The 13th

"The 13th"
Single by the Cure
from the album Wild Mood Swings
B-side
  • "It Used to Be Me"
  • "Ocean"
  • "Adonais"
Released22 April 1996 (1996-04-22)
GenreMariachi
Length4:16
LabelFiction
Composers
LyricistRobert Smith
Producers
The Cure singles chronology
"A Letter to Elise"
(1992)		 "The 13th"
(1996)		 "Mint Car"
(1996)

"The 13th" is a song by English rock band the Cure, released as the first single from the band's 10th studio album, Wild Mood Swings (1996), on 22 April 1996. The song reached the top 20 in several territories, including Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and Wallonia. It charted the highest in Hungary, where it reached number two, and in Italy, where it peaked at number five.

Background

Bassist Simon Gallup discussed the creation of the track in a contemporary interview, "That was one of Robert's songs, initially called Two Chord Cool. because it was just two chords strummed on a guitar. It was one of the songs we had recorded; we kept adding bits of percussion and then we'd put it away and then add more to it." he also viewed the song as "tacky" and "tongue-in-cheek".

Release

The song reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart and number 44 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was played very few times during the Swing Tour and never again since the tour.

Reception

Writing for AllMusic, Ned Raggett rated the single four stars out of five and noted the unexpected tone of the song: "There's no question that 'The 13th' was probably one of the Cure's most unexpected singles -- though horns had appeared on the single mix of 'Close to Me' back in 1985, the distinctly Latin percussion and brass on the song here was something else entirely!"

Clash magazine said that, alongside "Gone!", "The 13th" has become known for dividing fans, describing them as "love/hate affairs", but noted they "still [show] a band happy to experiment and play with conventions." Peter Parrish described "The 13th" as "a pseudo-latin number with a not-especially-hidden message about giving in to your lust."

Music video

The music video of the song shows Robert Smith, dressed in burned and ripped ruffled shirt, lying on a bed in a cheap motel room and watching a TV broadcast where he performs with the Cure. Comedian Sean Hughes also appears in the video.

Track listings

All tracks were written by Smith, Gallup, Bamonte, Cooper, and O'Donnell.

Personnel

The Cure

Additional musicians

Technical

Charts

Chart (1996) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)31
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)43
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)12
Canada Rock/Alternative (RPM)17
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) 30
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)11
Germany (GfK)55
Hungary (Mahasz) 2
Ireland (IRMA)22
Italy (Musica e dischi) 5
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)37
Scottish Singles Sales (Official Charts)23
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)20
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)29
UK Singles (Official Charts)15
US Billboard Hot 10044
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)15
US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)11

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United States 8 April 1996
United Kingdom 22 April 1996
  • CD
  • cassette
 Fiction
United States 23 April 1996
  • Elektra
  • Fiction
29 April 1996 Top 40 radio
Japan 1 June 1996 CD

References

  1. ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Galore: The Singles 1987–1997 – The Cure". AllMusic.
  2. ↑ "Interview: The Cure's Wild Mood Swings". www.musicfanclubs.org. Retrieved 2024-10-24.
  3. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "AllMusic Review by Ned Raggett". AllMusic. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  4. ↑ Walker-Smart, Sam (6 September 2016). "Complete Guide: The Cure". Clash. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  5. ↑ Parrish, Peter (9 November 2004). "Playing God: The Cure - Wild Mood Swings". Stylus. Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved 25 February 2017.
  6. ↑ "Making Wild Mood Swings pay off". Music Fan Club. 22 April 1996. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
  7. ↑ The 13th (UK CD1 liner notes). Fiction Records. 1996. 576 469-2.
  8. ↑ The 13th (Australian CD single liner notes). Fiction Records. 1996. 0630148512.
  9. ↑ The 13th (UK CD2 liner notes). Fiction Records. 1996. 576 493-2.
  10. ↑ The 13th (European CD single liner notes). Fiction Records. 1996. 576692-2.
  11. ↑ The 13th (European cassette single sleeve). Fiction Records. 1996. 576 468-4.
  12. ↑ The 13th (US CD1 liner notes). Elektra Records, Fiction Records. 1996. 64292-2.
  13. ↑ The 13th (US cassette single sleeve). Elektra Records, Fiction Records. 1996. 4-64292.
  14. ↑ The 13th (US CD2 liner notes). Elektra Records, Fiction Records. 1996. 66036-2.
  15. ↑ The 13th (Canadian CD single liner notes). Elektra Records, Fiction Records. 1996. CD 66036.
  16. ↑ The 13th (Japanese CD single liner notes). Polydor Records, Fiction Records. 1996. POCP-7141.
  17. ↑ "The Cure – The 13th". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  18. ↑ "The Cure – The 13th" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  19. ↑ "The Cure – The 13th" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  20. ↑ "Rock/Alternative. Volume 63, Issue 16 (1996-06-03)". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  21. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 21. 25 May 1996. p. 16. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
  22. ↑ "The Cure: 13th" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  23. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name.
  24. 1 2 "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 13, no. 21. 25 May 1996. p. 18. Retrieved 16 February 2020.
  25. ↑ "The 13 th | IRMA". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 14 January 2020.
  26. ↑ "The Cure – The 13th". Top 40 Singles.
  27. ↑ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart on 4/5/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  28. ↑ "The Cure – The 13th". Singles Top 100.
  29. ↑ "The Cure – The 13th – hitparade.ch". Swiss Singles Chart.
  30. ↑ "Official Singles Chart on 28/4/1996 – Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  31. ↑ "The Cure Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  32. ↑ "The Cure Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  33. ↑ "The Cure Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  34. 1 2 Sexton, Paul (30 March 1996). "Cure Captures 'Wild Mood Swings'". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 13. pp. 18, 41.
  35. ↑ "Be on the Lookout". Gavin Report. No. 2099. 5 April 1996. p. 28.
  36. ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 20 April 1996. p. 27. Retrieved 17 August 2021.
  37. ↑ "Cure Discography" (in Japanese). PolyGram. Archived from the original on 24 February 1999. Retrieved 27 August 2023.