In a 2019 Rolling Stone interview, Robert Smith looked back on The Cure’s 40th-anniversary year while resisting the idea that the band’s history was chiefly about legacy. He called the anniversary framing “spurious”: the group had begun as Easy Cure in 1976. The conversation ranged from the band’s changing sound and its Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction to the Hyde Park concert film and the album he was then making.
Why Smith called the 40-year milestone “spurious”
Smith told Rolling Stone that The Cure’s 40th-anniversary framing was not an exact account of the band’s beginnings. In his recollection, the group came together as Easy Cure in 1976. The anniversary was a useful moment to look back, but not a definitive origin date.
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The 2019 interview appeared during a particularly active period for the band: its Hyde Park anniversary concert, a Meltdown event, and its Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Smith said it took him a long time to decide whether to turn the Hyde Park show into a film “for posterity.”
What Smith said about legacy and enjoying the work
Asked what he wanted to be remembered for, Smith answered, “Honestly, I don’t care. I’ve never thought about legacy.” He said his attention was on enjoying the work and doing it as well as he could, rather than deciding how it would be judged later.
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Smith described The Cure as being in “a perfect position”: successful, yet not wholly assimilated into the cultural mainstream. He hoped the band would not “fit in,” and said it surprised and pleased him that listeners from different generations responded to its music. Those were his impressions, not a claim based on audience-demographic research.
He also connected his enjoyment of returning to music with time away from it and life outside the band. He did not want making music to become merely a job. His practical principle was simple: “A thing worth doing is worth doing well.”
How Smith described The Cure’s musical evolution
Smith said that after the period of Three Imaginary Boys, he wanted to move beyond the original trio format, play keyboards, and draw on a wider range of influences. He named early Pink Floyd, Nick Drake, and Captain Beefheart as reference points. This was Smith’s account of the band’s development, not a claim that one set of influences explains The Cure’s sound for every listener.
He also stressed the importance of retaining pop singles. In his view, that element helped prevent the band’s music from becoming overly grand. The interview presents a tension he valued: room to explore beyond the trio’s early approach, without abandoning the concise songs that could connect with a broad audience.
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The Hyde Park and Meltdown performances became a film set
The interview coincided with 40 Live – Curætion-25 + Anniversary, a release bringing together films of The Cure’s Hyde Park anniversary concert and its Meltdown performance. Smith estimated that 65,000 people attended the Hyde Park show; that is his estimate in the interview, not a separately verified attendance count.
Smith said filmmaker Tim Pope handled the editing, while he worked with audio engineer Paul Crockett on the surround-sound mix. The release is the direct documentary link to the anniversary period discussed in the interview. Current format details and availability can vary, so check the edition listing before buying.
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What happened to the album Smith called Live From the Moon?
In 2019, Smith referred to Live From the Moon as a working title for an album in progress. He discussed unfinished lyrics, more studio work, and an intention to release it on vinyl. That title described the project at the time; it was not the name of a released album.
In September 2024, Rolling Stone reported that the album was titled Songs of a Lost World and described it as The Cure’s first album since 2008’s 4:13 Dream. In the 2019 conversation, Smith named Pornography, Disintegration, and Bloodflowers as personal benchmarks for the record he was then making.
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Why the Hall of Fame induction was complicated
Smith said the induction process selected 10 of the 13 Cure members he counted across the band’s history. He described arguing for other contributors to be included. This is Smith’s account of the decision and his response to it; the interview does not turn it into an independent assessment of every member’s eligibility.
Quick Recap
Sources
- Kory Grow, “The Cure’s Robert Smith Looks Back: ‘I’ve Never Thought About Legacy,’” Rolling Stone Australia, October 18, 2019.
- Daniel Kreps, “Are The Cure Finally Releasing Their Long-Awaited Album in Six Weeks?,” Rolling Stone Australia, September 14, 2024.
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