Better late than never, I suppose.
The Cure - a band that has been making music since 1978, that defined gothic rock, that influenced everyone from Nine Inch Nails to Deftones, that sold out Madison Square Garden multiple nights running - finally won their first Grammy Award on Sunday night.
Fifty years. Five decades. Half a century of Robert Smith's distinctive voice, innovative production, and songs that have soundtracked generations of heartbreak, alienation, and occasional joy. And the Recording Academy just got around to giving them a trophy.
Stereogum notes that the win came in the Best Rock Performance category, for a track from their most recent album. It's a fine song, certainly. But let's be honest: this isn't about one track. This is the Grammys belatedly acknowledging a band that should have been honored decades ago.
The easy joke is that the Academy finally listened to Disintegration and realized what the rest of us knew in 1989. The harder truth is that The Cure, like many of their post-punk contemporaries, were too weird, too dark, too British for an organization that has historically preferred its rock radio-friendly and American.
To put this in perspective: Robert Smith is 67 years old. The band has released fourteen studio albums. They've been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. And they're just now getting their first Grammy.
On the other hand, at least they got one. The list of iconic rock bands who never won a competitive Grammy includes The Who, Queen, Jimi Hendrix, and The Doors. So there's that.
In his acceptance speech, Smith was gracious and humble, thanking fans and collaborators. He didn't point out the absurdity of the moment. He didn't need to. Everyone watching knew.
Congratulations to The Cure. You've finally been recognized by an organization that should have been paying attention all along. The rest of us have been here the whole time.
