This series is back on track this week with a new Number One song for this week in 1985: On June 8, 1985, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” (video up top) by English pop rock duo Tears for Fears reached Number One on the USA’s Billboard “Hot 100”, and remained there for two weeks. The song was the third single from their second album, Songs from the Big Chair.
I first heard of Tears for Fears when they released their first studio album, 1982’s The Hurting., and that was mostly because their song Mad World”. which I loved, primarily because I saw the music video for the song, which was their first video. I did not, however, buy the album, but a friend let me tape their copy (that tape is long gone).
When “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” was released, it was played on the radio a LOT, and that can make me get tired of a song. For whatever reason, that didn’t happen with this song, and to this day I still like it when it comes on the radio—though that’s now rare because I only listen to the radio in the car when I’m running errands here in town.
I bought the album Songs from the Big Chair, which I left behind in the USA. However, I bought an anniversary collection of their early albums from iTunes (as it was called then…). And that I still have. The collection included several remixes, and “Everybody Wants to Rule the World” was one of them.
I used to follow Curt Smith on Twitter back in the day (Roland Orzabal was apparently never on it), and thought he was quite interesting (in fact, I was on his email list for quite some time, too). I think I may have traded Tweets with him at some point, and he may even have followed me back (the only celebrity I know for sure followed me back was Stephen Fry, though I think a few others may have, too). That was all way back, at time when Twitter was still fun, before it was subsumed into the pool of fetid slime it would become (that was well before Elon bought it, by which time it was already becoming a hellscape).
“Everybody Wants to Rule the World” reached Number 2 in Australia (5x Platinum), Number One in Canada (Gold) and in New Zealand (5x Platinum), Number 2 in the UK (4x Platinum), and Number One on the USA’s Billboard “Hot 100” and “Hot Dance Club Play” charts, as well as Number 2 on their “Adult Contemporary” chart. It was also reached Number One on the USA’s Cash Box “Top 100” chart. The song wasn’t certified in the USA.
The album Songs from the Big Chair reached Number 5 in Australia, Number One in Canada (7x Platinum), Number 2 in New Zealand (Platinum), Number 2 in the UK (3x Platinum), and Number One on the USA’s “Billboard 200”. It was Certified 5x Platinum in the USA.
This series will return June 22, 2025 with a brand new Number One single for that week—and the week after that, too.
Previously in the “Weekend Diversion – 1985” series:
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 1 – February 2, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 2 – February 16, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 3 – March 12, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 4 – March 30, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 5 – April 13, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 6 – May 11, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 7 – May 18, 2025
Weekend Diversion: 1985, Part 8 – June 1, 2025
2 comments:
This song feels like a stroll. It's always worked for me.
That's a perfect way of describing it!
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