{"id":996269,"date":"2026-05-31T11:39:19","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T11:39:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/996269\/"},"modified":"2026-05-31T11:39:19","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T11:39:19","slug":"the-1987-cure-song-robert-smith-knew-would-be-a-hit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/996269\/","title":{"rendered":"The 1987 Cure song Robert Smith knew would be a hit"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Robert<\/p>\n

Credit: Far Out \/ Alamy<\/p>\n

Sun 31 May 2026 10:22, UK <\/p>\n

Every musician hopes to one day pen and produce a song that will stand the test of time. They pore over lyrics, hoping to conjure something that will resonate with the masses, or write and rewrite parts to find a melody they hope will one day transcend generations. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s a rare feat, but there are some bands who have found a knack for it, filling their entire discographies with all-time classics. The Cure<\/a> is one of those bands.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Spawning out of the post-punk scene of the late 1970s, The Cure were a complete amalgamation of artistic styles. Visually, they seemed like a goth band, sporting big black hairdos and thick smudges of kohl on their eyelids. Their sound sometimes dipped into this realm, too, occasionally gloomy and introspective. But more often than not, they were penning pop tunes. <\/p>\n

Contrary to the darkness of their look, The Cure\u2019s sound was full of glorious melodies and jangly guitars. It sat somewhere between post-punk and new wave, between goth and pop, and, as a result, it captured the attention and admiration of the masses. Tunes like \u2018Friday I\u2019m In Love\u2019 and \u2018Boy\u2019s Don\u2019t Cry\u2019 were impossibly catchy, and they remain so decades later.<\/p>\n

Between Smith\u2019s talent for lyrics and the jangles he chose to accompany them, The Cure filled their catalogue with classics<\/a>. A number of their songs have stood the test of time, but there is one track that Smith knew had staying power from the moment he wrote it: 1987\u2019s \u2018Just Like Heaven\u2019, which featured on their seventh album, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, in the same year.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Robert<\/a>Credit: Far Out \/ Mr. Rossi<\/p>\n

The track condensed all of The Cure\u2019s influences into one tune, pairing Smith\u2019s elongated, gothic vocals with lovey-dovey lyrics, jangling strums and soaring synths. It was a song that captured the essence of new wave and post-punk, but Smith knew that its legacy would stretch far beyond the dissipation of those genres. <\/p>\n

Alongside \u2018Forest\u2019 and \u2018Faith\u2019, Smith named \u2018Just Like Heaven\u2019 as one of his best songs during a conversation with Spin<\/a>. He described it as the \u201cother side of the coin\u201d to \u2018Forest\u2019 before remembering, \u201cI knew when we did that, that that would be played on the radio in like twenty years time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Further reading: From The Vault<\/strong><\/p>\n

There is a dizziness and innocence to the blazing song that has rendered it timeless. As Smith said of its loving meaning, \u201cThe song is about hyperventilating \u2013 kissing and fainting to the floor.\u201d That youthful joy will always find an audience to resonate with, especially given that he also crowns it \u201cthe best pop song the Cure have ever done\u201d. So, it is little wonder he thought it would live on for decades even upon writing it in 1987.<\/p>\n

His prophecy certainly came true. Over three decades since the song was first released, \u2018Just Like Heaven\u2019 still maintains cultural relevance, often finding its way onto radio stations and movie soundtracks. The track even inspired the title of a 2005 rom-com starring Mark Ruffalo and Reese Witherspoon.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hailed by fellow musicians, too. Ben Folds, for instance, told Blender that it\u2019s pretty much perfect, celebrating \u201ceverything about it \u2013 the songwriting, the music \u2013 is state of the art. It\u2019s as good as it gets. Anytime I hear it on the radio or a mix tape, I jump around like a freak.\u201d He\u2019s far from alone with the song now attracting fans from the next generation, like Olivia Rodrigo.<\/a> <\/p>\n

Perhaps it\u2019s due to the song\u2019s endlessly enduring theme, a gorgeous tale of dizzy romance inspired by Smith\u2019s own relationship. Perhaps it\u2019s the sheer euphoria contained in those jangling guitars and airy synth sounds or the twinkling keys that come in a little later into the love story. Whatever it is, \u2018Just Like Heaven\u2019 is just as addictive now as it was back in the late 1980s. <\/p>\n

Smith\u2019s prediction that the song would still receive radio play 20 years on was almost modest. As we approach the 30-year anniversary of the song, it still crops up on the radio or on post-punk playlists every so often. \u2018Just Like Heaven\u2019 seems set to reach the airwaves for decades to come, and rightfully so.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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