Disintegration was the eighth studio album by alternative rockers The Cure, first released on 2 May 1989 by Fiction Records. The record marks a return to the introspective and gloomy gothic rock style the band had established in the early 1980s.

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As he neared the age of thirty, vocalist and guitarist Robert Smith had felt an increased pressure to follow up on the group’s pop successes with a more enduring work. This, coupled with a distaste for the group’s newfound popularity, caused Smith to lapse back into the use of hallucinogenic drugs, the effects of which had a strong influence on the production of the album.

‘Disintegration’ was recorded at Hookend Recording Studios in Checkendon, Oxfordshire, with co-producer David M. Allen from late 1988 to early 1989. During production, founding member Lol Tolhurst was fired from the band.

‘Disintegration’ became the band’s commercial peak, charting at number three in the United Kingdom and at number twelve in the United States, and producing several hit singles including “Lovesong.”