Simon Gallup's 10 best basslines with The Cure

1 June 2025, 12:00 | Updated: 2 June 2025, 11:21

The bassist has been with The Cure for over 45 years - and is the longest serving member of the British band alongside frontman Robert Smith. Here are his greatest moments on vinyl.

1. The Cure - A Forest

   • Single, release date 5th April 1980

   Gallup hit the ground running when he took over from original bassist Michael Dempsey in The Cure in October 1979. The band soon developed this epic piece of post punk which remains in their live set to this very day. Hundreds of budding bassists got their start copying Gallup's hypnotic four-note bassline at the end.

   

   The Cure - A Forest

2. The Cure - The Holy Hour

   • From the album Faith, release date 18th April 1981

   One of The Cure's darkest albums opens with this memorable riff from Simon Gallup, a mournful piece that sets the tone for the whole record.

   

   The Holy Hour

3. The Cure - The Figurehead

   • From the album Pornography, release date 4th May 1982

   The remorseless Pornography album is driven by a vicious bass and drums onslaught, with this track marking Simon Gallup's finest moment on the record,. His uncompromising bass casts a desolate cloud over this song about guilt.

   

   The Figurehead

4. The Cure - Sinking

   • From the album The Head On The Door, release date 30th August 1985

   After The Cure almost came to an end in the summer of 1982, Gallup was out in the cold for 18 months or so... but he returned to the fold with some stunning work, including this, the emotional climax to the predominantly upbeat album The Head On The Door.

   

   Sinking

5. The Cure - How Beautiful You Are!

   • From the album Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me, release date 26th May 1987

   Gallup provides the melodic foundation for Robert Smith's Baudelaire-inspired shaggy dog story about human nature.

   

   How Beautiful You Are

6. The Cure - Fascination Street

   • From the album Disintegration, release date 2nd May 1989

   Inspired by a big night out in New Orleans, Gallup's bass is the driving force behind one of the livelier tracks on the classic Disintegration album.

   

   The Cure - Fascination Street

   

7. The Cure - Love Song

   • Single, release date 21st August 1989

   Gallup was responsible for the original demo of The Cure's biggest hit in the US, which was developed into a wedding song for Robert Smith's wife Mary.

   

   The Cure - Lovesong

8. The Cure - Us And Them

   • From the album The Cure, release date 28th June 2004

   The self-titled album 2004 recorded with nu-metal producer Ross Robinson had mixed reviews from critics and fans alike, but this track was a highlight. Gallup's growling bass holds together the barrage of guitar and Robert Smith's howl into the abyss.

   

   Us Or Them

9. The Cure - Warsong

   • From the album Songs Of A Lost World, release date 1st November 2024

   The band's first album in 16 years, Songs Of A Lost World, confirmed The Cure's status as the biggest alternative act in the world. Across the eight tracks, the guitars of Robert Smith and former Bowie collaborator Reeves Gabrels sparred with Gallup's bass; full of grit and aggression, his sound remains distinctive after 45 years with the group.

   

   Warsong

10. The Cure - High

    • Single, 16th March 1992

    The lead track from The Cure's 1992 album Wish again pushes Gallup's distinctive bass style to the fore. High made Number 8 in the UK, making it one of The Cure's four Top 10 singles.

    

    The Cure - High