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Song · Tears for Fears

“Mad World” by Tears for Fears

From the album The Hurting (1983)

“Mad World” by Tears for Fears appears on 31 radio countdowns from 12 stations between 1982 and 2023. It was first released in 1983 on the album The Hurting. Its best result is #5 on the John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1982. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #6 alternative song of 1983, #897 alternative song of all time and #36 of the '80s.

31countdowns
12stations
#5best position
0#1 finishes
3top 10 finishes
1982–2023years charted

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1982 5 John Peel (BBC Radio 1) John Peel's Festive Fifty of 1982 50
1983 7 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1983 107
1983 6 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1983 91
1984 54 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1984 91

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 163 WLIR / WDRE WLIR Top 200 Songs of the 1980s 200
1988 184 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1988) 496
1988 91 Live 105 Live 105 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1988) 501
1989 126 91X 91X Top 191 Songs of the 1980s (1989) 191
1989 48 WFNX WFNX Top 101 Songs of the Decade (December 1989) 101
1989 57 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1989) 495
1990 105 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1990) 299
1991 260 Live 105 Live 105 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (Memorial Day 1991) 302
1991 169 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (1991 Edition) 1002
1996 328 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1998 416 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1998) 488
1999 402 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 547 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
2002 1000 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 892 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2044 Songs of All-Time (July 2003) 2044
2004 328 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 500
2005 402 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 500
2006 450 Virgin Radio Virgin Radio Top 500 Songs of All-Time (December 2006) 500
2007 1491 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2008 1432 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 1455 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 1485 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 1553 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 1539 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 1583 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2022 491 KEXP KEXP Top Songs of the Last 50 Years (1972-2022) 491
2023 41 91X 91X Top 91 Songs of The Last 40 Years 91

Charting alongside it in 1983

Best songs of 1983 →
  1. 1The LovecatsThe Cure
  2. 2New Year's DayU2
  3. 3In a Big CountryBig Country
  4. 4Never StopEcho and the Bunnymen
  5. 5Union of the SnakeDuran Duran
  6. 7I ConfessThe English Beat