The Head on the Door is the sixth studio album by English rock band The Cure, released in August 1985 on record label Polydor. Preceded by the single “In Between Days” which had reached number 15 on the UK singles chart, The Head on the Door was described by Melody Maker as “a collection of pop songs”. With its variety of styles, it allowed the group to reach a wider audience in both Europe and North America. In the United Kingdom, it quickly became their most successful album to date, climbing to number seven on the albums chart.
The album is the first to feature drummer Boris Williams. Bassist Simon Gallup, who had previously worked on three major Cure albums of the early 80's, was called back before the recording. In 1985, the band became a quintet with instrumentalist Porl Thompson as fifth official member. The Head on the Door is the first Cure album where all the songs are composed by singer and guitarist Robert Smith only.