Songs From The Big Chair

3 good songs that take me down memory lane and the rest rather forgettable. - 3/5

An uneven pop experience - Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World) are wonders - the rest so so

Es hat ein paar richtig gute Songs aber dir restlichen entsprechen nicht meinen Geschmack.

As far as 80s pop goes, it's pretty decent. Definitely nostalgic. 3/5 #155

Not really for me. Some solid high points - Shout is a hell of a song - but, yeah.

For as good as these songs are - and they are *very* good - I can’t quite get past the production. Big Chair is a fitting title, because the songs sound huge! Like it was recorded in an empty glass cathedral. The songs lack a bit of warmth, but it’s also candy on the ears. The singles are relentlessly catchy, and everything else in between is fairly consistent. A solid 3 for me. ✨

Je n’ai pas trop aimé l’instru et les voix un peu effacées dans le fond

Some bangers on this one. Some of the tracks could probably be shortened from 6 min to 4 min and be better for it, but they are still good Standouts Shout Everybody Wants To Rule The World Head Over Heels / Broken 4/5

A mix of, well, Everybody Wants to Rule the World and a handful of other songs that aren’t that one. As a whole, the album’s fine but not memorable for me.

There were some interesting moments, but nothing too special. Good for background while coding

Everybody wants to rule the world is the one where the straight cooked, but When the wind blows is a great mention. A bunch of beautiful songs about revolution.

I started listening

This isn't really my type of music but I was into it for the historical aspect. Not knowing much about the musical history of this genre I am kind of bewildered about how emerged out of the 70's, it sounds entirely different than whatever came before. Just a really hard and distinctive style of the 80's. So that much is pretty cool. "Everybody Want to Rule the World" was a good song and I'm not sure if I'd ever listened to it all the way through before. The rest of the album was decent background music - I was kind of offput when it was over, deep in focus lol - but probably nothing I'd return to.

Une de mes chansons prefs dans l'album A part ça j'aime pas trop 3/5

Fine. Really strong opener but no other standouts

The hits are hits for a reason but the other songs don’t really hold their own weight.

Úlllltima semana de julio, gente. Vamos hoy con una banda que sólo ubico por dos de sus canciones-emblema que están en éste disco ("Shout" y "Everybody Wants to Rule the World"). ¿Qué tienen los 80 de magnético? ¿Es algo que sólo me pasa a mí o a los de mi generación? Me gustaría investigar sobre ello alguna vez. Resumen: ideal para amenizar cualquier reunión. Hasta mañana

I have heard a number of these songs before. I may not have been entirely sure they were Tears for Fears songs. Let's Go. Track 1 is classic 80s. Lots of synth and electronic noises throughout. I always find 80s songs to be somewhat bloated, this song didn't need to be 6 minutes long. It got repetitive. Track 2 was meh. I have a feeling this album is going to be carried by the two big songs. Track 3 is the all-timer of course. As it should be. It has everything, good tempo, great lyrics decent "riff". And a tight 4:11 of runtime. Track 4 was unique, it had lots going on. Very fun! Track 5 slows things down. This is generally a bummer for me as most bands are better when they keep things moving. This was no exception. The rest of the album was meh as well. I feel like the two heavyweight tracks could have been featured in a "1000 Songs to hear..." but the album as a whole is just okay. An interesting question might be how many great songs does an album need to have to be considered great. Maybe it is just two. 2.9/5

Classic rock for the 80s. Got two known songs.

I had no idea shout was by tears for fears. I guess this album deserves credit for such a hit, but what an obnoxious song. The Working hour had a beautiful introduction and a pretty silly set of messaging when set to the second British Invasion sound. I guess it is par for the course. Everybody wants to rule the world is a certified banger, unfortunately. I believe was a truly painful four minutes. Just ugly songwriting, even with beautiful wind. Fun transition into broken though. Head over heels is just a brain dead chorus. The redeeming aspect of the song is the chord progression change for the bridge. Listen is an interesting track. I appreciate the formal deviation here. I think it is the best track after Everybody Wants to Rule the World. Overall, this album is uneven. Far from a five star album with confidently cliche artistic choices, and a lot of insubstantial drama. But, when you have eight tracks, and a few remain as cultural touchpoints and one is a truly excellent song, it deserves a middling rating.

Some of these songs are fun, but no decade could make music as boring as the 80s

Listening Notes: -Shout: oh so I know two songs by these guys. The sound feels very depeche mode, but less spooky. I think I can get behind that. -Everybody wants to rule the world is a fine pop tune, but I don't really feel like it gets me anywhere -Really fully-fleshed out use of synths and other stuff here. -Mothers Talk really doesn't do much for me. and its also about 2 minutes too long. -Now we try to slow it down for I Believe, and I really just don't think this vocal styling works. It feels mopey rather than reflective. -Head over Heels is pretty good, but doesn't go anywhere they haven't already been. -Listen feels like an ambient track to chill and study to, which I guess is fine. Review: It seems like this album has very limited thematic range, and beyond its big hits (which are famous and catchy, but ultimately don't feel terribly substantial), I don't think it has that much to say. Really cool synth stuff here though. We'll say 3.5 rounding down.

1985. Other than the obvious hits, I'd not heard this before. It's actually quite a good listen, if a bit of commercially over-produced, but such is it's appeal from a time that big power-pop songs were ubiquitous in our every day lives. I'm unlike to go back to this, but it was a enjoyable 40 minute, 80s throwback. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ❌️ Retro 80s ★★★☆☆(6/10)

The hits are great but the rest just average. 3 stars or C+.

Not my go to genre, but absolutely solid album with a little bit of a lul after the midpoint, however a good number of solid singles which elevate the album a bit more. The band is also a bit "cool uncool cool" which I like.

Schönes Saxofon bei "the working hour"

Everybody wants to rule the world is one of the greatest pop songs of the 80s. Shout is nostalgic. Head over heels/broken is the sleeper song. Lyrics mention ‘change in weather’ often 3/5

A few good ones

3.5

This album has some hits, but I really didn’t like the song it ended on, Listen. It took me out of the vibe of the album.

I’ve never been a fan of Tears for Fears although I do like Head Over Heels. I think Everybody Wants to Rule the World is one of the most overplayed 80’s songs. This album was very 80’s. I also knew the song Shout.

Definisjonen av 80-tallet.

Pop, Rock, 1985 -> 3

Poppier, less edgy Depeche.

Tears For Fears, c'est peut-être encore plus over the top que toutes les années 80 réunies. Plusieurs moments forts. De la grosse pop avec des pointes de prog qui surgissent par bouts. 3.49 étoiles.

Classic 80s

Kinda disappointing. I like him better in psych

Tienen clásicos conocidos como "Shout" y "Everybody Wants to Rule The World" muy buenos. Aparte de estas dos, me ha gustado "Head Over Heels". El pop de los 80 no entra dentro de mis gustos musicales por lo que aparte de estos tres temas, no me ha despertado mucho interés. 6/10.

Never let anyone tell you this generator isn’t educational - I thought I Believe sounded a bit like Robert Wyatt and then discovered Tears for Fears actually dedicated the song to him. Not sure I would have made that connection 180 albums ago. But despite I Believe giving me a chance to feel a bit smug, I have to say I preferred the poppier tracks, so I’m still a basic bitch at heart.

Another quintessential 80’s synth pop sound. 2 pretty big songs on an 8 track album is solid. Idk what else to say. It’s good but 2 songs is also plenty to kind of get it. Feels like someone should be strutting through a carpeted mall with a windbreaker.

as far as synth pop goes... this wasn't terrible. i generally shy away from a sound like this, but not sure if i went in with more of an open mind or what... but i was jamming to this album. not necessarily going to make it into full music rotation... but overall it was a good experience

Elsker tears for fears!! Yay. Nogle sange er lidt mærkelige. “Shout” er ikke lige mig fx. Men obvs elsker jeg EWTRTW Sangene på det her album er godt nok lange. Sange jeg kendte i forvejen: Shout, broken, og ewtrtw

I got to feel like the star of my very own bad 80s movie! Most of this was quite enjoyable, but I found the couple slow songs to be borderline unlistenable.

This was a pleasant listen. I could imaging bopping around to this in a perm in the 80s, were I born a couple of decades earlier. I thought it started strong then got a bit lost, “I Believe” was a bit dull. Actually enjoyed this a bit more than the Television album but not quite enough for a 4.

I think its fair to say this album hasnt entirely aged well albiet there is some familiar songs that I still highly enjoy. I think my main complaint here aside from how its aged is some songs are not as strong so not entirely winning on that front. I found Broken / Head Over Heals (2 songs on Album) was quite cinematic. Very sci-fi theme at times and swear I recognise from somewhere (Masters of the universe maybe). I enjoyed that side of them. Ultimately a good band that I enjoy listening to every song. Lots of little jingles amongst the songs that I found oddly familiar. Maybe we need the plagiarism investigators on this one!

A pretty classic 80's pop sound from a classic 80's band. I can't quite work out what makes this a cool sound. Some bold rhythms (although sometimes a bit robotic in nature, presumably due to using drum machines), synths that now simultaneously sound nostalgic and futuristic, and why is saxophone so neglected in pop music nowadays? I didn't exist in the 80's so there is an added historical interest for a decade I've only seen through old photo albums and documentaries (the soundtracks to which are probably where I've heard the singles from this album). This isn't something I'd listen to out of choice but it was a fun listen and definitely feels like a big and relevant album.

Their sound is excellent when it hits but feels off when it doesn't. Still a decent listen

Everybody wants to rule the world är en fantastisk hit. Resten av plattan har kvaliteter som gör dem till mer än ett onehitwonder, men faktiskt inte mycket mer... Trea

Great 80's sound!

The good is great. The other is just meh

This one epitomizes that signature 80s sound, which is a testament to its quality. This is synth sound done right, with plenty of real instruments and real musicianship driving it along. Not every track is a banger, but the ones that land are amongst the all timers of the genre.

This was more interesting than I was expecting? I was expecting something more conventional from one of the biggest pop records of the 80s. But it's big and strange and ambitious. It's so 80s but not in a cheesy way. It's very well produced and the sounds are very of that time, but it ages weirdly well. It's more stark, moody and haunting 80s vs a shimmery fake optimistic 80s. I only had time for 1 listen, but I'll definitely check it out again. Weirdly I think i have a copy of this on vinyl from my parents who gave me their sparse collection. General thoughts... The three hits are great (shout, everybody wants to rule the world and head over heals). No complaints. I know head over heals from Donnie Darko, might be my favourite of the 3. So good. Also these songs are weirdly long for 80s pop hits, but it works. They don't feel long. The deep cuts didn't grab me on first listen, except for Broken. I dig that instrumental and how it teases Head over heels. The other 4 are a bit all over the place. Not bad. Not boring. Interesting even. I need to give them more time. The ending did stick out to me... very ambitious. Not what i was expecting from a pop record. Is this new wave? I dunno. I respect the restraint on the track list. 8 tracks is bold, and one of them's basically an instrumental interlude. And yet 3 of the 8 are huge hit songs. I originally clicked on the big anniversary version of the album and holy shit they cut a bunch of a material. They even cut the song called The Big Chair. They were really ruthless in cutting this album down to the core tracks. I wonder if that was driven by the 2 of them or by the record label? Who knows. I like that approach though to an album. Even if you get it wrong and cut something good, you can release it as a b-side... The Smiths approach. It's better to have an album that leaves people wanting more than one that has the audience wondering when it's finally gonna end. Wow... this thing sounds expensive as hell. Like a film score to every sad 80s teen movie combined.

I liked it. I'm familiar with the hits, and the rest of it keeps that same feel. I wasn't blown away, but I had a good time.

Solid 3.5 stars, just doesn't have much depth. - Now THIS is the 80s! - Two songs in, this is quality and I'm enjoying it

Det er sådan noget synthpop, rock new wave agtigt som blev meget rost for sin rigtig god produktion, mixing osv. Det lyder jo også ubenægtetligt godt og der er massere af gode tracks, men 80'er lyden fanger mig ikke helt. Hvis jeg skulle give det et relisten en dag, så ville det nok være for at lytte til mellemnumrene af de store hits da jeg faktisk synes de var meget fede.

Some interesting songs but won't be listening to this one again

They are a funny old mix The big ones are great love em being part of my teens I can’t really judge them. Everybody wants to rule is favourite. The slow experimental stuff starts off kind of interesting then not sure where they going But I like them there wholesome. I’ll go with a 2/ 2.5

enjoyed this more than I thought I would but the whole album doesn’t really hold together enough. The experimental stuff veers into 80s low budget PI/ cop show TV series in downtown LA … was a bit boring. SHOUT is a stone-cold gold-plated banger. It’s protest through synths and pure vocal force. Rule The World - excellent Head over Heels - pure 80s classic Listen - I bit tokenistic ‘world music peace love we’re so kewl’ … kind of thing head teacher at my primary school would play at assembly to be ‘right on’… like Enya or Jean-Michel Jarre 😂

When this was new, I thought I was too cool for it. But I absolutely was not.

EWTRTW is absolutely top tier, Shout Shout and Head over Heels are great, and the rest is just meh. Mixed bag here for only 8 songs

Not the best front-to-back experience ever but crazy highlights. Didn’t think Tears for Fears had a song like Listen in their bag tbh fair play

Yeah why not

Some 5’s, some 2’s. What a shame

Oh so this is Tears for Fears. To me this is one of those bands that you've heard but didn't know you had. I recognised a bunch of these songs but it's the ones in between that I wasn't to fussed on. Still a solid listen if you dig your 80s pop synth/rock.

Sounded familiar, then "Everybody..." started.

I've somehow never given much thought to Tears For Fears outside of their singles. This was a pretty solid album front to back (though the ballads left me flat). The Genesis albums from this era have a certain hold on my imagination and I imagine if i had come to this closer to real time, it would have been formative. But will I ever listen to it again? [looks around; whispers] Probably not…

I need to spend a few more listens with this. The rock opera of “broken” > “head over heels / broken” was unexpected and way more prog than I anticipated. Of course “everybody wants…” is always a good listen.

‘Head over heels’ serves as a high water mark when I think of popular 80’s songs. 5 outta 5, a perfect tune.

I really can't stand the opening track (giant skip), but 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' rocks. I feel like I would have enjoyed this album had I been there.

Decent—stranger than I thought it would be.

6/10 3 good songs, the rest are just ok and largely forgettable. Disappointing, really, as I was expecting some solid 80s nostalgia and then a realisation how much better Tears for Fears are than I gave them credit for. This happened with Simple Minds. But here, the musical landscape between the hits felt great. Couple of chords, lots of synth. Bloody devils horn grating on my ears.

A surprisingly good listen. Eighties synth pop. There is an ambitious variety of sound here and it only occasionally veers into John shuttleworth territory.

5.5/10 Yes to the hits. No to everything else Highlights: Shout Everybody Wants to Rule the World

Ok

Butthole slippery

Very listenable 80s album with several big hits.

I think they took themselves a bit seriously back in the day, but this is a decent album. Everybody Wants to Rule the World is clearly the standout song.

Another bunch of 80s synth pop. Sure it's seminal, important to the movement synth pop, but it's still bloody synth pop.

Not bad but not a huge fan.

06/2025 Hotel, Gili Asahan, Indonesien Selbst die wenigen Hits ziehen sich ewig.

classic but i've been burned out on in this grocery stores

Very 80’s - some nice work done on the synths. Strong vocals and would be fun to dance to. 3.5 stars

Dad- 7 Mom- 9 Mike- Lori- 6 Michael- 8 Miles- Cole- Avg-

Very 80s! I want to like Tears For Fears more than I do. But they’re a singles band - I don’t think the album tracks are all that - and even then they’re a bit… weird. I kind of love the super 80s production though and the last track had some synth sounds that reminded me of later dance music!

Mixed. Some really strong tracks that don’t sound dated in there, but fades towards the end where some do sound dated.

They were definitely doing something cool and made a lot of hits, but it’s just not for me.

Singles are great the other songs sound a little dated

Pretty decent album. A couple of big hits on one album, and good to hear the context for Broken fully. I don't think anything super stood out to me re: style or composition or music, but maybe I just don't know the specific history about this album.

Overall solid album for me

Cheesy synth pop.

So back when I was growing up, the local news station my parents watched in the morning would play "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" during the traffic report so now whenever I hear that song I still get this weird trigger where I remember being a kid and it's way earlier than I want to be awake, waiting for my mom to make me Eggo waffles for breakfast or something... Anyways, that song is a timeless banger. Shout and Head Over Heels are also both good, but the rest just feels like an exercise in studio wankery.

it has the deep cuts that I’ve always known and loved, but listening to the whole thing through didn’t impress me as a whole

Some good singles but don’t agree it is an overall great album

Skulle vært ei stjerne mellom 3 og 4 ja. God miks av 80s poprock og lounge. Ikke feil, men ikke helt riktig heller.

I've listened to this album a bunch of time over the months every time I come back to this project and I just need to leave a damn review. "Shout" is an absolute banger. Got me so pumped every time I listened to this and then the rest of the album just flows past and nothing grabs me in the same way. I love how big and full everything sounds.

Sound album.

Just an okay album. I’d probably rate it two stars but the singles from this album bring it up a star.

Single are good. Rest is fine.

Very solid middle of the road 80s synth pop

Outside the hits, not much here

I can see why most of the tracks here were put on the best of album. The remaining tracks that weren't on the best of aren't great unfortunately, leading to an unbalanced album as a whole

top songs: everybody wants to rule the world, head over heels, shout, broken some really good songs, others dragged a little

Songs from the Big Chair, Tears for Fears’ 1985 synth-pop opus, straddles the line between grand ambition and brooding excess. While the band’s rock-tinged electronics aim for emotional gravitas, the album can feel a bit ponderous—especially in its deeper cuts. Still, it boasts undeniable highlights: “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” is a gleaming pop gem that would’ve made a killer opener, setting a more accessible tone. “Broken” stands out with its pulsing synth bass, serving as a moody lead-in to the more expansive “Head Over Heels/Broken,” whose extended coda—chopped from the radio version—feels both epic and indulgent. The final two tracks, oddly presented as live versions, close the album on a slightly disjointed note, making this chair not quite as big or comfortable as it could’ve been.

Fav: Everybody Wants to Rule the World; Broken; Head Over Heels

There's a reason you only know the 3 great songs that are on this album. And they are truly great songs. But there are only 3 of them...

7/10 Obvs has some bangers on it, such an iconic 80's synth pop album but listening back to front was a bit monotone for me - good background music though. I do love Head Over Heels, always have always will. Going forward I will continue to listen to the songs I already knew. Songs added to playlist: - Shout - Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Head Over Heels

Some very solid songs, other much less solid songs. They lost me a bit at the end of the album.

EvErYbOdY wAnTs tO RuLe ThE wOrLd 🇬🇧

I enjoyed this album. I already knew some songs from it, so it was cool to actually listen to the album.

Like all the hits on the album but rest was pretty meh.

Well folks, I'm not going to sugarcoat this one. It's two legendary hits and a bunch of stuff I'd really rather not get involved with.

Not bad, kind of forgettable while still being enjoyable.

3/5

Better than Coldplay.

Pretty good

I actually listened to this one once because bo and Noah were talking about it. This was really good. It’s crazy how you get an idea in your mind because you heard their one hit from the 80s (over and over and over….thank you Mr. Morris and his weight lifting tape), and think they are not greet. But turns out they have a lot of songs you’ve never heard that are really good!

To be a sax player in the 80's, you must have been in demand!

Great! But doesn’t feel like a real album, lotsa filler.

TRÄNEN FÜR ÄNGSTE freumi so medium aber mal gugge! iwie het shout chli wenig bass? finds suscht sber na cool und kenns sogar aaaaber chli z lang für min gschmack the working hour isch huuuere schön, au wenn auuu chli z lang aber es flowed schön innenand inne everybody wants to rule the world isch natürlich en riese banger, wo au nöd z fest usglutscht isch? d hihats findi recht geil DUGUDÄGADUGUDÄGA de schluss vo mother's talk gajt DUMM jaa dass es lied wie I believe na sin platz findt, macht iwie sinn bin nöd megaaa überzügt, iwie schona schön aber chli sehr langsam UH de übergang zu broken isch aber sexy listen findi seeehr cool als closener hmmm also s hetmi idem sinn positiv überrascht aber weiss nöd öbi es 4i geh chan. glaub eidach es gueets 3

Not really my jam. I get why people like this album. I like the piano and percussion. Too slow for me

For the record I’m biased already. Actually really enjoying shout. I don’t know when I’d listen to it regularly but it’s got this kind of grimy build up. The vocals don’t overpower the instruments, in fact they have a couple solos for different instruments. Very good layering. Mother’s talk was also kinda fun but this “I believe” isn’t striking any chords with me. “Broken” was almost perfect but it ended so weakly. Cool moments but can’t say much stood out to me.

A solid slice of eighties song writing. It’s ok

Didn’t know I knew it!

Good album but not my thing. 3/5

Rather boring and pretentious. Couple massive hits, but aside, nothing great. Good album for the boys. Bad album for me. 3/5

A solid listen and moodier than I expected based on the single.

Sometimes seems a five, sometimes a two. I feel cheated

Everybody wants to rule the world and head over heels are all time songs in my opinion, shout also gets close to that tier. The rest of the album is alright but maybe forgettable. I think Tears For Fears is more of a hits band than an album band for me, but enjoyed it

At parts sounds interesting and idk why reminded me Alan Pearson's project tho

👍

The 80s yay

A pop rock, new wave, synthy kinda joint. There’s a lot of undeniably catchy hooks. I’m not sure if I like them, but they’re memorable. The music is well written and densely layered but not overdone. It’s cool at times (and the extended instrumental breaks are solid), but can also get a bit cheesy or a little to smooth. The Slower, simpler songs are quite dull (I believe was rough for me), while more energetic and fuller songs are stronger. I’m not fully bought in, but they’re song writing, melodies, and instrumentals are all pretty quality.

Catchy tunes.

Two hits I moderately enjoy and have heard too often squashed between deep cuts which are adverse to my personal taste.

Absolutely loved the more instrumental focused songs. I had a hard time enjoying the pop songs. The 80s sound feels too dated.

Kind of cool, very 80s. Everybody wants to rule the world is a banger. Kind of like a less electronic, more dramatic Pet Shop Boys

I don’t like 80s

Nicht ganz gehört

The big hits ( shout and EWTRTW ) are iconic 80's pop songs...and rather good ! The rest of the album is weaker. Worth 2.5, going for 3 for the memories and rhe impact on contemporaries.

It’s oy

I had the hair, the sweaters, the music video habit to feed, and this was a big thing in the time of The Police, Michael, Born in the USA, and all the great music of the mid decade in the 80s. I recalled slow dancing to “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, but it seems to have a different connotation 40 years on.

Solid, very ‘80s sounding

The entire first half of this album is stone cold bangers and then it just plateaus. I wish they’d kept jabbing on different directions but it’s like they ran out of songs. Still, impeccably produced and a real pop sensibility to the darker synths makes this the peak of New Romantic music.

standouts are obvious but the supporting cast is perfectly satisfactory

listened to some before but i still enjoy. def a weird kind of vibe to the music and what they are trying to do here but still enjoyable.

Quite an accomplished Pop album. I can't hate on it. 4 certified hits that I would never opt to put on but can't deny their success.

Big hits very strong, other singles good, album tracks boring

Of course I love Shout and Everybody Wants To Rule The World from radio play and various covers. The songs Broken and Head Over Heels caught my attention as well. I'd probably give the album a 3/5. Some standout songs and a few that I don't really love

310/1001 Qué de tiempo sin escuchar a esta gente! 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑

Mostly good ish.

Hits only at the hits.

There are some bangers…but also some flops, so I’d call this average

As an 80's kid, I was (and still am) into Husker Du, The Replacements, REM, Echo & the Bunnymen, The Smiths, etc. This album was "meh" to me then, and still is today. Elevator music.

Good: synths tasty, hits hit, good 80s Bad: some of the sins are long and kinda boring

You listen to enough New Wave, and you realize how Big Tent it really is. This is definitely closer to a Eurythmics then it is to an ABC, to its detriment for me. It definitely has three killer songs, but even so I wouldn't call it my favorite New Wave jam.

What's the big deal with this album? Yeah, it's decent, it has some hits that are good, but songs like Shout are awful, and the deep cuts are bores. So many better albums came from this era of synthpop, and before, so why does this album get all the new wave glory? The Fleetwood Mac of synthpop, in that aspect. It's good, but not the best.

Very 80s. A handful of fun popular songs. Otherwise unremarkable

Normally synth-pop and Brit-pop turn me off, but these guys escape some of those limitations, like this 6 1/2 minute opener followed by another 6 1/2 (albeit boring) minute cut. Mothers Talk borderline electronica at times and gets quite noisy. They easily lose me (pop psychology blah), but when they bring in the electric rocky guitar (yay). Bold move, close with a near 7 minutes of wandering. Too bad they lose focus there.

A tricky one. I always felt that Tears for Fears were self-righteous, self-important, all the selfs. And they were severely humourless to boot. And for that reason I chose not to entertain their catalogue. However, every song permeated the airwaves, the culture, daily life. The fact that I still know almost every word and every tune means that I find it very difficult to judge whether I like the album or it’s just a part of me. Classic 3.5 I guess.

Chiamatemi pazzo si ma pazzo per Gesù

https://youtu.be/bagAoB4o6Os?si=rnav6QOWZ-67g0h9

I will acknowledge that "Shout" is a great song, but outside of that, the album lacks bite. While the songwriting is generally good, this album sounds very much like an artifact of its era. Just not my cup of tea.

The sound on this album is outstanding and it's got a reasonable number of hits!

This was fine, but didn't leave much of an impression. I knew the 2 smash hits on this record already. Probably wouldn't play again but it was okay.

I've never really been a big Tears for Fears person. Much in the same way that most 80's music has always been inherently off-putting to me for it's ridiculous production aesthetic and corny as hell sound that just hasn't, in my opinion, aged well and ruined what could've been a lot of great music for entire decade. I've never given them a look beyond their transcendent hits, two of which make it onto this record. But like many 80's albums on this list, I came away from this one feeling a sense of pleasant surprise. That's directed mostly at the idea that this is rocks a little harder than I thought it could or would. It's so easy to assume that these 80's bands were pure pop, when really they may have just been rock bands that fell victim to the trends of the day. Am I saying I loved this? Not at all. I thought it was perfectly fine as something to listen to while doing something else. But the fact that I found it any bit impressing is a win for this album and for me, because I assumed I wasn't going to like it at all. Three stars. Oh and it didn't overstay its welcome, unlike some other albums I've heard here. Seriously - 8 songs, 41 minutes and they said what they needed to say. What a concept. Standout Tracks: Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Broken

A rare case where the 80s production is not a disastrous failure. The big singles are great, with “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” being one of the top 3 pop songs of the 80s. Also enjoyed deep cut “Mothers Talk”. I think I am finding that I just don’t like ballads (“I Believe” and “Listen”).

Rock pop influence for 90s. But for me a little insipid.

yhhhh tears for fears!!!

un 3 direi che ci sta

The two-and-a-half singles are great; all-time classics. The album tracks are dreck; unlistenable garbage. Gets you three stars - smack in the middle of the bell curve.

Although I've never consciously listened to this album, I know many of these songs, and the ones I didn't know seemed to fit pretty consistently with the familiar ones. In short, it's what I expected, which isn't bad, but not something I'd listen to regularly.

Definitely the upper echelon of synth pop. I'm not usually a fan of the stuff, but this is as enjoyable as it gets. Also, I can't be the only one for whom the Dennis Miller Show ruined Everybody Wants To Rule The World.

I like shout and head over heels. Very 80s but solid

Apart from the hit singles "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", the rest of the album is meh!

its ok

Pretty good, feels very 80's, nothing crazy though

Like most of the world, I’ve always been super familiar with Shout, Head Over Heels, and most importantly the classic Everybody Wants to Rule the World (for which my sister and I have a high score on the old karaoke video game SingStar, by the way) and loved those songs, but I’d never heard the rest and must say they definitely weren’t as good. Cool vibes throughout but also some of the sounds are a bit grating. I wish there were half stars because this is definitely not as low as a 3 but I can’t really give it a 4 overall, so consider this a 3.5 and I will be revisiting this album.

This was a groovin style, and I loved the main singer's voice. Not something that I'll be playing again though.

A crazy style, almost hypnotic. It reminds me of the music that plays when you’re on hold with the bank lol. Also vapourwave. Theres a cool range of moods they achieve using their sound.

3.5? Some bangers, some bland?

decent decent

Synth-pop with some good guitar work mixed in. I'm familiar with many of the songs and I think the album is OK. Nothing extraordinary but I would still recommend it if someone asked me what I think of it.

The singles are good, didn’t expect the rest to be saxophone ballads.

Hits are bangers. The rest is dated.

Have been a big fan of Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, and Head Over Heels for years, but it was cool to see the context the songs appear in. Shout was one of my first music loves. It was on a tape my mom got me because I had memorized all of the snippets on the infomercial for an 80s compilation.

Shout // Everybody Wants To Rule The World // Head Over Heels //

Enjoyable album overall, the production was quite unique and more rock oriented than records of the same period, which I liked, with outstanding singles like "everybody wants to rule the world", a classic. There was a certain unbalance between excellent songs, like the aforementioned and other tracks, making the album have a bit of filler material. In terms of 80's albums this one was enjoyable and a good listen overall. Favorite track: "everybody wants to rule the world". Overall score: 7.0/10

Some great classics on there, but loads of waffle

Good album. Not a huge TFF fan, but when they sound more Depeche Mode, it's great.

Can there be such a thing as too 80s and too much synth? This album proves that yes, yes there can.

Definitely some big songs that were pretty good for their era and style. 2.5/5

The most quintessentially 80s album to ever do it. Some really beautiful moments on this but my god it can drag at times. Favourite Track: The Working Hour Least Fav Track: I Believe

Thinking of Donnie Darko and Ferris Bueller

i liked it. didn't enjoy every song, but enough distinct sounds allowed me to feel like i'd return and keep giving it chances. rating may go from 3 to 4 upon further listens. favorites of course are EWTRTW and HOH/B

Shout is a great song

I still prefer the desperation and urgency of The Hurting over the polish and refinement of Songs. But this has aged remarkably well; especially for a big-budget synth based album released in '85.

The definition of 80's cheese. The highs are high, but the lows are awful and drag the rest of the record down. Favourite songs: Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Least favourite songs: I Believe, The Working Man, Listen 3/5

Can only describe as 80s pop in a bottle. Never been a huge fan of Shout but Everybody Wants to Rule the World is one of my favourites. Really enjoyed Head Over Heels / Broken and The Working Hour too. The rest didn't stand out too much to me personally, however it's a solid album nonetheless.

Quintessential 80s tracks. Enjoyed it. Liked some of their songs that I didn’t even know was theirs!

Malgré quelques chansons très accrocheuses avec de bons textes (« Shout », « Everybody Wants To Rules The World » et «  Head Over Heels / Broken »), le reste de l’album vieillit mal et est trop sirupeux. Je ne pensais tout de même pas connaître certaines chansons aussi bien en voyant la pochette et le nom du groupe. Merci à la radio Rock Détente qui jouait durant ma jeunesse pour m’avoir donné cette culture générale assez large de la musique des années 80.

Fínasta eitís plata og TFF höfðu alltaf sitt ákveðna sánd. Smellirnir standa fyrir sínu og hin lögin bara fín. 3,5

I suspect if I had listened to this a bunch of times it would have got on my nerves and my score would have gone down, but as a I've off it was a fun blast of nostalgia.

Better than i thought it would be, nice big trax. verrry 80s, second half not as good as first. Baaaangers: everybody wants to rule the world Good trax Shout The working hour mothers talk Meh trax head over heels broken i believe listen

不好听

Not my cup of tea, ali nije toliko ni loše. Ima par hitova koji su mi čak i ok, ima mi na trenutke prog elemenata, ali nije mi ovo sad nešto wow. Ali, bolje od prošla dva albuma Solidno 5/10

SHOUT!

It was okay, Everybody wants to rule the world I feel is the only standout in this album, most other songs feel as if they blend together, listenable, but I wouldn't play it on my own accord.

Ethereal and theatrical. There's a lot of energy and plenty of quintessential 80s sounds with this one, and also a couple of notable hits that have stood the test of time. This is a decent one.

Brought back memories from the summer of 7th grade. I recall like Tears for Fears, but I found the album disappointing overall. The hits were nostalgic but not a style of music I generally favor anymore. Soon after 7th grade, I got into hard rock and heavy metal, developing a taste for drums and guitar over synth. I also listened to their first album, The Hurt, which I prefer, but both reminded me of Ross on Friends playing synthesizer.

Has some bangers but its not complete.

Aside from the couple of hits, this album was disappointingly dull. Should have been a single.

My opinion of Tears for Fears remains unchanged. They're pretty OK.

This album is unmistakably from the mid 80s with that characteristic brittle production, booming drums and overly bright keyboard stabs thrown in at random intervals. I found that I preferred the quieter tracks to the better known stadium friendly anthems like Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World. Highlight was probably The Working Hour which opens like something off the Vangelis Blade Runner soundtrack. Note to self - not to be confused with Simple Minds

weird to listen to this one in full being more familiar with their later work, which pivots more toward... rock opera type sounds. here they're at their most stripped down i've heard them & that's fine, it suits them better imo. the orchestration in their later records rob them of the simplicity that gives this particular record charm imo. that said, there's nothing in particular here that draws me in.

I remember waiting and waiting for this album to come out, hoping that the trajectory from their first two brilliant albums would continue. Alas it took them 3-4 years to over produce this disappointment, from which they never recovered.

Much filler but greatness too. 2.5 but we will round up.

The singles are so great. 3.5

I had not thought about this album in a long time, and I was a little excited to hear it again when it popped up. I was less excited when I was finished because, even though the big songs still resonate, I was surprised at how weak the fillers were. Back in the day I probably just fast forwarded from one of the hits to the next and skipped the fluff.

There are a few great singles and a couple of other great songs but it leaves me oddly removed from it and not engaged emotionally

Not my thing but solid enough

Everybody wants to rule the Rule is excellent. Overall its a high 3 for the album.

I wasn‘t aware I knew so many Tears for Fears songs.

Three stars because I’ve always been in Love with these two gentlemen, lol, but there are only 3 songs that I like. So 3

Solid but fairly forgettable apart from the two mega-hits.

Hadn't heard anything from this beyond the hits. The rest of the tracks are just as good to me. The "Broken" part of Head over Heels is great and a shame radios never play that part of the track.

3.5

Shout and Everybody Wants To Rule The World are good, the rest was a bit dull.

Shout and Everybody Wants To Rule The World just about drag this up to a 3. The rest is a solid 2.

Pretty good album for something that feels very 80s. Shout is a banger and Everybody Wants To Rule The World is too but I don’t like it as much. The rest didn’t do much for me, just felt a bit weird but not weird enough to be interesting.

I've heard this many times before. This is a good, but not great album. Head Over Heals and Everybody Wants to Rule the World are sounding a bit schmaltzy these days. In general, this album doesn't have the edge, bravado or strong themes of the first album. That album deserves to be on this list...I don't think this one does.

Super fun album! This is pure 80s gold. Its definitely one of those 80s albums that sounds exactly like the decade, which kind of traps it in time a bit. No matter what, you can't listen to it without dredging deep into nostalgia. That's not a knock at all though. This album rips. It goes hard. Its synth-pop at its finest. The lyrics are definitely pop heart throb influenced, but the instrumentation is really tight. They're playing with a lot. It feels very Depeche Mode but then has really cool sax parts and elements. This is great for exactly what it is and when it came out.

I was not a fan of Tears For Fears when this came out. However, time and maturity have a way of changing even strong opinions and I recognize the quality of this album.

This album has so many hallmarks of what I hated most about 80s pop (cheesy sax and electric guitar filler, plodding pace, repetitive). But, some catchy melodies and hooks, esp. Head Over Heels.

80’s pop rock. Not my thing.

I think "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and "Head Over Heels" are really good. Never been too crazy about "Shout". The rest is just sort of meh filler. 3.5 stars since there's a couple of gems in there.

soundtrack to every 80s movie type beats.

Everybody wants to rule the world is an all-timer. The rest of the album doesn’t really do it for me

Eelsker 80'er-lyden, og everybody wants to rule the world er fantastisk. Det bliver bare ikke rigtig bedre end det, langt fra. Det er for langsomt og fløde, sådan noget a-ha f.eks. bare en del federe. På en bedre dag kunne det måske have været 4, lige på grænsen men tror det trækker ned at der er så meget andet godt at hente i det lydunivers

Of course knew a lot of songs but hadn't never closely listened to them - a lot better than the general cheesy 80s impression you get from hearing them on TV. Still not something I think I'd come back to much but can recognise that's it's a well crafted album.

Not for me but I like the flow

Some cool songs (I.e. everybody wants to rule the world), some songs that are a slog to get through (i.e. I Believe). Overall rating: not bad

Fun 80s pop. Two standouts, but maybe I'm just not too keen on 80s music.

Great to hear this again.

Fun

Some classics, would listen again

Hard to explain how big this was if you weren't there in 85.

2.5/5 - Everybody wants to the world was great, hence one hit wonder. Liked Head over heels/broken too

Strong 3 light 4 Def a good listen, some memorable tracks no fillers and a solid sound .. shout is great track

The singles are great but less keen on the filler

It was a shame the rest of the album wasn't like Everybody Wants To Rule The World because that song is a solid 10/10 Another 1 or 2 songs I knew and liked but overall the album was a bit boring 3 ⭐️

I did listen to the whole album....

Album itself was alright. Some of Tears for Fears best pieces were in there but other than that, it was pretty mid.

Not as bad as I expected

Better than I remembered.

One of the best of the 80s, which is definitely not my favourite decade. Feel like I should give it a 4, but still felt like giving a 3 for some reason. Great classic songs, and even the more unknown ones do not disappoint.

When this hits, it hits so hard. But then there are songs like Broken... You're in a studio. Why use a digital keyboard?!? Just use a real piano! The misses here are as big as the hits.

Thoughts before listening: I'm excited about this one. I know the hits, but I've never listened to this album. I've always dismissed these guys as your typical 80s pop fluff, but I've seen some write ups on them recently that have me intrigued. Maybe there's more substance here than I assumed. Review: "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" are both bangers that have stood the test of time and still standout as highlights of the 80s. I am also enjoying "Head Over Heels" which was also a hit although not as prevalent as the other two. The rest of the album is fine although these aren't good enough songs to rise above the 80s overproduction. Its the synths and weird muted electronic drums that drive me crazy about 80s pop music, and both of those sounds are prevalent on this album. 3-stars

6/10

It’s alright, it just keeps going and I’m bored. Some decent song transitions though.

i wouldn’t choose to put most of this on, but it’s good music

Didn't love the album, but the song radio after was good.

3/5

overall it was alright, im not a super big fan of new wave and the way the bass and synths sounded in the 80s (and drum machines. come to think of it i hate most of the instrumentals). but it would be silly to deny significance of this band. spotify also played Mad World by them automatically after this album, and it sounded weird af, plus made me feel very uncomfortable knowing it actually is the original YNN

Between the limited peaks of their radio hits are deep valleys of meh

80s synth poprock writ large. VERY of its time; some tracks difficult to listen to; nice to hear motifs appearing in different forms throughout.

Some good, some bad

It's not their fault I don't like new wave 🤷‍♀️

None more 80s-sounding. I reckon I wanted to like this more than I actually did. I enjoy the hits but found much of the rest a bit po-faced.

Hits are fine, but was never into these guys.

I had higher hopes for this record because I like Everybody Want to Rule the World. Unfortunately a lot of the other songs kinda fell flat. Seems like another record that made this list just because it has one or two massive singles. Not really a full album you need to hear before you die imo.

this record gave me pretty much what i expected, with cool pop influences and some unshakeably catchy riffs. i enjoyed curt smith’s vocals as well. you can hear an almost “mod” like influence in this record, under the layers of 80s pop, that i also appreciated. whilst i do like the album, i did find it a bit repetitive, but if i listened to it more often, im sure i would come around to it more.

Album was alright. A few notable songs that I was familiar with, but some of the other tracks were really slow and boring. 3/5 Probably won’t listen again

good 80s album, unfortunately i'm not super into it. I like the popular songs mainly.

Very 80s and in this case it's not for me. I find it doesn't age very well. Some songs like Shout are annoying but, others like Everybody Rules The World are great. Worth a listen but not going back to often.

could i write poetry to this? n

I hoped I would like this more than I did.

First listen. Ok.

Some of their big ‘uns on here.

Not really a fan, but surprised at how many of these songs I knew.

Too 80´s for me

Big chair songs

It's ok. Couple of great hits, couple of really dated sax romps. Are those hits worth the whole album? I don't think so, though they are really good. There's a reason you haven't heard the rest unless you're a fan. But those hits! I'm not quite Head Over Heels, but I'll Shout 3 Stars.

Feels like a greatest hits record of the 1980’s. I really like shout and head over heels, the rest of the songs I don’t care much for. The entire production feels very 80’s cheese.

3.8

I have to credit the staying power of a couple of these songs- as I write this, nearly 40 years after this album came out, the current #1 movie in the box office features "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" quite prominently. But outside that and "Shout", I found the rest of the album to be pretty average.

A couple classics that bring back some memories (e.g., Shout). Not a bad album, all in all.

I just hear an average 80s album with almost nothing to make it stand out. There's a few good songs like "Everybody Wants to Rule the World". The little details are neat and make me add the "Almost" in my first sentence. But there are many 80s synth pop groups who are better than Tears for Fears. I expected a little better from them. I'll give "Songs From the Big Chair" 3 stars.

Some lovely songs and some filler

Gets some stars for everybody wants to rule the world but pretty disappointing for the most part

Would I listen to it again: yes Is it a no-skip album: no Do I like it: yes

Really don’t care for Shout, likely from too much time hearing it in a certain dishroom, but rest of the album was quite good

Underrated 80's record

The bangers are still bangers, but many of the tunes are products of the times and are a bit dated. High 3

Singles where good but, probably won't come back to this. If you enjoy tha new wave, melancholy vibe. This is for you. Not enough songs about big chairs.

When it goes 80s, it really goes 80s. Still. A gem

Some misses but also some all time greats

Some classics on this album. I never got into this style of music, but I can appreciate the instrumentals. Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World are great well known songs.

A classic album with some good hits.

The three songs I knew were great! The rest not so much. His voice got pretty grating after a while.

THIS ONE HAD SOME HITS??? but the non hits were boring i kept zoning out