The Cure — High

JUL 01 1992 · 12:00

The Cure — High (1992) Director: Tim Pope Era: Post-Goth Alternative Rock Mainstream Crossover (1992) - The Cure at commercial peak, transitioning from introspective darkness of Disintegration toward radio-friendly jangle-pop with the Wish album cycle High-value archival asset representing the apex of a defining creative partnership between a major British alternative act and their almost exclusive video director across 37 collaborations. As the lead single from Wish — one of The Cure's best-selling albums and a Grammy-nominated record — this video is a primary document of the band's commercial and aesthetic peak. Its confirmed directorial provenance, chart significance (#1 US Modern Rock), and inclusion in the official Galore video compilation elevate it to essential status for any study of 1990s alternative rock visual culture. Context: Released March 1992 as the lead single from Wish, 'High' arrived at a pivotal commercial moment for The Cure — bridging their critically revered, sonically dense late-1980s work (Disintegration, 1989) with a more radio-accessible, emotionally open sound. The video, produced under Fiction Records and directed by longtime collaborator Tim Pope, exemplifies the band's deliberate pivot toward warmth and accessibility. Its bright, warm tones and moderate pacing stand in sharp contrast to the gothic atmospherics that originally defined the band's visual identity. Airing heavily on MTV at the height of the alternative rock boom, the video helped position The Cure alongside the early-1990s wave of British guitar bands achieving mainstream crossover in both the UK and North America, just months before grunge would begin to dominate the cultural conversation. Director notes: Directed by Tim Pope for Fiction Records, released March 1992 as the lead single from The Cure's ninth album Wish. Confirmed by IMDb (tt8085230) and IMVDb. The video was later edited into the official compilation The Cure: Galore – The Videos 1987–1997 (1997). Copyright listed as (C) 1993 Fiction Records Ltd. under exclusive licence to Polydor. The single was produced by Robert Smith and David M. Allen. 'High' reached #1 on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and was a top-ten hit internationally.