Everybody Wants to Rule the World was the third single released from Tears for Fears acclaimed second album, Songs From the Big Chair, and it immediately propelled them to success, especially in the wave of British synths bands popular in the US. Originally titled Everybody Wants to Go To War, the song is built around a bouncy 12/8 shuffle feel – a far cry from the moody sound of their debut album, but still retaining the bands signature sounds of guitars, synths and robotic drum machines.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World was the last song to be recorded for the album and was put together in less than two weeks, much shorter than other tracks on the album. The track helped Songs From the Big Chair became an 80s milestone, and one that has aged considerably well, with songs being used in Donnie Darko, Ready Player One and The Hunger Games.

Tears for Fears were keen explorers of the fledgling technology of the era, including the Fairlight CMI as a sampler and sequencer, drum machines such as the LinnDrum, Drumulator and Oberheim DMX, and the brand new Yamaha DX7, released a year prior to recording. Many of the sounds in Everybody Wants to Rule the World are layered sounds, a recording technique made easier with the introduction of MIDI sequencing.