The Cure – My Definitive Album Ranking
I was inspired to create this ranking of The Cure’s albums after years of reading various album reviews and album ranking lists among internet sites and magazines. Never before have I disagreed as strongly with the reviews of both critics and fans regarding the merits of a band’s body of work. I feel that The Cure have suffered from very biased and non-objective criticisms of their albums. The Cure is one of my favorite bands and I felt very compelled to use the internet as a medium to express my views on their music and the impact it has had on me. For the most part I attempt to keep my perspectives on each album as brief and concise as possible. Every word contained in each review and in the ranking overall are reflective of my own personal opinions as a devout fan of The Cure and of music in general. I do not pretend to be an authority whose opinion carries any more valid weight than any other. I am simply a fan and a lover of music. The following is simply my perspectives concerning The Cure’s album upon great consideration and deep thought. It is my opinion that each of The Cure’s albums has something important to offer and each album is worth earning a place in any music lover’s musical library. I hope readers can at least respect my perspectives and at the very least strive to look at some of their favorite Cure albums through a different lens upon reading my ranking and reviews.
13) Three Imaginary Boys (1979)
• Three Imaginary Boys was The Cure’s first album and it was analogous to The Cure’s first UK release Boys Don’t Cry, although some of the songs varied between the two releases, for example “Boys Don’t Cry” was not originally included on the U.S. release of Three Imaginary Boys. Songs such at 10:15 Saturday Night served as a startling indication of the music that The Cure was to create later on in their career. Three Imaginary Boys represents a fascinating listen. It is actually a much stronger debut release than many of The Cure’s 80’s contemporaries; it is certainly much stronger than Depeche Mode’s Speak & Spell, which was released around the same time. Songs such as “Fire in Cairo,” “Accuracy,” and “Three Imaginary Boys” are quite interesting. The Cure were obviously still creating their identity and would not eventually cultivate their signature sound for another five years. Still, Three Imaginary Boys is an important and ultimately essential addition to any music library.
12) Faith (1981)
• Faith basically followed the path created by Seventeen Seconds which was released a year before. The songs feel as if they were borne of the same ilk as those that were written and recorded for Seventeen Seconds. The production on Faith is more atmospheric and melancholy when compared to Seventeen Seconds, similar production methods, in my opinion, would have benefited the songs on Seventeen Seconds, which I feel were a stronger set than those on Faith. This supports my belief that both Seventeen Seconds and Faith were transitional albums for The Cure that reflect a band excitedly manifesting its musical and personal identity.
• The echoing vocals of “Other Voices” and the gloom and complexity of “The Drowning Man” present striking new directions for the band. Again, the 2005 Remastered Re-Issue simply fortifies this fact in making the cleaner, crisper, and deeper production values more salient to listeners.
I was inspired to create this ranking of The Cure’s albums after years of reading various album reviews and album ranking lists among internet sites and magazines. Never before have I disagreed as strongly with the reviews of both critics and fans regarding the merits of a band’s body of work. I feel that The Cure have suffered from very biased and non-objective criticisms of their albums. The Cure is one of my favorite bands and I felt very compelled to use the internet as a medium to express my views on their music and the impact it has had on me. For the most part I attempt to keep my perspectives on each album as brief and concise as possible. Every word contained in each review and in the ranking overall are reflective of my own personal opinions as a devout fan of The Cure and of music in general. I do not pretend to be an authority whose opinion carries any more valid weight than any other. I am simply a fan and a lover of music. The following is simply my perspectives concerning The Cure’s album upon great consideration and deep thought. It is my opinion that each of The Cure’s albums has something important to offer and each album is worth earning a place in any music lover’s musical library. I hope readers can at least respect my perspectives and at the very least strive to look at some of their favorite Cure albums through a different lens upon reading my ranking and reviews.
13) Three Imaginary Boys (1979)
• Three Imaginary Boys was The Cure’s first album and it was analogous to The Cure’s first UK release Boys Don’t Cry, although some of the songs varied between the two releases, for example “Boys Don’t Cry” was not originally included on the U.S. release of Three Imaginary Boys. Songs such at 10:15 Saturday Night served as a startling indication of the music that The Cure was to create later on in their career. Three Imaginary Boys represents a fascinating listen. It is actually a much stronger debut release than many of The Cure’s 80’s contemporaries; it is certainly much stronger than Depeche Mode’s Speak & Spell, which was released around the same time. Songs such as “Fire in Cairo,” “Accuracy,” and “Three Imaginary Boys” are quite interesting. The Cure were obviously still creating their identity and would not eventually cultivate their signature sound for another five years. Still, Three Imaginary Boys is an important and ultimately essential addition to any music library.
12) Faith (1981)
• Faith basically followed the path created by Seventeen Seconds which was released a year before. The songs feel as if they were borne of the same ilk as those that were written and recorded for Seventeen Seconds. The production on Faith is more atmospheric and melancholy when compared to Seventeen Seconds, similar production methods, in my opinion, would have benefited the songs on Seventeen Seconds, which I feel were a stronger set than those on Faith. This supports my belief that both Seventeen Seconds and Faith were transitional albums for The Cure that reflect a band excitedly manifesting its musical and personal identity.
• The echoing vocals of “Other Voices” and the gloom and complexity of “The Drowning Man” present striking new directions for the band. Again, the 2005 Remastered Re-Issue simply fortifies this fact in making the cleaner, crisper, and deeper production values more salient to listeners.
11) Seventeen Seconds (1980)
• I know many Cure purists would crucify me for placing both Seventeen Seconds and Faith this low on any list of Cure albums. It is probably blasphemy to do so. Keep in mind that I am never saying that these albums are bad albums. They are excellent, but to me these albums (both of which were released within a year of the other, were transitional albums that display a band that was still discovering its sound and direction. The arrangements are sparse and minimalist. This is not necessarily a bad aspect to the music, but I feel that the band would have done more with these songs if they could have. They remain ESSENTIAL albums within The Cure’s canon.
• Songs such as “Play For Today” and “Secrets” display the ultimate sonic goals that The Cure were attempting to achieve. The gloomy “A Forest” and “At Night” are shining examples of a band discovering its purpose and becoming better musicians in the process. The 2005 Remastered Re-Release was a beautiful update to the original release. The songs were re-vitalized through the remastering process and the muddy and dull production of the original releases were completely rectified revealing a new found vibrancy and intricacy to these albums. Despite my appraisal, Seventeen Seconds remains an incredible achievement and represents a huge step forward for The Cure.
10) The Top
(1984)• Listening to The Top is a completely fantastical experience. Robert Smith has noted on many occasions that this album is the closest thing to a Robert Smith solo album that the world has ever seen. This sentiment manifests itself in the vast extremes that this album exhibits. Like many of The Cure’s albums, there is a definite lack of consistency in the progression of the songs. Songs like “The Caterpiller” and “Shake Dog Shake” foreshadow much of what The Cure’s sound would eventually metamorphosize into. “The Top” is an especially intriguing song that closes the album.
• The album is generally overlooked and underappreciated. It definitively should not be. The album is an aural experience that should be given repeated listens because it is unabashed Robert Smith. It truly is a reflection of Robert Smith at his most carefree and crazy. This fact alone earns The Top great merit.
9) 4:13 Dream (2008)
• 2008’s 4:13 Dream opens with “Underneath The Stars,” one of the best Cure songs in this group’s entire canon. To me, “Underneath The Stars” is everything that I love about the Cure and my hope has always been that they would produce an entire album that sounded as beautiful and haunting as “Underneath The Stars.” Unfortunately, the rest of 4:13 Dream does not follow suit and disappoints on a few points.
• First, I would like to declare that 4:13 Dream is not a bad album and is quite an enjoyable listen. The production of the album rectifies the sparseness of 2004’s The Cure, but the song writing is not as strong as it was on that album. Also, the album suffers from some of the inconsistency that The Cure have battled since their origins. “Underneath The Stars” begins the album on a shimmering, brooding, ethereal tone, but it is immediately followed by the pop single, “The Only One.” “The Only One” is a great song, but feels disjointed following the epic opener. The entire album proceeds in a similar fashion. Many of the songs are really fantastic but could have benefited from a little bit of a harder edge. 4:13 Dream is a welcome addition to The Cure’s library and overall it succeeds in representing a collaboration of many of the elements of The Cure’s past work.
8) The Cure (2004)
• Reviews for The Cure’s 2004 self-titled album were mixed upon the album’s release. Some claimed that the album was a return to form, others complained that it was simply standard fare for The Cure. In truth, The Cure, is a strong album that succeeds much more valiantly in theory than in reality. The Cure, was hailed before its release as a heavy cure album. Its producers worked with heavier Nu Metal bands of the late 90’s and many fans were extremely excited to hear a heavy, rock Cure album. I certainly was brimming with excitement. Immediately it became apparent to all listeners, including myself that this album is much more under-produced than we all had hoped. The album was recorded live in the studio and makes little use of distorted guitars and overdubs.
• The Cure still contains great Smith song writing and the songs contain enough gloom and hooks to keep Cure fans happy. Overall, I feel that this album will not have the re-play value for Cure fans that it could have. Songs such as “Lost,” “Labyrinth,” and “The End of the World,” are all extremely passionately performed. Smith sounds much younger than his years would indicate. It is just frustrating to have to wonder what this album could have been if Smith did not strip these songs down so much. Much of what makes The Cure great is that they were never opposed to using the studio to create lush soundscapes and atmospheric sonic realms. Ironically, The Cure returned to such techniques in 2008’s follow up 4:13 Dream, but still were unable to capture the magic of years passed. Overall, The Cure is a great album and one that any Cure fan should appreciate over time.
7) Pornography (1983)
• Pornography is not only the darkest of all Cure albums, it is also the darkest album that I own. Perhaps the greatest goth rock album ever released it stood as a stark contrast to all previous Cure albums. Pornography has an incredibly percussive and driving sonic theme throughout. It is a consistent sense of rock urgency that seems to beat along for the entire duration of the album.
• The album begins with the deliciously driving riff of “One Hundred Years,” and the album refuses to slow down from the first note to the last. “Siamese Twins” drips like molasses on a hot day. It is slow moving and demonically beautiful. Whereas “The Figurehead” immediately casts listeners into a black oubliette of despair. The album closes with the nocturnal masterpiece “Pornography.” At the time of its release, Pornography was the most consistent and cohesive album The Cure had released. Ultimatly, the album suffers slightly from the fact that each song feels eerily similar to each other. The vocal track is often hidden behind driving percussion and the busy production and lack of diversity amongst the songs perhaps makes the album feel a bit monotonous. Beyond this, Pornography was a major statement in the musical identity and the overall strength of the Cure. No longer was the band a sparse eerie mist, it was now a goth rocking juggernaut and The Cure had the album to prove it.
6) Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987)
• Ahhhh, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. This album is enormous in scope. At time breathtaking, and at times frustrating. The good songs on this album are masterpieces, but the mediocre songs drag it replay value down immensely. Robert Smith vision for this alum was just TOO vast. If he had trimmed it down a little the overall quality of the album as a singular work would have worked better. Another gripe that I have of this album, both of the original release and of its subsequent Remastered Deluxe Edition is that the mastering is very bright, too bright. For example on songs like “Torture” it is difficult to listen to the song itself because the treble vastly outweighs the bass. This further contributes to an uneven feeling throughout the album.
• Overall, the great songs outnumber the mediocre songs on this album. “The Kiss” is the majestic rock opener. It remains one of the best opening tracks among The Cure albums and one of my all time favorite Cure songs. Other songs such as “If Only Tonight We Could Sleep,” “Just Like Heaven,” All I Want,” “One More Time,” “A Thousand Years,” and “Shiver and Shake,” are among the Cure’s best work. Kiss Me, represented a completely unrestrained band that was creating music that encompassed every genre that every member of the band had an interest in. This the gift AND the curse of Kiss Me. On the one hand, the unrestrained and diverse nature of the album allowed for the band to produce some of its best music, but it also compelled them to forget to apply the brakes as means to produce a cohesive album. Many songs such as “Torture,” “Catch,” and “Snakepit,” would have functioned better as b-sides rather than being included on the proper album because the album is asks too much of the listener and is a daunting album to trudge through. Negatives aside, Kiss Me is an essential Cure album and remains one of the most critically acclaimed and most loved of all of the Cure’s albums. It also boasts the best and coolest album cover The Cure has ever used. Overall, it is an integral Cure record and is essential listening. I labored for a great deal of time on whether or not to place Kiss Me ahead of Pornography in this list. This issue presented me with the conflict concerning ranking. In the end, I only place it ahead of Pornography due to the sheer amount of quality material found on this album compared to Pornography. In trust, I would most likely rank these album at a tie, but for ease of making the list linear I place Kiss Me, ahead of Pornography. Nevertheless, Kiss Me is a fascinating listen and one of the overall best Cure albums.
5) The Head On The Door (1986)
• The Head On The Door was The Cure’s largest musical step forward and it created the framework for the quintessential “Cure sound” that would serve as the spine for all of the band’s future musical endeavors. The Cure was again a functional group of musicians. This time the band expanded their sound to include acoustic instruments and worked to create solidly produced songs by layering instruments and sounds together.
• “In Between Days” is one of The Cure’s most identifiable songs and this song introduced to the world to The Cure that we have all grown to love. This single would set the standard for the many subsequent Cure pop singles and it propelled The Cure into super stardom. Other songs such as “The Blood” and “Six Different Ways,” found the band exploring completely new territory which ultimately helped to make The Head On The Door a wonderfly eclectic listen. “Close to Me” was another huge, light-hearted single that expressed the diversity of the album. “Push,” to this day, remains on of my all time favorite Cure songs. It represents an early indication of just how masterfully Robert Smith could weave pop elements within a rock framework to create a simply irresistible aural experience. I must have listened to “Push” on repeat a thousand times over the years. Other notable songs such as “A Night Like This,” and the murky closer “Sinking” contribute to making The Head On The Door the quintessential Cure album. As previously stated, The Head On The Door represents a major turning point in the band’s history. For the first time an entire Cure album was both dynamic, diverse, AND extremely accessible to the pop culture. IN truth, each subsequent Cure album replicated the formula of The Head On The Door (although few matched its creativity and enjoyablility). Despite what perspective one takes with respect to The Head On The Door, it is undeniable that The Cure was a different band after its release than before and each successive album after it was influenced by its formula and style. A classic not only amongst Cure albums, but also amongst all modern rock albums. After The Head On The Door, The Cure became - THE CURE.
4) Wild Mood Swings (1996)
• I have always felt that Wild Mood Swings has been VASTLY under-rated, not only by industry critics, but also (and most surprisingly) by Cure fans. Wild Mood Swings, to me, is the album that Robert Smith was always trying to make. The album combines all of the best elements of previous Cure albums: gloom, rock, glam, goth, pop sentimentalities, lush production, bi-polar lyrics, and a HORN section! I still do not understand why fans continue to under-appreciate this album and perhaps I will never quite figure it out, either way, Wild Mood Swings is exactly what the title purports, and that is a very, very good thing.
• The album beings with “Want” an extreme rock song that is definitely one of my favorite Cure songs. It is very similar in structure to “The Kiss” and starts the album perfectly. “This Is a Lie” is an orchestral wonder that is one of the saddest and deepest Cure songs in existence. Wild Mood Swings contains a handful of atmospheric and orchestral mood pieces like “This Is A Lie.” Other such songs include the spiraling “Jupiter Crash,” the haunting funeral elegy “Treasure,” and the lumbering closer “Bare.” Each song rank among the most emotive and best Cure songs. The album also oscilates and includes some of the poppiest and happiest cure songs, such as the infectious “Mint Car,” “Round & Round & Round,” and “Gone!” Shamefully Wild Mood Swings was an almost universally panned effort. Critics and fans claim that the album is to disjointed to be enjoyed. I whole-heartedly disagree. Will Mood Swings is just as the title suggests and herein lies the albums strength. This is best reflected in its initial single “The 13th” an utterly fun, mariachi influenced party song that sound like nothing else The Cure have ever recorded. The closest comparison that can be made is to “The Caterpillar.” To me. Wild Mood Swings in a tour de force of The Cure’s sounds. It is masterfully produced and its moody soundscapes provide for a consistently enjoyable and engaging listen. The album contains some of the bands highest highs and lowest lows (with regards to mood) and is presented in a linear package that is well-produced and masterfully performed. Wild Mood Swings should not be overlooked or unfairly condemned, instead it should be lauded for the many great songs that it offers.
3) Bloodflowers (2001)
• Bloodflowers remains one of the most beautiful albums that I have ever heard. The entire album is heart-breakingly lush and painstakingly beautiful. The album has a consistent musical theme throughout, and in my opinion is much more thematic and consistent than Disintegration. For example, if any of the songs on Bloodflowers were to be placed in any other Cure record before or after its release, the song would undoubtedly seems as if it did NOT belong. This, to me, is a great aspect of this album.
• Like the best Cure albums, Bloodflowers does not contain a weak song. Each song meanders into the others and creates a gray world of sadness and sorrow. Each song is long and tortured. Only a single song “there Is No If…” is less than 5 minutes long. The paramount strength of the album is that despite the length of the songs, it never becomes boring or uninteresting. “Watching Me Fall,” which clocks in at over 11 minutes long, changes its cadence and mood multiple times to conclude in an all out rock climax. “The Last Days of Summer” is a absolutely beautiful song about growing old. “Maybe Someday” is one of the best lead off singles The Cure have ever offered. “Bloodflowers” is one of the most powerful and moving songs contained on any Cure album and it certainly is the strongest album closer among all of The Cure albums.
• Truthfully, there is not much more to say about Bloodflowers. Each song is fantastic for the same reason. Bloodflowers is best experienced than described. It is an emotive journey that displays some of the best musicianship that The Cure have ever offered.
2) Disintegration (1989)
• At time of its release in 1989, Disintegration was the album that The Cure has worked for their entire careers to create. It is a gloomy, atmospheric, brooding musical experience, best enjoyed in one complete sitting. The songs are slow and meandering; echo caverns of pure rock genius. In my opinion, Disintegration represents the first Cure effort at achieving a complete consistent and thematic piece of musical art. Previously, albums like The Head On The Door and Pornography came close, but failed. The Head On The Door does not flow as consistently and beautiful as Disintegration. With that album, The Cure attempted to squeeze one too many new diversities into an album that was too short to accomplish all that they desired to convey. Pornography is a very consistent and thematic album, but in many ways it is a one-trick pony (albeit an incredible trick). Many of the songs on Pornography sound as if they are different nightmares from the same sleep.
• Disintegration, on the other hand, perfectly marries the melancholy that The Cure were attempting to express with the pop sentimentalities that any music lover could appreciate. I believe the best example of this, and the best song on the album “Prayers for Rain,” a brooding and muscular track that best exemplifies the mood of the album. “Plainsong” is not only a perfect opener to the album, but is one of the best Cure songs ever written. In my opinion though, Disintegration is NOT a perfect album. Songs like “lullaby” and “Fascination Street” break up the cohesiveness of the album. Perhaps I am the only person to have ever said this, but I feel “Lullaby” comes across as goofy and a bit of a self-parody. “The Same Deep Water As You” drones along and never quite achieves the ability to hold the listener’s interest like the subsequent “From the Edge of The Deep Green Sea” was able to do on Wish. Songs such as “Homesick” and “Disintegration” are great tracks but become a little monotonous.
• Honestly, all of these weaknesses to do not sink the album whatsoever. I only present them as a contrast to the strengths of the Wish album. Disintegration is not only one of my favorite albums of all time, it is one of the greatest rock albums in history and ultimately deserves all of the praise and acclaim that the album has enjoyed for over two decades.
1) Wish (1992)
• Following Disintegration seemed an impossible task. Almost anything that The Cure could have released would have immediately been scrutinized under the framework of the critical acclaim that Disintegration enjoyed (and still enjoys today). To create a better album would seemingly be to “wish an impossible” “thing.”
• To say that Wish is the best Cure album is a controversial and dangerous assumption. I can declare with overwhelming conviction that Wish is MY FAVORITE Cure album, and to me, represents The Cure’s most cohesive and strongest effort. I believe that Wish is the only album in The Cure’s distinguished canon that succeeds at every discernable level and accomplishes the sweeping vision of Robert Smith. Wish is The Cure’s “rock album” and was undoubtedly influenced by the grudge and shoegaze movements of the early 90’s. The album does not contain a single weakness. Each song blends the layered and encompassing production that Smith set out to create. The songs flow seamlessly from one to the next and create a mood that is both uplifting and melancholy at the same time. The mood that the album masterfully creates is one that is undeniably and quintessentially THE CURE. Melodic sadness and pop sentimentalities. Critics of the record usually complain that songs such as “High” and “Friday I’m In Love” try too hard to satisfy pop audiences. These same critics often cite to the fact that in interviews Robert Smith as criticized fans who rallied around “Friday I’m In Love” as a single. Further, devout Cure fans would claim that the very fact that Wish was The Cure’s most successfully charting album effectively murders any chance that a Cure purist should or would rank this album as the band’s best.
• I believe that it is exactly these criticisms that blind both devout fans and critics alike from the substantial merits and accomplishments of this album. The songs “High,” “Friday, I’m In Love,” “Doing the Unstuck,” and “Wendy Time” may capitalize on the more pop predilections of the band, but (unlike other Cure albums) they DO NOT sound out of place on Wish. Instead each uniquely contributes to the overall polished and perfectly produced and implemented totality of the album’s sound. “A Letter To Elise” is one of the saddest and most beautiful rock songs every written. To me, this song is one of the greatest moments the Cure have ever had. Never before did Smith succeed this clearly at implementing his melancholy musical objectives as conveyed to our popular culture. “Cut” is a full-on rock song layered with angst ridden vocal and swirling effects-laden guitars. Smith’s vocal soar and the band is playing tighter than ever. Wish also contains the atmospheric and brooding tracks that had become The Cure’s trademark by then. Songs such as “Apart,” “Trust,” and “End” are among The Cure’s best mood tracks. The fact that they all appear on the same album is a revelation. “To Wish Impossible Things” combines some diverse musical influences while maintaining the feel of a uniquely “Cure” song.
• From its start until its “End” Wish is the most completely realized Cure album. For me, Wish never becomes boring and never outlives its replay value. It has withstood the test of time and does not sound dated. Wish rocks and lulls. It is strong and beautiful. I believe it succeeds at every level and represents The Cure that I believe The Cure should be. No other album in The Cure’s catalogue equals Wish’s sound, songwriting, and overall feel. Wish is one of my all-time favorite albums and one that I will continue to return to throughout my life. It is a perfect listen in both happy times and sad times; in the winter or the summer; during the night or in the day. It is a largely ignored and underappreciated monumental achievement. Its perception was marred by critics who were looking for any reason to contemn and scrutinize the band upon its release. I implore any Cure fan who disagrees to revisit the album with an open mind. I promise you that history will cast a greater smile upon it.
