Band
Holds writing credit on 70 of 70 tracks
Roland Orzabal, almost entirely. He is credited on 67 of the 70 tracks across seven studio albums and writes 24 of them alone. Curt Smith is on 14, and eight of those are from the 2004 reunion album Everybody Loves a Happy Ending. On the 1983 debut Smith sings but takes no writing credit at all.
Across all 70 tracks: how many Tears for Fears wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.
Share of all 70 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Percentage of all 70 tracks, across every album, where each member holds a credit - split by role.
| Member | Period | Lyrics | Music | Production | Performance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roland Orzabal | 1981-present | 96% |
96% |
31% |
1% |
| Curt Smith | 1981-1991, 2000-present | 20% |
20% |
0% |
0% |
| Ian Stanley | 1981-1987 | 7% |
7% |
0% |
0% |
| Manny Elias | 1981-1986 | 1% |
1% |
0% |
1% |
Tears for Fears's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
Where Tears for Fears sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
None of the signature songs above fall in this category.
All seven studio albums. The live records, including Songs for a Nervous Planet, and the compilations sit outside this catalogue.
Mercury / Phonogram
Mercury / Phonogram
Fontana
Phonogram / Mercury
Epic
New Door
Concord
No albums from this decade.
Tears for Fears70 tracksBubble size = tracks worked on together. AG Alan Griffiths · TP Tim Palmer · CP Charlton Pettus · CH Chris Hughes · RC Ross Cullum · DB Dave Bascombe
Data Insight
Orzabal writes 67 of the 70 album tracks and 24 of those are his alone. Curt Smith, the band's other voice, is credited on 14, and eight of those come on the 2004 reunion album after the pair had spent a decade apart. He sings "Pale Shelter" on the debut and takes no writing credit anywhere on it.
Quick Facts
Creative Fingerprint
One writer and one voice, only occasionally the same person.
The Story
Two singers, one writer. Roland Orzabal is credited on 67 of the 70 album tracks; Curt Smith sings some of the biggest songs of the 1980s and has his name on 14.