Biography
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Years Active
1977 – present (49 years)
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Founded In
Crawley, West Sussex, England, United Kingdom
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Members
- Andy Anderson (1983 – 1984)
- Boris Williams (1985 – 1993)
- Jason Cooper (1995 – present)
- Lol Tolhurst (1977 – 1989)
- Matthieu Hartley (1979 – 1980)
The Cure are an English band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band’s current lineup consists of Smith, Simon Gallup (bass), Roger O'Donnell (keyboards), Perry Bamonte (guitar and keyboards), Jason Cooper (drums), and Reeves Gabrels (guitar). Smith has been the sole constant member throughout the group’s history, while Gallup has appeared on all but two of the band’s studio albums.
Their debut album Three Imaginary Boys (1979), along with several early singles, established them as a leading act in the emerging genres of post-punk and new wave in the United Kingdom. With their second album Seventeen Seconds (1980), the band developed a darker, more atmospheric sound that became influential in the formation of gothic rock. This stylistic direction continued through albums such as Faith (1981) and Pornography (1982). Following these albums' significantly bleak direction, Smith began to integrate more melodic and pop-oriented elements into the band’s music, broadening their appeal and leading to international commercial success. The band retained their gothic stylings while flirting with pop rock and jangle pop on The Top (1984), The Head on the Door (1985), and especially the wildly eclectic double album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987).
The Cure reached their greatest mainstream popularity with Disintegration (1989) and the comparatively baggy indie-oriented Wish (1992), recorded with guitarist Porl Thompson and drummer Boris Williams. These albums produced several of the band’s best-known songs and secured their reputation as one of the most influential alternative rock bands of the era.
Over their career, The Cure have released 14 studio albums, two EPs, and more than 40 singles, with global sales exceeding 30 million records. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. Their 14th studio album, Songs of a Lost World (2024), was their first album of entirely new material in 16 years, and received widespread critical acclaim, reaching number one in multiple countries including the United Kingdom where it became their first chart-topping album since 1992.
Studio albums
Three Imaginary Boys (1979)
Seventeen Seconds (1980)
Faith (1981)
Pornography (1982)
The Top (1984)
The Head on the Door (1985)
Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987)
Disintegration (1989)
Wish (1992)
Wild Mood Swings (1996)
Bloodflowers (2000)
The Cure (2004)
4:13 Dream (2008)
Songs of a Lost World (2024)
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