The Smiths — 1980s Music, Albums & Concerts
Manchester's most important band — and the template for modern British indie.
Origin: Manchester, England · Years active: 1982–1987
Biography
The Smiths were the most important British indie band of the 1980s. Johnny Marr's chiming guitar and Morrissey's literate, witty lyrics produced four studio albums in five years that remain touchstones for guitar pop.
The Smiths (1984) introduced the band's bookish, jangly sound. Hatful of Hollow (1984) compiled radio sessions that arguably bettered the debut.
Meat Is Murder (1985), The Queen Is Dead (1986) and Strangeways, Here We Come (1987) form one of the decade's strongest catalogues. The Queen Is Dead is regularly voted among the greatest albums ever recorded.
Almost every UK guitar band since 1990 owes The Smiths a debt — Oasis, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, The 1975 and beyond.
Key 1980s albums
- The Smiths (1984)
- Meat Is Murder (1985)
- The Queen Is Dead (1986)
- Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)
Essential songs
- This Charming Man (1983)
- How Soon Is Now? (1985)
- There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (1986)
- Bigmouth Strikes Again (1986)
Genres
Upcoming concerts
No confirmed upcoming The Smiths concerts are listed in the Radio1980 concert database right now. Browse all upcoming 80s concerts.