Robert Smith and The Cure have been bringing joy to their fans since 1976, evolving musically and as a band over 13 albums but always retaining a sound that makes them special. Whether you like them for their darker side or their lighter side, The Cure quietly loom large as giants of the 1980s and early-1990s and this edition of 100best provides just a few of the many reasons why.

aDawgg:

The Head On The Door was The Cure’s 1985 breakout, charting Top 10 in the United Kingdom and France, Top 20 in Germany and nearly making the Top 50 in the United States. “Close To Me”, one of two singles from the album, rests at the cusp of the success that would weight ever more heavily on Robert Smith with the releases of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me in 1987 and Disintegration in 1989. Outwardly lighthearted, yet as introspective as ever, “Close To Me” is the seminal track in the history of a renowned frontman and his band.

   The Cure – Close To Me

Bean:

With one of the best opening lines of all time – “Show me, show me, show me how you do that trick – the one that makes me scream,’ she said” – “Just Like Heaven” is exquisite. It’s all wonderful laughing love, longing, and tragedy and feels like a dream. Robert Smith’s voice soars above and twists around the guitars like wind and waves. Every cymbal crash sounds like a skipped heartbeat. It starts as the magical, perfect love from our daydreams and gradually, almost without anyone noticing, turns into sorrow and heartache – in the most beautiful way imaginable.

   The Cure – Just Like Heaven

Tamboosh:

Grmbl … mean people making me choose just ONE. It’s impossible! My favorite Cure songs are all special for different reasons, so screw it, I’m listing them ALL! In a perfect world they’d all get big, shiny prizes: “Plainsong” is a beautiful, ethereal dream, “The Caterpillar”, “Close To Me” and “Boys Don’t Cry” are sweetly, uplifting, “The Love Cats” is enchanting, yet deceptively simple, and the more recent “Lost” is heartbreaking and mesmerizing. But my all-time favorite Cure song would have to be the absolutely flawless “Just Like Heaven”, because I imagine it’s what other pop songs aspire to be.

   The Cure – Just Like Heaven