Friday, November 5, 2010

The Cure. 15 Best Songs & 5 Best Non-Album Tracks

While I was at the record store the other day, I ran across a copy of Never Enough: The Story Of The Cure - so of course the soundtrack to my reading has been The Cure. Without further delay, here are my picks for the best 15 songs, along with their 5 best non-album tracks.

Please feel free to leave your own list in the comments section below. Click on song / album titles to purchase - or scroll down to bottom for a Spotify playlist.

Check out our Album Ranking feature on The Cure - from 'Three Imaginary Boys' to '4:13 Dream' 


15.  Disintegration
From the album Disintegration (1989)

14.  A Strange Day
From the album Pornography (1982)

13.  In Between Days
Released as single; appeared on the album The Head on the Door (1985)


12.  Fascination Street
Released as single; appeared on the album Disintegration (1989)

11.  Boys Don't Cry
Released as non-album single (1979); Re-remixed & re-released as single (1986)

10.  The Caterpillar
Released as single; appeared on the album The Top (1984)


09.  Catch
Released as single; appeared on the album Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me (1987)

08.  Charlotte Sometimes
Released as non-album single (1981); and on the compilation Standing on a Beach (1986)

07.  A Letter to Elise
Released as single; appeared on the album Wish (1992)


06.  Push
From the album The Head on the Door (1985)

05.  Apart
From the album Wish (1992)

04.  The Funeral Party
From the album Faith (1981)


03.  Lovesong
Released as single; appeared on the album Disintegration (1989)

02.  Pictures of You
Released as single (1990); appeared on the album Disintegration (1989)

01.  Just Like Heaven
Released as single; appeared on the album Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me (1987)


The 5 Best Non-Album Tracks


05.  The Big Hand
Released as b-side to A Letter To Elise single (1992)

04.  Breathe
Released as b-side to Catch single (1987)

03.  The Exploding Boy
Released as b-side to In Between Days single (1985)

02.  2 Late
Released as b-side to Lovesong single (1989)

01.  Burn
Released on The Crow soundtrack (1994)



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18 comments:

  1. I would've liked to have seen "Close to Me" on this list somewhere. If you go back and listen to that bad boy, you will discover how the instruments slowly blend into this cornucopia of delight. A mishmash menagerie of symphonic euphoria, akin to administering a needle full of liquid beauty into your ear. I also missed "Killing an Arab". Anytime you put a legendary piece of literature to music, gold is struck.

    I am glad to see "The Caterpillar" on the list though. The piano used as footsteps? Genius. Good call, Bret. Keep rollin' up yer sleeves and breakin' on down. I dig it.

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  2. Dave, I hear you. I started with a list of 35 songs and then slowly cut it down. From 'Three Imaginary Boys' up through 'Wish'.... so many great songs to choose from - and some good ones in the more recent years too. You gotta post your top 15 here. Come on!

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  3. As always, subject to change: 15 top The Cure songs, in chronologic order:

    The Caterpillar on The Top (1984 A.D.)

    In Between Days on Head On The Door (1985 A.D.)

    Push on Head On The Door (1985 A.D.)

    A Night Like This from Head On The Door (1985 A.D.)

    Catch on Kiss Me x3 (1987 A.D.)

    Just Like Heaven on Kiss Me x3 (1987 A.D.)

    Love Song on Disintegration (1989 A.D.)

    Plainsong on Disintegration (1989 A.D.)

    Pictures of You on Disintegration (1989 A.D.)

    Closedown on Disintegration (1989 A.D.)

    High on Wish (1992 A.D.)

    A Letter To Elise on Wish (1992 A.D.)

    The Loudest Sound on Bloodflowers (2000 A.D.)

    Last Day of Summer on Bloodflowers (2000 A.D.)

    There Is No If on Bloodflowers (2000 A.D.)

    I Melt With You on Pornography(? Circa 1982)

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  4. 17 Seconds:
    Three
    At Night

    Pornography:
    Cold

    Head On The Door:
    Sinking
    Push
    A Night Like This

    Kiss Me:
    The Kiss
    A Thousand Hours
    If Only Tonight We Could Sleep

    Disintegration:
    Plainsong
    Homesick
    Disintegration

    Wish:
    From The Edge Of The Deep Green Sea

    Bloodflowers:
    Watching Me Fall
    The Loudest Sound

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  5. In no particular order. Just straight from the heart. <3

    1. The Perfect Girl
    2. 10:15 Saturday Night
    3. A Thousand Hours
    4. A Letter To Elise
    5. One More Time
    6. Killing An Arab
    7. How Beautiful You Are
    8. The Same Deep Water As You
    9. The End Of The World
    10. Charlotte Sometimes
    11. Inbetween Days
    12. Close To Me
    13. Mint Car
    14. Catch
    15. Jumping Someone Else's Train

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  6. Survey-to-date: Amongst all participants collectively the top four songs were (all tied):

    1) A Letter To Elise from 1992's Wish

    2) Catch from 1987's Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me

    3) In Between Days from 1985's The Head On The Door

    4) Push from 1985's The Hear On The Door

    The TOP FIVE albums were, in order:

    1) Disintegration 1989 (tie with below)
    2) Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me 1987 (tie with above)
    3) The Head On The Door 1985
    4) Wish 1992
    5) Bloodflowers 2000

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  7. I'm cheating as I cannot whittle it down to 5 b-sides/rarities... also, in no particular order, as long as we all agree "Plainsong" is the best in the history of the universe:

    1. Birdmad Girl
    2. Just Like Heaven (Single mix)
    3. Catch
    4. Cold
    5. High
    6. The Drowning Man
    7. In Your House
    8. The Kiss
    9. Like Cockatoos
    10. M
    11. One Hundred Years
    12. Piggy In the Mirror (especially as performed In Orange, man so good)
    13. Plainsong
    14. Play for Today
    15. Six Different Ways

    1. All Mine (complete 11 minute version) 5.21.82
    2. Forever (version) from Curiosity
    3. Ariel (Peel session version, not the one released on the Top Rarities disc)
    4. A Japanese Dream (NEC Birmingham 1987 version is my fave)
    5. Disintegration (Entreat version - ORIGINAL MIX is so powerful!!!)
    6. The Exploding Boy (both the B-side and the demo - "Now wash your hands!")
    7. Faith (Charlotte Sometimes B-side - Live At The Sydney Capitol Theatre 8/81)
    8. A Few Hours After This (both the B-side and the AMAZING demo with different words, guitar)
    9. I'm Cold (both the b-side and the rocking Hansa demo)

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  8. Jason... Rad list! Thanks for stopping by, Bret :)

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  9. Thanks!! I can't stop loving this band, so I always welcome a "list" exercise... it's always fluid. For me, The Cure will always be a sort of comfort food for my brain - reminds me of those intense and silly teenage years, where everything looked like this and music was SO IMPORTANT:

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/roboterkampf/2850771775/in/set-72157606979298258/

    Seeing them in '89 was the closest thing I have ever felt to a religious experience. August 22nd, 1989 - front row, left... it was breath taking.

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  10. :) I see that Shelleyan Orphan record cover on the wall in your pic... Century Flower... love that album, and have it on vinyl. Recently came across another copy when I was out record shopping with my Dad a few weeks ago. He bought it for his collection.

    1989.... man, those were the days. :)

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  11. My top 15 and Why:
    1 – Just Like Heaven – quintessential Cure
    2 – Birdmad Girl – quirky fun
    3 – End – dark, please stop loving me.
    4 – Alt.end – big, bright, beautiful world out there.
    5 – Hot, Hot, Hot – so sexy
    6 – Cut Here – thinking of old friends
    7 – To Wish Impossible Things – past loves
    8 – Halo – my favorite
    9 – Untitled – paradoxically also my favorite
    10 - In Between Days – dance-along, repeat.
    11 – Close to Me – listen-along to all the parts.
    12 – A Night Like This – sing-along in the car.
    13 – Pictures of You – sing alone, husband’s ringtone
    14 - Cloudberry - lovely
    15 - Gone! – when all I wanna do is nuthin!

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  12. Great picks, Lisa. Thanks for adding the descriptions. :)

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  13. Ah, the Cure my favorite band ever.

    Impossible to pick a favorite song, so I'll give you 5 in no particular order:

    Push
    Fascination Street
    Plainsong
    Just one Kiss (without a doubt the best B side)
    All I Want (amazing song that they never play live dammit!)

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  14. Great picks ChrisB... If I had to redo this list I would've expanded it to 25, because 15 is just too few for a catalog as big as The Cure's. All five of those songs are amazing that you've chosen.

    Thanks again for your comments.
    Bret

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  15. No order in particular:
    Charlotte Sometimes
    Disintegration
    Lullaby
    Same deep water as you
    Figurehead
    100 years
    A strange day
    Drowning man
    Primary
    Want
    Bird mad girl
    A forest
    From the edge of the deep green sea
    A night like this
    Lament

    But there are so many many more we could list here: All cats are grey, Just like Heaven, Close to me, Just One kiss, Upstairs room, Holy Hour, Other voices, Piggy in the mirror, Boys don't cry, Homesick, This is a lie, etc etc etc

    Nicolas Vandewaele

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  16. Nicolas! Thanks for posting. I love that song 'Lament'... so rad. great picks here, i love every song you've listed. Cheers! Bret

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