Songs From the Big Chair

Quite simply one of the finest pop albums ever made

5

Because it brought back memories of a time when we couldn't get enough of hearing this...
Oops, I guess we still can't get enough ;-)
It's so, so good <3

80’s pop rock. Not my thing.

Megahitin ulkopuolella laimeaksi jäävä kasaripoppislevy. 2/5

I first heard this band on TV ads for one of those MEGAHITS OF THE 80s compilation CDs and though that 'Shout, shout, let it all out, these are the things I could do without' was a hilarious thing to say in a song. But you know what, there are things I could do without and if I could just shout to let them all out, I would love to. Everybody Wants to Rule the World rules. That little guitar intro thing that's pushed aside by the two synth chords, ooh baby! So simple, so effective, just pure pop perfection. Head Over Heels has an incredible piano riff that builds tension and releases into a floaty verse and propulsively off kilter chorus and some totally unique vocal delivery. The rest is full of cool tones and textures, angsty vocals, smooth sax, glossy simmering synth surfaces and rubbery bass and some of THE definitive 80s drum sounds. Drags a bit on the slow stuff in the middle. It's like if Splenda was an album.

Shout has to be one of the most iconic songs of the 80s. Instantly recognizable for anyone who has heard music before. And then Everybody Wants To Rule The World comes along and it's probably only slightly less iconic. It falls off a little after that but is a great album nonetheless. Perfectly encapsulates the pop music of 1985. I find it hard to rate this one too, 4 seems a little high but 3 isn't enough. We'll call it 3.75/5 and round up.

Pretty good! I liked it more than I thought I would.

Pure 80s

It was a shame the rest of the album wasn't like Everybody Wants To Rule The World because that song is a solid 10/10

Another 1 or 2 songs I knew and liked but overall the album was a bit boring

3 ⭐️

I admit I didn’t pay much attention to these guys back in the 80s. So I was storied by the strength of this album. Their orchestration sets a distinct mood. Good listen.

Finally an 80's album that is actually good.

Nice album. Shout and everybody wants to rule the world are classics.

Feels like a greatest hits record of the 1980’s. I really like shout and head over heels, the rest of the songs I don’t care much for. The entire production feels very 80’s cheese.

Luxurious mullets? Hilariously bad knitwear? Layer upon layer of synth? I'm not sure, but I might have landed back in the early 80s.

Which, in the case of this album, is no bad thing. This was always on heavy rotation in our house thanks to my two older brothers, so one I feel I know well. The big hits are there, but "Head over Heels" was always (and remains) my favourite - glossy, luscious, over the top production with soaring vocals - a thing of beauty.

Liked that!

This album was good, though the singles really keep it afloat. That being said Shout, Everybody and Head Over Heels are bangers. 3/5.

The opposite of a sophomore slump.

I was going to ding this by a star for "I Believe," but it's a perfectly executed soul ballad with the same self-observant attitude as the rest of the album, gently laying you down in front of the massive "Head Over Heels/Broken," which rips out your heart then gifts it back to you in a healed, refreshed state where you can now see the world a little more clearly, less shit-stained.

Brilliant album beginning to end, with that lush, mid-eighties gloss that can sound dated but here is effective as part of the music, magnifying the themes, spreading the music out. Simple without being boring. Huge without being obnoxious, or tedious. It just has a sincere character, unlike a lot of other so-called synth-pop/new wave from that era - not going to name names because Tears for Fears songwriting and musical chops elevate them to a level that exists sort of above any genre.

Unfortunately for us Orzabal and Curt Smith didn't get along well after the next album, maybe got steamrolled by their hype, who knows. Good to see they got back together later because this was a unique sound, great voices, great playing, great songwriting. "Songs from the Big Chair" has aged well, a superior example of what pop music sounde like inthe mid-eighties, and remains one of the best albums of all time.

Tolles 80er Wave Album mit unverwechselbaren Sounds und tollen Titeln. Let‘s „Shout“ about „Hands over Heels“ so that „Everybody wants to rule the world“ 😊. Leider sind nicht alle Songs so stark aber sie passen insgesamt ins Albumkonzept. Es ist eine tolle 3/4 Stunde back to the 80‘s 😊👍

80’s music doesn’t get much better than this. Many people tried, but Tears For Fears really mastered the formula.

While Side One contains the two most instantly recognizable songs, the album eventually peaks with “Head Over Heels”.

A great album. On a trip through California, I listened to a lot of "Tears for Fears" in the car. I didn't knew the album "Songs From The Big Chair", but a lot of it was on the best-of that I remember fondly. They were rightly on it. Nice to have heard this album in its entirety. It certainly wasn't the last time.
5/5