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Few bands cover as much emotional ground as The Cure. Robert Smith’s band has made bleak, minimal post-punk, gloriously silly pop singles, swirling gothic epics and heartfelt love songs, often within the same year. More than four decades after their debut, they are alternative rock royalty, and their 2024 album Songs of a Lost World showed they can still make some of their best music.
| Formed | 1976 (as Easy Cure), Crawley, England |
| Leader | Robert Smith (vocals, guitar, songwriter) |
| Long-time members | Simon Gallup (bass), Roger O’Donnell (keyboards), Jason Cooper (drums), Reeves Gabrels (guitar) |
| Founding members | Robert Smith, Michael Dempsey, Lol Tolhurst |
| Genres | Post-punk, gothic rock, new wave, alternative rock |
| Hall of Fame | Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2019 |
Smith formed Easy Cure in 1976 with schoolmates including bassist Michael Dempsey and drummer Lol Tolhurst, playing around southern England. By 1978 they had become a trio called simply The Cure and signed with Chris Parry’s new Fiction label. Their debut Three Imaginary Boys (1979) was sparse and wiry, and singles such as “Boys Don’t Cry” and “Jumping Someone Else’s Train” built a following.
With Simon Gallup on bass, the band turned inward. Seventeen Seconds (1980), with the hypnotic single “A Forest,” Faith (1981) and the crushing Pornography (1982) are bleak, atmospheric and hugely influential on gothic rock.
Exhausted by that darkness, Smith deliberately made pop singles: “Let’s Go to Bed” (1982), “The Walk” and the jazzy “The Lovecats” (1983), collected on Japanese Whispers. Director Tim Pope’s playful videos helped make the band MTV favorites.
Pop and darkness in balance, with “In Between Days” and “Close to Me.”
A sprawling double album that included “Just Like Heaven,” their first U.S. top-40 hit.
Their masterpiece: slow, lush and heartbreaking. “Lovesong,” “Pictures of You,” “Lullaby” and “Fascination Street” are all essential, and the album regularly appears on lists of the greatest of all time.
Their biggest commercial success, with “Friday I’m in Love” and “High.”
Sixteen years after their previous album, The Cure released a powerful meditation on loss and aging. Many critics ranked it alongside their classic work.
Smith’s smeared lipstick and wild hair made him one of rock’s most recognizable figures, but his songwriting is the real legacy. He has also become an advocate for fans, publicly pushing back against inflated ticket prices.
The Cure helped invent gothic rock, scored new wave hits and became a cornerstone of college radio and alternative music. Their influence can be heard in bands as different as Interpol, Deftones, The 1975 and M83. Our guide to new wave vs. alternative rock explains why they belong to both.
Siouxsie and the Banshees, Depeche Mode, New Order, Echo & the Bunnymen, Clan of Xymox and Interpol.
As Easy Cure in 1976, becoming The Cure in 1978.
Disintegration (1989) is most often named.
All three at different times. They are best described as alternative rock pioneers.
Yes. They released Songs of a Lost World in 2024.
The Cure are part of The Alternative One’s DNA, from “A Forest” to their latest songs. Catch it on The Modern Rock Radio Show, check the radio show schedule, or press play on the live stream. Want a specific song? Send a request or dedication.
About this article: Written and fact-checked by The Alternative One editorial team, the programmers and music writers behind the station’s on-air shows. Official artist website: www.thecure.com. Last reviewed October 2, 2026. Read our editorial standards or tell us about a correction.
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