Image ofThe Smiths

The Smiths

Musical Group
Forfans of 80s british indie/alternative rock, jangle-pop, literate pop-rock songwriting, and listeners exploring the smiths for the first time via key albums and compilations.
14 Reviews 51 Definitions 55 Charts

The Profile

The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, best known for the songwriting partnership of vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, alongside bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce.

Formed in 1982 in Manchester, England; classic lineup: Morrissey (Steven Patrick Morrissey), Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce. The band split in 1987. Widely associated with 1980s British indie/alternative rock and a guitar-led jangle-pop sound.

Across these reviews, The Smiths emerge as a Manchester band defined by Johnny Marr’s chiming, intricate guitars and Morrissey’s ironic, literary melancholy. Users praise their singles/compilations as essential entry points, with repeated love for tracks like “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” and “How Soon Is Now?”. The Queen Is Dead is frequently framed as a landmark 80s record, while opinions diverge on album “completeness” versus the band’s strength as a singles act. Themes of youth, loneliness, and Thatcher-era England recur, alongside notes on the group’s short, intense run and eventual split.

Who knows The Smiths?

Loading...
Image Id: 93566 Resolution: 395 x 252
Image Id: 29 Resolution: 126 x 85