In a career spanning more than four decades, the Cure has established itself as one of the most distinctive acts in rock history.
The band’s heart is Robert Smith, a frontman whose stage presence and unique vocal delivery is unlike anything else in music. With a penchant for emotive tunes – ranging from dark and brooding to bright and bubbly – Smith has led the Cure for the entirety of the band’s existence.
Since forming in 1978, the group’s sound has evolved. Early efforts from the Cure had a decidedly post-punk feel, with new wave and even world music later thrown into the mix. Still, the band will always be associated with goth rock, the sub-genre they pioneered at the dawn of the ‘80s, mixing gloomy themes with haunting melodies.
READ MORE: The Cure Albums Ranked Worst to Best
Even as they later scored radio-friendly pop hits, the Cure never fully shook their goth rock branding. Smith, for his part, never minded the label – even if he didn’t fully understand it.
“I’m not bothered on a personal level,” the frontman once admitted. “I don’t worry about my epitaph, for instance. I don’t want to be remembered for anything in particular other than being in a pop group that was good.”
With more than 30 million albums sold and a legion of passionate fans across the globe, it’s fair to say the Cure was more than good. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019 and remains a popular and highly respected act.
Below, we’ve assembled our list of the best song from each of the band’s 13 albums.
