Tears for Fears

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Tears for Fears is an English pop group from Bath, formed in 1981 by Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal. The two had known each other since their teens and first played in Graduate, a band with mod influences. Then they discovered the electronic music of Tubeway Army, OMD, Depeche Mode and the Human League. Their name comes from the primal therapy of the American psychologist Arthur Janov, a therapy that became well known because John Lennon was a patient.

Music and breakthrough

The debut album The Hurting appeared in 1983 with the singles Mad World, Change and Pale Shelter. The music sounded dark and personal, with lyrics about fear and childhood trauma, in a synth-pop arrangement. Mad World builds its chorus on two chords that move back and forth without the tension resolving. In 1985 came Songs from the Big Chair, with Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World. That album became a worldwide success and took both songs to number one on the American Hot 100. Everybody Wants to Rule the World won a Brit Award for best British single in 1986. In 1989 The Seeds of Love was released, with Sowing the Seeds of Love.

Influence

After the 1990 tour Smith and Orzabal parted in acrimony. Orzabal went on making albums under the band name, including Elemental in 1993 and Raoul and the Kings of Spain in 1995. In 2000 they reconciled, and in 2004 Everybody Loves a Happy Ending appeared. In 2022 came The Tipping Point. Tears for Fears showed that synth-pop could also have depth, and remained relevant for decades.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 1983The Hurting
• 1985Songs From the Big Chair
• 1989The Seeds of Love
• 1993Elemental
• 1995Raoul and The Kings of Spain
• 2004Everybody Loves a Happy Ending
• 2022The Tipping Point

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• Mixtape 7: The 1980s^NL Reader

See also

• Songs From the Big Chair