Songoftheday 10/12/16 - Whenever I'm alone with you, you make me feel like I am home again...

"Lovesong" - The Cure
from the album Disintegration (1989)
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2 (one week)
Weeks in the Top-40: 12

Today's song of the day comes from the goth/modern rock band the Cure, who had slipped into the American top-40 in the winter of 1987/88 with the epic "Just Like Heaven", from the double-album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. However, the toll on the band itself was great, with keyboardist Lol Tolhurst being ousted during the start of recording for their next album, leaving lead singer/guitarist Robert Smith as the last remaining original member. That album, Disintegration, would see Tolhurst officially replaced by tour synth-guy Roger O'Donnell. It would be a darker, more claustrophobically sonic affair, as demonstrated by the distorted guitar chimes of the first single, "Fascination Street", which spent seven weeks atop Billboard's Modern Rock chart, but missing the American pop top-40 in the summer of 1989. Helping that was radio's sudden attachment to another track on the album, which would become their biggest hit. "Lovesong", written by Smith for his fiancee' (with credits to the band) and produced by Smith and Dave Allen, had the right balance of eerie drama and optimism and romance that was totally accessible yet didn't compromise their sound to mainstream yearnings...

"Lovesong" became the Cure's sole top-10 American pop hit, reaching the runner-up spot on the Hot 100 in October of 1989. The song also spent three weeks at #2 on Billboard's Modern Rock radio chart, and crossed over to #30 on their Mainstream Rock list. The 12" remix took them to #8 on the Dance Club Play chart as well. Internationally, the record went to #18 in their native UK, and reached the top-40 in Ireland (#13), Germany (#21), and New Zealand (#39).

In America, the Cure's first international single from the album, "Lullaby", was put out as a follow-up, and although it was a moderately successful hit on modern rock radio, it stalled down at #74 on the US pop chart. A fourth single, "Pictures Of You", did much the same, with #19 at rock and #71 pop.

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Here's the extended version that reached the top ten on the dance chart...

and here's the band performing live on TV in 2001...

In 2004, the pop-punk/reggae band 311 covered the song for the movie 50 First Dates, and was a huge success, topping Billboard's Alternative Rock chart, reaching #7 on their Adult Pop list, and peaking at #59 on the pop Hot 100...

In 2011, Adele included a cover of "Love Song" on her massive 21 album, and performed the lounge-style version on Letterman...

 ...and finally, the Cure live in 2011...

Up tomorrow: Rap trio channels Jerry Lewis?