The Cure are an English rock band that released eight albums and eighteen singles between 1978 and 1989 on Fiction Records. They emerged in the British post-punk movement and cultivated a goth-rock sound and image during the early 1980s. Their popular hits include “Boys Don’t Cry,” “A Forest,” “Let’s Go to Bed,” “The Love Cats,” […]
Siouxsie and the Banshees were an English rock band that released eleven studio albums and twenty-seven singles between 1978 and 1995 on Polydor. They charted with their debut single “Hong Kong Garden” and scored multiple UK hits, including the underground rock staples “Happy House,” “Spellbound,” “Arabian Knights,” “Cities In Dust,” “Peek-a-Boo,” and “Kiss Them for […]
Xmal Deutschland were a German goth-rock band that released a pair of three-song singles on Zickzack circa 1981/82, followed by two albums with accompanying singles on 4AD in 1983 and 1984. The band founded small-press Xile for a string of 1986–88 shortplayers and the album Viva, followed by the decade-ending Metronome release Devils. Members: Anja […]
Belfegore were a German goth-rock/art-punk band that released an eponymous EP and the album A Dog Is Born on Pure Freude in 1983, followed by a self-titled album on Elektra in 1984. Members: Michael Claus (guitar, vocals), Walter Jäger (keyboards, bass, vocals), Charly Terstappen (drums), Raoul Walton (bass) Discography: Belfegore (EP, 1983) A Dog Is […]
Joy Division was an English mood-rock/goth band from Salford, Greater Manchester, that issued an EP on self-press Enigma in 1978, followed by two albums and assorted singles on Factory Records during 1979 and 1980. Just as the band was breaking through in the U.K., frontman Ian Curtis took his own life on May 18, 1980. […]
The Mission are an English goth-rock band from Leeds that released four albums with accompanying singles on Mercury between 1986 and 1990, followed by three albums on assorted labels during the 1990s and two albums apiece during the subsequent two decades. Stateside, the band were billed in certain media as Mission U.K. Members: Wayne Hussey […]
The Legendary Pink Dots were an English-Dutch goth-psych band that issued two cassette-albums on self-press Mirrordot in 1981, followed by three proper studio albums on In Phaze Records between 1982 and 1984. A lengthy round of albums appeared during the subsequent 10-year period on Play It Again Sam Records amid side releases on Jarmusic and […]
The Danse Society were an English goth-rock/ethereal band that issued a string of shortplayers on self-press Society Records circa 1981/82, culminating with the mini-album Seduction. In 1983, the band’s second Society full-length Heaven Is Waiting was distributed on Arista. Several further singles preceded the band’s final album of the period, Looking Through, in 1986. Members: […]
The Cult were an English hard-rock/goth band that initially came together in 1983 as Death Cult, which evolved from vocalist Ian Astbury’s prior band the Southern Death Cult. The band issued two shortplayers on small-press Situation Two as Death Cult before shortening their name to The Cult for a run of six albums on Beggars […]
The Snake Corps were an English goth-rock band from Watford, Hertfordshire, that released the album Flesh on Flesh on Midnight in 1985, followed by a standalone single in 1986. The band issued two further titles on the label in the early 1990s. Members: Tristan Garel-Funk (guitar), Marc Lewis (vocals), Liam McGuinness (bass, 1983-?), Nigel Pollard […]
Skeletal Family were an English goth-rock band from Keighley that debuted with singles on Luggage Label and Red Rhino Records in 1983, followed on the latter by the album Burning Oil and the extended-play Recollect in 1984. A second Red Rhino full-length, Futile Combat, appeared in 1985. Briefly signed to U.K. Chrysalis, the band issued […]
Charge were an English punk-rock/goth band from London that debuted with a live album on Trikont in 1980, followed by singles on YCAFO and Test Pressings. In 1982, the band released two shortplayers and the album Perfection on Kamera Records. Members: Stu P Didiot [Stuart Lunn] (guitar, vocals, 1977-83), Iain MacLaughlan (vocals, 1977-80), Dave Griffiths […]
Bauhaus was an English goth-rock band from Northampton that debuted as Bauhaus 1919 with the single “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” on Small Wonder in 1979, followed by four albums on 4AD and Beggars Banquet between 1980 and 1983. Members: Peter Murphy (vocals), Daniel Ash (guitar), David J (bass), Kevin Haskins (drums) Background Bauhaus was formed in […]
Ausgang were an English goth-rock band from Birmingham that released two EPs on Criminal Damage Records circa 1983/84, followed by the album Manipulate on FM Revolver in 1985. Members: Mark “Max” Freeth (vocals), Paul “Cub” Balogh (bass), Matthew Amos (guitar), Ian “Ibo” Oakley (drums), Stuart Smith (bass) Discography: Head On (EP, 1983) The Teachings of […]
1919 were an English goth-rock band from Bradford, West Yorkshire, that released five shortplayers on Red Rhino and Abstract between 1982 and 1984. All of the band’s recordings from this period were later issued on the 2001 Anagram disc The Complete Collection. Members: Mark Tighe (guitar, 1979-2017), Ian Tilleard (lead vocals, 1979-84), Nick Hiles (bass, […]
The 13th Chime were an English goth-rock band from Haverhill, Suffolk, that released three small-press singles between 1981 and 1983. Around 1984, tracks were laid for an intended album that was ultimately released by archivists Sacred Bones in 2009. Members: Mick Hand (vocals), Gary O’Connor (guitar), Terry Taylor (bass), Ricky Cook (drums) Discography: “Cuts of […]
