The Smiths were an English rock band from Manchester, active 1982-1987, built around the songwriting partnership of vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, with Andy Rourke on bass and Mike Joyce on drums. Signed to Rough Trade Records, they released four studio albums that fused post-punk with melodic, jangly guitar pop and Morrissey's literate, often darkly comic lyrics - a sound that helped shift British music away from synth-pop and toward guitar-driven indie rock. All four albums reached the UK top five, including the number-one Meat Is Murder (1985), and The Queen Is Dead (1986) is widely regarded as their masterpiece. Decades after their split, they remain one of the most-streamed catalogue acts in British rock history.
Bassist Andy Rourke died of pancreatic cancer in May 2023.
'There Is a Light That Never Goes Out' reached 500 million Spotify streams in December 2023.
'This Charming Man' marked its 40th anniversary in October 2023, with Radio X noting it had accumulated over 409 million Spotify streams and 99 million YouTube views.
MOJO magazine published a ranked list of the 50 greatest Smiths songs, reflecting continued critical engagement with the band's catalogue over 40 years after their debut.
