Mad World

"Mad World"
"Mad World"
Single by Tears for Fears
from the album The Hurting
B-side	"Ideas as Opiates"; "Saxophones as Opiates";
Released	20 September 1982
Recorded	July 1982
Studio	Britannia Row (mixed at Crescent Studios and Air Studios)
Genre	Synth-pop; new wave; new pop; art-pop;
Length	3:30
Label	Phonogram; Mercury;
Songwriter(s)	Roland Orzabal
Producer(s)	Chris Hughes; Ross Cullum;
Tears for Fears singles chronology
Music video
	"Mad World" on YouTube

"Mad World" is a 1982 song by British band Tears for Fears. Written by Roland Orzabal and sung by bassist Curt Smith, it was the band's third single release and first chart hit, reaching number three on the UK Singles Chart in November 1982. Both "Mad World" and its B-side, "Ideas as Opiates", appeared on the band's debut LP The Hurting (1983). This single was also the band's first international success, reaching the Top 40 in several countries in 1982–83.

"Mad World" has since been covered by various artists, including a 2001 version recorded by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules for the soundtrack of the film Donnie Darko; a 2003 single release of the song reached number one in the UK for three consecutive weeks and won Orzabal his second Ivor Novello Award.^[6] A 2021 rendition of the song was included on Demi Lovato's album Dancing with the Devil... the Art of Starting Over.

The cover photo was taken at Round Pond in Kensington Gardens (London, England).

^ Buckley, Jonathan; Lewis, Justin (1996). Rock: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-85828-201-5. ... brooding synth-pop ...
^ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (25 February 2022). "Tears for Fears are older, wiser and still anguished in The Tipping Point". Financial Times. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
^ Majewski, Lori; Bernstein, Jonathan (15 April 2014). Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs That Defined the 1980s. United States. ISBN 9781613126660. Retrieved 5 September 2016.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
^ Horton, Matthew (2015). "Tears for Fears - "Mad World". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. New York: Universe. p. 507.
^ Murray, Robin (19 December 2023). "When People Run In Circles: Gary Jules And 'Mad World' | Features". Clash. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
^ "Ivor Novello Awards 2004 (East Anglian Daily Times 24)". East Anglian Daily Times. 28 May 2004. Retrieved 28 September 2014.

[1] Buckley, Jonathan; Lewis, Justin (1996). Rock: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides. ISBN 978-1-85828-201-5. ... brooding synth-pop ...

[FT-2] Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (25 February 2022). "Tears for Fears are older, wiser and still anguished in The Tipping Point". Financial Times. Retrieved 28 February 2022.

[3] Majewski, Lori; Bernstein, Jonathan (15 April 2014). Mad World: An Oral History of New Wave Artists and Songs That Defined the 1980s. United States. ISBN 9781613126660. Retrieved 5 September 2016.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[1001_2015-4] Horton, Matthew (2015). "Tears for Fears - "Mad World". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die. New York: Universe. p. 507.

[5] Murray, Robin (19 December 2023). "When People Run In Circles: Gary Jules And 'Mad World' | Features". Clash. Retrieved 19 December 2023.

[6] "Ivor Novello Awards 2004 (East Anglian Daily Times 24)". East Anglian Daily Times. 28 May 2004. Retrieved 28 September 2014.

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