“They Represented Everything We Hated”: The Idealistic Conflict Between The Cure and Duran Duran

The Cure and Duran Duran were the two ’80s boy bands that ruled the decade. Between their combined five ’80s No. 1 hits, the two bands were unarguably the premier boy bands of the decadent decade. However, they seemingly didn’t get along or meet eye-to-eye idealistically or musically. After all, Duran Duran is day and the Cure is night, each group sits in stark contrast to one other and represents two entirely different demographics of ’80s music fans.

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The Cure, which certainly toils with a darker aesthetic and subject matter, rivals Duran Duran’s light-hearted and jubilant pop appeal. That being so, Cure frontman, Robert Smith, detested their musical contemporaries and the image they upheld. Frankly, Smith believed Duran Duran stood for everything The Cure hated about the world and specifically, the ’80s.

The Cure and Robert Smith’s Problem With Excess

The ’80s were all about bigger, bolder, and better things. After the ’20s, it is arguably the decade that was full of the most excess, greed, and self-indulgence. With that in mind, Robert Smith and The Cure tried to denounce this way of life and analyze it within their lyrics. On the contrary, Duran Duran played into it and benefited immensely.

Regarding Duran Duran’s commercial appeal, Smith told The Guardian in 2018, “It was generally Duran Duran, which is really sad because they loved us, and they used to come to our shows.” He continued, ” But they represented everything we hated: the whole glamorous 80s, consumer bullshit; this horrorshow that we were up against.” If someone is familiar with each band, they know exactly what Smith is commenting on and scrutinizing Duran Duran for.

Despite the negative connotation behind Smith’s comments, he’s not entirely wrong about the boy band. Duran Duran ruled the ’80s thanks to their elaborate aesthetic, bubbly music, and their seemingly tailored teen appeal. Thanks to these attributes, Duran Duran not only scored several No. 1 hits but also won two Grammys. Robert Smith and The Cure have never won a Grammy.

Even though The Cure and Duran Duran hold some evident differences, they also hold many similarities. For example, both groups are from the UK and as a result, they both spear-headed the second British invasion. Though, regardless, Robert Smith is Robert Smith, and The Cure is The Cure, they will always try to take down the establishment even if it means criticizing their musical peers.

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