February 20th, this past Thursday, marked the 30th anniversary of The Smiths’ self-titled debut album release. The Smiths, fronted by angst-icon Morrissey, are known for being arguably the most influential alternative band to come out of England during the ‘80s, though there probably aren’t many people who would argue with this. The Smiths are a must-know in the world of alternative/indie rock, and bands ranging from Oasis to AFI to The Libertines (to countless others) have all named The Smiths as an influence to their musical sound. The Smiths are also known for showing up on the soundtracks of films such as (500) Days of Summer, Closer, and Shaun of the Dead.
The members of The Smiths are Morrissey (singer), Johnny Marr (guitarist), Andy Rourke (bassist), and Mike Joyce (drummer). The Smiths put out four full-length studio albums during the mid-1980s, which include their self-titled albums Meat Is Murder; The Queen Is Dead; and Strangeways, Here We Come. Each one of their albums had their turn to sit on one of the top spots of UK charts after their respective releases.
The Smiths’ self-titled album was released in 1984, two years after the formation of the band. The record was put out on Rough Trade in the UK and Sire in the US. Morrissey and Johnny Marr wrote all ten of the tracks on the record. The Smiths claimed the number two spot on UK charts, and the single off the record, “What Difference Does It Make?,” came in at number 12 on UK Singles Chart. The album is still making a spot for itself on best album lists today, including Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”
In 1987, The Smiths broke up and all of the members went on to pursue other musical ventures. A few years after the band’s split, there were lawsuits over royalties because some members of the band did not believe they were getting what they deserved. Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce were only receiving a fourth of what the other two members of The Smiths were making on royalties, so they decided to settle the matter in the courtroom where the judge ruled in their favor and ordered for even division of royalties.
After the break-up, Morrissey went on to start a very successful solo career. He released nine studio albums, along with a couple live albums and compilations, and an autobiography. Morrissey’s autobiography, entitled Autobiography, was released in late 2013 in the UK, Europe, and the US. In Autobiography, Morrissey talks about his time with The Smiths, his solo career, pop culture, and his personal relationships, which brought up the question of his sexuality to the media. Morrissey is also known for being a huge animal rights activist and supports groups like PETA. Morrissey is still very active in the music world, and is actually going on an American tour in May and June of this year that includes a couple dates in Florida.