The Cure

About The Cure

The Cure formed around Robert Smith and Lol Tolhurst in 1976, with Three Imaginary Boys establishing them as key players in post-punk and new wave. That early material caught the emerging UK underground, but the real shift came with Seventeen Seconds, where the band developed the darker, more atmospheric approach that defined gothic rock itself. Faith and Pornography deepened this direction, creating a distinctive catalog that influenced countless bands working in darker territories.

By the mid-1980s, Smith began folding melody and pop sensibility into the gothic foundation, a move that took the band from underground credibility to genuine mainstream reach. Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me arrived in 1987 with a richer melodic approach, followed by Disintegration in 1989, widely regarded as their commercial and critical peak. Wish in 1992 continued this streak, and all three albums became defining records for anyone exploring alternative rock during that era. Smith remained the sole consistent member, though bassist Simon Gallup appeared on all but two studio albums across their catalog.

The Cure released 14 studio albums across their history, with global sales exceeding 30 million records and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019. Their 2024 album Songs of a Lost World brought entirely new material after 16 years, reaching number one in the UK and becoming their first chart-topping album since 1992. The Groove Hunter currently tracks 11 editions across titles including Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, The Head on the Door, Disintegration, Faith, and Pornography, providing collectors a snapshot of how these influential records circulate in the secondary market.