Producer Chris Hughes has revealed that Tears For Fears' 1985 chart-topper "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" came together so easily during recording that he initially doubted it had the makings of a hit. The song, taken from the band's second album, Songs From The Big Chair, went on to spend two weeks at number one, despite the group having no expectation it would eclipse earlier successes such as "Mad World", "Change" and "Shout".

Hughes, who produced the track alongside co-writers Roland Orzabal and Ian Stanley, said the single was mixed only once and recorded far more straightforwardly than other songs on the album, which involved extensive tape edits and technical setbacks. He described it as "bland as hell" in purely technical recording terms, but said its simplicity proved to be its strength, coming together in what he called "a very innocent moment". The song has since been covered by artists including Gloria Gaynor and Lorde, whose version featured in the 2013 film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.