"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears For Fears

Kirk kicks off Strong Songs Season 5 with Tears For Fears' 1985 hit "Everybody Wants to Rule The World." From classic synths and drum machines to surprisingly avante-garde guitar solos, this song's got a lot more going on than you might remember.

Written by: Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley, and Chris Hughes

Produced by: Chris Hughes

Album: Songs from the Big Chair (1985)

Listen/Buy via Songwhip

ALSO DISCUSSED:

• "Shout" and "Head Over Heels," both from Songs From the Big Chair, 1985
• "No One Knows" by Queens of the Stone Age from Songs For The Deaf, 2002
• "I Will Always Love You" by Dolly Parton performed by Whitney Houston on The Bodyguard soundtrack, 1992
• "You're The Voice" by John Farnham from Whispering Jack, 1986
• "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" by Kate Bush from Hounds of Love, 1985
• "Kiss" by Prince from Parade, 1986
• "Burning Down the House" by Talking Heads from Stop Making Sense, 1983
• "So What" by Miles Davis from Kind of Blue, 1959
• "Cold Sweat" by James Brown, 1967
• Dan Carr's excellent synth breakdowns at Reverb Machine

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JULY 2023 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Catherine Warner – Damon White – Kaya Woodall – Dan Austin – Jay Swartz – Miriam Joy – Sean D. Winnie – Rush – Daniel Hannon-Barry – Ashley Hoag – Christopher Miller – Jamie White – Christopher McConnell – David Mascetti – Joe Laska – Ken Hirsh – Jez – Melanie Andrich – Jenness Gardner – Jeanneret Manning Family Four – Dave Sharpe – Sami Samhuri – AccessViolation – Ryan Torvik – Elliot Jay O’Neill – Andre Bremer – Mark Schechter – Dave Florey

JULY 2023 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

Callum Webb – Lynda MacNeil – Dick Morgan – Zach Wampler – Ben Stein – Susan Green – Sean Murphy – Jake Yumatilla – Alan Brough – Randal Vegter – Go Birds! – Jeff Speck – Samuel Millett – Whit Sidener – Chance McClain – Robert Granat – Dave Malloy – Tim Rosenwong – Nick Galloway – John Halpin – Peter Harding – David – Meghan O’Leary – John Bauman – Dax and Dane Huddleston – Martín Salías – Tim Howes – Stu Baker – Steve Martino – Dr. Arthur A. Gray – Carolina – Gary Pierce – Matt Baxter – Giant Predatory Mollusk – Luigi Boccia – Rob Albright – E. Margaret Warton – Charles McGee – Catherine Clause – Ethan Bauman – Renee Downing – Ken Is Wearing a Hat – Jordan Block – Aaron Wade – Travis Pollard – Jamie – Deebs – Portland Eye Care – Carrie Schneider – Richard Sneddon – Julian Roleff – Doreen Carlson – David McDarby – Wendy Gilchrist – Elliot Rosen – Lisa Turner – Paul Wayper – Bruno Gaeta – Kenneth Jung – Adam Stofsky – Zak Remer – Rishi Sahay – Jason Reitman – Ailie Fraser – Von – Natalie Mistilis – Josh Singer – Phino DeLeon – Amy Lynn Thornsen – Adam W. – Kelli Brockington – Stephen Rawlings – Victoria Yu – Brad Clark – Mino Capossela – Steve Paquin – David Joske – Emma Sklar – Bernard Khoo – Robert Heuer – Matthew Golden – David Noah – Geraldine Butler – Richard Cambier – Madeleine Mader – Jason Pratt – Abbie Berg – Doug Belew – Dermot Crowley – Achint Srivastava – Ryan Rairigh – Michael Berman – Olivia Bishop – John Gisselquist – Linda Duffy – Liz Seger – Eoin de Burca – Kevin Potter – M. Shane Borders – Dallas Hockley – Jason Gerry – Nathan Gouwens – Lauren Reay – Eric Prestemon – Cookies250 – Damian Brady – Angela Livingstone – David Friedman – Sarah Sulan – Diane Hughes – Michael Casner – Lowell Meyer – Stephen Tsoneff – Lorenz Schwarz – Wen – Jack Sjogren – Geoff Golden – Robyn Fraser – Pascal Rueger – Randy Souza – JC – Clare Holberton – Diane Turner – Tom Coleman – Mark Perry – Dhu Wik – Mel – Eric Helm – Jake Roberts – Jonathan Daniels – Michael Flaherty – Jarrod Schindler – Caro Field – Michael Bochner – Naomi Watson – David Cushman – Alexander – Gavin Doig – Sam Fenn – Tanner Morton – AJ Schuster – Jennifer Bush – David Stroud – Amanda Furlotti – Andrew Baker – Jules Bailey – Andrew Fair – L.B. Morse – Brian Amoebas – Brett Douville – Jeffrey Olson – Matt Betzel – Mueller – Nate from Kalamazoo – Melanie Stivers – Richard Toller – Alexander Polson – Earl Lozada – Justin McElroy – Arjun Sharma – James Johnson – Kevin Morrell – Colin Hodo

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July 11, 2026 | Portland, OR
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