this is a fantastic little micro-ethnography and I am now extremely invested in why they are still so popular. Just FYI, looking at their new album, the first few songs have 2.3m, 3.9m, and 1m plays on Spotify - they are the #443rd artist in the WORLD with 11m monthly listeners-- more than Duran Duran (8m) and Depeche Mode (!!!) (10m).
Right? I found this Salon article which basically is like "well, maybe it's TikTok" but I went on TikTok and (since TikTok's search is the equivalent of closing your eyes in a library, spinning around, and randomly pointing at something) could not find any evidence that they are popular on TikTok. https://www.salon.com/2022/05/30/tears-for-fears-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-consideration/
Oh I forgot about that Kanye sample and Weeknd cover. That could explain things. Maybe. At least in the 90's I understood it was Donnie Darko that made them popular again. So mysterious!
this is a fantastic little micro-ethnography and I am now extremely invested in why they are still so popular. Just FYI, looking at their new album, the first few songs have 2.3m, 3.9m, and 1m plays on Spotify - they are the #443rd artist in the WORLD with 11m monthly listeners-- more than Duran Duran (8m) and Depeche Mode (!!!) (10m).
More than Depeche Mode??? That is STUNNING.
Right? I found this Salon article which basically is like "well, maybe it's TikTok" but I went on TikTok and (since TikTok's search is the equivalent of closing your eyes in a library, spinning around, and randomly pointing at something) could not find any evidence that they are popular on TikTok. https://www.salon.com/2022/05/30/tears-for-fears-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-consideration/
Oh I forgot about that Kanye sample and Weeknd cover. That could explain things. Maybe. At least in the 90's I understood it was Donnie Darko that made them popular again. So mysterious!
All of that about Tears For Fears, every bit of it... incredible. Also I love that circular screen onstage... Pink Floyd-ish
I was thinking that too! I guess I'm not the only one overly influenced by the Delicate Sound of Thunder tour.