Shout (Tears for Fears song)

"Shout"
Single by Tears for Fears
from the album Songs from the Big Chair
B-side"The Big Chair"
Released23 November 1984[1]
StudioThe Wool Hall (Beckington, England)
Genre
Length
  • 6:31 (album version)
  • 6:00 (video version)
  • 4:52 (single version)
  • 3:59 (U.S. single version)
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Chris Hughes
Tears for Fears singles chronology
"Mothers Talk"
(1984) 		"Shout"
(1984) 		"Everybody Wants to Rule the World"
(1985)
Audio sample
"Shout"
Music video
"Shout" on YouTube

"Shout" is a song by English pop rock band Tears for Fears, released as the second single from their second studio album, Songs from the Big Chair (1985), on 23 November 1984.[1] Roland Orzabal is the lead singer on the track, and he described it as "a simple song about protest".[5] The single became the group's fourth Top 5 hit in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at No. 4 in January 1985. In the US, it reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on 3 August 1985 and remained there for three weeks; also topping the Cash Box chart. "Shout" became one of the most successful songs of 1985, eventually reaching No. 1 in multiple countries.

Featuring a repetitive hook and a synth-drone throughout, "Shout" is regarded as one of the most recognizable songs from the mid-eighties, with Chris True of AllMusic viewing it as Tears for Fears' defining moment.[6] The song has been covered, remixed and sampled by many artists since its release. In 2010, it was used as the basis for the UK-chart–topping song "Shout" (performed by an ensemble featuring Dizzee Rascal and actor James Corden), an unofficial anthem of the England football team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

  1. ^ a b "Record News". NME. London, England. 17 November 1984. p. 46.
  2. ^ Lecaro, Lina. "Almost Acoustic Christmas Plugs into Power". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  3. ^ "Tears for Fears' Curt Smith". CMJ New Music Monthly. No. 91. March 2001. p. 81. ISSN 1074-6978.
  4. ^ Smith, Troy L. (13 May 2021). "Every No. 1 song of the 1980s ranked from worst to best". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 30 January 2023.
  5. ^ "How Tears for Fears Found a Way to 'Shout' Their Way to No. 1". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  6. ^ True, Chris. "Shout – Song Review". AllMusic. Retrieved 22 July 2013.