Love  by The Cult

The album Love by The Cult was released on October 18, 1985, by Beggars Banquet Records and is considered the album that established them internationally. The album featured Ian Astbury on vocals, Billy Duffy on guitars, Jamie Stewart on bass, and Mark Brzezicki on drums.

The album was recorded between July and August 1985 at Jacobs Studios in Farnham and at Olympic Studios in London, with production by Steve Brown. Love was a turning point as the band moved away from its strict post-punk roots and blended gothic rock and post-punk with the aesthetic of 60s/70s hard rock and psychedelia. Overall, the album stands out for Astbury's atmospheric vocals and Duffy's "shimmering" guitar sound, which heavily used flanger effects. The cover is particularly recognizable and known for its use of symbols. On the back side (and the front in two lines), there are 10 symbols corresponding to the 10 songs on the album (e.g., a cloud for Rain, a sickle for Hollow Man, etc.). The first single was She Sells Sanctuary, perhaps the most iconic Cult track, which became a worldwide hit.

The album reached No.4 on the UK charts, where it remained for 22 weeks, while in the USA it made its debut reaching No.87. It has sold approximately 2,500,000 copies worldwide.