The Smiths

In the 1980s The Smiths emerged as Britain’s quintessential indie rock act, closing out the era of synth-heavy new wave while launching the guitar-based sound that would define English rock through the next decade. Their music drew heavily from the British Invasion, producing crisp, tuneful three-minute singles even among album cuts, yet the band’s range extended well beyond simple revivalism. Core duo vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, both devoted rock enthusiasts shaped by punk’s D.I.Y. ethos, also harbored deep affection for girl groups, pop, and rockabilly. Their partnership stood among rock’s most unusual creative alliances: Marr, the traditionalist, evoked an elegant Keith Richards during the group’s peak and built intricate guitar layers in the studio, while Morrissey departed from convention by delivering lines in a plaintive, introspective croon, championing Oscar Wilde’s melancholic verse, publicly embracing celibacy, and voicing open disdain for most contemporaries. The creative tension between the two ultimately shortened the band’s lifespan, yet it also generated a rapid succession of singles and albums across three years that mapped the course for British guitar rock in the decade ahead.

Prior to assembling The Smiths in 1982, Johnny Marr had performed with several Manchester rock outfits such as Sister Ray, Freaky Party, White Dice, and Paris Valentinos. He came close to securing a deal more than once—one ensemble won a Stiff Records contest for a Nick Lowe production session—yet never crossed that threshold. Morrissey, meanwhile, had briefly sung with the Nosebleeds and auditioned for Slaughter & the Dogs, though he mainly devoted himself to fervent fandom of music and film; throughout his teens he frequently saw his letters published in Melody Maker. He authored the tribute James Dean Isn’t Dead, issued by Manchester’s Babylon Books in the late 1970s, along with a volume on the New York Dolls, and presided over the English branch of that band’s fan club. The pair met through mutual acquaintances in spring 1982 when Marr sought a lyricist; they began composing and cut early demos with the Fall’s Simon Wolstencroft. By autumn they had adopted the name The Smiths, adding Marr’s former schoolmate Andy Rourke on bass and Mike Joyce on drums.

The Smiths played their first show late in 1982. By spring 1983 they had cultivated a devoted local following in Manchester and begun attracting attention in London. After declining an offer from Factory Records they signed with Rough Trade for the standalone single “Hand in Glove.” Its veiled allusions to homosexuality and ringing guitar lines turned it into an underground hit that topped the independent charts and earned glowing notices from the British weeklies. Morrissey’s stage presence quickly grew infamous: he appeared wearing a hearing aid and with gladioli protruding from his back pockets, while his interviews showcased blunt, contrarian views that fueled the group’s media prominence. Their second single, “This Charming Man,” arrived in late 1983 amid earlier controversy surrounding “Reel Around the Fountain,” a BBC session track accused of endorsing child abuse—the first of many instances in which Morrissey’s detached, literary, and ironic words drew misinterpretation.

“This Charming Man” climbed to number 25 on the British charts in December 1983, paving the way for “What Difference Does It Make” to reach number 12 the following February. The band’s swift ascent into the upper tiers of the U.K. charts, coupled with fervent fan and press support, signaled the demise of synth-driven new wave. After discarding an initial attempt at a debut album they issued The Smiths in spring 1984, which earned strong reviews and peaked at number two. Months later they backed 1960s vocalist Sandie Shaw—whom Morrissey had lauded in print—on a version of “Hand in Glove” that entered the Top 40. “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” hit number ten, their highest-charting single at the time, though its B-side “Suffer Little Children,” addressing the Moors Murders, sparked further debate. Morrissey’s criticism of Band Aid’s hunger-relief campaign drew additional scrutiny, yet popularity remained undiminished. Despite their stature as Britain’s leading new rock act, they never advanced beyond college and underground radio in the U.S., partly because they never mounted a full tour. Late in the year “William, It Was Really Nothing” reached the Top 20 while the B-sides collection Hatful of Hollow entered the Top Ten, soon followed by “How Soon Is Now?” at number 24.

Meat Is Murder, their second studio album, debuted at number one on the British charts in February 1985 despite reviews deeming it less potent than the debut. Around its release Morrissey’s interviews grew more overtly political as he assailed the Thatcher government and promoted vegetarianism; he asserted that all members abstained from meat and barred photographs of the others eating it, even though they remained omnivores. Marr, meanwhile, embraced the rock lifestyle and increasingly resembled a blend of Keith Richards and Brian Jones. The standalone single “Shakespeare’s Sister” reached number 26 in spring 1985 as The Smiths inspired numerous imitators, among them James, who supported them on tour. Media saturation later provoked backlash when “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore,” pulled from Meat Is Murder, missed the Top 40.

“The Boy with the Thorn in His Side” restored momentum in autumn 1985, and the third album, The Queen Is Dead, reinforced their stature upon its spring 1986 release. It received glowing notices, peaked at number two in Britain, and widened their American cult following by cracking the Top 100. Shortly before completion, former Aztec Camera guitarist Craig Gannon joined as rhythm guitarist and performed throughout the 1986 world tour, including a troubled U.S. leg. The non-album “Panic,” whose refrain “Burn down the disco… hang the DJ” drew accusations of racism, reached number 11 in late summer. Months afterward Marr suffered serious injuries in a car accident; during his recovery Gannon was dismissed and Rourke was let go because of heroin addiction, though Rourke later returned while Gannon did not.

Early 1987 found the band at peak visibility: the standalone singles “Shoplifters of the World” and “Sheila Take a Bow” reached numbers 11 and 10 respectively, while the singles compilation The World Won’t Listen (issued in the U.S. as Louder Than Bombs) debuted at number two. Yet Marr grew disenchanted with both the group and the industry. Tensions between Morrissey and Marr intensified; the singer resented Marr’s outside work with artists such as Bryan Ferry and Billy Bragg, while the guitarist grew impatient with Morrissey’s fixation on 1960s pop and reluctance to pursue new directions. Weeks before Strangeways, Here We Come appeared, Marr announced his departure. Morrissey soon disbanded the Smiths and launched a solo career, signing with Parlophone in Britain and remaining with Reprise in the U.S. Marr worked as a session musician before forming Electronic with New Order’s Bernard Sumner. Rourke stepped away from recording, and Joyce joined the reunited Buzzcocks in 1991.

The live album Rank, captured during the Queen Is Dead tour, arrived in autumn 1988 and debuted at number two in Britain. A widely criticized two-volume Best of the Smiths set appeared in 1992, followed by the well-received Singles compilation in 1995. In 1991 Joyce and Rourke sued Morrissey and Marr, alleging they received only ten percent of earnings while the songwriters took forty percent; Rourke settled privately, but Joyce prevailed in court in late 1996. Though relations stayed fractured, Marr performed at Madison Square Garden in September 2022 with Rourke guesting on bass—among Rourke’s final public appearances before his death from pancreatic cancer on May 19, 2023.