"Shout" is a song by the British band Tears for Fears. Written by Roland Orzabal and Ian Stanley and sung by Orzabal (with Curt Smith duetting on the chorus), it was the band's eighth single release (the second taken from their second LP Songs from the Big Chair) and sixth UK Top 40 hit, peaking at #4 in January 1985. In the USA, it reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on August 3, 1985 and remained there for three weeks. "Shout" would become one of the most successful pop songs of 1985, eventually reaching the Top Ten in 25 countries.

While Tears for Fears' previous single "Mothers Talk" had showcased a new, more extroverted songwriting style, "Shout" was a synth-rock anthem, complete with power chords, heavy percussion, a bass solo and female backing vocals. The song even features a lengthy guitar solo, something previously unheard of in Tears for Fears' music.

We were halfway through recording 'Shout' when Roland had a birthday party. That evening I asked the four of them separately if they had any thoughts about sleeve notes for the record. Roland said "White text on black paper and say something about arguably the best offering yet." Curt said "You're probably the best person to make up some off the wall irrelevant drivel." Ian said "I don't like them, I'm not interested." Manny said "Did you know I used to play drums for 'Rocky Ricketts and The Jet Pilots of Jive?"

"Shout" is by far the most abundantly remixed song in the Tears for Fears catalog, with at least fifteen different versions of it having been officially released under the band's name.

As was commonplace during the 1980s, the original 12" vinyl single release featured an extended remix of the song. Three remixes by collaborators Steve Thompson and Michael Barbiero later appeared on American releases of the single, including dub and a cappella versions. More recently, remixes have been done by notable DJs such as Jakatta, Fergie, Skylark and Beatchuggers. It was also remixed in the video game DJ Hero, where the song was mixed with Pjanoo.

In addition to the twelve-inch mixes, "Shout" also appeared in three different 7" versions. The original single version released in the UK and much of the rest of the world clocks in at 5:53 and is the same mix of the song found on the Songs from the Big ChairLP, albeit in an edited form. The version released in Germany and Japan is 4:51 in length and fades out during the guitar solo. Meanwhile, the final version released in America is specifically tailored for radio play at a concise 3:59 in length, featuring edits to the chorus and instrumental sections.

In addition to the standard 7" and 12" releases, the "Shout" single was issued in two collectible formats in the UK: a limited edition 10" single and a 7" boxed pack featuring a 1985 Tears for Fears calendar. A similar limited edition 7" pack was released in Canada, this one featuring a 12-page booklet of band photos. In 1988, "Shout" was reissued on the short-lived CD Video format. The disc included two mixes of the title track, a remix of "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", and the "Shout" music video.

"The Big Chair" is an instrumental that served as the B-side to the "Shout" single. The only lyrics are dialogue samples from the movie Sybil, from which the song (and the album Songs from the Big Chair) takes its name. This is one of the few songs in the Tears for Fears catalogue on which founding member Curt Smith shares a writing credit. The song has since been included in the b-sides and rarities collection Saturnine Martial & Lunaticas well as the remastered and deluxe edition reissues of Songs from the Big Chair.

The promotional clip for "Shout", filmed in late 1984, was the second Tears for Fears clip directed by famed music video producer Nigel Dick. It features footage of Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith at Durdle Door in Dorset, England, as well as a studio jam with the full band (including Ian Stanley and Manny Elias) performing the song amidst a crowd of family and friends. The video reportedly cost only £14,000 to produce. Along with the clip for "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", the "Shout" video had a big hand in helping break Tears for Fears in America, due to its heavy airplay on music video pioneer MTV. Ironically, the band had at one time considered making a second video for the song's American single release, as the original was not considered MTV friendly.

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"Shout" has been covered by the following artists:

Joan Baez and the Neville Brothers performed the song during the Conspiracy of Hope tour to support Amnesty International in June 1986.

Also in 1986, Weird Al Yankovic performed a polka version of the chorus in the track "Polka Party!" from the album of the same name.

In addition, "Shout" was sampled by American gospel/hip hop artist Kirk Franklin in his song "Let It Go", from the album Hero(2005). The song was also sampled for Girl Talk's remix of the Grizzly Bear song "Knife", along with the Clipse song "Wamp Wamp (What It Do)".

The music video game DJ Herofeatures "Shout" in a mashup with Eric Prydz's "Pjanoo" as a playable track.

Was formerly the song played in the Mellon Arena when the Pittsburgh Penguins were scored against.

In 2002, "Shout" was referenced in the title of a two-part episode of Canadian teen drama Degrassi: The Next Generation, a series known for naming many episodes after 1980s hit songs.

In 2007, the song was featured in an episode of the USA Network television dramedy Psych(titled "American Duos"), in which the two main characters perform it on stage in a spoof of American Idol.

Sunday January 11, 2009-Cold Case Season 6 episode Breaking News closed out the airing with Shout.

Former Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Brian Shouse would walk to the mound and warm up to the song Shout.

"Suffer the Children" · "Pale Shelter" · "Mad World" · "Change" · "The Way You Are" · "Mothers Talk" · " Shout " · "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" · "Head Over Heels" · "I Believe (A Soulful Re-Recording)" · "Everybody Wants to Run the World" · "Sowing the Seeds of Love" · "Woman in Chains" · "Advice for the Young at Heart" · "Famous Last Words" · "Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams" · "Laid So Low (Tears Roll Down)" · "Break It Down Again" · "Cold" · "Goodnight Song" · "Elemental" · "Raoul and the Kings of Spain" · "God's Mistake" · "Secrets" · "Falling Down" · "Closest Thing to Heaven" · "Everybody Loves a Happy Ending/Call Me Mellow" · "Secret World"