Tears for Fears discography
| Tears for Fears discography | |
|---|---|
 Roland Orzabal (left) and Curt Smith (right) performing in Hanover, 2008 | |
| Studio albums | 6 |
| Live albums | 1 |
| Compilation albums | 2 |
| Singles | 30 |
The English band Tears for Fears have released six studio albums, along with numerous singles, compilations and videos. Formed in 1981 by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith, the duo signed to Phonogram Records in the UK and released their first single the same year. It wasn't until Tears For Fears' third single, "Mad World" (1982), that they scored their first hit, and their platinum-selling debut album The Hurting (1983) was a UK number one.
Their second album, Songs from the Big Chair, was released in 1985 and became a worldwide hit, establishing the band in the US. After a third platinum-selling album, The Seeds of Love in 1989, Smith and Orzabal parted company and subsequent Tears for Fears albums Elemental (released in 1993 and certified gold in several countries) and Raoul and the Kings of Spain (1995) were effectively solo albums by Orzabal. However, the duo reformed in 2000 for a new studio album, Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, which was released in 2004/05. In 2014, the band released a new 3-track vinyl EP of cover versions exclusively for Record Store Day, entitled Ready Boy & Girls? which was recorded as they worked on their upcoming seventh album.
Albums
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Sales Certifications | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [1] |
AUS [2] |
AUT [3] |
CAN [4] |
FRA [5] |
GER [6] |
ITA [7] |
NL [8] |
NZ [9] |
SWI [10] |
SWE [11] |
US [12] | ||||||||
| 1983 | The Hurting
|
1 | 15 | — | 7 | 16 | 15 | — | 30 | 16 | — | — | 73 |
| |||||
| 1985 | Songs from the Big Chair
|
2 | 5 | 22 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 1 | ||||||
| 1989 | The Seeds of Love
|
1 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 8 |
| |||||
| 1993 | Elemental
|
5 | 56 | — | 18 | 5 | 26 | 10 | 31 | — | 24 | 26 | 45 |
| |||||
| 1995 | Raoul and the Kings of Spain
|
41 | — | — | 62 | 5 | 88 | 23 | 70 | — | 42 | — | 79 | — | |||||
| 2004 | Everybody Loves a Happy Ending
|
45 | — | — | — | 28 | 35 | 68 | 86 | — | 48 | — | 46 | — | |||||
| "—" denotes unknown chart positions or releases that did not chart | |||||||||||||||||||
Live albums
| Year | Album details | FRA [5] |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Secret World - Live in Paris
|
106 |
Compilation albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications (sales threshold) | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [1] |
AUT [3] |
CAN [4] |
FRA [5] |
GER [6] |
ITA [7] |
NL [8] |
NZ [9] |
SWI [10] |
SWE [11] |
US [12] | |||||||||
| 1992 | Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82–92)
|
2 | 34 | 19 | 2 | 7 | 2 | 22 | 9 | 14 | 41 | 53 |
| ||||||
| 1996 | Saturnine Martial & Lunatic
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart | |||||||||||||||||||
Other compilations
(The following compilations tended to be regional releases, issued without the band's involvement and often on "budget price" labels)
- 1986: Everybody Wants to Mix the World (Remixes compilation released only in Argentina)
- 1991: Flip (B-sides compilation only released in Japan)
- 1991: Collusion (First 3 albums plus "Flip" in heavy cardboard slipcase. Only released in Japan)
- 2000: The Millennium Collection: The Best of Tears for Fears
- 2001: Classic Tears for Fears
- 2001: The Collection
- 2001: The Working Hour: An Introduction to Tears for Fears
- 2001: Shout: The Very Best of Tears for Fears
- 2003: Tears for Fears: The Ultimate Collection
- 2003: Collection (UK/BPI certification: Silver)
- 2006: Sowing the Seeds of Love: The Best of Tears for Fears
- 2006: Gold
- 2007: Famous Last Words: The Collection
- 2010: Mad World: The Collection
- 2013: Everybody Wants to Rule the World: The Collection
Videos/DVDs
- 1983: The Videosingles ("Mad World", "Change", "Pale Shelter")
- 1984: In My Mind's Eye (Live at the London Hammersmith Odeon)
- 1985: Scenes from the Big Chair
- 1990: Sowing the Seeds ("Sowing the Seeds of Love", "Woman in Chains", "Tears Roll Down", "Advice for the Young at Heart")
- 1990: Tears for Fears: Live at Knebworth '90 ("Change", "Badman's Song", "Everybody Wants to Rule the World")
- 1990: Going to California (Live from Santa Barbara)
- 1992: Tears Roll Down (Greatest Hits 82–92)
- 2003/5: Tears for Fears – 20th Century/Universal Masters (two minor video collections that include some post-1992 promos not available on the "Tears Roll Down" compilation)
- 2006: Secret World (Live in Paris) (CD & DVD)
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK [1][14][15] |
AUS [2] |
CAN [16] |
FRA [5] |
GER [17] |
IRE [18] |
ITA [19] |
NL [8] |
NZ [9] |
US [20] | |||||
| 1981 | "Suffer the Children" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Hurting | ||
| 1982 | "Pale Shelter (You Don't Give Me Love)" 1 | 193[21] | — | 15 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Mad World" | 3 | 12 | — | — | 21 | 6 | — | — | 25 | — |
| |||
| 1983 | "Change" | 4 | 29 | 13 | — | — | 8 | 27 | 32 | 36 | 73 |
| ||
| "Pale Shelter" (1983 version)1 | 5 | — | N/R | — | 25 | 5 | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "The Way You Are" | 24 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | |||
| 1984 | "Mothers Talk" | 14 | — | — | — | — | 23 | — | — | 50 | — | Songs from the Big Chair | ||
| "Shout" | 4 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| |||
| 1985 | "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" | 2 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| ||
| "Head over Heels" | 12 | 21 | 8 | — | 55 | 5 | — | 29 | 12 | 3 | ||||
| "Suffer the Children" (reissue) | 52 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | The Hurting | |||
| "Pale Shelter (You Don't Give Me Love)" (reissue) | 73 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording)" | 23 | — | — | — | — | 10 | — | — | 28 | — | Songs from the Big Chair | |||
| 1986 | "Everybody Wants to Run the World" | 5 | — | — | — | — | 4 | — | — | — | — | non-album single | ||
| "Mothers Talk" (US Remix) | — | — | 87 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 27 | Songs from the Big Chair | |||
| 1989 | "Sowing the Seeds of Love" | 5 | 13 | 1 | 18 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | The Seeds of Love | ||
| "Woman in Chains" (with Oleta Adams) | 26 | 39 | 11 | 20 | 45 | 21 | 23 | 16 | 34 | 36 | ||||
| 1990 | "Advice for the Young at Heart" | 36 | — | 25 | 31 | 51 | 15 | 49 | 22 | — | 89 | |||
| "Famous Last Words" | 83 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1991 | "Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" 2 | 70 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Saturnine Martial & Lunatic | ||
| 1992 | "Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down)" 3 | 17 | — | 28 | 15 | 40 | — | 8 | 27 | — | — | Greatest Hits 82–92 | ||
| "Woman in Chains" (re-release) 4 | 57 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 1993 | "Break It Down Again" | 20 | 82 | 4 | 19 | 66 | — | 7 | 27 | — | 25 | Elemental | ||
| "Cold" | 72 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Goodnight Song" | — | — | 44 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 125 | ||||
| 1994 | "Elemental" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 1995 | "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" | 31 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Raoul and the Kings of Spain | ||
| "God's Mistake" | 61 | — | 48 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 102 | ||||
| 1996 | "Secrets" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| "Falling Down" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| 2004 | "Call Me Mellow" 5 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Everybody Loves a Happy Ending | ||
| 2005 | "Closest Thing to Heaven" | 40 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 70 | — | — | |||
| "Everybody Loves a Happy Ending/ Call Me Mellow" |
102 | — | — | — | — | — | 37 | — | — | — | ||||
| 2006 | "Secret World" 6 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| 2014 | "Ready Boy & Girls?" (ltd. edition vinyl EP)7 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | non-album single | ||
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory | ||||||||||||||
- Footnotes:
1The 1982 Mike Howlett-produced version of "Pale Shelter (You Don't Give Me Love)" was eventually issued as a single in Canada in 1983, and peaked at #15. In other territories, the hit single was the "1983 version" of "Pale Shelter". This 1983 version was a wholly new recording produced by Chris Hughes & Ross Cullum, and it did not include the parenthetical subtitle.
2Though not formally credited to Tears for Fears, "Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" was originally the B-side to "Advice for the Young at Heart". It was then remixed by Fluke and released as a single by TFF's record company in the UK and simply credited to Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams. The single reached #1 on the UK Dance Chart.
3"Laid So Low" reached #10 on US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.
4This 1992 re-release credits the artist as Tears for Fears featuring Oleta Adams.
5"Call Me Mellow" reached #28 on US Billboard Adult Top 40 chart.
6"Secret World" was released as a promo single in France only.
7"Ready Boy and Girls?" was released as a limited edition 3-track 10" vinyl single for Record Store Day. It features three cover versions which the band recorded as they worked on their seventh studio album, including; Arcade Fire's "Ready to Start", Hot Chip's "Boy From School" and Animal Collective's "My Girls".
References and sources
- 1 2 3 "Official Charts > Tears for Fears". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
- 1 2 Australian chart peaks:
- Top 100 (Kent Music Report) peaks to 19 June 1988: Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 306. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. the Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid 1983 and 19 June 1988.
- Top 50 (ARIA Chart) peaks from 26 June 1988: "australian-charts.com > Discography Tears for Fears". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
- Top 100 (ARIA Chart) peaks from January 1990 to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
- 1 2 "Tears for Fears: Austrian Charts". austriancharts.at. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
- 1 2 "Tears for Fears in Canadian Charts". RPM Magazine. Retrieved 2016-06-10.
- 1 2 3 4 "lescharts.com - Discographie Tears For Fears". lescharts.com. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
- 1 2 "Musicline.de - Chartverfolgung (Albums) - Tears for Fears". musicline.de. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
- 1 2 "Tears for Fears: Italian Charts (albums)". hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
- 1 2 3 "dutchcharts.nl - Discografie Tears For Fears". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
- 1 2 3 "charts.org.nz - Discography Tears For Fears". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
- 1 2 "Tears for Fears in Swiss Charts". hitparade.ch. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
- 1 2 "Tears for Fears: Swedish Charts". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
- 1 2 "Tears for Fears - U.S. Billboard Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Scapolo, Dean (2007). The Complete New Zealand Music Charts: 1966–2006. Wellington: Dean Scapolo and Maurienne House. ISBN 978-1877443-00-8.
- ↑ "Official Charts > Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams". The Official UK Charts Company. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
- ↑ UK peak for "Everybody Loves a Happy Ending/Call Me Mellow": "Chart Log UK 1994–2010 > DJ T – Tzant". Dipl.-Bibl.(FH) Tobias Zywietz. Retrieved 2016-02-21.
- ↑ "Tears for Fears in Canadian Charts". RPM Magazine. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
- ↑ "Musicline.de - Chartverfolgung (Singles) - Tears for Fears". musicline.de. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
- ↑ "Tears for Fears: Irish Singles". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
- ↑ "Tears For Fears: Italian Charts (singles)". hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
- ↑ Allmusic staff. "((( Tears for Fears - Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles )))". Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-08-22.
- ↑ "discographies". Memories Fade dot com.