10 Greatest Classic Rock Singers Of The '80s
4. Robert Smith - The Cure
In the grand scheme of rock music, the goth scene tends to get a bad rap. For as many great bands like Nine Inch Nails and My Chemical Romance got blasted for being whining teenagers, their music ended up speaking to people on the outskirts of the rock world. However, if you want to trace the origins of the blackened take on rock music, Robert Smith pretty much has the genre trademarked.
It's actually pretty weird to give the Cure the title of greatest gothic band considering the peppiness of some of their tunes. Make no mistake, the songs were still dark, but Robert Smith's voice added a comforting quality to everything you heard. Sure, there would be times where he could terrify you like on "Lullaby," but when you talk about the real power of the Cure's music, it always came back to Smith, whose songs dealt with the internal struggle that comes with adolescent angst.
Granted, there have been some pretentious wannabes who have tried to ape Smith's style over the years, but when it comes to perfecting the goth rock epic, you accept no substitutes. Music will always be around to get you through tough times, but guys like Robert Smith were able to capture that adolescent magic into concentrated bliss.