Mad Mad World

This article is about the Tom Cochrane album. For the British panel show, see Mad Mad World (TV series). For similar uses, see Mad World (disambiguation).

Mad Mad World
Original Canadian cover
Studio album by Tom Cochrane
Released	September 19, 1991
Recorded	1991
Genre	Rock
Length	64:20
Label	Capitol
Producer	Joe Hardy (track 13 produced by Tom Cochrane)
Tom Cochrane chronology
Hang on to Your Resistance (1974) Mad Mad World (1991) Ragged Ass Road (1995)
Singles from Mad Mad World
"Life Is a Highway" Released: September 20, 1991 "No Regrets" Released: 1991 "Sinking Like a Sunset" Released: 1992 "Mad Mad World" Released: 1992 "Washed Away" Released: 1992 "Bigger Man" Released: 1992
Alternative cover
International cover

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]

Mad Mad World is the second studio album by Canadian rock singer Tom Cochrane, originally released in 1991 in Canada and in the United States on February 17, 1992. The first single from the album, "Life Is a Highway", became a hit in late 1991, reaching number one in Canada and number six on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.^[2]

The album earned Cochrane four Juno Awards including Album of the Year, Single of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, and Songwriter of the Year. In addition, Cochrane won two SOCAN Awards and an ASCAP Award. Mad Mad World achieved a Diamond sales award in Canada for selling more than 1 million copies in Cochrane's native Canada.^[3] The album was certified Gold by the RIAA for album sales of more than 500,000 copies in the United States.^[4]

The album also included the hits "No Regrets" (No. 3 RPM Charts), "Sinking Like a Sunset" (No. 2 RPM Charts), "Washed Away" (No. 7 RPM Charts), "Bigger Man" and the title track "Mad Mad World". The album was produced by Joe Hardy and was recorded in Memphis, Tennessee and at three different Ontario studios: Metalworks Studios in Mississauga, Hungry Hollow Studio in Georgetown and at Cochrane's cabin in Oakville.

Upon the album's initial releases in the US and Canada, the album featured two different album covers. The original album cover (designed by Ralph Alfonso) was on the initial Canadian release in 1991, while the alternate album cover was on the US release for the album in 1992. The alternate cover is now the main album cover for the album.

On October 28, 2016, Cochrane released an expanded 25th-anniversary edition of the album. Included on the expanded album is "Love Is a Highway", the original demo version of the album's first single, and a second disc featuring a concert recorded on May 14, 1992, on the Mad Mad World Tour in Chicago, Illinois.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Tom Cochrane unless otherwise noted

Mad Mad World track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Life Is a Highway"		4:26
2.	"Mad Mad World"		4:56
3.	"No Regrets"		4:38
4.	"Sinking Like a Sunset"	Annette Ducharme	5:45
5.	"Washed Away"		5:20
6.	"Everything Comes Around"		4:32
7.	"The Secret Is to Know When to Stop"	Cochrane, John Cody	4:19
8.	"Brave and Crazy"		5:51
9.	"Bigger Man"		4:26
10.	"Friendly Advice"		4:27
11.	"Get Back Up"		4:39
12.	"Emotional Truth"		5:59
13.	"All the King's Men"		4:33
14.	"Love Is a Highway" (25th anniversary edition bonus track)

25th anniversary edition: Disc two (Live in Chicago, originally broadcast on Westwood One)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"No Regrets"
2.	"Victory Day"
3.	"Sinking Like a Sunset"
4.	"White Hot"
5.	"Big League"
6.	"Friendly Advice"
7.	"Lunatic Fringe"
8.	"Get Back Up"
9.	"Brave and Crazy"
10.	"Life Is a Highway"
11.	"Mad Mad World"
12.	"Boy Inside the Man"

Personnel

• Tom Cochrane – vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, piano, harmonica, percussion, bass, keyboards, slide guitar
• John Webster – percussion, piano, organ
• Spider Sinnaeve – bass
• Mickey Curry – drums
• Kim Mitchell – lead guitar on "Brave and Crazy"
• Mladen – guitar
• Keith Scott – guitar on "Sinking Like a Sunset"
• David Gogo – guitar
• Joe Hardy – percussion
• Dave Harding – viola
• Molly Johnson – backing vocals
• John Cody – backing vocals
• Annette Ducharme – backing vocals
• Kathy Cochrane – backing vocals
• Joe Hardy – producer (except "All the King's Men")
• Noel Golden – engineer
• Joe Hardy – production, engineering, mixing, percussion
• Bob Shindle – engineer
• John Bailey – engineer
• Bob Ludwig – mastering
• Great Southern Memphis Section – horns, horn arrangements
• Peter Schenkman – cello

Charts

Chart performance for Mad Mad World

Chart (1991–1992)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[5]	46
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[6]	1
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[7]	8
US Billboard 200[8]	46

References

1. AllMusic review
2. "Artist Chart History - Tom Cochrane". billboard.com. Retrieved 2008-11-20.
3. "Gold Platinum Database: Tom Cochrane - Mad Mad World". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2011-12-21.
4. "Search for Tom Cochrane". RIAA.com. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
5. "Australiancharts.com – Tom Cochrane – Mad Mad World". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
6. "Top RPM Albums: Issue 1689". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
7. "Charts.nz – Tom Cochrane – Mad Mad World". Hung Medien. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
8. "Tom Cochrane Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved January 3, 2022.