Pornography cover art

  Studio Album · No. 4

Pornography Songwriting Credits by The Cure

1982 Fiction Records 8 tracks 43 min

Produced by Phil Thornalley, The Cure  ·  Engineered by Phil Thornalley, Mike Nocito

Fiction Records Gothic RockPost-PunkNeo-Psychedelia
100%
Authorship
Complete Artist

Holds writing credit on 8 of 8 tracks

Authorship Breakdown 8 / 8 documented

Who wrote the songs?

Scored across the 8 tracks with documented writers, by whether The Cure carries a lyricist or composer credit.

100%
8 trackswritten by The Cure 0 tracksoutside writers
The Cure's roles on this album

Share of the 8 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.

Lyricist100%
Composer100%
Producer100%
Performer100%

By the Numbers

8
Tracks
3
Lyricists
2
Producers
1982
Released
Data Insight

Pornography was produced by The Cure with Phil Thornalley, who engineered the dense, claustrophobic sessions at RAK Studios. The songs are credited to the trio of Robert Smith, Simon Gallup and Lol Tolhurst, with Smith writing the lyrics during what he described as his worst mental state. The album pushes the gothic rock direction of Faith to an extreme, layering distorted guitars and pounding drums into a wall of sound. It marks the bleak peak of the early Smith/Gallup/Tolhurst era before the band's lineup fractured.

Track Listing & Credits 8 tracks

Written by the artist Written by outside writers
#TitleLyricist(s)Composer(s)Producer(s)Performers
1
One Hundred Years
Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Phil ThornalleyThe Cure Robert Smith (Lead Vocals)
2
A Short Term Effect
Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Phil ThornalleyThe Cure Robert Smith (Lead Vocals)
3
The Hanging Garden #34
Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Phil ThornalleyThe Cure Robert Smith (Lead Vocals)
4
Siamese Twins
Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Phil ThornalleyThe Cure Robert Smith (Lead Vocals)
5
The Figurehead
Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Phil ThornalleyThe Cure Robert Smith (Lead Vocals)
6
A Strange Day
Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Phil ThornalleyThe Cure Robert Smith (Lead Vocals)
7
Cold
Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Phil ThornalleyThe Cure Robert Smith (Lead Vocals)
8
Pornography
Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Robert SmithSimon GallupLol Tolhurst Phil ThornalleyThe Cure Robert Smith (Lead Vocals)

Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 5 contributors

LT
Lol Tolhurst
Writer
On this album8 written
RS
Robert Smith
Writer · Vocals
On this album8 written
SG
Simon Gallup
Writer
On this album8 written
PT
Phil Thornalley
Producer
On this album8 produced
TC
The Cure
Producer
On this album8 produced

More from The Cure

1979 92%
Three Imaginary Boys
Fiction Records
13 tracksProd. Chris Parry
1980 100%
Seventeen Seconds
Fiction Records
10 tracksProd. Robert Smith
1981 100%
Faith
Fiction Records
8 tracksProd. The Cure
1984 100%
The Top
Fiction Records
10 tracksProd. Robert Smith
1985 100%
The Head on the Door
Fiction Records
10 tracksProd. Robert Smith
1987 100%
Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
Fiction Records
18 tracksProd. David M. Allen
1989 100%
Disintegration
Fiction Records
12 tracksProd. Robert Smith
1992 100%
Wish
Fiction Records
12 tracksProd. David M. Allen
1996 100%
Wild Mood Swings
Fiction Records
14 tracksProd. Steve Lyon
2000 100%
Bloodflowers
Fiction Records
9 tracksProd. Robert Smith
2004 100%
The Cure
Geffen Records
13 tracksProd. Ross Robinson
2008 100%
4:13 Dream
Geffen Records
13 tracksProd. Robert Smith
2024 100%
Songs of a Lost World
Fiction Records
8 tracksProd. Robert Smith

Frequently Asked Questions Pornography

Did Robert Smith write Pornography?
The songs on Pornography are credited to the trio of Robert Smith, Simon Gallup and Lol Tolhurst, with Smith writing the lyrics. Smith was the band's principal songwriter and has said the album reflected his deeply depressed frame of mind between 1981 and 1982. The credit pattern continues the band's early collaborative approach within the core trio.
What was the single from Pornography?
The single was 'The Hanging Garden,' released in July 1982. It reached number 34 on the UK Singles Chart and was the only single taken from the album.
Who wrote The Hanging Garden by The Cure?
'The Hanging Garden' is credited to Robert Smith, Simon Gallup and Lol Tolhurst. Its heavy, drum-driven sound is representative of the album's overall density.
Who produced Pornography?
Pornography was produced by The Cure together with Phil Thornalley, who also engineered the album. The sessions took place at RAK Studios between January and April 1982.
What genre is Pornography?
Pornography is a gothic rock album with post-punk roots and elements of neo-psychedelia. Its overwhelming, distorted production is often cited as a high point of the gothic rock genre.
When was Pornography by The Cure released?
Pornography was released in 1982 on Fiction Records as The Cure's fourth studio album. It contains 8 tracks and peaked at number 8 on the UK Albums Chart.

Sources

Wikipedia: Pornography (album) Wikipedia: Pornography (The Cure album) Wikipedia: The Hanging Garden (song) MusicBrainz release group Cover Art Archive front cover Cover Art Archive: Pornography by The Cure