those syllables it’s the prefix “synth” that drags this down to a 3/5 for me. Even when I recognize the lyrical quality it leaves me cold. Or bored. I think I could appreciate a live, acoustic performance…
Solid pop album, but time has proved that much of their battle of relevance and sophistication waged against their peers (Wham and George Michaels, specifically) were unfounded. Sure the may have been slightly more heady than Wham, but in the long run, they are just a solid pop band.
As a piece, it's good. Starts off weak with Shout but then every other song is a 3 or 4. Lightly carried by Everybody Wants to Rule the World, but Mothers Talk and Head Over Heels
Muy buen disco. Logra equilibrar hits comerciales con momentos más experimentales. Los sintetizadores envejecieron muy bien y se siente como un álbum importante en la discografía de la banda. ¡Vale la pena la escucha completa!
The good songs are really good, the rest sound like poor imitation of the good songs
Decent enough album, with 2 bangers, shout, and rule the world, the band passed me by in 1985, as other Indie bands took over my airwaves.
Did not hate this album. Some slightly slower songs that didn't relate with me, but also some really good tracks
There I was thinking Shout was the absolute pinnacle of human achievement when Everybody Wants to Rule the World came on... Anyway, that debate ended in 1985. Shout is incredible.
The two most well known tracks "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" are well known for a reason. They could find a place in my collection. There are maybe a couple of others that deserve more plays.
It was my first listen of this album, made by popular British new wave/synth pop band. Pros: it is very nicely made, there are two very famous hits, the album sounds fresh despite of the mid-80s sound. Similar to Depeche Mode. Cons: all the other songs apart from the hits are not that interesting although these songs work well as an album. I don't like synth pop in general and most of the 80s sounding albums. I would give it 3.5 stars if there were half stars but I will stick to 3 stars.
Favorite songs: Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Broken, Head Over Heels 3.5
Las canciones son muy largas, pero me gustaron dos de las que las guardé en fav. Buen sonido, me hizo acordar a soda o a cerati más bien
All songs everyone definitely knows however it hits harder as an album.
Álbum solido con clásicos de toda la vida
Majority decent songs, but many had an awful sound to them that almost forced me to skip half the album. The band has a nice sound, but it's a bit synth heavy
Love the 2 big classics on here- brought back memories of these years from my youth, they sort of passed me by
Very, very 80s. A 42 minute album that could be 24 minutes.
The hits hit. The A Side is pretty good, even if track 2 sounds like interstitial music from a Miami Vice episode. I Believe lags in the middle of side 2, and the rest of it is mostly a long version of Head Over Heels. I didn't appreciate this when it was released. My loss.
I prefer Depeche Mode
I didn't know recognize Tears For Fears at first till I saw Everybody wants to rule the world and head over heels. Although these two are some of the most iconic and popular, there are many contenders such as the Working Hour, I believe, and Broken for standout songs. The album is overall solid but even after a listen through I'd give it a 5/10 for replayability as there are only 2 songs that have become the most popular that carry the album and a 7/10 for enjoyability as the ablum had many standout songs.
I tried it. But most songs of the album is not really interesting or unforgettable to me
Overall a decent effort. Musically interesting but I Believe is a bit of a dirge in the middle of the album and brings the mood down. Still there’s something about the timbre of the vocal that grates with me and doesn’t quite sit right, although I’m sure others would disagree. 3
Surprisingly dark industrial sounds on the bonus tracks
This is hard to rate for me. On the one hand, I don't like the genre. On the other hand, I think they perform it so well that I have to give them credit for it. I also love the song Head Over Heels.
Couple good ones but mostly meh
The hits are great. The rest of it is good.
I liked this one more than I thought I would, but it is no more than three stars for me.
Shout would be a better song if it stopped about two and a half, maybe three minutes earlier. The rest is ok righties pop.
Saved? ✅ Would listen again? ✅ Would recommend to anyone? 🤔 Would buy on Vinyl? 🤔
Mid with one banger
Expected better
Great album Some songs weren’t THAT good tho
Two classic new wave hits on one album? And then a bunch of okay filler? Sure. It’s better than a generic album but really doesn’t cross into great. 3.5
Great !
Not too bad as far as 80’s pop goes.
On the face of it this is 80s synth pop with no redeeming features. Most of the album is true to form and the sax thrown in is really bad. However, I think there is some songwriting talent there and in particular shout and the excellent Head Over Heals save the day.
Pretty solid!
Take any individual moment from this record and it would be the epitome of cringy 80s pop: frictionless synth, overwrought lyrics, vocals sung with clenched fists. There is a saxophone on The Working Hour for goodness sake. But that would be a terrible way to evaluate or enjoy a record. Better than any moment is the totality: the intricate arrangements that balance juddering synth bass, with clean percussion, with bright guitar, and the interplay of the two voices. The voices of Roland and Curt are a case in point. Neither voice is exceptional, both have this peculiar, strained banality. Yet, unlike the trio from last week, they rarely sing in harmony and they rarely adopt of protagonist role in the song: rather they assume positions within the song, within the lyric, that complement and enhance the music itself. A similar role that Michael Stipe and Mike Mills play in REM. Or Black Francis and Kim Deal. The song itself is an entity that the group brings to life, rather than a performance by a lead singer that the others frame. Everybody Wants to Rule the World is a fair example of this attention to detail. The pedalling chords of the verse are banal. The guitar arpeggio like something from a BBC travel show. The solos painfully twangy. Yet, somehow, it all works. And it works especially when they subtract: the two chord vamp is scaled back just before the vocal enters; on one chorus, the concluding ‘world’ is excised, replaced with a guitar bend. Every element, whether present or absent, is calibrated to ensure totality of form and, more important, dramatic tension. The song is always moving forward. It’s how they manage to make so many of the songs five minute or greater without significant drag. This unifity of effect doesn’t extend totally to the macro-level. The hits outshine the rest of the album, although there is nothing truly rotten - Mothers Talk could have been a single, if not a hit. And those hits cause the album - the band even - to be a victim of their success, instances, like the individual moments of the record, that become emblematic of the time, of the production choices, of the Smash Hits image. There is more to Tears for Fears than the surface, but whether there is more than the integrate craft, I’m not sure. 3 ‘Shout is six and a half minutes long!’ is the headline for me. I like Shout but I have always thought of it as a small song, regardless of the size of chair from which it comes. I have the Greatest Hits in the house (somewhere). It’s probably 6 1/2 minutes long on that as well but why haven’t I noticed before? Perhaps it isn’t built for scrutiny; being 90% chorus it could be easy to misunderstand as a brainless pop song, by rights no more than 3 1/2 minutes, rather than the mood piece it was intended to be? Anyway I still find it small. This is an album of surface impressions I think. Good long running times denoting seriousness. Big drum hits denoting drama. Plenty of grand posture in the lyrics and the reverbed richness of the top line throwing sevenths and ninths all over the place. That intro to Head Over Heels; teased in Broken and then fanfared into your speakers like a spaceship has just arrived to teach us a new tonal language. Alas, you get to the end of the album and no aliens have come out. Nothing memorable has been said. Nothing profound has happened - not even in the ponderous nothingness of ‘Listen’s seven minutes. Tears for Fears are good all the same - just not as good as they think they are. 2.5/5
Very good, very 80s. Shout and Head Over Heels were my favorites, and Everybody Wants To Rule The World is a classic. 6.6/10
Some classic bangers, but also some very drawn out instrumentals following the big hits. Good listen overall!
Not bad, wouldn't choose those songs if I were alone
Not my kind of music but rythm was relaxing
Ja classic ofc, maar ik word gewoon nooit zo warm van die intense jaren '80 sound. Het laatste nummer (Listen) is wel echt sick tho
(3) at one time I loved this album, now it sounds dated…
Must have sounded like a great idea at the time 3.4
A very '80s album, with toms and synth sounds very much of it's time. Very anthemic and ambitious in it's way, in contrast to most of the same type of music of the period. It's fine, certainly not a bad listen, and I've always appreciated the rhythmic undercurrent of "Everybody Wants To Rule The World."
Pre Listening: Very excited! I know "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", so hoping to find some more bops like that on here. I haven't listened to a lot of Tears for Fears in the past. Didn't realize they were from the 1980s, I would have guessed newer based on the one song I know from them. After listening: I didn't like this one as much as I thought I would? There were some fun songs in here, but I also felt like some were kinda bizarre. The overall listening experience, for me, wasn't it.
It sounds like the 80s. Didn't do it for me, wasn't even that swept up by the (heard many times) singles. Inoffensive.
I can't understand why this gets such high marks. The singles are fine..but everything else is pure filler and even unlistenable, particularly the one with the sax
Some good-great singles from this, wasn't too much into the rest . Not generally into sax on pop/Rock stuff and thought this had great examples of how to sax - I Believe - and how not to sax - The Working Hour.
The songs I already knew hit very well and those that I didn’t…didn’t. I was rocking along to Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule The World, and to some degree Head Over Heels but I felt like I should have been crying in my coffee with the other tracks. The music itself is good, but I’ll listen to this band as it finds me and I won’t be seeking it out.
Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: Shout, Everybody Wants To Rule The World I don't think there's any doubt about the absolute staying power of Everybody Wants To Rule The World, and to a lesser extent, Shout. Even as someone who largely despises the new wave genre, I find these songs to be catchy, melodic, culturally impactful, and I recognize the incredible popularity of them. They're just plain old good songs. Maybe even nostalgic, though I wasn't even alive in 1985. But man, is the rest of the album a chore to get though. It's just not my style. Tears for Fears and pretty much every other new wave band that's come up on the List. I give it a 2.5 rounded up because of the two extremely popular songs.
Everybody wants to rule the world!!
Head over heels saves it
More like songs from the cuck chair
Es ist okay, nur head over heels und everybody wants to rule the world zu kennen
Lowkey grandiose.
I liked that better than I expected. New Wave was never really my jam, but the first half of this album was quite enjoyable. I like the overall mood and style basically aside from the vocals.
Standard 80s rubbish really. Like so many 80s albums trying to be political & deep but not really my thing. Love Donnie Darko though so was disappointed by the rest.
its solid, but its mostly based on “everybody wants to rule the world” and “head over heels”.
Interesting sounds and good musicality. 3.5/5
3.5, surprising for such an 80s album
A really strong start then it sort of blends into more of the same in the second half. If I could rate the two halves it would be 4.5 followed by 2.5
enthusiastic, energetically young, smooth and “new”? fading outros and repetitive choruses, but that doesn’t take the beauty out of it. 80s sound for sure. Very fresh sonically, atmospheric and crackly. The feeling of being in an arcade. If I had to choose one pop rock album, it would be this. (even if I don’t dig pop rock too much.)
能听出年代感，还是挺舒服的
I can’t tell if they invented the sound of the 80s or they ripped it off for 40 minutes. Best to play it down on the middle on this one.
Hadn't listened to this entire album since its initial release. After almost 4 decades I find that the singles from it are still amazing, but the rest of the album isn't as nostalgia inducing. It was nice to have on while I was working though
Stylish pop music that mostly satisfies
It’s Ella, so it’s good, but it’s just too long.
Everybody wants to rule the world is one of my favorite songs ever, but the rest of this album was just fine! Enjoyed it, but no new favs.
Hadn't ever listened to anything else from this other than the 3 that everyone knows! I get why those are the standouts, they are by far the standout tracks on this album, but I enjoyed the others too. 'The Working Hour' was really interesting, why do so many 80s songs loooove that type of drum... Good album!
Great album. Not perfect, but great.
Two hits ("Shout", "Everybody Wants To Rule The World") and an almost forgettable rest. 2,5
I used to think of Tears for Fears as a typical example of that very specific 80s pop sound, without really listening closely. But once I paid attention, I realized the music isn’t light at all. The rhythm section is solid, and at times the grooves even feel slightly funky, which I didn’t expect. That subtle depth is what makes the band more interesting than I had assumed.