Subscriber Playlist (May 2022): Other Voices

This month’s playlist is a collection of songs that contain the indelible influence of Robert Smith et al.

Last month’s subscriber playlist celebrated the 30th anniversary of The Cure’s Wish, which was my gateway to the band’s music. This month, I’m continuing the Cure theme by highlighting the band’s considerable legacy.

When Trent Reznor inducted The Cure into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame back in 2019, he highlighted their influence, not just on him personally but on countless others:

Despite making challenging music that deals with the biggest themes, their impact has been gigantic. They’ve sold the best part of who gives a shit how many million records and been an essential touchstone in the genres of post-punk, new wave, goth, alternative, shoegaze, and post-rock. They’ve been in and out of fashion so many times in the last four decades that they ended up transcending fashion itself.

This month’s playlist features 25 artists who’ve been influenced by The Cure in some way, shape, or form.

Some songs, like those by Bethany Curve, Trembling Blue Stars, and WINGTIPS, could almost pass for Cure b-sides. Cranes and Labradford’s songs don’t necessarily sound like The Cure — but it’s impossible to imagine them sans The Cure’s existence. Finally, I’ve included several covers that put interesting spins on Cure classics, like Karen Choi’s twangy take on “Boys Don’t Cry” and Joy Electric’s synthified “Pictures of You.”

I wanted to include Converge’s cover of “Disintegration” in the playlist, but it’s currently unavailable on Spotify. So I’m embedding it here as an added bonus for y’all.

What are some of your favorite examples of bands being influenced by other bands? What are some of your favorite covers, Cure or otherwise? Let’s discover some new music together.

If you enjoyed this playlist, then check out my playlist archives.