The Cure

The Cure’s Early Music History

The band began in 1970’s Southern England. Originally known as Easy Cure, its lineup has changed many times in its long history. The Cure’s most reliable founding members are lead singer Robert Smith and bassist Simon Gallup. They were considered a punk band at the time of their first album’s release, Three Imaginary Boys (1979). However, they had a melodic arrangement and deep lyrics that set them apart from other punk bands.

The band’s imagery has always leaned toward a romanticized macabre feel. Smith, the primary lyricist, is also an artist in his own right and his fascination with the dark side of humanity has made the band accessible to the gothic youth culture. Like Depeche Mode, The Cure’s reputation is often synonymous with depressed teenagers with too much eyeliner. However, it would be criminal to dismiss their musical significance.

The Cure has steadily released albums since their 1979 debut. It wasn’t until 1982 that the defiantly unmarketable band made the UK Top Ten chart with Pornography. Naysayers sat up to take notice when that happened. It wasn’t long before The Cure started charting modest successes in America with singles like “Let’s Go To Bed” and “Lovecats”.

They Make It Big

Although they transcended all mainstream genres, The Cure wasn’t necessarily a cookie cutter goth or punk band, either. For every drawn out, melancholy symphony, they also had a catchy, almost cute song to go with it. One thing was certain: no matter what music The Cure produced, it was hard not to tune in. In the early 90’s, it wasn’t uncommon to find the most mainstream of consumers at a Cure concert.

1989’s Disintegration went platinum in America, something that would have sounded insane to Cure fans ten years earlier. It is proof positive that consistently good work will pay off in the end. By 1992, when Wish was released, even cheerleaders had the CD in their collection. This may have been to the dismay of long-term faithfuls, but The Cure would be considered an outright pop band during this era.

Although the band has experienced many personnel changes and various emotional roller coasters, Robert Smith is still king of the dark romantics. Subsequent albums since the band hit it big in the early 90’s have failed to capture the same commercial success. They have however, been released to critical success and to most artists, that is much more important in the long run.

Albums

• Three Imaginary Boys (1979)
• Boys Don't Cry (1980)
• Seventeen Seconds (1980)
• Faith (1981)
• Pornography (1982)
• Japanese Whispers (1983)
• The Top (1984)
• Concert- Live (1984)
• Head on the Door (1985)
• Staring at the Sea (1986)
• Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987)
• Disintegration (1989)
• Mixed Up (1990)
• Entreat-Live (1991)
• Wish (1992)
• Show-Live (1993)
• Paris-Live (1993)
• Wild Mood Swings (1996)
• Galore (1997)
• Bloodflowers (2000)
• Greatest Hits (2001)
• Join the Dots (2004)