Robert Smith of The Cure hates the poor Mozzer

One of the most notorious rivalries among 80's-era musicians is between Morrissey and Robert Smith (The Cure's front man). The origin of this feud is unknown to the public, but one might speculate that it has something to do with egos and the rightful place as the one and only "Pope of Mope." Morrissey has been known to snipe at many in the music business and for that matter, is not reputedly tactful when doing so. 

It would not surprise me if a few poison words found their way to Robert Smith's ears somewhere along the line. Robert's responses, at least as I've heard them quoted, were, well, lame. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of the Cure, but I'm sure you can guess who wins this one.

What's Been Said 

"The Cure, a new dimension to the word 'crap'." 

"If Morrissey says not to eat meat, then I’m going to eat meat; that’s how much I hate Morrissey." 

"Robert Smith is a whingebag." 

"The press try to categorize me as a 'doom-and-gloom' singer. But take a look at Morrissey! That man's a professional moaner!" 

"Well, I am an extremely beautiful person." 

"Morrissey’s so depressing... if he doesn’t kill himself soon, I probably will." 

"I lie a lot... it's really useful." 

"I lie a lot... especially on interviews."

“[Moz] was constantly saying horrible things about The Cure,” 

Smith tells Entertainment Weekly. “In the end, I kind of snapped and started retaliating. And it turned into some kind of petty feud. I’ve never liked anything he’s done musically, but I don’t have any kind of strong feelings of animosity towards him as a person because I’ve never met him.”

Taken from a Robert Smith Q&A in Rolling Stone (Nov. 1997):

Who has more rabid fans, the Cure or Morrissey?

I’d much rather have our fans than his — our fans are generally quiet, well-spoken and friendly and not pretentious in the slightest. Hopefully, that reflects the nature of The Cure. Despite what the mainstream media would have you believe, we’re a very natural group. 

The people who have been in the group over the years have been there because they have been friendly with each other. There has been no sense of purpose other than making music together. I think if Morrissey’s fans reflect what Morrissey is like as an individual or the way he projects himself as an individual then ... uh ... I’ll stop there.

Source: Stereogum, Smartestmanever, Morrissey