March 22, 1985. A song was released that would become one of the most enduring anthems of the 20th century. It hit number 1 in America for two weeks, topped charts in Canada and New Zealand, won the 1986 Brit Award for Best Single, and has since been streamed billions of times . But here's the incredible part: it almost didn't make the album. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" was a last-minute addition during recording sessions. Roland Orzabal played two chords on acoustic guitar, and producer Chris Hughes convinced him to pursue it. Two weeks later, it was finished—the final track added to Songs from the Big Chair . The original chorus was "everybody wants to go to war." Orzabal found it lackluster. When they changed it to "rule the world," everything clicked . The beat was inspired by Simple Minds' "Waterfront"—a shuffle rhythm "alien to our normal way of doing things," Orzabal said, but it made the song "jolly rather than square and rigid" . The lyrics work on multiple levels: Cold War anxiety ("Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down"), environmental destruction ("Turn your back on mother nature"), and the fleeting nature of success ("Nothing ever lasts forever") . The music video, directed by Nigel Dick, was filmed in Las Vegas, the Salton Sea, and Cabazon. Curt Smith later admitted it was a "disaster"—the director was "in tears" on the second night . Yet it became an MTV staple. Then, in 2022, something remarkable happened. TikTok rediscovered the song. A new generation fell in love. The band responded: "We released this song in 1985. This week, it charted in the Top 50 on Spotify. Thank you TikTok" . By 2026, the song was still charting—appearing on UK charts in January and February, proving that some songs never fade . This image is that tension. The ambition. The cost. The walls that keep tumbling down. Follow @CommonChordUSA for the moments when music outlasts everything. #FYP #viral2026 #TearsForFears #RuleTheWorld #commonchordusa Sound: Tears for Fears - Everybody Wants to Rule the World - @commonchordusa