Trends & Analysis
How The Cure's live show has evolved over the decades — setlist length, song selection, and era representation.
Average Setlist Length by Year
How many songs per show on average
Most Enduring Songs
Songs performed across the most years
A Forest
Seventeen Seconds
38 years
1979-2024
10:15 Saturday Night
Three Imaginary Boys
35 years
1978-2023
One Hundred Years
Pornography
33 years
1981-2023
In Between Days
The Head on the Door
32 years
1985-2024
Play for Today
Seventeen Seconds
32 years
1979-2024
Just Like Heaven
Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
31 years
1987-2024
Three Imaginary Boys
Three Imaginary Boys
31 years
1979-2023
Primary
Faith
30 years
1980-2023
Shake Dog Shake
The Top
29 years
1984-2023
Fascination Street
Disintegration
28 years
1989-2024
A Strange Day
Pornography
28 years
1982-2023
Lullaby
Disintegration
27 years
1989-2024
Close to Me
The Head on the Door
27 years
1985-2024
Why Can't I Be You?
Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
27 years
1986-2024
From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea
Wish
26 years
1992-2024
New Songs Debuted per Year
First-time live performances
Retired Setlist Staples
Popular songs not played in 5+ years
The Caterpillar
The Top
Last: 2019
163 plays total
Wendy Time
Wish
Last: 2019
13 plays total
The Same Deep Water as You
Disintegration
Last: 2019
119 plays total
Untitled
Disintegration
Last: 2019
83 plays total
Homesick
Disintegration
Last: 2019
69 plays total
Other Voices
Faith
Last: 2018
163 plays total
Sinking
The Head on the Door
Last: 2018
163 plays total
Bananafishbones
The Top
Last: 2018
81 plays total
End
Wish
Last: 2016
255 plays total
Open
Wish
Last: 2016
247 plays total
The Baby Screams
The Head on the Door
Last: 2016
104 plays total
Give Me It
The Top
Last: 2016
117 plays total
The Blood
The Head on the Door
Last: 2016
91 plays total
All I Want
Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
Last: 2016
59 plays total
Catch
Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
Last: 2016
171 plays total
Piggy in the Mirror
The Top
Last: 2016
133 plays total
The Perfect Girl
Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me
Last: 2016
88 plays total
Dressing Up
The Top
Last: 2016
136 plays total
Screw
The Head on the Door
Last: 2016
61 plays total
A Letter to Elise
Wish
Last: 2016
46 plays total
Longest Setlists
Foro Sol
Mexico City, DIF, Mexico · April 21, 2013
Beacon Theatre
New York, NY, United States · November 27, 2011
Beacon Theatre
New York, NY, United States · November 26, 2011
Beacon Theatre
New York, NY, United States · November 25, 2011
Royal Albert Hall
London, ENG, United Kingdom · March 29, 2014
Royal Albert Hall
London, ENG, United Kingdom · March 28, 2014
Pantages Theatre
Los Angeles, CA, United States · November 23, 2011
Pantages Theatre
Los Angeles, CA, United States · November 22, 2011
Pantages Theatre
Los Angeles, CA, United States · November 21, 2011
Royal Albert Hall
London, ENG, United Kingdom · November 15, 2011
Shortest Setlists
Queens Square
Crawley, ENG, United Kingdom · June 3, 1977
Queens Square
Crawley, ENG, United Kingdom · July 3, 1977
The Rocket
Crawley, ENG, United Kingdom · December 4, 1977
Orpington General Hospital
Orpington, ENG, United Kingdom · December 31, 1977
Montefiore Institute Hall
Crawley, ENG, United Kingdom · April 22, 1978
University of Aston
Birmingham, ENG, United Kingdom · December 1, 1978
The Nashville Room
London, ENG, United Kingdom · February 9, 1979
The Lakeside Inn
Crawley, ENG, United Kingdom · March 18, 1980
Top of the Pops
London, ENG, United Kingdom · April 24, 1980
Countdown
Melbourne, VIC, Australia · August 9, 1980