The Cult

About

Formed in Bradford in 1983, The Cult are an English rock band that evolved from lead vocalist Ian Astbury's previous project Southern Death Cult, initially performing under the name Death Cult before settling on their current name in January 1984. The band gained a dedicated following in the United Kingdom during the mid-1980s as a post-punk and gothic rock band, with notable singles including "She Sells Sanctuary," before achieving mainstream success in the United States in the late 1980s as a hard rock band, driven by hits such as "Love Removal Machine." The Cult's debut album Dreamtime was released in 1984, with "Spiritwalker" reaching No. 1 on the UK Indie Chart. Their second album Love arrived in 1985, charting at No. 4 in the UK and featuring "She Sells Sanctuary" and "Rain." The band achieved significant commercial success with their third album Electric in 1987, which merged their post-punk roots with hard rock under producer Rick Rubin's direction.