A chronology

Punk-inflected beginnings through the first album.

Seventeen Seconds / Faith / Pornography — the descent.

The turn toward colour: Japanese Whispers / The Top / The Head on the Door.

Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me / Disintegration / Wish — stadium sprawl.

Wild Mood Swings through 4:13 Dream — drift and reinvention.

Songs of a Lost World and the present era.

Robert Smith, Lol Tolhurst, and Michael Dempsey form Easy Cure in Crawley, West Sussex. They would soon shorten the name and sign to Fiction Records.

The Cure release their debut album on Fiction Records, produced by Chris Parry. A raw post-punk record that introduces the band to the world.

The Cure's second album establishes their signature atmospheric sound and features the iconic 'A Forest.' Their first UK chart entry (#20).

The second part of the dark trilogy — a gothic, mournful meditation that deepens the atmospheric sound established on Seventeen Seconds.

The harrowing conclusion to the dark trilogy. Recorded amid intense personal crises, it is one of the most intense and visceral albums in rock history.

Following tensions after the Pornography tour, Simon Gallup leaves the band. He would return in 1983 and remain a core member ever since.

The band's commercial breakthrough — a varied, brilliantly crafted collection featuring 'In Between Days,' 'Close to Me,' and 'A Night Like This.'

An ambitious double album that brought The Cure to global superstardom. Features 'Just Like Heaven,' 'Why Can't I Be You?' and 'Catch.'

Co-founder Lol Tolhurst is dismissed from the band during the mixing of Disintegration, ending 13 years as a member.

Their magnum opus. A slow-burning masterpiece of melancholy and beauty, featuring 'Lovesong,' 'Lullaby,' and 'Pictures of You.' Reached #3 in the UK and #12 in the US.

Their biggest commercial success — debuting at #1 in the UK and #2 in the US. 'Friday I'm in Love' became a global pop phenomenon.

Robert Smith's self-described conclusion to the dark trilogy — a hushed, deeply moving record described as a companion to Disintegration.

The Cure are inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the 34th Annual Induction Ceremony in Brooklyn, New York.

A legendary headline performance at Glastonbury Festival, widely regarded as one of the greatest festival sets ever performed. Running to nearly two and a half hours.

After 16 years, The Cure release their fourteenth studio album to near-universal critical acclaim. An eight-track meditation on grief and loss, many call it their best work since Disintegration.

The Cure confirm the death of their friend and bandmate Perry Bamonte after a short illness. His final appearance was the Songs of a Lost World launch concert at Troxy in November 2024.

The Festival Summer opens at Primavera Sound with Eden Gallup expanding The Cure to six players on additional guitar and keyboards.

During Olivia Rodrigo’s surprise Primavera Sound set, Robert Smith joins her to debut their collaboration “What’s Wrong With Me” live.

After Simon Gallup is taken ill shortly before the first Wuhlheide concert, Eden shifts from guitar and keyboards to bass to keep the three-night Berlin run onstage.

Simon returns after his brief illness with Eden remaining among the touring ranks, restoring The Cure’s six-player 2026 stage lineup.

Jason Cooper’s 17-year-old son Gabriel joins The Cure for “A Night Like This”, playing saxophone at all three Festival de Nîmes concerts.