Complete List Of Tears For Fears Songs From A to Z

Feature Photo: Andy Sturmey / Shutterstock.com

Tears for Fears formed in Bath, Somerset in 1981, when Curt Smith and Roland Orzabal, having previously played together in the mod-influenced band Graduate, decided to launch a project rooted in the ideas of primal therapy. Influenced by synth-pop and artists like Talking Heads, OMD, and Soft Cell, they quickly attracted attention for melding introspective, psychology-inspired lyrics with a sophisticated electronic sound. They signed to Mercury Records and released their first tracks, “Suffer the Children” and “Pale Shelter,” in 1981–82, which laid the groundwork for their distinctive style and lyrical depth.

Their debut album, The Hurting (1983), topped the UK Albums Chart and stayed in the listings for over a year. It produced three UK top-five singles—“Mad World,” “Change,” and “Pale Shelter”—and went platinum. Drawing its emotional resonance from themes like childhood trauma and psychological struggle, the album resonated with a wide audience and firmly established Tears for Fears as a voice of the era.

In 1985, they released Songs from the Big Chair, a stylistic leap into polished pop-rock and synth-pop with broader sonic appeal. The album hit number two in the UK and climbed to number one in the US, achieving multi-platinum status in both territories. It spawned international chartbusters including “Shout,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” and “Head over Heels,” and won the 1986 Brit Award for Best British Single with “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.” This album remains their commercial peak and a critical touchstone for 1980s pop music.

Their third studio album, The Seeds of Love (1989), again debuted at number one in the UK and reached the top‐10 in the US. Featuring singles such as “Sowing the Seeds of Love” and “Woman in Chains” (the latter featuring Phil Collins and Oleta Adams), the album showcased jazz, blues, Beatles influences, and lush production—though its extended recording sessions strained finances and contributed to internal tension.

After the 1990 tour, Smith and Orzabal split. Orzabal continued solo as Tears for Fears, releasing Elemental (1993), with the hit “Break It Down Again,” and Raoul and the Kings of Spain (1995). These records reflected Orzabal’s creative control and introspective focus, but neither achieved the impact of the band’s earlier works.

Reuniting in 2000, Smith and Orzabal released Everybody Loves a Happy Ending in 2004. It marked a return to collaborative songwriting and received positive reception, yielding the single “Closest Thing to Heaven.” They toured extensively, particularly in the UK and Europe, and released the live album Secret World – Live in Paris in 2006.

Following more years of touring and a growing archive of reissues, they launched The Tipping Point in 2022—their first studio album in 18 years. Written and recorded over nearly a decade, often amid personal and creative challenges (including Orzabal’s bereavement), the album earned critical acclaim and became their highest-charting UK record in three decades, reaching number two and entering the top 10 across multiple countries.

Their 2024 live album Songs for a Nervous Planet, recorded during the 2023 tour, landed at number six in the UK. They also received the Ivor Novello Award for songwriting in 2021, confirming both commercial longevity and peer recognition. Beyond music, they’ve supported humanitarian causes—like the Sport Aid campaign—and influenced numerous artists through reworks, covers, and their sonic legacy. With seven studio albums and decades of continued output, Tears for Fears remain one of the most compelling and enduring acts from the 1980s onward

Complete List Of Tears For Fears Songs From A to Z

Advice for the Young at Heart – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Advice for the Young at Heart (7″ version) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Advice for the Young at Heart (demo) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Advice for the Young at Heart (instrumental) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Advice for the Young at Heart (Italian radio edit) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
All of the Angels – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
Always in the Past – The Seeds of Love – 1989
And I Was a Boy from School (Hot Chip cover) – Ready Boy & Girls? – 2014
Astronaut – Songs for a Nervous Planet – 2024
Badman’s Song – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Badman’s Song (early mix) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Badman’s Song (Langer/Winstanley version – instrumental) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Badman’s Song (reprise – Townhouse Jam) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Badman’s Song (Townhouse Jam) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Break It Down Again – Elemental – 1993
Break It Down Again (acoustic) – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
Break the Man – The Tipping Point – 2022
Brian Wilson Said – Elemental – 1993
Broken – Songs from the Big Chair – 1985
Broken (Townhouse Jam) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Call Me Mellow – Everybody Loves a Happy Ending – 2004
Change – The Hurting – 1983
Change (Extended Version) – The Hurting – 1983
Change (New Version) – The Hurting – 1983
Change (Radio Edit) – The Hurting – 1983
Closest Thing to Heaven – Everybody Loves a Happy Ending – 2004
Cold – Elemental – 1993
Dog’s a Best Friend’s Dog – Elemental – 1993
Don’t Drink the Water – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
Elemental – Elemental – 1993
End of Night – The Tipping Point – 2022
Everybody Loves a Happy Ending – Everybody Loves a Happy Ending – 2004
Everybody Wants to Rule the World – Songs from the Big Chair – 1985
Everybody Wants to Run the World – Non-album single – 1986
Falling Down – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
Famous Last Words – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Famous Last Words (demo) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Famous Last Words (French radio edit) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Fish out of Water – Elemental – 1993
Gas Giants – Elemental – 1993
God’s Mistake – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
Goodnight Song – Elemental – 1993
Head over Heels – Songs from the Big Chair – 1985
Head over Heels / Broken (live) (reprise) – Songs from the Big Chair – 1985
Humdrum and Humble – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
I Believe – Songs from the Big Chair – 1985
I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording) – Songs from the Big Chair – 1985
I Choose You – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
I Love You but I’m Lost – Rule the World: The Greatest Hits – 2017
Ideas as Opiates – The Hurting – 1983
Ideas as Opiates (Alternate Version) – The Hurting – 1983
Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams (instrumental) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams (mix one) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams (mix one edit) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams (mix two) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Killing with Kindness – Everybody Loves a Happy Ending – 2004
Ladybird – Everybody Loves a Happy Ending – 2004
Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down) – Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82–92) – 1992
Last Days on Earth – Everybody Loves a Happy Ending – 2004
Let It All Evolve – The Tipping Point – 2022
Listen – Songs from the Big Chair – 1985
Long, Long, Long Time – The Tipping Point – 2022
Los Reyes Católicos – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
Los Reyes Católicos (Reprise) – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
Mad World – The Hurting – 1983
Mad World (World Remix) – The Hurting – 1983
Master Plan – The Tipping Point – 2022
Me and My Big Ideas – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
Memories Fade – The Hurting – 1983
Mothers Talk – Songs from the Big Chair – 1985
Mothers Talk (US remix) – Songs from the Big Chair – 1986
Mr. Pessimist – Elemental – 1993
Music for Tables – The Seeds of Love – 1989
My Demons – The Tipping Point – 2022
My Girls (Animal Collective cover) – Ready Boy & Girls? – 2014
My Life in the Suicide Ranks – The Seeds of Love – 1989
No Small Thing – The Tipping Point – 2022
Out of Control – Everybody Loves a Happy Ending – 2004
Pale Shelter – The Hurting – 1983
Pale Shelter (Long Version) – The Hurting – 1983
Pale Shelter (New Extended Version) – The Hurting – 1983
Pale Shelter (Original Version) – The Hurting – 1983
Pale Shelter (You Don’t Give Me Love) – Non-album single – 1982
Please Be Happy – The Tipping Point – 2022
Power – Elemental – 1993
Pullin’ a Cloud – Everybody Loves a Happy Ending – 2004
Queen of Compromise – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
Quiet Ones – Everybody Loves a Happy Ending – 2004
Raoul and the Kings of Spain – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
Raoul and the Kings of Spain (acoustic) – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
Ready to Start (Arcade Fire cover) – Ready Boy & Girls? – 2014
Rhythm of Life (demo) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Rhythm of Life (Townhouse Jam) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Rivers of Mercy – The Tipping Point – 2022
Say Goodbye to Mum and Dad – Songs for a Nervous Planet – 2024
Secret Location – The Tipping Point – 2022
Secret World – Secret World – Live in Paris – 2006
Secret World – Everybody Loves a Happy Ending – 2004
Secrets – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
Shame (Cry Heaven) – The Tipping Point – 2022
Shout – Songs from the Big Chair – 1985
Size of Sorrow – Everybody Loves a Happy Ending – 2004
Sketches of Pain – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
Sorry – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
Sowing the Seeds of Love – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Sowing the Seeds of Love (7″ version) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Sowing the Seeds of Love (alternate mix) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Sowing the Seeds of Love (demo – instrumental) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Sowing the Seeds of Love (early mix – instrumental) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Sowing the Seeds of Love (US radio edit) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Standing on the Corner of the Third World – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Standing on the Corner of the Third World (Townhouse Jam) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Start of the Breakdown – The Hurting – 1983
Stay – The Tipping Point – 2022
Suffer the Children – The Hurting – 1983
Suffer the Children (Demo) – The Hurting – 1983
Suffer the Children (Instrumental) – The Hurting – 1983
Suffer the Children (Original Version) – The Hurting – 1983
Suffer the Children (Remix) – The Hurting – 1983
Swords and Knives – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Swords and Knives (demo) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Tears Roll Down – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Tears Roll Down (alternate mix) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
The Conflict – The Hurting – 1983
The Devil – Everybody Loves a Happy Ending – 2004
The Girl That I Call Home – Songs for a Nervous Planet – 2024
The Hurting – The Hurting – 1983
The Madness of Roland – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
The Prisoner – The Hurting – 1983
The Prisoner (Original 7″ Version) – The Hurting – 1983
The Tipping Point – The Tipping Point – 2022
The Way You Are – Non-album single – 1983
The Working Hour – Songs from the Big Chair – 1985
Until I Drown – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
War of Attrition – Raoul and the Kings of Spain – 1995
Watch Me Bleed – The Hurting – 1983
We Are Broken – The Hurting – 1983
Who Killed Tangerine? – Everybody Loves a Happy Ending – 2004
Who You Are – Everybody Loves a Happy Ending – 2004
Wino – The Hurting – 1983
Woman in Chains (featuring Oleta Adams) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Woman in Chains (7″ version) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Woman in Chains (instrumental) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Woman in Chains (reprise – electric piano only) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Woman in Chains (Townhouse Jam) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Woman in Chains (US radio edit 1) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Woman in Chains (US radio edit 2) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Year of the Knife – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Year of the Knife (Canadian single version) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Year of the Knife (Canadian single version – instrumental) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Year of the Knife (early mix – instrumental) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Year of the Knife (overture) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Year of the Knife (Steve Chase 7″ remix) – The Seeds of Love – 1989
Year of the Knife (“the mix”) – The Seeds of Love – 1989