Think Robert Smith and you'll think The Cure. Think The Cure and you'll probably think pop songs, the goth genre and a crazy bloke with big hair and smudged up makeup. But while the band's distinctive imagery may have pigeonholed them over the years, it's hard to deny Robert Smith's contribution to contemporary music. He's engaged himself in post-punk, new romantic, psychedelia and even dance music.

The Cure, originally The Easy Cure, formed in 1976. Since then it has been guitarist Robert Smith's band. From the outset, The Cure was distinctive for its dark approach to pop music. 'Killing An Arab' was released in 1978 and again a year later, along with the debut album 'Three Imaginary Boys'. But it was with the pop of 'Boys Don't Cry' and the stark rhythm of 'Jumping Someone Elses's Train' that things took off.

Line-up changes in the early 1980s didn't prevent the band from developing their style into what became a highly influential trio of albums. 'Seventeen Seconds', 'Faith' and 'Pornography' are bleak affairs, with Smith taking greater responsibility for the band's somewhat depressing sound. As downbeat as the albums were, they became highly influential within the goth movement which appreciated the darker side of life and music.

But The Cure managed to break through to the mainstream with 1985s 'Head On The Door' album. The power pop of 'In Between Days' and the oddly-endearing 'Close To Me' won fans world wide. A greatest-hits package released the following year capitalized on the band's new found popularity, especially in the USA.

For the rest of the 1980s, The Cure seemingly did no wrong. The 1987 double-album 'Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me' was eccentric and indulgent, but featured the hits 'Just like Heaven' and 'Why Can't I Be You?'. 'Disintegration' was a more darker, focused album, storming the charts on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The Cure found themselves playing stadium shows and well-regarded by music critics and fans alike.

Proving they were no flash in the pan, the band's 'Wish' album of 1992 was an international hit, with the cut 'Friday I'm In Love' being the standout track. From here, The Cure's momentum has slowed down. Lawsuits and line-up changes threw a spanner in the works, with the band releasing compilations in 1997 and 2001 - a sure sign Robert Smith's immense creative spark is beginning to wane.

Recommended links:

www.thecure.com

stiff as toys and tall as men

Robert Smith talks about writing and recording 'Bloodflowers'

The Cure work with ProTools

The Cure Fan Club

Surreal Despair: The Cure Real Audio Archive

Bob on 'Wild Mood Swings', his fans and the battles for The Cure's name

Early Cure Tab