{{Short description|1989 single by The Cure}} {{About|The Cure song|the Studio|Jens Bogren}} {{More citations needed|date=May 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2021}} {{Infobox song | name = Fascination Street | cover = Fascinationstreet.jpg | alt = | type = single | artist = [[the Cure]] | album = [[Disintegration (The Cure album)|Disintegration]] | B-side = * "Babble" * "Out of Mind" | released = 18 April 1989 | recorded = | studio = | venue = | genre = * [[Gothic rock]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/galore-the-singles-1987-1997-mw0000596100 | title=The Cure – Galore: The Singles 1987–1997 | publisher=[[AllMusic]] | access-date=27 December 2015 | author=Erlewine, Stephen Thomas | author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine | archive-date=11 May 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130511164436/http://www.allmusic.com/album/galore-the-singles-1987-1997-mw0000596100 | url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Molanphy 2019">{{Cite podcast|url=https://slate.com/podcasts/hit-parade/2019/10/suburban-teens-turned-grim-80s-u-k-postpunk-into-chart-pop|title= The Lost and Lonely Edition|website=Hit Parade {{!}} Music History and Music Trivia|publisher=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|last=Molanphy|first=Chris|date=October 31, 2019|access-date=November 8, 2023}}</ref> * [[alternative rock]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2017/07/ranking-every-alternative-rock-hit-from-worst-to-best/|title=Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit From Worst to Best|date=March 28, 2016|access-date=January 31, 2022|archive-date=9 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209142322/https://consequence.net/2017/07/ranking-every-alternative-rock-hit-from-worst-to-best/|url-status=live}}</ref> | length = * 5:16 (album version) * 4:20 (single version) | label = [[Elektra Records|Elektra]] | composer = {{hlist|[[Robert Smith (musician)|Robert Smith]]|[[Simon Gallup]]|[[Porl Thompson]]|[[Roger O'Donnell]]|[[Boris Williams]]}} | lyricist = Robert Smith | producer = * Robert Smith * [[David M. Allen|Dave Allen]] | prev_title = [[Lullaby (The Cure song)|Lullaby]] | prev_year = 1989 | next_title = [[Lovesong (The Cure song)|Lovesong]] | next_year = 1989 | misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|4ycl_ayPHU0|"Fascination Street"}}}} }}
"'''Fascination Street'''" is a song by English rock band [[the Cure]] from their eighth studio album, ''[[Disintegration (The Cure album)|Disintegration]]'' (1989). It was issued as a single only in North America, as the band's American record company refused to release the band's original choice, "[[Lullaby (The Cure song)|Lullaby]]", as the first single (it was the lead single in the UK and was released in the US later). The song became the band's first number-one single on the US ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' then-newly created [[Alternative Songs|Modern Rock Tracks]] chart, staying on top for seven weeks.
An extended mix, notable for its lengthy 4:00 instrumental introduction, was produced by Robert Smith, Chris Parry and Mark Saunders and released as the lead track on the 12-inch vinyl and maxi-CD singles. A shorter radio edit of the remix was used for the 7-inch vinyl and cassette single releases. The extended mix was later included on the Cure's 1990 remix album ''[[Mixed Up (The Cure album)|Mixed Up]]'', and the short remix has since been released worldwide on 1997's ''[[Galore (The Cure album)|Galore (The Singles 1987-1997)]]''.
==Background== "Fascination Street" was inspired by an alcoholic night in New Orleans.<ref name="Rolling Stone">{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-the-10-best-cure-songs-162300/fascination-street-93828/|title=Readers’ Poll: The 10 Best Cure Songs|author=Andy Greene|work=Rolling Stone|access-date=23 October 2020|archive-date=27 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201027004658/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/readers-poll-the-10-best-cure-songs-162300/fascination-street-93828/|url-status=live}}</ref>
In the liner notes for the compilation ''Galore'', Robert Smith describes “Fascination Street” as:<blockquote>A ‘generic’ song about the (often cynical) delights of exploring a new city nightlife; based loosely on one particular ‘band adventure’ in New Orleans 1985 – [[Bourbon Street]], the cliche perhaps.</blockquote>Smith has additionally commented, "I was getting ready to go there, and I thought, 'What the fuck do I think I'm going to find?' It's about the incredulity that I could still be fooled into looking for a perfect moment."<ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-09-20 |title=The Alternative Number Ones: The Cure's "Fascination Street" |url=https://stereogum.com/2236620/the-alternative-number-ones-the-cures-fascination-street/columns/ |access-date=2026-04-28 |website=stereogum.com |language=en}}</ref>
==Track listings== '''7-inch and cassette: Elektra / 7 69300; 9 469300''' # "Fascination Street" (remix) (4:17) # "Babble" (4:16)
'''12-inch: Elektra / 96 67040 (CDN)''' # "Fascination Street" (extended remix) (8:48) # "Babble" (4:16) # "Out of Mind" (3:51)
'''12-inch: Elektra / 0-66704''' # "Fascination Street" (extended remix) (8:48) # "Babble" (4:16) # "Out of Mind" (3:51)
'''CD: Elektra / 66702-2''' # "Fascination Street" (remix) (4:17) # "Babble" (4:16) # "Out of Mind" (3:51) # "Fascination Street" (extended remix) (8:48)
==Personnel== '''Band''' * [[Simon Gallup]] – bass guitar * [[Robert Smith (musician)|Robert Smith]] – lead guitar, keyboards, vocals, producer, engineer * [[Pearl Thompson|Porl Thompson]] – guitar * [[Boris Williams]] – drums * [[Roger O'Donnell]] – keyboards * [[Lol Tolhurst]] – other instruments
'''Production''' * [[Mark Saunders (record producer)|Mark Saunders]] – remix * Robert Smith – remix, producer, engineer * [[Chris Parry (producer)|Chris Parry]] – remix * [[David M. Allen]] – producer, engineer
==Charts== {{col-begin}} {{col-2}}
===Weekly charts=== {|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" !Chart (1989) !Peak<br/>position |- {{single chart|Billboardhot100|46|artist=The Cure|rowheader=true|access-date=7 August 2017}} |- {{single chart|Billboardalternativesongs|1|artist=The Cure|rowheader=true|access-date=7 August 2017}} |- {{single chart|Billboarddanceclubplay|7|artist=The Cure|rowheader=true|access-date=18 September 2023}} |- {{single chart|Billboarddancesales|13|artist=The Cure|rowheader=true|access-date=18 September 2023}} |- {{single chart|Billboardmainstreamrock|24|artist=The Cure|rowheader=true|access-date=7 August 2017}} |} {{col-2}}
===Year-end charts=== {|class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" !Chart (1989) !Position |- !scope="row"|US Modern Rock Tracks (''Billboard'')<ref>{{cite magazine|title=1989 The Year in Music: Top Modern Rock Tracks|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|volume=101|issue=51|page=YE-58|date=23 December 1989}}</ref> |2 |} {{col-end}}
==See also== * [[List of Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number ones of the 1980s#1989|List of ''Billboard'' Modern Rock Tracks number ones of the 1980s]]
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{TheCure}} {{Authority control}}
[[Category:1989 songs]] [[Category:1989 singles]] [[Category:The Cure songs]] [[Category:Elektra Records singles]] [[Category:Song recordings produced by David M. Allen]] [[Category:Songs written by Boris Williams]] [[Category:Songs written by Lol Tolhurst]] [[Category:Songs written by Porl Thompson]] [[Category:Songs written by Robert Smith (musician)]] [[Category:Songs written by Roger O'Donnell]] [[Category:Songs written by Simon Gallup]]