Goth Pop

Around the time I was outgrowing heavy metal music along came the Cure’s Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me and I was hooked. The Cure’s previous work had been Goth music (post-punk melancholy with British guys in makeup) and in the ‘80s and early ‘90s there were Goth kids in my hometown who looked and dressed like the Cure’s lead singer, Robert Smith. For me, Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me was a great leap forward for the band as their sound was becoming more pop and commercial and some of the songs were even upbeat (well, as upbeat as the Cure can get).

Beginning with Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me the Cure began writing great pop songs that were better than anything else at the time (sorry, Poison). The band's new direction resonated with wise, young romantics like me who did not fantasize about having a fling on the beach with a super model but who longed for an earth shattering, unforgettable love affair with an angel on the streets of Paris.

With Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me the band’s influences became more obvious- Lewis Carroll, ‘60s psychedelic music, perhaps French cinema, and yes, even Catholic theology (the group is rumored to have formed at Catholic school)- and the Cure mashed it all up into sweet pop music that reminds you: sometimes the greatest earthly love affairs are those that remain unrequited. Blame original sin. Here are some of my favorite Cure songs from their later period. Enjoy- and Happy New Year!

01. The Cure – “Just Like Heaven” (1987)
02. The Cure – “The Perfect Girl” (1987)
03. The Cure – “A Letter to Elise” (1992)
04. The Cure – “Love Song” (1989)
05. The Cure – “Catch” (1987)
06. The Cure – “Lullaby” (1989)
07. The Cure – “Close to Me (Closest Mix)” (1990)
08. The Cure – “Mint Car” (1996)
09. The Cure – “Friday I’m in Love” (1992)
10. The Cure – “High” (1992)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...

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