Reviews (page 5 of 15)
Despite being jam packed full of well popular singles Songs From The Big Chair, as I discovered, is best enjoyed as a full album, its v decent. Prog-pop? Is that a thing?
One of my all time favorites..the 80’s were my time …single in Honolulu and young and prime..music was sensational
classic, nog steeds wat moeite met shout door de disturbed versie maar deze is gewoon genieten. everybody wants to rule the world is ook gewoon zo goed. Al moet de rest niet onder doen.
Solid stuff, thought I would just like the hits, then a great sax hit and I was sold
Pretty good. Very 80s
Awesome 80's vibes.
“And my favorite band will always be Tear for Fears” - Matt Theisen
Excelent
Head over heels er best 80s lag í heimi. Platan mjög góð í heildina.
One of my favorites, rings of childhood for me
With a track list like this, how could it not be 5 stars? Favorites: Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Mothers Talk, Head over Heels
4.5 star album for me: mostly excellent. and the typical 80s sound is of course the best sound ever.
I mean, clearly an iconic album from the 80s' most iconic band.
I was SO happy to see this album pop up. IT'S SO GOOD!!
WTF where has this album been all my life. I knew Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Head Over Heels were great, but didn't realise they were on a banging classic album
Perfection
An 80s pop album has no right to be this good, yet here we are.
Awesome
Awesome record. Of course I heard Shout and Everybody wants to rule the world before, but never the whole album, and it's awesome and consistent.
Saved Prior: Shout, Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Head Over Heels Not Saved: 8. I Believe 7. Listen (wouldn't listen to it on its own, but nonetheless works well as a bookend to this album) Saved: 6. Mothers Talk 5. Broken 4. The Working Hour (other 3 songs have familiarity bias, but this song has the potential to jump them. This is a beautiful song) 3. Shout 2. Head Over Heels / Broken (odd choice to tack on Broken to the end of this song, would've just preferred it exist on its own to avoid the musical whiplash. Probably would've been number 1 if not for that) 1. Everybody Wants To Rule The World (not that this song isn't deserving of #1. Nutty song.) Overall Notes: Up there with the most artistic yet commercially viable new wave albums of all time. Straight up beautiful album. Must hear for SURE.
Astonishingly good, apart from somewhat meandering limp ending to "Listen", the final track.
Vgood
A favorite.
A1 has that yoke from gta on it
A wonderful album from the 80's. There are 3 Bangers on this album: "Shout" "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and "Head Over Heels". I loved listening to the whole album, before I had just heard their singles. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is still my favorite song by them.
Great album. Enjoyed it immensely
This may be the perfect 80s pop album and I’ll definitely be revisiting this one! My favorite tracks are “Shout”, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” and “Head Over Heels”.
ну тупа одна из лучших групп 80х, имхо. пацаны хуярили хит за хитом, и немного более попсово чем Дипишмот, конечно, но зато с изобретательностью партий проблем не было (чего стоит только сакс в Working Hour). Сам альбом — просто шлягер на шлягере, чуть ли не сборник лучших песен, из плюс минус нехитовых номеров можно разве что заключительную Listen назвать. Лично мне небольшая сырость и распиздяйность их первого альбома чуть больше заходила, но и против такого годного синтипопа ничего не имею, твердая пятера
Отличный альбом. При первом прослушивании показалось, что провисать начинает, но это просто бонус треков наебенили от души. Если ограничиться оригинальной восьмёркой – то не придраться. Внятные, мелодичные, разнообразные цепляющие композиции, интересный инструментал, яркие вокальные партии, и лидирующие и фоновые. Мотивы, которые оседают в голове на годы и которым можно подпевать. И при этом вроде не сказать, что какая-то беззубая коммерческая музыка, нет, оригинальное живое творчество. Всему бы быть таковым. но нет, далее нас снова будет ждать якобы дохуя экспериментальное репетативное душилово…
Nice
Este es uno de mis álbumes favoritos de siempre - es genial... y qué recuerdos 😍😍😍
Hoezo zijn al die nummers zo een schijven? Echt geweldig om naar te luisteren. Schril contrast tussen begin van de plaat en het einde
Unbelievable classic
Already like this album. Pretty fuckin' solid.
This probably would have been a five star album if not for I Believe, which just drags on. If this experiment has taught me anything, it's that I really enjoy 80's pop music.
I liked!! Some of the songs are a little long but really enjoyed.
Tears for Fears were among the greatest acts of the eighties. Frontrunners of the resurgence of British pop. This was their apex album, thoroughly enjoyed it.
4★/5 10.02.2026
The sound of the 80s in one record. Some absolutely class on this, and even the tracks that take a backseat are pretty decent. Beloved for good reason.
Takes me back!
Really good, I loved it.
Somehow manages to be like the most 80s thing ever but also completely timeless
I listened again to the opening track to hear the percussion. Really good and an example of how songs you think you know can have greater depth when you listen carefully. The hits here are all I previously knew of Tears for Fears. The album is coherent and strong making T4F more than just the hits for me.
I’m not usually so hot on ’80s production, but this is great. The vocals are fantastic and work incredibly well with the deep bass lines, culminating in a larger-than-life, poppy, atmospheric sound. Some great tracks here, and I’d be more than happy to jump back into the big chair for another listen.
Just pure 80s.
I think i will have to push this up from a 3 to a 4 just based on the strength of the singles and the end song
Fantastic album. One slow song that keeps it from being a perfect 5.
Belter of an album. Some massive singles on here, and the lesser songs are still great. Really enjoyed listening to this one.
day 3 of not rolling Aja by Steely Dan bro just listen to "Peg" and tell me that song isn't better than 70% of the full albums we've rolled here. you mean to tell me that these British fucks put Aja in the same book as Spacemen fucking 3??? come on now. give me aja you piece of shit website. you cowards. in other news, this one is great! not overly long? check. songs are interesting and dynamic? check. contains one of my teenage anthems ("Shout")? check. varied riffs that each kind of become earworms? check.
My immediate criticism is that this album title is too cool for such dorky cover art. I think this is a better and more complete album than other similar efforts, to such a degree that I was actually surprised. There’s though paid to sequencing and track selection. Colour me impressed. I said colour because British.
Everybody Wants To Rule The World is one of my favorite songs of all time, and the rest of this album is lush and expansive. Many of the biggest, most powerful synth sounds of the '80s are on this record!
Random thoughts: * Was so weird to hear a song I've never heard sandwiched in between two songs I've heard a million times. This is the problem with listening to an album for the first time when there are some monster hits on it. * Mothers Talk was a good track and I can see how they were compared to Depeche Mode. Clearly a different type of band but this track could lead someone there. Also, the actually catchy word of this song were "we can work it out". Never heard that in a pop song before. lol * I really liked "Broken" the lead-in to Head Over Heels. Was a nice setup and I bet that crushed live in concert. * Why is there applause at the end of Head Over Heels? Nothing indicated that was a live track. Such a weird choice. I hate it. * Of course, 3 bangers on here with Shout, Everybody Wants To Rule The World, and Head Over Heels. That has to put this album to 4-star for those songs. It doesn't quite push this to classic territory. Nice to hear these hits i context. Worth addition to 1001.
If you think 80's playlist there are at least 2 songs from this album on every of them. The rest of the album is less known but pretty cool Really enjoyed "Listen"
Great album, has some real classics in it and is really great, gives some awesome 80s vibes, highly recommend.
Amazing synthpop records. There's a sort of cohesion that makes it feel more than just a collection of great tunes, but not crossing into concept album territory. It is also quite dark without being gothic, and flamboyant without going full New Romantic. The long-ish track lengths also work to its favor, and one track has applause(?), kinda weird. Really enjoyed this one and it definitely stands as a full work beyond its big hits. Key tracks: Shout Everybody Wants to Rule the World Mothers Talk Head Over Heels
Vsy en vrai c’est bien deux ou 3 son et l’outro et vrmt cool
This has one of my all time favourite songs 'everybody wants to rule the world' which I bought on cassette when I was a kid while on holiday. So of course I like this album a lot though I confess I didn't listen to it until very recently.
Very nice album - knowing the singles the rest of the tracks are similar. They have that dense production of multiple instruments all playing. Enjoyed it a lot
I don't know if there's any other music that so encapsulates the 1980s for me. Madonna maybe? The Eurhythmics? The singles from this album are each, individually, towering achievements that have permeated the fabric of pop culture for decades and will likely continue to do so for centuries. If the album cuts are not as strong, they are at least equally epic and dramatic. There was really nothing like this, before or since. A band in its time, making that time timeless.
A new wave album under the hood of some of the most iconic songs known to man kind. It’s an interesting duality for sure, but damnnnn it’s very good when it hits.
Enjoyable.
The songs individually are good, but I thought the way the album flowed was great. The transition from Broken to Head Over Heels stood out.
Great synth pop, the hits are phenomenal and the rest is good with interesting momenta
A nice album. Typical 80s. Some very popular songs, which I find better than the other ones. But generally ok.
Super 80s, very cool. Difficult to hear with fresh ears because those singles are so huge and such distinctive sounds. Every tone of the singles feels familiar already. However the album they built around those tracks is absolutely surprisingly credible! There's some really beautiful stuff going on. Some of the instrumentals and soundscape kind of bits are almost progy! Super pop done proper I guess. Really pleasant surprise for me.
4.5/5 This was great album, I loved the overall meanings of the songs. I felt there was such a bittersweet experience since the songs captured glooming events such as world disparity but hid them with ear-catching pop. Top Three Songs: Head Over Heels, Mothers Talk, I Believe
Great production. Big synths and really strong melodies. Nice album.
#240 - I knew I would at least like 3/8 of this album, 3 hits scattered throughout. I was not sure of the rest but the back half (past Everybody Wants to Rule The World) ends up being this medley of sorts that ties it all together. Its brings a cohesion to a record you might just skip through to listen to the hits. I enjoyed it a lot, and will come back to it. Biggest Hit - Everybody Wants to Rule The World Biggest Miss (if I had to choose) - Listen Hidden Gem - Mothers Talk
This was good! At least two classic hits on one album. It would be 5 stars if it was only a genre I was more into (and less 80's vibe), but I would listen again on occasion!
I never much liked Shout, and I can take or leave Everybody Wants to Rule the World, but damn if the rest of this album isn't pretty good. Turns out, if you pass over the pop melodies and keep the production, this is a great chill-out album. Love the mid-80s drum machines and synths.
Great album, sort of like how I wish Depeche Mode albums were… I.e consistent. Singles are great, rest of the tracks are solid, great production. Overall a really good listen 4.2
Singles are great and a couple of 5 star tracks in shout and everybody wants to rule the world. The rest of the album is sold too
Surprised by how good this is. Always impressive when you find out an artist's biggest hits are off the same album, but the other tracks are solid too, and the whole album has a great atmosphere.
I just played this album for someone literally a month ago because they were trying to poo poo Tears For Fears. This album is awesome.
Vele herinneringen
Fun 80s record
I love 80s British music!! can't be a 5 as it loses a bit of steam in the middle but there's some absolute classics in here
Shout was the first music video I remember seeing. 3.5.
3 out of 8 songs became instantly identifiable 80s classics. Not a bad ratio. 9 year old me owned this on cassette. It was an early memory that my music sounded way different from what my parents listened to.
Perfect 80s easy listening, that still manages to be a bit moody and atmospheric. 3.5* but the hits round it up to 4*
Solid
Loved! When I think of the 80’s, the sound of this album is right in the bullseye. Shout is a perfect first album track. It tells me to play the album on good speakers and turn it up loud. Was surprised to hear that Head Over Heels has a companion song that leads into it, introducing the theme.
8/10
Reviewing and listening to this on the 5th of September. In my opinion this is a prime example of how great popular music can be. This is beautiful stuff, interesting, well mixed and with something to say. Easy 4 stars for me, it lacks something a little bit I can't put in words to reach 5 stars, however I'm thinking 4.5 on RYM easily.
Enduring hits, no filler. Easy 4.
I don't love Everybody Want to Rule the World so it was a pleasent surprise hear the rest of this ablum. I especially like The Working Hour, Head Over Heels/Broken, and Listen.
Like the most quintessential 80s sounding album ever. Two absolute bangers, the rest hits good too.
It doesn’t have TFF best song, but it’s still a solid album.
This album is so 80s it hurts but honestly had some bangers - specifically "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and "Head Over Heels".
this shit sounds good 👍
Peak 80s pop album right here. I really don't want to like the album because I feel like Everybody Wants to Rule the World is crazy overplayed, but it's just a really solid, cohesive album.
Classic. Excellent record
Not what I thought it was going to be. Enjoyed
RATING: 9/10 HIGHLIGHT: Everybody Wants to Rule the World LOWLIGHT: Mothers Nature
Classic 80s music, really fits into that cliche sound in an enjoyable way. Really strong beginning, this was a fun album to listen to to overall with a few misses
Short (only 8 tracks) but I know at least two of them already. Didn't know Tears for Fears were only two. Love the sound of these songs compared to yesterday's of Rolling Stones which were very classic rock.
Didn't like the last song but the few bangers made up for it. Great album.
Apparently I have liked several songs on this album for years and had no idea Catchy, solid tunes.
I approve of this album for #500. Full of hits that still stand up today. I enjoyed it. Rating: 8/10
Love the singles, the rest of the album is pretty solid as well.
Banger
Very 80s-90s music.
4 out of 5, iconic songs. Well done
good stuff
This experience has made it very clear I am a huge New Wave and Synth-Pop fan. I was realllly excited to get this album. Especially after getting Depeche Mode and Gary Numan, both of which were immediate 5 stars even at the first song. But I feel a little underwhelmed at this album, which I went into with very high expectations. Shout, Everybody Wants To Rule The World, and Head Over Heels/Broken are standouts for a reason. But, otherwise, I didn’t really feel super drawn to anything else. And some songs went on a minute too long for me without anything enticing me to feel like no time was passing.
Peak 80s. One of the only British bands that was actually cool.
Head Over Heels is one of my favorite songs from the 80s. Add in Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Shout and you have a few hits. The rest of the songs fit the album and an iconic cover.
Fire.
Parentscore
Good to listen properly to another band I've only been vaguely aware of. I rather liked it. The singles I already knew are great, and the rest holds up too. A bit on the poppy, bombastic side for my tastes, but I enjoyed it.
The texturing and layering on Shout and Everyone Wants to Rule the World alone make this a 4
Very strong album. Interesting that the best tracks are basically all the odd-numbered ones: 1. Shout, 3. Everybody wants to rule the world, 5. I Believe (wasn't as big but I love it), 7. Head over heals. This is close to a 5-star album.
This album could just be “Shout,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Head Over Heels” and the band farting into a microphone for 30 minutes and I’d still probably give it 4 stars.
Quintessential mid-80s pop rock album. I could visualize the videos from MTV in real time while the singles from this album played because they were so prevalent on the channel.
1,3,4,7曲目が良いです。 思ってたよりめっちゃ良くて、うまいこと電子音も使ってるというか８０年代にしかできないことをしてると思うし、その中でものすごく完成度の高い作品であるとも思った。これはいいです。
Sooo pretty and easy to listen to! I loved The Working Hour
I like it the most. It is so good and OG most of the time. However there are some parts really confusing like the intro and outro. 7/10 or 4/5
I would have never thought that rock could sound so good
Not much to say. It's a classic!
This was a surprisingly diverse 80s pop album. Very enjoyable but not quite as good as Peter Gabriel, so 4.
The only thing holding this album back is how often my coworker's radio plays these tracks and how she won't turn it down a click and everyone in-fact encourages her to turn it up.
It's 40 minutes of Tears For Gears, including some of their biggest songs. It's every bit of whatever you expected from that. Even though they only did one Bond song, the whole album sounds like 80s era Bond.
despite my hate for 80s sounds, this is one of the outliers. a fun, full of hits, really good album. some songs don't connect that much, but even then, i find myself enjoying a lot how clean and clear this album sounds in a good pair of headphones
Very enjoyable album. Amazing guitar work and production value. The arrangements are both inventive but not at all jarring, everything still resolves nicely. Really original work here and although the style of it is of its time, it still sounds fresh and creative to me.
Atmospheric 80's synth pop, through in some world music influences. There are 3 just all-time classic songs on this album which really bring it up. The others are decent tunes but the highs are just so high, hard to compete against those songs. And I forgot about how good the closing track is, the beautifully haunting and creepy Listen!
Very fun listen that is all 80s and I am here for it! Everyone wants to rule the world is the best somg to get on the Guardians ride at Disney World. 8.5/10 Top song... Everybody wants to rule the world
3 massive songs here! 80s tastic but sounds fresh. Enjoyed this.
A mix of amazing highs and filler
pretty fantastic, closer to a 5 than a 3
Such an 80s album but that's no bad thing. Consistently good throughout apart from I Believe which was boring.
Um bom album, as músicas são marcantes, e gosto do estilo. Acho que é o primeiro a levar a nota 4. É difícil tentar ser imparcial aqui quando, head over hells, shout e everybody wants to rule the world já estavam salvas nas minhas playlists pessoais. 4/5
It would be easy to file this away with much of the other synth-pop of this era as simply signifying "Eighties." And it does signify its era, but the way it does it is deeper and more subtle in a way that I think explains its staying power. This is *samizdat* in New Wave form - ostensibly commercial music about the very anti-consumerist sense that you are not really free but rather are only being allowed to *feel* free because someone more powerful than you decided in their magnanimity to permit you that illusory feeling, because it serves their interests to do so. That truth is *encoded* here, disguised by the pop rhythms and melodies on display. It isn't a new trick but it's one this band performs incredibly well. Some of what I'm talking about is conveyed by "The Working Hour," Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal's reaction to being pushed by their record label for more and bigger hits. "This day and age for all and not for one," Orzabal sings, "all lies and secrets." Here is the modern experience of having your natural empathy and altruism weaponized against you, of being told by the bosses that We're A Family Here while they keep the profits and you get a pizza party. "Broken" similarly takes the bassline from Queen's "Radio Ga Ga" and bends it into something more paranoid and sinister; "I stop believing everything will be alright." Likewise, "Mothers Talk," which lifts one of the jauntiest Beatles lyrics - McCartney's "we can work it out" - for a tale about living in the shadow of mutually assured nuclear destruction. "You were paid not to listen, now your house is on fire," Orzabal accuses, the older generation squarely in his sights. And what is one to do in this state of affairs? Act out where you can, of course ("Shout"). But also, at the very least and always, carry with you in your heart the truth that the world does not have to be this way. "Put your head right next to my heart," Orzabal continues on "Mothers Talk," before ending the song with a critical variation: "*only* we can work it out." And on the soaring bridge of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," the same message: "there's a room where the light won't find you, holding hands while the walls come tumbling down." Sometimes things have to be hidden because they are valuable, in other words. "Listen" takes this furtiveness even further, using both literal nonsense (badly butchered Swahili, technically) and Smith's almost whispered vocals to call for detente - not just between East and West. but between all the factions constantly attempting to carve up the planet for the sake of making a number go up on a spreadsheet somewhere. *Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.* No wonder this album has continued to find entire new generations of listeners (my teenage kids among them): it describes the experience of being young and waking up to what the world is really like. It is an album about disillusionment - and yet it is not cynical music. People don't hide unless they have some hope of being able to come back into the light someday. "Broken" segues right into the dizzy, gorgeous "Head Over Heels," and that's the whole point - that love, in every sense, actually can prevail, even if only temporarily. Something similar is true of "Shout," which would be easy to write off as an anthem in search of a cause if it weren't so good at buoying up the listener to face the world as it is. On the points that really matter - the power of youth to change things, even if that project seems daunting and even if it will require judgment in addition to simple bravery - this album is clear and direct: *come on, I'm talking to you. You shouldn't have to sell your soul.*
Have this but don't think I ever listened to it. Always thought Shout was a Depeche Mode song. It's quite good, still has that 80s sound but seems more vibrant. 3.5 rounded up Heard before? Already have Owned: Yes, 98/371 (26%) Will I get: Already have
Such a belter. Amuses me no end that this has become a must have for burgeoning record collections. I'm sure I remember it at one time being the punchline of various gags.
Love the singles on here, but I'm not sure if it really ends up being more than the sum of its parts like a great album should. Synthpop in general kind of ends up like that, actually. I should love it, but it doesn't quite come together entirely, so I merely like it.
Нью вейв перфекшон
An interesting album. The hits are still good. I remember them as a kid. I have never listened to the rest of the album. They are a grab bag of different styles but it all worked for them. I’m not sure they would reach these heights again with their music but they wrote some really good songs on this album and it’s an impressive feat. Oh I forgot they did have success with the next album as well.
mui weno
I already loved 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World', but I was pleasantly surprised by the rest of the album. 'Shout', 'Head over Heels' and 'The Working Hour' were all standouts, and I liked both lead singers. 'Listen' wasn't really for me, so I probably wouldn't replay the whole album, but I'd definitely come back to several of these songs.
Tasteful synthesizers and reverby vocals to make you feel like partying in 1985
Sympa ! Quelques chansons hyper connues
I'm not into this era of 80s synth pop at all. But this is excellent and along with Depeche Mode, an exception to the stream of dirge that accompanied this time and style.
Loved it
Shout I knew well already. I like the smooth sound and voices. They also put a lot of emotions in their voices. The quality of the recording is great
I liked this much more than I thought I would.
SPLENDIDO. MAI L'AVEVO ASCOLTATO INTERAMENTE, E CONOSCENDO SOLO "HEAD OVER HEELS" E LA FAMOSA "EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD" PARTIVO CON DISCRETE ASPETTATIVE. SONO CONTENTISSIMO DI AVER TROVATO DUE TRACCE MOLTO MIGLIORI: LA SOTTOVALUTATISSIMA "LISTEN" E LA SASSOFONATA "WORKING HOUR", CON STRUMENTALI E VOCI DI GRANDE LIVELLO. "MOTHERS TALK" E' L'UNICA CANZONE CHE NON MI E' PIACIUTA PER NULLA. E' UN VOTO TRA 4 E 5 CHE OSCILLA PIU' VERSO IL 4. 4/5.
I didnt realize how famliar I was with this album. It still sounds great today and I thoroughly enjoyed the listen. The singles of course do the heavy lifting but entire package is still worth a listen. Its a lean 8 songs but I think it works in their favor.
Very enjoyable saxophone on this one! Loved the singles too. Overall this album has aged pretty well
I knew and liked the singles, but this is a really good album, too. Typically 80s, of course, and poetry radio friendly. But also quite diverse and experimental, so multiple listens are very rewarding.
unapologetically 80s
1010 - "Here's your juice box and orange slice. Thanks for coming." (This album is worthy of more than one orange slice.)
Snapshot of an era. I forgot how good “Shout” is in its entirety.
Solid pop album slightly let down by a lacklustre closing track. I’ve never heard the album version of Head Over Heels before. Really enjoy the instrumental ending of that.
- I’m excited for this - Shout! - The working hour felt cringe? Idk if I’m just not in the mood - Listen - new fave for me
One of the best albums of the 80s ❤️
I love it, very striking lyrics combined with a good texture
I like it. Classics
I had this on voinyl. I don't remember the ballads, I must have skipped them. Upon a revisit, it's a really great album with only one track that I didn't feel, it was just a bit too maudlin. "I Believe". 4/5
There are some big hits on this one. It sounds so 80s but is well done.
It’s giving better off dead
Certified pop classic. As 80s as it gets and I love it for that. Everybody Wants To Rule The World was my fav song of the album. Mothers Talk (my fav first listen) and Broken were my other highlights
8/10 fav: shout
Een van de meest iconische jaren 80 albums. Head over Heels is misschien een van de beste nummers ooit tbh.
*Songs* is a melodically-rich and sonically amazing record of which the main fault is that it tries too hard lyrically and ironically comes across as alternately shallow and/or ridiculous. Unlike on their more stripped-down debut, here TFF pile on keyboards, guitars and reverb-heavy drums in an effort to build a mountain of sound, and it mostly works as the giant riffs and hooks are often equal in size to ambitious arrangements. On an album where many of the better tracks were released as successful singles, only "I Believe" (pretentious) and album closer "Listen" (laughable) pale in comparison to the other numbers. (And why is Roland Orzabal singing about "Mother Russia" on the aforementioned "Listen"?) Toss the lyric sheet, cut a few tracks and you've got a terrific mini-LP.
I've listened to Shout, Everybody Wants To Rule The World and Head Over Heels countless times. Even the other songs that I didn't know as well were pretty good.
This album has a few iconic singles on it (2.6 BILLION streams for "Everybody wants to rule the world" is incredible). I had TFF greatest hits as a kid (a Columbia House CD no doubt) The rest of the album is solid. My favorite song on this album is Head over Heels/ Broken. I was a Donnie Darko Teen (TM)
As 80s as The Breakfast Club.
An album from my teenager years - containing some hits and some more great songs!
Three songs. That's the case for this record and it's a strong enough case to win the argument. "Shout," "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," and "Head Over Heels" are three of the defining singles of 1985 — enormous, melodically generous, built on layered keyboards and processed drums that fill every available sonic space without quite tipping into the schmaltz that sinks lesser records of the era. Forty years later they still hit with an immediacy that separates genuine pop achievement from mere period artifact. The honest accounting of everything else is brief: forgettable. The back half of Songs from the Big Chair does the work of existing between the peaks without generating any pull of its own, which is a significant gap between the record's best moments and its filler. Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith built something genuinely ambitious here — the conceptual foundation in primal scream therapy, the maximalist production, the sheer sonic scale of the whole enterprise — and the singles justify every bit of that ambition. The album tracks around them do not. What tips it to four rather than three is simply the quality of the peaks. Three exceptional singles constitutes a real achievement regardless of what surrounds them, and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" alone has earned its place in the permanent rotation of songs that sound like a specific moment in time without being diminished by it. A four carried entirely by its highs, which is sometimes exactly enough.
Damn, what a classic album!
Super dated, squarely ‘80s fun with the added benefit of it actually being interesting and good. At its best, reminded me of Kate Bush. And the hits are fun. I went of an Everybody Wants to Rule the World kick after Marty Supreme and got a new appreciation for it even though I heard it a million times growing up with Gen X parents.
Surprised by this, three great hits. This sound it's very personal, I like that.
Some really experimental and vibey tracks make this one stand out for me. Extremely unique sound. I do find the singer's voice a bit grating in the popular songs like Shout or Everybody wants to Rule the World (although both are catchy). Fav tracks: Working Hours, Head Over Heels and Listen.
awesome
Belo álbum de pop. Músicas clássicas e dançantes muito bem feitas. QoA Cloudscape.
grube 80's energy; zaskakująco progresywny
Iconic 80s album with some decade defining songs (but also with some snoozers). As a pre-existing 80s and Tears for Fears fan, this can’t get lower than a 4/5.
I was going to give it a 3.5 but the second half of the album had some really interesting songs. Would listen to again
Really sick, near perfect 80s synth pop. The one and only thing that really drags it down for me is that the vocals have minimal variation and the back half of the album isn't as good as the first half. I mean, Everybody Wants to Rule the World is nigh impossible to beat but you should punt it to open Side B for that reason
пик мьюзик
This one is kind of hard to re-appraise because the singles off of it still get constant play everywhere. I complain often in these little reviews-for-no-one that albums from the 80's suffer from busy drums full of samples, digital reverb and chorus etc. I don't know if they were part of the creation of the trope or just adherents but in some cases they had some interesting songs hidden under there. Maybe they wouldn't have been as huge radio hits but could have been remixed to be more timeless.
I enjoyed this album a lot. I was familiar with the 3 (or 4) singles but had not heard any of the other songs before. I will have to listen to this again in the future when I need well done 80s music.
Rock-solid debut album from these 80's icons.
I am not a big 80's music fan. This is a good album though. Some big hits (Rule the World in particular is fantastic), though a few songs are a bit long for what they offer.
First Listen: Never really took a deep listen into Shout that deeply. Heard it on the radio a couple times, but just wrote it off as an alright radio song. Upon closer inspection its a banger. BANGER ALERT PT 2 Everybody Wants to Rule The World is so overplayed, but so good it doesn't matter. Mothers Talk feels very Remain In Light coded in the performance, production, and lyrics. I love the slap bass interspersed at random moments. The almost disco bridge was a pretty cool moment as well. I think I really appreciate dynamic changes in an album's tracklist, even when I might not listen to that song outside of the album. I Believe is one of those songs. In some ways it feels like hotel lobby music, but it's a lobby I'm okay waiting in for a bit. Broken is sick. I absolutely love the seamless transition between Broken and Head Over Heels. I recognize the piano motif from the start of the song, pretty sure I've heard this one before. That ending is insane. Listen is on some Space Junk Galaxy type beat. This is straight up a Mario Galaxy song in the best way possible. I love the soundplay in the latter half of the song. OVERALL: Was not expecting to get the album I heard. I knew Tears For Fears for the one song, which admittedly is a great song, but I categorized them as 80s one hit wonders along with A-ha or The Buggles. That is one, factually incorrect, and even if it was is not an indicator of the rest of their music. Tears For Fears have a very British knack of trying to throw as much into a song as possible. The eight track run feels well curated - the songs morph and evolve so frequently that you get more than what you paid for. 8/10 T3: Broken, Head Over Heels, Everybody Wants To Rule The World
I liked this album a lot. Except the last track - did not enjoy that at all. Still the other songs definitely give an 8/10. Really good.
Very good. Wonderful listening experience.
4/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/tears-for-fears/songs-from-the-big-chair/ Does it have the hits? Heck yea it does. Does it have other good songs? Yea, but nothing hits the heights of the hits.
Some pretty big hits on this one. Haven't really dug into Tears for Fears before, but I can see returning to this album a lot.
Tres très bon je connaissais pas l'album et il mérite bien d'être dans la liste
1985. Marked a departure from that album's dark, introspective style, featuring a more mainstream, glossy sound, with sophisticated production values, increased guitar use, and diverse stylistic influences.
I found this a rather poetic experience.
Absolute hidden treasure, blessed my ears 9/10
80s. catchy. moody. iconic.
loved Shout
It was a good album, 2 songs I knew but had never heard of this band name before or the album. 3/5 would maybe buy on vinyl.
"Songs From The Big Chair" is polished, glossy pop-rock mixing orchestral arrangements with synth elements. Apart from the hits "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" and "Shout", I found the rest of the album to quite consistently enjoyable, as it retains the easy-listening melodies of pop and combines it with some genuinely interesting arrangements.
Nice way to start the week. Some really good stuff here.
Masters of the 80s synthpop sound. They use the massive echo-gated production style to emphasize loneliness and space, instead of just trying to be big and loud. They can also write some real hooks. A little too weird in places, but genuine artistic merit here.
Great sound from this band, really enjoyed it
I will always be a fan of Tears for Fears! This is a pretty good album! I’ve always enjoyed Shout.
Love this album! :D My go to choice is The Hurting but this is also a must to listen
Great 80s pop. Underrated band beyond their big hits.
Nice of Tears for Fears to put this nice lesbian couple on their cover
Made it onto my Album Playlist.
Very cinematic. Love the classics
САМСІН ХЕПЕНС ЕНД АЙМ ХЕД ОВЕР ХІЛС
3,8/5 El disco mas 1984 core
Very fun full listen. Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Shout, and Head Over Heels are the 3 biggest hits here that most everybody has heard by this point, but for good reason as these are amazing songs. I was actually a bit surprised by the slower moments on here like I believe. Super catchy synths throughout the whole project, definitely a highlight.
For a minute I thought I was in the 80s. Take a listen and take a trip through time!
I really like head over heels but the other songs just don’t do it for me
When to listen: videogames, 80s diner, members only jacket vibes. Have always appreciated the hits from this album but very much enjoyed the whole thing. Fun stuff.
Really enjoyed this album. It actually has alot of depth, which I haven’t really noticed before. I thought some of the drum programming was surprisingly smooth. Infectious, even! Great songs. 3.9/5.0
I think "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" are great songs. "The Working Hour", "I Believe", "Head Over Heels" or "Listen" are also very good (and that already makes 75% of the album). So yes, this is a solid 4-star album for me.
Didn't think I was going to enjoy this as much as I did. Classic album that hit me on a good morning for listening. Really fun listen.
loved it!
Clássico
Great classics never knew who sang them.
In 1985, Tears For Fears quietly released a masterpiece. Songs From The Big Chair is a stunning release. The quality of the recording, the songwriting and lyricism, musicianship; everything is top tier and has aged excruciatingly well. It's so close to a perfect record. Unfortunately, "Shout" stands out as a weaker track than the rest, but even then, it's quite listenable.
Electronic rock/pop. Pretty solid.
Great songs, few flaws
Really rich sounding record, sophisti-pop masterclass
Conocía tres canciones del álbum, de las cuales dos no sabía que pertenecían a la misma banda. Me gusta el sonido grave y la tendencia ambiental, las baterías potentes, los múltiples instrumentos, acompañan bien una voz tan solemne. Los temas 1, 2 y 8 fueron mis favoritos.
New wave, pop rock, progressive pop, synth-pop.
*1985 *Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Working Hour, and Head Over Heels… *Only 8 songs (41 mins), so even though there are some misses, 2 are massive heads, 1 is a medium hit, and another is a good top 40 at the time song. RATING -7.5/10
Four stars for the singles alone. The rest of the album was meh for me
Was late and fell asleep listening to it. Knew some of the songs
Great album. Every song was good! Honestly wish it was longer :D
> the Beatles The epitome of 80s pop
Incredible synth pop. I can't believe it's taken me this long to listen to this the whole way through. Funnily enough, the songs I know the most off this weren't even my favourite ones. The song that stuck with me the most was probably 'Mothers Talk', it was just so fun!
Good album. Great band.
Первый альбом, который выпал в этой лотерее. Довольно плотный в начале, далее скатывающийся в какую-то теплую меланхолию. Пока что точно лучше большинства, что я слушал последнее время до этого ресурса. Но поставлю 4
retro wave vibes. I didn't realize I already knew some of these songs as classic "80s" songs/samples.
Ah that sweet radio sound. good
Still sounds pretty unique. It’s clearly from the 80s, but it’s got a sound all of its own as well. Wonderful pop album. Up there as one of the greatest the 80s had. Solid 4 for me.
This album is making me nostalgic for an era I wasn't even alive for
Big, staggering, echoey vocals. Iconic songs of epic proportions. The 80s at its very best.
C'est quoi ce banger de zinzin, j'hésite à mettre un 5 grrrrr il me reste 2 sons ça dépend de ce que j'en pense. Bon dommage c'est 4
Solid album with some great hits. First time listening to it all straight through!
sonaba bien
I've been waiting for some 80s New Wave on this list!! Vocal power and a voice that flies on the wings of an angel and then lingers long afterwards.
Phenomenal album with powerhouse vocal performances and sophisticated song arrangements. The lyrics are all interesting and varied, and unsurprisingly these songs have been extensively covered. Shout, Working Hour, Head Over Heels, and Everybody Wants To Rule the World are all among the best songs of the 1980s period. But as an album, the rest of it is very well produced but not as memorable.
Very familiar with this one but mostly just the big songs off it that got a lot of radio play. Mostly a chilled-out listening experience, but Shout can get ya pumped up for sure. Good vocals, good synth, good record.
Wow I really Liked this one a lot more then I expected to. Recognized a few popular hits "Everybody Wants to Rule The World" and "Head Over Heels". TOP Song: Shout 3.5/5 Stars rounded to a 4
Very cool. You can see why they're still selling out arenas today. Big first half, ok second half.
classics
Fue un buen álbum listen me gustó mucho y ya había escuchado head over heels , shout y everybody wants to rule the world las demás también me gustaron pero que nunca haya escuchado , listen fue la mejor, va para la playlist.
Banger after banger
3 really great songs, 4 very good songs, 1 ok song. I’ll let everyone else decide which ones they are.
Okay, so this was actually a great time.
As a mid-80s LP goes pretty decent, three hits with acceptable other tracks. Not quite all killer no filler but perfectly listenable.
muy lindo álbum con pocas canciones pero melodías y ritmos muy variados
Worth a four just about for the two famous stand out tracks. The rest is a nice eclectic mix and at only eight tracks it does not out s many albums.
I grew up in the 80’s, so I was oversaturated by 24 hour MTV videos of “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, et al. The album does stand the test of time PRETTY well, though.
Pinnacle of 80's pop
If all the songs were as good as “Everybody Wants to Rule the World”, it would be perfect. As it is, it’s only very good. Guess what I added to my playlist.
3 huge hits of my memory serves me well…defined th decade
Really solid album they were on a generational run. My favorites were head over heels, everybody wants to rule the world and Broken.
Excelente
När han började sjunga i head over heals fick jag gåshud. Nåt med den där melodin som går rakt in. Otroligt svag för tears for fears. Inte riktigt 5a, men nästan.
I en genre jag vanligtvis har ganska svårt för sticker Tears For Fears ut. Tror dom har DET. Eller så har dom bara en liten gnutta extra komplexitet och galenskap vilket Dino Von Bryman hyllar.
Some iconic hits. Others were okay. The strongest song is "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."
Si
Rate: 8/10.
I’m not good at discerning why I like things very much but great album, shout and everybody wants to rule the world are my top songs.
Some pretty classic songs/riffs in here. Not my favorite type of music, but def can appreciate it. 4/5
It’s very 80s. Everybody Wants To Rule The World is such an iconic banger as well
No. 397/1001 Shout 4/5 The Working Hour 4/5 Everybody Wants To Rule the World 5/5 Mothers Talk 3/5 I Believe 4/5 Broken 3/5 Head Over Heels 4/5 Listen 4/5 Average: 3,88 New Wave is generally not my favorite genre. But this was really good. I enjoyed the long musical introductions to the songs.
It's already a classic. One of the best-produced albums in history.
Este álbum es más que "Everybody wants to rule the world", sin demeritar lo maravillosa que es esta canción, todo el mundo debería darle la oportunidad de escucha activa a este álbum, simplemente acostarse en la cama, con la luz apagada a escuchar todas las canciones. . Diseño de portada: 3.5/5 → Portada con personalidad, pero bastante simple. . Canciones favoritas: "Broke", "Head over heels" y "Everybody wants to rule the world"
I liked it
Not quite a one hit wonder, considering they have plenty of big songs. But clearly one track dominates the rest. Nevertheless, it is truly a great one and Shout is also a favourite of mine. This is what I would consider to good side of 80s music.
An incredible album. The hits are great but there’s not really a bad song on it. I would put this up against almost any other 80’s new wave synth pop album and think this would be as good or better than almost any of them. No question it belongs on this list.
only one song I knew about. I understand why it was well received at its time. it must have been an engineering marvel and very fun to listen to. I can't relate to it that much today though
Steven Wilson mix of this album? Absolute music.
This was my first time properly listening to Tears For Fears. I was quite surprised. I was expecting a few well known classics and a lot of forgettable filler. It's actually really solid all the way through. Shout is a fantastic opener. Sometimes I hate it when things sound dates, but this sounds very 80s _in a good way._ I have a newfound respect for TFF.
Tears For Fears frappe fort avec un excellent premier album des années 80, peut-être certains sons qui sont moins intéressants d'autres mais c'est un bon album symbole de cette période marquante de la musique. Chansons favorites (pas dans l'ordre): Shout (intro incroyable) The Working Hour EWTRTW (classiccc) Head Over Heels
4.4
Holy shit, I actually found an 80s pop album other than MJ or Madonna that I enjoyed immensely! All things are possible! A delightful blend of rock, jazz, and synth, I had a good time listening to this album. A couple big hits (‘Shout’, ‘Everybody Wants to Rule the World’) and some solid deep cuts (‘Mothers Talk’, ‘Head Over Heels’). This had that “80s sound” but did not feel dated, the arrangements are fresh and they didn’t spam the synth as a crutch, it’s mixed in very nicely with the guitars and brass. Did not like the ballad songs ‘I Believe’ or ‘Listen’, but everything else was really good. A solid 4/5
Pop music done right. Beautiful melodies and songwriting, tight band and layered arrangements. Lovely.
I could hear tinges of my favourite artists in this. Not quite what I'd normally listen to but I felt connected to it. Quite surprised!
So mich of this list is dedicated to exploring every facet of post-punk and new wave and, as much as I don’t want to, that means covering synth-pop New Wave. It’s hard to do that without Tears For Fears. (Obviously) I came into this expecting to [intensely dislike] this record for being total cornball music. Oops. This record is surprisingly eclectic and dips into jazz and ‘world’ music m much more than I could have guessed it would. Maybe I shouldn’t be completely shocked by the jazz - I’ve already reviewed Cafe Bleu by the Style Council, and I know my dad has a sizable collection of jazz records from the 80s - jazz seems to have been very much in the zeitgeist. To be clear, it still has cheeseball synth-pop moments. I expected most of the record to sound like “Everybody Wants To Rule The World”, or “Head Over Heels”, but that sound is actually kind of an outlier. I expected to suffer through this record so I could say I heard it, and then move on. But I don’t think I got everything in that first pass and need another listen. I remember “Shout” being darker? This morning I’m struck by the much more whimsical synth work than I’ve ever registered before. And a pretty decent guitar solo. But six and a half minutes? “Broken” and “Listen” also have bigger, rock-adjacent, guitar solos than I would ever have guessed. “The Working Hour” throws all that jazz and world music at you early. I’m a sucker for gratuitous saxophone work, so that long intro really perked me up.
super solid. definitely high and low points but good average
Classic 80s pop with a few bangers. Interesting how many of these songs have been done both other artists. That tells you something
Really good
Solid album - quintessential 80's! Several mega hits on this - Shout, Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Head Over Heels and the rest were pretty decent. Loved Mothers Talk; Listen and Broken were a bit whiny for me though. Overall (4)
Pretty good, just not memorable
banger
Classic 80's album. I didn't know this was who wrote the two hits on this album which I feel are iconic. I feel like the other songs went on for too long, but that could just be my attention span at the time of listening. I wouldn't mind owning it.
I don’t love the album, but the hits make this a solid four. Everybody wants to rule the world it’s just a fantastic song, and for me it will always be washing dishes in the back of my first job at an ice cream shop the early summer after 10th grade.
not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue
Me gustó mucho este album, ya conocía 2 o 3 canciones, pero no tenía el nombre de la banda. La voy a seguir escuchando porque siguen haciendo musica actualmente. Las canciones que más me gustaron fueron: Everybody wants to rule the world, que la amo, Shout, y Head Over Heels. Hay de todo en el album, tiene una linda variedad entre canciones "más arriba" y mas tranquilas. Lo guardé y lo volvería a escuchar.
This album is so cohesive. The hits do not get in the way of how well it's orchestrated. Such a fun and satisfying listening experience.
Lo mejor que me pudo pasar un lunes a la mañana. Viva el synth pop!
What a great listen! I had a lot of fun with this album, it just gives off good vibes and happy thoughts. My favorite was Head Over Heels.
Banger album, all songs are good, head over heels clears tho
Good listen, lots of hits on this album. I wouldnt say there’s any skips but I don’t love it enough to give it a 5
So fun and fresh. Grooves are interesting and the singer is awesome
I'm familiar with the hits from this album, but I've never sat down to listen to it start-to-finish. This by no means bad, but there aren't hidden gems. The hits are great, the other songs are okay. That being said, I think I'll add this album to my library based on the strength of the hits.
Nice, classy and cheerful