Cure: Disintegration (2x LP) - LP

"Disintegration" is the eighth studio album by English rock band the Cure, released on 1 May 1989 by Fiction Records. The record marks a return to the dark gothic rock sound that the band pioneered in the early 1980s. As frontman and guitarist Robert Smith approached his 30th birthday, he felt mounting pressure to follow up their pop successes with a more enduring work. This, combined with his distaste for their newfound popularity, led Smith back to hallucinogenic drugs, heavily influencing the final sound of the album.

The Cure recorded Disintegration at Hookend Recording Studios in Checkendon, Oxfordshire, with co-producer David M. Allen from late 1988 to February 1989. During production, founding member Lol Tolhurst was dismissed from the band due to his struggles with alcohol. Despite the record label's fears that the album would be a commercial flop, Disintegration became the band's biggest commercial success, peaking at number three in the UK and number 12 in the US.

Disintegration remains the band's best-selling album, with over three million copies sold worldwide. It also earned critical acclaim, ranking at number 326 on Rolling Stone's prestigious list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Frontman Robert Smith wrote all the lyrics, while the music was co-written by the entire band (Smith/Gallup/O'Donnell/Thompson/Williams).

The Cure are an English rock band formed in 1976 by frontman and guitarist Robert Smith, originally under the name Easy Cure. Widely regarded as one of the most influential bands of the 1980s, their music is characterised by its atmospheric, melancholic sound. Their most successful albums to date include Pornography (1982), The Head on the Door (1985), Disintegration (1989), and Wish (1992). Their 13th studio album, 4:13 Dream, was released in October 2008.