Most Influential 80s New Wave Bands

The Cure were included in Baeble's Beginner's Guide to the Most Influential 80s New Wave Bands:

During the early 70's at a middle school in West Sussex, the founding members of The Cure began to meet at a local church hall, practicing their favorite songs. After winning a recording contract, and failing to keep it afloat, The Cure finally found their footing with their debut album Three Imaginary Boys in 1979 under a new record label.

After their 1982 release Pornography, the band's future was questionable. Sure, they had a growing fan base, but they struggled to convince others their smeared lipstick and disheveled black hair was a good idea. A defining moment in their career was the 1985 release The Head on the Door, which gave the world the band's infectious hybrid of optimism and sarcasm with songs like "In Between Days" and "Close to Me." With a world tour and success in the US, The Cure was making a name for themselves.

Success only continued with the release of Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. The eclectic album featured "Just Like Heaven," the band's most successful single. With that single, The Cure was solidified as New Wave legends, continuing to make influential music with albums like Disintegration and Wish, amongst others.

Today, bands like The Smashing Pumpkins and Interpol have cited The Cure and frontman Robert Smith as their biggest influence. Paul Banks, lead singer of the latter was quoted saying, "The Cure is the band that all of us in Interpol can say influenced us...They're legendary."