#18 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown: 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' by Tears For Fears (1985)

Now for #18 of VJ Samsonite's Top 100 80's Dance Hits Countdown, and it is Everybody Wants To Rule The World, by British synth-pop/new-wave group Tears For Fears. Tears For Fears started out in Bath, UK in 1981 and was formed by Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith following the dissolution of their former band called Graduate. Everybody Wants To Rule The World comes off of their 2nd (and most successful) studio album Songs From The Big Chair (released in February of 1985) and would clench #1 on various charts including the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart, the Canadian Singles Chart, and the New Zealand Single Chart, while hitting the #2 spot on the UK Singles Chart, and the Australian Singles Chart. In the USA this was no doubt one of their biggest hits, and most memorable in my mind as well. This song was a last minute add-on to this album before its final production and release, and it was later featured on the soundtracks for many films including Real Genius (1985), Peter's Friends (1992), Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997), Click (2006), Watchmen (2009), and Middle Men (film) (2010). This is one of the great 80's songs of all time in my mind, capturing that classic new-wave post-apocalyptic sound and message and it will live on to be played for years to come I am sure.