Who are the Smiths?

The Smiths are one of the most revolutionary British alternative artists, making a new genre within the alternative rock industry. With their soft, melodic music that can be both emotional and upbeat, they are definitely a prominent band in music. The Smiths have inspired thousands of bands with their unique sound and lead singer, Steven Morrissey, who has a voice like wind-chimes. Let's delve into how the band came to be and how they had a gain in popularity.

The Smiths originated in Manchester in 1982 when Johnny Marr approached singer Steven Morrissey at Steven’s house, asking him to start a band with him. Marr’s first encounter with Morrissey was at a Patti Smith concert, and they came together through their love for music and literature. After forming their partnership, they wrote their very first songs for their band. By autumn of 1982, they recruited their bassist, Andy Rourke, and drummer Mike Joyce to complete the band. Finally, their first gig was at The Ritz on October 4th, 1982, in Manchester, England, the same place of origin. The way The Smiths got their band name was because Morrissey chose it as the "most ordinary name" possible, believing it was time for "the ordinary folk of the world to show their faces." Some of The Smiths' first songs included “Hand In Glove” (released as their debut single in May 1983) and "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" (an early track written by Morrissey and Marr). Although “Hand In Glove” was their first official single, “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” was one of their first songs written together collectively as a band. Moving on, the first actual album was released on February 20th, 1984, becoming their title album. Later that same year, they released their second album, “Hatful of Hollow,” the same album having one of their biggest hits, “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now,” which became their first UK top 10 single in 1984. The Smiths' third album, “Meat Is Murder,” was released on February 11 of 1985, not doing as well as their last album. Another one that had been their most popular/one with the most hits was “The Queen Is Dead,” released on June 16, 1986. Their song in that particular album “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out,” as of lately, has had the most streams across music apps, even though it wasn't even released as a single during the band’s original run. In 1987, The Smiths officially disbanded due to tension between guitarist Johnny Marr and lead singer Steven Morrisey because of different ideas for the future of the band. 

In conclusion, The Smiths continue to be a mark in how alternative soft rock sounds, creating a legacy with their amazingly unique songs. Despite not producing more music, their songs continue to influence others and comfort their listeners with a blanket of guitar and soft vocals.

Written By: Arya Sladen-Suarez

Edited By: Gabby Joo

Image Credit: Cox, P. (1984) [Photograph] Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Smiths#/media/File:The_Smiths_(1984_Sire_publicity_photo)_002.jpg