41 Years Ago, Tears for Fears' 'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' Hit No. 1
Most bands would be ecstatic to have just one of their songs reach No. 1 in the United States. In the summer of 1985, British group Tears for Fears hit No. 1 with two different songs within the span of several weeks.
Forty-one years ago today--June 8, 1985--the first of those two songs, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," began a two-week stay atop the Billboard Hot 100. On August 3, "Shout," the band's second single off 1985's Songs From the Big Chair, would also reach No. 1.
While both have been enduring hits, "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is not only Tears for Fears' signature song, but arguably one of the greatest pop songs of the 1980s and all time.
The buildup
After experiencing success in the United Kingdom with 1983's The Hurting, Tears for Fears released Songs From the Big Chair on February 23, 1985. The group had already unveiled the album's first two singles, "Mothers Talk" and "Shout," in August and November of the prior year.
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" debuted on March 18, 1985 and quickly gained traction, leading to its eventual climb to the top in June.
The aftermath
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Cashbox charts in the United States, and also went No. 1 in Canada and New Zealand. The song, with its new wave and synth-pop sound and catchy, albeit cutting lyrics about corruption and the desire for power and control, peaked at No. 2 in Ireland, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" has continued to have a lasting impact over 40 years later. In 2023, Billboard ranked the quintessential 1980s pop song 28th on its list of the 500 Best Pop Songs of All Time.
"Musically, everything about "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" is pitch-perfect and sounds completely of its time," Billboard said. "It's a sparse, dreamy track bolstered by sparse, dreamy synth chords and a trance-like bass pulse that blossoms, instrumentally, in the lead-in to the chorus ("So glad we've almost made it / So sad they had to fade it"). Then, the song resolves its tight melody on the very name of the song. But really, it's space that makes the song work - space enough to let feelings and thoughts linger."
In April 2026, Grunge's Richard Milner cited the "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" as one of the five songs from 1985 "thar define rock history."
"The true brilliance of this chart-topper from the British pop-rock band lies in how jangly and upbeat the production is paired with grim lyrics about war-mongering and defying Mother Nature ("There's a room where the light won't find you/ Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down" is a particularly terrifying example)," Milner wrote. "It's a perfect snapshot of the glossy, greedy '80s: power-grabbing, but make it pop."
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 2:39 AM.