The Hurting  by Tears For Fears

The 1983 album The Hurting is the debut of Tears For Fears and is considered one of the most iconic synth-pop and new wave albums.

The sound of the album combines synth-pop and new wave with elements of dark wave and post-punk, while it is a "loose concept album" based on the theories of Arthur Janov's "Primal Therapy". The influence of Arthur Janov's Primal Therapy is fundamental to The Hurting, as the band's very name ("Tears For Fears") comes from Janov's idea that tears function as a substitute for fears. The lyrics of the songs, mainly written by Roland Orzabal, focus on childhood traumas, isolation, and psychological anguish. The recording took place between 1981 and 1983. A large part of the early demos, like Suffer The Children, was recorded at Crescent Studios in Bath, England. The production was signed by Chris Hughes and Ross Cullum. Singles that stood out from The Hurting included Mad World, the duo's first major hit, Change, and Pale Shelter.

The album reached No. 1 on the UK charts, dethroning Michael Jackson's Thriller from the top (!) It went platinum in the United Kingdom and Canada, and has sold over 1,000,000 copies worldwide.