The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley in 1976 by Robert Smith (vocals, guitar) and Lol Tolhurst (drums). The band's current line-up comprises Smith, Simon Gallup (bass), Roger O'Donnell (keyboards), Jason Cooper (drums) and Reeves Gabrels (guitar). Smith has remained the only constant member throughout numerous line-up changes since the band's formation, though Gallup has been present for all but two of the band's studio albums.
The Cure's debut album Three Imaginary Boys (1979), along with several early singles, placed the band at the forefront of the emerging post-punk and new wave movements that were gaining prominence in the United Kingdom. The band adopted a new, increasingly dark and tormented style beginning with their second album Seventeen Seconds (1980), which had a strong influence on the emerging genre of gothic rock. After the release of their fourth album Pornography (1982), Smith started to introduce more pop into the band's music, leading them to worldwide mainstream success. The band reached their commercial peak with the albums Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me (1987), Disintegration (1989) and Wish (1992) recorded with guitarist Porl Thompson and drummer Boris Williams.
