{"id":475211,"date":"2026-03-14T12:29:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-14T12:29:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/475211\/"},"modified":"2026-03-14T12:29:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-14T12:29:14","slug":"loving-this-cover-tears-for-fears-give-harry-styles-performance-of-their-biggest-hit-the-seal-of-approval-but-was-there-a-more-appropriate-version-he-could-have-sung","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/475211\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cLoving this cover!\u201d: Tears For Fears give Harry Styles\u2019 performance of their biggest hit the seal of approval, but was there a more appropriate version he could have sung?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Harry Styles is making a habit of covering classic British pop songs from the \u201880s. Six years ago, he and his band gave a widely acclaimed and much-viewed performance of Peter Gabriel\u2019s Sledgehammer on the Howard Stern Show, and now they\u2019ve turned their hands to another of the era\u2019s banger \u2013 Everybody Wants To Rule The World by Tears For Fears.<\/a><\/p>\n

The occasion was a session in BBC Radio 1\u2019s Live Lounge. Styles performed four tracks from his new album. Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally<\/a>. \u2013 Aperture<\/a>, American Girls, Dance No More and Carla’s Song \u2013 before turning his attention to Curt Smith and Roland<\/a> Orzabal\u2019s 1985 masterpiece.<\/p>\n

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While we don\u2019t think it slaps quite as hard as his Gabriel cover, Styles certainly does the song justice, giving us a cover that sticks pretty faithfully to the original blueprint.<\/p>\n

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Harry Styles – Everybody Wants To Rule The World (Tears For Fears cover) in the Live Lounge – YouTube
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The performance didn\u2019t escape the notice of Tears For Fears themselves \u2013 or someone on their social media team, at least. Reposting the clip on Instagram<\/a>, the band said \u201cLoving this cover by Harry Styles for BBC Radio 1!\u201d<\/p>\n

Styles probably didn\u2019t have to worry that some of his younger fans would be unfamiliar with the song, either. Everybody Wants To Rule The World is still racking up big numbers on streaming, and its appearances in films such as Despicable Me 4 and Marty Supreme (over the end credits) have kept it firmly on the pop culture radar.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, he\u2019s not the first artist of his generation to cover it. Lorde gave it a more somber treatment<\/a> when she recorded the song for the soundtrack to Hunger Games: Catching Fire in 2013, receiving critical acclaim in the process.<\/p>\n

Back to Styles, though, and we have to wonder if, as a keen marathon runner, he missed a trick by not covering the lesser-known, reworked version of Everybody Wants To Rule The World that was released in 1986: Everybody Wants To Run The World.<\/p>\n

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Re-recorded in partnership with Sport Aid, the athletic spin-off of Band Aid and Live Aid, this adapted the title and lyric to promote the 10km charity fun run that was being held.<\/p>\n

In a photoshoot for his recent interview with Runner\u2019s World<\/a>, Styles was even seen wearing a \u2018Run The World\u2019 T-shirt. How hard would it have been for him to join the dots?<\/p>\n

Everybody Wants To Run The World – YouTube
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