Album
The Top
The Top is the fifth studio album by the Cure, released on 4 May 1984. It arrived after Pornography in 1982 and just before The Head on the Door in 1985, so it sits in the middle of the band's story, a record between the bleak early run and the more widely loved albums that followed. Its sound draws on post-punk, gothic rock and neo-psychedelia, with a streak of new wave running through it.
The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number ten on 12 May. Shortly afterwards the band set off on a major tour of the United Kingdom, finishing with three nights at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. For anyone tracing how the Cure moved from their darkest period towards the colourful, varied records of the later 1980s, it is a revealing stop along the way.
The Top: tracklist, credits and charts
10 tracks · 40:53Tracklist
- 1Shake Dog ShakeRobert Smith4:55
- 2Birdmad GirlRobert Smith and Lol Tolhurst4:05
- 3Wailing WallRobert Smith5:18
- 4Give Me ItRobert Smith3:43
- 5Dressing UpRobert Smith2:51
- 6The CaterpillarRobert Smith and Lol Tolhurst3:41
- 7Piggy in the MirrorRobert Smith and Lol Tolhurst3:40
- 8The Empty WorldRobert Smith2:36
- 9BananafishbonesRobert Smith3:11
- 10The TopRobert Smith6:50
- Produced by
- David M. Allen, Chris Parry, Robert Smith
- Recorded at
- Genetic Studios, West Berkshire, The Garden, London, Trident, London, Eden Studios
- Recorded
- 1983–1984
- Labels
- Sire Records, Fiction
- Length
- 40:53
Line-up
- Andy Anderson · drums (drum set) · guest
- Robert Smith · bass, guitar, violin, lead vocals · guest
- Lol Tolhurst · keyboard · guest
Singles
- “The Caterpillar” · 30 March 1984
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1984 | 10 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1984 | 180 |
| Dutch Albums · 1984 | 12 |
| New Zealand Albums · 1984 | 23 |
| Swedish Albums · 1984 | 31 |
| German Albums · 1984 | 44 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1984 | 55 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom · 1984 | Silver |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
82.8
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
2.9k
ListenBrainz listeners
116k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
25k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 4 May
Every year →
More from The Cure
Full discography →
Three Imaginary Boys
1979
Boys Don’t Cry
1980
Seventeen Seconds
1980
Happily Ever After
1981
Faith
1981
Pornography
1982
Japanese Whispers
1983
Concert: The Cure Live
1984
The Head on the Door
1985
Half an Octopuss
1985
Standing on a Beach: The Singles
1986
Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me
1987
The Peel Sessions
1988
Disintegration
1989
Mixed Up
1990
Entreat
1991
Lost Wishes
1992
Wish
1992
Sideshow
1993
Show
1993
Paris
1993
Wild Mood Swings
1996
Five Swing Live
1997
Galore: The Singles 1987–1997
1997
Bloodflowers
2000
Greatest Hits
2001
Trilogy
2003
Join the Dots: B‐Sides and Rarities
2004
The Cure
2004
Hypnagogic States EP
2008
4:13 Dream
2008
Bestival Live 2011
2011
Torn Down: Mixed Up Extras 2018
2018
Songs of a Lost World
2024
Mixes of a Lost World
2025
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All of 1984 →
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Perfect Strangers
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More on Sire Records
The label →
Ramones
Ramones · 1976
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Ramones · 1980
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Ramones · 1977
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Ramones · 2014
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Pleasant Dreams
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Too Tough to Die
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The Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Taste
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia 1984-05-04; musicbrainz + wikidata 1984-05-22 (18 days apart, likely another territory)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 22 May 1984 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 4 May 1984 | |
| Wikidata | 4 May 1984 | |
| Wikidata | 22 May 1984 | |
| US release | 4 June 1984 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 22 May 1984 | earliest UK or European date |
17 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | CA | Elektra | 603497978397 | remaster |
| — | US | Sire Records | 075992508629 | other |
| 1984 | US | Sire Records | 075992508629 | other |
| 22 May 1984 | GB | Fiction | original | |
| 22 May 1984 | FR | Fiction | 042282113610 | original |
| 4 June 1984 | US | Sire Records | 07599250861 | other |
| 25 September 1984 | DE | Fiction | 042282113627 | other |
| 1990 | DE | Fiction | 042282113627 | other |
| 1 December 1990 | JP | Polydor | 4988005072689 | other |
| 2006 | XE | Fiction | 602498400135 | other |
| 2006 | US | Rhino | 081227475123 | other |
| 8 August 2006 | US | Rhino | 081227406523 | other |
| 14 August 2006 | GB | Fiction | 602498400128 | deluxe |
| 14 August 2006 | XE | Fiction | 602498400128 | other |
| 21 May 2008 | JP | Fiction | 4988005514417 | other |
| 7 July 2008 | US | Elektra | 603497980000 | other |
| 2012 | XE | Fiction | 0600753381205 | remaster |
Cover art sources
deezer · upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| deezer ✓ | 1200×1200 | upscaled: major: best source 1200x1200, upscaled to 1500 (x1.25) |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 594×594 | upscaled |