The Cure’s Robert Smith Hits Hot 100 as a Solo Artist for the First Time, Thanks to Olivia Rodrigo

Robert Smith appears on the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist for the first time in his career this week, thanks to his guest appearance on Olivia Rodrigo’s “What’s Wrong With Me.”

The track debuts at No. 17 on the Hot 100 (dated June 27), fueled by 15.5 million official U.S. streams in its opening week, according to Luminate. The song arrived June 12 on Rodrigo’s third studio album, You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love, which opens at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 485,000 equivalent album units, the second-largest week of 2026, after only the opening week of BTS’ ARIRANG.

While Smith has charted extensively as the frontman of The Cure through his decades-long career — the band first made a Billboard survey in July 1980, after it formed in 1976 — “What’s Wrong With Me” marks his first appearance on the Hot 100 billed as a solo artist. The Cure charted 14 songs on the Hot 100 in 1986-96, led by “Love Song,” which reached No. 2 in 1989.

Here’s a look at the band’s full history on the chart:

Peak Position, Title, Peak Date
No. 2, “Love Song,” Oct. 21, 1989
No. 18, “Friday I’m in Love,” Aug. 8, 1992
No. 40, “Just Like Heaven,” Jan. 9, 1988
No. 42, “High,” May 2, 1992
No. 44, “The 13th,” May 11, 1996
No. 46, “Fascination Street,” June 17, 1989
No. 54, “Why Can’t I Be You?,” Aug. 8, 1987
No. 58, “Mint Car,” July 20, 1996
No. 65, “Hot Hot Hot!!!” April 9, 1988
No. 71, “Pictures of You,” May 19, 1990
No. 72, “Never Enough,” Nov. 17, 1990
No. 74, “Lullaby,” Dec. 16, 1989
No. 97, “Close to Me,” Jan. 26, 1991
No. 99, “In Between Days,” Feb. 15, 1986

The group, which was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2019, has enjoyed even greater success on Billboard’s Alternative Airplay chart, sending 17 songs onto the ranking, including four that hit No. 1: “Fascination Street,” “Never Enough,” “High” and “Friday I’m in Love.” The Cure returned to the chart in 2024 with “A Fragile Thing,” which reached No. 14 and became the band’s first entry on the ranking in 16 years.

Rodrigo has frequently cited The Cure among her favorite artists, and fans had speculated about a potential collaboration after the pair shared the stage during her headlining set at Glastonbury last year.

Ahead of the new album’s release, Rodrigo reflected on the collaboration in a handwritten letter shared through her fan email newsletter. “I’ve been insanely excited to tell you guys about this song & it’s been so hard to keep it a secret!” she wrote. “It’s the first feature I’ve ever done on an album and I actually cannot believe I got to do it with Robert Smith!

“Somebody pinch me!!!” she continued. “Robert has been soundtracking my life for as long as I can remember. He has written some of my favorite songs of all time. His music moves me & inspires me to a degree that is hard to put into words. I’ve also been lucky enough to spend time with him over the last year & experience first hand his generosity & graciousness.”

Though this marks Smith’s first Hot 100 entry as a solo artist, he has twice reached Billboard’s charts outside of The Cure. In 2004, Junior Jack’s “Da Hype,” featuring Smith, spent a week at No. 1 on the currently inactive Dance Club Songs chart, while Crystal Castles’ “Not in Love,” featuring Smith, hit No. 24 on Alternative Airplay in 2011.