Why is The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” such a great song?

“Just Like Heaven” is arguably The Cure’s most popular song, the one you’re most likely to still hear on the radio these days. Originally recorded for The Cure’s 1987 album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, “Just Like Heaven” was the band’s first hit here in America. Robert Smith himself considers it one of The Cure’s best songs.

But what, really, makes it so great? As part of his “What Makes This Song Great?” series, Rick Beato breaks down the song’s various components — the various drum fills, synth melodies, and guitar lines — to see how they all fit together to form a gloomy pop masterpiece.

One interesting thing he notes is how much space the song contains given its three-and-a-half-minute runtime — e.g., the long instrumental intro — and how this space adds to the song’s vibe. Via BoingBoing.