The Cure is an alternative rock band which formed during the punk era of the 1970s in Crawley, England. The band started playing together in 1976 while Robert Smith and Laurence Tolhurst were still in secondary school. Their initial sound placed the band amongst the post-punk/New Wave movements while the darker music that followed, helped formulate the gothic rock genre that developed through the 1980s. The Cure have released thirteen studio albums and over thirty singles during the course of their career, and as of 2010 have sold 32 million albums worldwide.

They remain one of the most enduring bands of the last thirty years, as proven by receiving the ‘Godlike Genius’ award at the Shockwaves NME Awards in February, 2009. The Cure has gone through several lineup changes, however, their current lineup resembles an early lineup consisting of founding member Robert Smith (vocals, guitar), original guitarist Porl Thompson (guitar), long-standing member Simon Gallup (bass) and Jason Cooper (drums). Smith is the only member who has continuously been in the band since its formation. The Cure’s full lineup history is as follows: Robert Smith (Vocals & Guitar 1976-present), Lol Tolhurst (Drums & Keyboards 1976-1989), Michael Dempsey (Bass 1976-1979), Porl Thompson (Guitar & Keyboards 1976-1978, 1983-1992, 2005 -present), Simon Gallup (Bass & Keyboards 1979-1982, 1985-present), Matthieu Hartley (Keyboards 1979 -1980), Andy Anderson (Drums 1983-1984), Phil Thornalley (Bass 1983-1984), Boris Williams (Drums 1984-1994), Roger O’Donnell (Keyboards 1987 -1990, 1995-2005), Perry Bamonte (Guitar & Keyboards 1990-2005), Jason Cooper (Drums 1995-present).