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{{Short description|English rock band (1982–1987)}}
{{About|the band|the album|The Smiths (album){{!}}''The Smiths'' (album)|other uses|Smiths (disambiguation){{!}}Smiths}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2019}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = The Smiths
| image             = The Smiths (1984 Sire publicity photo) 002.jpg
| caption           = The Smiths in 1984. From left to right: [[Andy Rourke]], [[Morrissey]], [[Johnny Marr]] and [[w:Mike Joyce (musician)|Mike Joyce]].
| image_upright     = 1.2
| origin            = [[Manchester]], England
| genre             = {{hlist|
[[Indie pop]]|[[indie rock]]|[[jangle pop]]|[[alternative rock]]}}
| discography       = {{hlist|[[The Smiths discography|Albums and singles]]|[[List of songs recorded by the Smiths|songs]]}}
| years_active      = 1982–1987
| label             = {{hlist|[[Rough Trade Records|Rough Trade]]|[[Sire Records|Sire]]}}
| website           = {{URL|officialsmiths.co.uk}}
| past_members      = {{plainlist|
* [[Morrissey]]
* [[Johnny Marr]]
* [[Andy Rourke]]
* [[Mike Joyce (musician)|Mike Joyce]]
* (see [[#Members|Members]] for others)
}}
}}
'''The Smiths''' were<!--not "was".  In British English bands are plural.--> an English [[Rock music|rock]] band formed in [[Manchester]] in 1982, composed of [[Morrissey]] (vocals), [[Johnny Marr]] (guitar), [[Andy Rourke]] (bass) and [[Mike Joyce (musician)|Mike Joyce]] (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwriting partnership. The Smiths are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerge from 1980s British [[independent music]].

The Smiths signed to the independent label [[Rough Trade Records]] in 1983 and released their debut album, ''[[The Smiths (album)|The Smiths]]'', in 1984. Their focus on a guitar, bass and drum sound, fusing 1960s rock and [[post-punk]], was a rejection of the [[synth-pop]] sound predominant at the time. Several of the band's singles reached the top 20 of the [[UK singles chart]], and all their studio albums reached the top five of the [[UK Albums Chart]], including the number-one album ''[[Meat Is Murder]]'' (1985). The band achieved mainstream success in Europe with ''[[The Queen Is Dead]]'' (1986) and ''[[Strangeways, Here We Come]]'' (1987), which both entered the top 20 of the [[European Albums Chart]].<ref>{{cite magazine|title=European Hot 100 Albums Chart|magazine=Music & Media|date=26 July 1986|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M&M-1986-07-26.pdf|access-date=14 Oct 2019|page=26|archive-date=10 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110024750/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1986/M&M-1986-07-26.pdf|url-status=live}}<br />{{cite magazine|title=European Hot 100 Albums Chart|magazine=Music & Media|date=31 October 1987|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1987/M&M-1987-10-31.pdf|access-date=14 Oct 2019|page=26|archive-date=10 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110024751/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1987/M&M-1987-10-31.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> 

In 1986, the Smiths briefly expanded to a five-piece with the addition of guitarist [[Craig Gannon]], but internal tensions eventually led to their breakup the following year. The split was followed by heavily publicized lawsuits over royalties, and the band members have consistently rejected numerous offers to reunite in the years since. Bassist Andy Rourke died in 2023.

==History==
===1982: Formation and early performances===
In May 1982, [[Johnny Marr]] and his friend Steve Pomfret went to the home of [[Steven Morrissey]] in [[Stretford]] to invite him to form a band.<ref name=":0">{{cite book |first=Simon |last=Goddard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ImK_BgAAQBAJ&pg=PT16|title=Songs That Saved Your Life |date=2013 |publisher=Titan Books |isbn=978-1-78116-259-0 |page=16 |access-date=27 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110024753/https://books.google.com/books?id=ImK_BgAAQBAJ&pg=PT16 |archive-date=10 January 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> Marr and Morrissey had met at a [[Patti Smith]] gig at Manchester's [[O2 Apollo Manchester|Apollo Theatre]] on 31 August 1978, when Marr was 14 and Morrissey was 19.<ref name=":0" /> They bonded through their love of poetry and literature.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=32|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2pp=16–17}} A fan of the [[New York Dolls]], Marr had been impressed that Morrissey had written a book on the band and was inspired to turn up on his doorstep following the example of [[Jerry Leiber]], who had formed his working partnership with [[Mike Stoller]] after turning up at Stoller's door.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=32|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2p=16}} According to Morrissey: "We got on absolutely famously. We were very similar in drive."<ref name="DIDiscs">{{cite episode |title=Desert Island Discs with Morrissey |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00p068y#b00p068y |series=Desert Island Discs |series-link=Desert Island Discs |network=BBC Radio 4 |airdate=29 November 2009 |last=Young |first=Kirsty |author-link=Kirsty Young |archive-date=3 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190403045222/http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/features/desert-island-discs/castaway/d8176a1c#b00p068y |url-status=live }}</ref> The two found that they were fans of many of the same bands.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=17}} When Marr looked through Morrissey's singles collection, he found [[the Monochrome Set]], a band they both admired.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Robb |first=John |date=2009-01-09 |title=The Monochrome Set: Remembering the band that history forgot |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2009/jan/09/the-monochrome-set-remembered |access-date=2023-04-23 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The next day, Morrissey phoned Marr to confirm that he would be interested in forming a band with him.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=17}}

A few days later, Morrissey and Marr held their first rehearsal in Marr's rented attic room in [[Bowdon, Greater Manchester|Bowdon]]. Morrissey provided the lyrics for "Don't Blow Your Own Horn", the first song that they worked on; however, they decided against retaining the song, with Marr commenting that "neither of us liked it very much".{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=17}} The next song that they worked on was "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle", which again was based on lyrics produced by Morrissey. Marr based the tempo on the Patti Smith song "Kimberly", and they recorded it on Marr's TEAC four-track cassette recorder. The third track that the duo worked on was "[[Suffer Little Children]]".{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=18}} Alongside these original compositions, Morrissey suggested that the band produce a cover of "I Want a Boy for My Birthday", a song by the 1960s American girl group [[the Cookies]]; although he had never heard of the song before, Marr agreed, enjoying the subversive element of having a male vocalist sing it, and the song was recorded on his TEAC machine.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=22}}

{{Quote box|width=25em|align=right|quote="It's still really clear. It was a sunny day, about one o'clock. There was no advance phone call or anything. I just knocked and he opened the door. As soon as the door opened, Pommy [Pomfret] took two very firm steps back. Which is one of the things that got me to talk so fast, it was just plain exuberance."|source=— Marr, on arriving at Morrissey's door{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=17}} }}

By late 1982, Morrissey had chosen the band name the Smiths.{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=34|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2p=20}} He said later that "it was the most ordinary name and I thought it was time that the ordinary folk of the world showed their faces".{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=20}} Around the time of the band's formation, Morrissey decided that he would be publicly known only by his surname,{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=34|2a1=Simpson|2y=2004|2p=42}} with Marr referring to him as "Mozzer" or "Moz".{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=21}} In 1983, he forbade those around him from using the name "Steven", which he despised.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=21}}

After remaining with the band for several rehearsals, Pomfret departed acrimoniously.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=19}} He was replaced by the bass player Dale Hibbert, who worked at Manchester's Decibel Studios, where Marr had met him while recording [[Freak Party]]'s demo.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=20}} Through Hibbert, the Smiths recorded their first demo at Decibel one night in August 1982.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=23}} Aided by drummer [[Simon Wolstencroft]], whom Marr had worked with in Freak Party, the band recorded both "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" and "Suffer Little Children".{{sfn|Goddard|2006|pp=23–24}} Wolstencroft was not interested in joining the band, so following auditions [[Mike Joyce (musician)|Mike Joyce]] joined; he later revealed that he was under the influence of [[Psilocybin|magic mushrooms]] during his audition.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|pp=25–26}} Meanwhile, Morrissey took the demo recording to [[Factory Records]], but Factory's [[Tony Wilson]] was not interested.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|pp=26–27}}

In October 1982, the Smiths gave their first public performance as a support act for [[Blue Rondo à la Turk (band)|Blue Rondo à la Turk]] during a student music and fashion show, "An Evening of Pure Pleasure", at Manchester's [[The Ritz (Manchester)|Ritz]].{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1pp=34–35|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2p=27}} During the performance, they played both their own compositions and "I Want a Boy for My Birthday".{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=28}} Morrissey had organised the gig's aesthetic; the band came onstage to [[Klaus Nomi]]'s version of [[Henry Purcell]]'s "The Cold Song" playing through the venue's sound system before his friend James Maker stepped onstage to introduce the band.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|pp=27–29}} Maker remained onstage during the performance, relating that "I was given a pair of maracas – an optional extra – and carte blanche. There were no instructions – I think it was generally accepted I would ''improvise''... I was there to drink red wine, make extraneous hand gestures and keep well within the tight, chalked circle that Morrissey had drawn around me."{{sfn|Goddard|2006|pp=28–29}} Hibbert was allegedly unhappy with what he perceived as the band's "gay" aesthetic; in turn, Morrissey and Marr were unhappy with his bass playing, so he was replaced by Marr's old schoolfriend [[Andy Rourke]].{{sfnm|1a1=Bret|1y=2004|1p=36|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2pp=27–30}} Hibbert denies that he objected to the band being perceived as gay, and said he was not sure why he was asked to leave.<ref>{{cite book| last= Hibbert| first= Dale |year= 2015| title= Boy Interrupted. Memoir of a former Smith| publisher= Pomona | isbn= 978-1-904590-30-9}}</ref>

In December 1982, the Smiths recorded their second demo, at the Drone Studios in [[Chorlton-cum-Hardy]]; the tracks recorded were "[[What Difference Does It Make?]]", "Handsome Devil" and "Miserable Lie".{{sfn|Goddard|2006|pp=30–31}} This was used as their audition tape for the record company [[EMI]], who turned the band down.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=31}} The band continued to practice, this time at the upstairs of the Portland Street Crazy Face Clothing company, a space secured by their new manager Joe Moss.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=32}} By Christmas, they had written four new songs: "These Things Take Time", "What Do You See in Him?", "Jeane" and "A Matter of Opinion", the last of which they soon scrapped.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|pp=32–33}} Their next gig was Manchester's Manhattan in late January 1983, and although Maker would again appear as a go-go dancer, this was the last time that he did so.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=33}} In early February, they performed their third gig, at the [[Haçienda]].{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=34}}

=== 1983–1984: Rough Trade, "Hand in Glove", and debut album ===

Marr and Rourke visited London to hand a cassette of their recordings to [[Geoff Travis]] of the independent record label [[Rough Trade Records]].{{sfn|Marr|2016|pp=275–276}} Travis agreed to cut their song "[[Hand in Glove]]" as a single.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=42}} For the cover, Morrissey insisted on a homoerotic photograph by [[Jim French (photographer)|Jim French]] which he had found in Margaret Walters' ''The Nude Male''.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=42}} The single was released in May 1983,{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=38}} and sold well for the next 18 months, but did not chart in the [[UK Top 40]].{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=43}} Among the audience at the Smiths' second London concert, at the [[University of London Union]], was [[John Walters (broadcaster)|John Walters]], the producer of [[John Peel]]'s BBC Radio 1 show: he invited the band to record a session for the programme. Peel said: "You couldn't immediately tell what records they'd been listening to. That's fairly unusual, very rare indeed... It was that aspect of the Smiths that I found most impressive."{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=43}} Following this radio exposure, the Smiths gained their first interviews, in the music magazines ''[[NME]]'' and ''[[Sounds (magazine)|Sounds]]''.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=43}}

Travis travelled to Manchester to meet the band at their Crazy Face rehearsal space and sign a record contract with Rough Trade.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|pp=46–47}} Morrissey and Marr signed it on behalf of the band, and there was no discussion of how earnings would be divided.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=47}} Travis brought in [[Troy Tate]] of [[the Teardrop Explodes]], and under his supervision the band recorded their debut album, at the Elephant Studios in [[Wapping]], East London.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|pp=47–50}} Rough Trade were unhappy with the album and Tate's production, insisting the band rerecord it with a new producer, [[John Porter (musician, born 1947)|John Porter]].{{sfn|Goddard|2006|pp=50–51}} The singles "[[This Charming Man]]" and "[[What Difference Does It Make?]]" reached numbers 25 and 12 respectively on the [[UK singles chart]].<ref name="guinness book">{{Cite book|editor-last=Roberts|editor-first=David |title=British Hit Singles & Albums|publisher=[[HIT Entertainment]]|year=2006|edition=19th|pages=509–510|isbn=1-904994-10-5|title-link=Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums}}</ref> Aided by praise from the music press and a series of studio sessions for Peel and [[David Jensen]] at [[BBC Radio 1]], the Smiths began to build a dedicated fanbase.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} The Smiths generated controversy when [[Garry Bushell]] of ''[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]]'' alleged their B-side "Handsome Devil" was an endorsement of [[paedophilia]].{{sfnm|1a1=Simpson|1y=2004|1p=108|2a1=Goddard|2y=2006|2pp=35–36}} The band denied this, with Morrissey stating the song "has nothing to do with children, and certainly nothing to do with child-molesting".{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=37}}

[[File:The Smiths (1984 Sire publicity photo) 001.jpg|thumb|The Smiths in 1984]]
In February 1984, the Smiths released their debut album, ''[[The Smiths (album)|The Smiths]]'', which reached number two on the [[UK Albums Chart]].<ref name=album>{{cite web|url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/smiths/#albums|title=The Smiths UK charts albums|website=Theofficialcharts.com|access-date=20 October 2017|archive-date=17 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217193040/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/smiths/#albums|url-status=live}}</ref> "Reel Around the Fountain" and "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" met with controversy, with some tabloid newspapers alleging the songs were suggestive of [[paedophilia]], a claim strongly denied by the group.<ref name=":1" /> In March 1984, the Smiths performed on [[Channel 4]] music programme ''[[The Tube (1982 TV series)|The Tube]]''.{{sfn|Goddard|2006|p=45}} The album was followed the same year by the non-album singles "[[Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now]]" and "[[William, It Was Really Nothing]]", which featured "[[How Soon Is Now?]]" on its B-side. Securing the band's first top ten placing, "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" was also significant for marking the beginning of engineer and producer [[Stephen Street]]'s long-term working relationship with the band.<ref name="hitquarters.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.hitquarters.com/index.php3?page=intrview/opar/intrview_StephenStreet.html |title=Interview With Stephen Street |publisher=[[HitQuarters]] |date=27 September 2005 |first=Denny |last=Hilton |access-date=12 May 2010 |archive-date=14 March 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120314061930/http://www.hitquarters.com/index.php3?page=intrview/opar/intrview_StephenStreet.html |url-status=usurped}}</ref>

More controversy followed when "[[Suffer Little Children]]", the B-side to "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now", touched on the theme of the [[Moors murders]]. This caused an uproar after the grandfather of one of the murdered children heard the song on a pub [[jukebox]] and felt the band was trying to commercialise the murders. After meeting with Morrissey, he accepted that the song was a sincere exploration of the impact of the murders. Morrissey subsequently established a friendship with Ann West, the mother of victim Lesley Ann Downey, who is mentioned by name in the song.<ref>See the discussion of [http://foreverill.com/disc/heaven.htm "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926031909/http://foreverill.com/disc/heaven.htm |date=26 September 2008 }} at ''Forever Ill''; and the [http://www.passionsjustlikemine.com/lyrics/smiths-slc.htm "Suffer Little Children"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120206003624/http://passionsjustlikemine.com/lyrics/smiths-slc.htm |date=6 February 2012 }} lyrics at ''Passions Just Like Mine''. Both retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref>

The year ended with the release of the compilation album ''[[Hatful of Hollow]]'', a collection of singles, B-sides and tracks recorded throughout the previous year for the Peel and Jensen radio shows.

=== 1985–1986: ''Meat Is Murder'' and ''The Queen Is Dead'' ===
Early in 1985, the Smiths released their second studio album, ''[[Meat Is Murder]]''. It was more strident and political than its predecessor, including the pro-vegetarian title track (Morrissey forbade the rest of the group from being photographed eating meat), the light-hearted [[republicanism]] of "Nowhere Fast", and the anti-corporal punishment "[[The Headmaster Ritual]]" and "[[Barbarism Begins at Home]]". The band had also grown more diverse musically, with Marr adding [[rockabilly]] riffs to "Rusholme Ruffians" and Rourke playing a [[funk]] bass solo on "Barbarism Begins at Home". The album was preceded by the re-release of the B-side "[[How Soon Is Now?]]" as a single, and although that song was not on the original [[Phonograph record|LP]], it has been added to subsequent releases. ''Meat Is Murder'' was the band's only album (barring compilations) to reach number one on the UK charts.<ref name=album/>

Morrissey brought a political stance to many of his interviews, courting further controversy. Among his targets were the [[Premiership of Margaret Thatcher|Thatcher government]], the [[British monarchy]] and the famine relief project [[Band Aid (band)|Band Aid]]. Morrissey famously quipped of the last, "One can have great concern for the people of [[Ethiopia]], but it's another thing to inflict daily torture on the people of England"<ref>{{cite web | date=18 November 2004 | title=Band Aid vs. Morrissey&nbsp;...  | work=Overyourhead.co.uk | url=http://www.overyourhead.co.uk/2004/11/band-aid-vs.html | access-date=22 April 2007 | archive-date=1 May 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501174743/http://www.overyourhead.co.uk/2004/11/band-aid-vs.html | url-status=live }}</ref> ("torture" being a reference to the music that resulted from the project). The subsequent single-only release "[[Shakespeare's Sister (song)|Shakespeare's Sister]]" reached number 26 on the UK singles chart, although the only single taken from the album, "[[That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore]]", was less successful, barely making the top 50.<ref name=single>{{cite web|url=http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/smiths/#singles|title=The Smiths Uk Charts|website=Theofficialcharts.com|access-date=20 October 2017|archive-date=17 February 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217193040/http://www.theofficialcharts.com/artist/_/smiths/#singles|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1985, the Smiths completed lengthy tours of the UK and the US.<ref name="The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead">{{Cite web |title=The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/ |first=Simon |last=Reynolds |date=22 October 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025190624/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/the-smiths-the-queen-is-dead/ |archive-date=25 October 2017 |access-date=12 March 2019 |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=September 2025}}

The Smiths' third studio album, ''[[The Queen Is Dead]]'', was released in June 1986, following its singles "[[The Boy with the Thorn in His Side]]" and "[[Bigmouth Strikes Again]]". Marr used an [[E-mu Emulator]] synthesizer on tracks such as "[[There Is a Light That Never Goes Out]]" and "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" to create the sound of a [[string section]].<ref>{{harvnb|Rogan|1993}} "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" [...] Stephen Street: "We were using keyboards a bit more. We had a Emulator sampler [...] It would be a case of Johnny hanging around [...]". The ersatz strings [...] complement the melodramic sentiments...</ref> ''The Queen Is Dead'' reached number two on the UK charts.<ref name=album/>

A legal dispute with Rough Trade had delayed the album by almost seven months (it had been completed in November 1985), and Marr was beginning to feel the stress of the band's exhausting touring and recording schedule. He later told ''NME'', {{"'}}Worse for wear' wasn't the half of it: I was extremely ill. By the time the tour actually finished it was all getting a little bit&nbsp;... dangerous. I was just drinking more than I could handle."<ref name="mainstream">Kelly, Danny (14 February 1987). "Exile on Mainstream". ''NME''.</ref> Rourke was fired from the band in early 1986 due to his use of heroin. He allegedly received notice of his dismissal via a [[Post-it note]] stuck to the windscreen of his car. It read, "Andy – you have left the Smiths. Goodbye and good luck, Morrissey."<ref>Harris, John (April 2001). "Trouble at Mill". ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]''.</ref> Morrissey denied this.

[[Craig Gannon]], formerly a member of Scottish new wave band [[Aztec Camera]], was scouted by Marr to replace Rourke on bass for the upcoming tour, but having never played bass, Gannon instead sat in for a few rehearsals as a rhythm guitarist alongside a session musician. Rourke was reinstated two weeks later, while Gannon stayed in the band as rhythm guitarist, making them a five-piece. During this time, they recorded the singles "[[Panic (The Smiths song)|Panic]]" and "[[Ask (song)|Ask]]" (the latter with [[Kirsty MacColl]] on backing vocals) which reached numbers 11 and 14 respectively on the UK singles chart,<ref name=single/> and toured the UK.

An arrest on drug possession charges almost led to Rourke being replaced by [[Guy Pratt]] for the band's North American tour later that year. Rourke's work visa came through just before departure. While the shows were successful, heavy drinking and drug use by crew and band members other than Morrissey took a toll on the group,{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} along with ineffective management and lingering disputes with Rough Trade (whom the band was seriously considering leaving for [[EMI]])<ref>{{cite web |last=Young |first=Rob |date=2006-10-04 |title=The Smiths And Rough Trade Records: How Soon Is Now?|url=https://magnetmagazine.com/2006/10/04/the-smiths-and-rough-trade-records-how-soon-is-now/ |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=[[Magnet (magazine)|Magnet]]}}</ref> and their American label [[Sire Records]] (who Morrissey felt did not do enough to promote the Smiths).<ref>{{cite web |last1=ARTE |title=The Smiths – Rock Legends (documentary) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_YoaWqLQ7U | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415192808/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_YoaWqLQ7U| archive-date=2021-04-15|website=YouTube |access-date=27 April 2021}}</ref> After a date in [[St. Petersburg, Florida]], he and Marr cancelled the remaining four shows, including a grand finale at New York City's [[Radio City Music Hall]]. After the following UK tour ended in October 1986, relations between Marr and Gannon broke down. According to Gannon he was simply not called back for further rehearsals. A few weeks later Gannon's friend and future Smiths guitarist Ivor Perry informed him that according to Travis he was no longer in the Smiths.<ref>{{Citation |last1=Petricco |first1=Stephen |title=Inside the Smiths |date=2007-07-16 |type=Documentary |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1073175/ |access-date=2025-02-21 |others=Craig Gannon, Peter Hook, Mike Joyce |last2=Standley |first2=Mark}}</ref> During his time with the Smiths, Gannon played on seven studio tracks ("Panic" and "Ask", their B-sides "The Draize Train" and "Golden Lights", as well as "Half a Person" and "London", both of which were released as B-sides the following year, and "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby", which first appeared on the compilation album ''[[The World Won't Listen]]'' also the following year).<ref name="Queen is Dead North American tour">{{cite book|last1=Fletcher|first1=Tony|author-link1=Tony Fletcher|title=A Light That Never Goes Out: The Enduring Saga of the Smiths|date=2013|publisher=Windmill Books|location=London|isbn=9780099537922|pages=522–540}}</ref> On 12 December 1986 the band performed their last concert, an [[Anti-Apartheid Movement|anti-apartheid]] benefit at [[Brixton Academy]], London.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/the-smiths/what-the-smiths-played-at-their-last-show-setlist/
|title=This is what the Smiths played at their last ever live show
|date=1 July 2020
|website=Radio X
|access-date=20 August 2020
|archive-date=15 August 2020
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815202443/https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/the-smiths/what-the-smiths-played-at-their-last-show-setlist/
|url-status=live
}}</ref>

As they had been severed from the contract with Rough Trade records, the band sought a new deal with a major label. Marr told ''NME'' in early 1987, "Every single label came to see us. It was small-talk, bribes, the whole number. I really enjoyed it." The band signed with EMI, which drew criticism from their fanbase and elements of the music press.<ref name="mainstream" />

{{Quote box|width=25em|align=right|quote="The Smiths brought realism to their romance, and tempered their angst with the lightest of touches. The times were personified in their frontman: rejecting all taints of rock n' roll machismo, he played up the social awkwardness of the misfit and the outsider, his gently haunting vocals whooping suddenly upward into a falsetto, clothed in outsize women's shirts, sporting National Health specs or a huge Johnny Ray-style hearing aid. This charming young man was, in the vernacular of the time, the very antithesis of a 'rockist' – always knowingly closer to the gentle ironicist [[Alan Bennett]], or self-lacerating diarist [[Kenneth Williams]], than a licentious [[Mick Jagger]] or a drugged-out [[Jim Morrison]]."|source=— Paul A. Woods, 2007{{sfn|Woods|2007|p=5}} }}

===1987: ''Strangeways, Here We Come'' and breakup===
In January 1987, the band released "[[Shoplifters of the World Unite]]", which reached number 12 on the UK singles chart.<ref name=single/> It was followed the next month by a second compilation album, ''[[The World Won't Listen]]''. The title was Morrissey's comment on his frustration with the band's lack of mainstream recognition; it reached number two on the charts.<ref name=album/> This was followed by the single "[[Sheila Take a Bow]]"; it was the Smith's second UK top-10 hit, and the last before their split.<ref name=single/> Another compilation album, ''[[Louder Than Bombs]]'', was released in the US in March 1987, with a UK release following two months later. The Smiths' fourth studio album, ''[[Strangeways, Here We Come]],'' opened with a piano introduction, as Marr wanted to divert from the band's typical sound.{{sfn|Rogan|1993|p=287}} Marr also played keyboards on the other tracks.{{sfn|Goddard|2009|p=311}} The first song, "[[A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours]]", features no guitar.<ref name="Marr_Byrds">{{cite web |last=Rosen |first=Steven |title=Johnny Marr on Fender Signature Guitar: 'It Was Such A Privilege' |url=https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/interviews/johnny_marr_on_fender_signature_guitar_it_was_such_a_privilege.html |date=31 January 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140506000635/http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/interviews/johnny_marr_on_fender_signature_guitar_it_was_such_a_privilege.html|archive-date=6 May 2014 |access-date=5 May 2014 |work=Ultimate Guitar}}</ref>

Tensions emerged within the band. Marr was exhausted and took a break in June 1987, which he felt was negatively perceived by his bandmates. In July, he left the group because he erroneously believed an ''NME'' article titled "Smiths to Split" was planted by Morrissey.{{sfn|Rogan|1993|pp=280–282}} The article, written by [[Danny Kelly (journalist)|Danny Kelly]], alleged that Morrissey disliked Marr working with other musicians and that Marr and Morrissey's personal relationship had reached a breaking point. Marr contacted ''NME'' to explain that he had not left the band due to personal tensions but because he wanted wider musical scope.<ref>"Marr Speaks", ''NME'', 8 August 1987.</ref> The former [[Easterhouse (band)|Easterhouse]] guitarist Ivor Perry was brought in to replace Marr.<ref>Lorraine Carpenter, [http://www.exclaim.ca/index.asp?layid=22&csid=1&csid1=1375 "Timeline: Johnny Marr – Journeyman Smiths Legend Emerges Solo"], {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050828192036/http://www.exclaim.ca/index.asp?layid=22&csid=1&csid1=1375 |date=28 August 2005 }} ''[[Exclaim!]]'', February 2003. Retrieved 30 May 2010; and Johnny Rogan, [http://www.compsoc.man.ac.uk/~moz/quotes/mojo.htm "Mike Joyce Interview"], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315052053/http://www.compsoc.man.ac.uk/~moz/quotes/mojo.htm |date=15 March 2016 }} ''Mojo'', August 1997. Retrieved 30 May 2010.</ref> The band recorded material with him which was never completed, including an early version of "[[Bengali in Platforms]]", later released on Morrissey's debut solo album, ''[[Viva Hate]]'' (1988).<ref>Dave Henderson, "I Was Nearly a Suedehead! Ivor Perry and Cradle Tales", ''Underground'', No.&nbsp;13, April 1988, p. 5.</ref> Perry was uncomfortable, saying "it was like they wanted another Johnny Marr"; according to Perry, the sessions ended with Morrissey running out of the studio.<ref>Henderson, "Suedehead".</ref>

By the time ''Strangeways, Here We Come'' was released in September, the Smiths had split. The breakup has been primarily attributed to Morrissey's irritation with Marr's work with other artists and Marr's frustration with Morrissey's musical inflexibility. Marr particularly hated Morrissey's obsession with covering 1960s pop artists such as [[Twinkle (singer)|Twinkle]] and [[Cilla Black]], saying in 1992: "That was the last straw, really. I didn't form a group to perform Cilla Black songs."<ref>Johnny Rogan, "The Smiths: Johnny Marr's View", ''[[Record Collector]]'', November/December 1992.</ref> In a 1989 interview, Morrissey cited the lack of a managerial figure and business problems as reasons for the split.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.morrissey-solo.com|title=Morrissey-solo|website=Morrissey-solo|access-date=20 October 2017|archive-date=25 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171025170058/https://www.morrissey-solo.com/|url-status=live}}</ref>

''Strangeways, Here We Come'' reached number two in the UK in October 1987,<ref name="album" /> and was the Smiths' most successful album in the US, reaching number 55 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref>Roberts, ''British Hit Singles and Albums''; and
[{{BillboardURLbyName|artist=the smiths|chart=all}} "Artist Chart History – The Smiths: Albums",] ''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]''. Retrieved 13 August 2008.</ref> Morrissey and Marr name it as their favourite Smiths album.<ref>Morrissey and Marr made the point in interviews with ''Melody Maker'' (1987), ''Select'' (1993), and ''Q'' (1994). See the [http://www.passionsjustlikemine.com/disc/strangeways.htm ''Strangeways, Here We Come''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111214185432/http://passionsjustlikemine.com/disc/strangeways.htm |date=14 December 2011 }} page at ''Passions Just Like Mine''. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref> Two further singles from ''Strangeways'' were released with live, session and demo tracks as B-sides. The following year, the live album ''[[Rank (album)|Rank]]'', recorded in 1986 when Craig Gannon was still in the band, reached number 2 in the UK and entered in the European 100 Albums chart at number 9.<ref name="rank">{{cite magazine|title=European Hot 100 Albums Chart|magazine=Music & Media|date=24 September 1988|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1988/M&M-1988-09-24.pdf|access-date=14 Oct 2019|page=26|archive-date=10 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110024751/https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1988/M&M-1988-09-24.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

===1989: Royalties dispute===
Morrissey and Marr each took 40% of the Smiths' recording and performance royalties, allowing 10% each to Joyce and Rourke. Joyce's barrister later argued in court that Joyce and Rourke were treated as [[session musician]]s, "as readily replaceable as the parts in a lawnmower".<ref>''The Daily Telegraph'', Thursday, 12 December 1996. A transcript of the [http://www.morrissey-solo.com/news/news1296.htm article] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120173341/http://www.morrissey-solo.com/news/news1296.htm|date=20 November 2012}} is archived at morrissey-solo.com. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref> In March 1989, Joyce and Rourke started legal proceedings against Morrissey and Marr. They argued that they were equal partners in the Smiths and were each entitled to a 25 per cent share of the band's profits on all activities other than songwriting and publishing. Rourke, who was in debt, settled quickly for a lump sum of £83,000 ({{Inflation|UK|83,000|1989|fmt=eq|cursign=£|round=-1}}) and 10 per cent of royalties, renouncing all further claims.<ref>For the settlement with Rourke, see "Morrissey May Face New Claim for £1m", ''Manchester Evening News'', Thursday, 12 December 1996. A transcript of the [http://www.morrissey-solo.com/news/news1296.htm article] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120173341/http://www.morrissey-solo.com/news/news1296.htm|date=20 November 2012}} is archived at morrissey-solo.com. Retrieved 8 January 2012. For the history of the dispute, see [http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/1998/1711.html ''Joyce vs. Morrissey and Others''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923192001/http://www.bailii.org/ew/cases/EWCA/Civ/1998/1711.html|date=23 September 2015}}, England and Wales Court of Appeal (Civil Division) Decisions, 6 November 1998. Retrieved 8 January 2012. See also Brian Southall, ''Pop Goes to Court: Rock 'n' Pop's Greatest Court Battles'' (London: Omnibus, 2008; rev. edn. 2009), ch. 16, "The Smiths: Seeking Satisfaction Over a Fair Share of the Profits".</ref>

Joyce continued with the action, which reached the [[Chancery Division|High Court of Justice (Chancery Division)]] in December 1996. Morrissey and Marr had accepted the previous year that Joyce and Rourke were partners, but whether Joyce was entitled to a quarter of profits "arising out of the activities (other than songwriting or publishing)" of the Smiths remained contentious.<ref name="Others 1998">''Joyce vs. Morrissey and Others'' (1998).</ref> Joyce's barrister, Nigel Davis, said that Joyce did not realise he was receiving only 10% of the profits until after the band split.<ref>Richard Duce, "Former Smith Lets Court Know Why He's Miserable Now", ''The Times'' (London), Tuesday, 3 December 1996. A transcript of the [http://www.cemetrygates.com/vault/news/court.html article] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620064733/http://www.cemetrygates.com/vault/news/court.html|date=20 June 2012}} is archived at ''Cemetry Gates''. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref>

Morrissey and Marr – who were represented separately at the trial<ref name="Others 1998"/> – insisted that the royalty split had been explained to Rourke and Joyce, though they were no longer sure when. Additionally, this agreement was only discussed verbally and it was never legally written on paper, something Marr came to regret. He said in 2004 that although he had no regrets in breaking up the Smiths, he wished the band had signed legal documents "from the word go" to avoid the later financial disagreements.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Sheppard |first=David |title=We Changed People's Lives |magazine=MOJO the Collectors' Series: The Smiths – Hand in Glove 1982–1987 |date=2022 |page=105}}</ref> As Marr's counsel, Robert Englehart, said, "Some 13 years on it is extremely difficult to pinpoint the moment when the 40:40:10:10 profit split came into being&nbsp;... But Morrissey and Marr acted throughout on the basis that they would be getting 40 percent each of the net profits from the Smiths' earnings."<ref>"Smiths' Cash Split 'Never Equal{{'"}}, ''Manchester Evening News'', Tuesday, 10 December 1996. A transcript of the [http://www.cemetrygates.com/vault/news/court.html article] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620064733/http://www.cemetrygates.com/vault/news/court.html|date=20 June 2012}} is archived at ''Cemetry Gates''. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref>

After a seven-day hearing, Judge Weeks found in favour of Joyce, ordering that he receive around £1&nbsp;million in back-royalties and 25 per cent henceforth. The judge also gave character assessments; Joyce and Rourke (who gave evidence in Joyce's support) impressed him as straightforward and honest, whereas Morrissey "appeared devious, truculent and unreliable where his own interests were at stake" and Marr was "willing to embroider his evidence to a point where he became less credible".<ref name="Others 1998" /> The judge also said that Marr was "probably the more intelligent of the four", and that Rourke and Joyce were "unintellectual".<ref name="guardmarr" /> Morrissey said in an interview eight months later:

{{blockquote|The court case was a potted history of the life of the Smiths. Mike [Joyce], talking constantly and saying nothing. Andy [Rourke], unable to remember his own name. Johnny [Marr], trying to please everyone and consequently pleasing no one. And Morrissey under the scorching spotlight in the dock being drilled. "How dare you be successful?" "How dare you move on?" To me, the Smiths were a beautiful thing and Johnny left it, and Mike has destroyed it.<ref>Jennifer Nine, "The Importance of Being Morrissey", ''[[Melody Maker]]'', 9 August 1997. The [http://motorcycleaupairboy.com/interviews/1997/import.htm full text] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120071530/http://motorcycleaupairboy.com/interviews/1997/import.htm |date=20 January 2012 }} of the interview is reproduced at ''The Motor Cycle Au Pair Boy''. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref>}}

Asked some time before the trial whether he thought Rourke and Joyce had been short-changed, Morrissey responded: "They were lucky. If they'd had another singer they'd never have got further than Salford Shopping Centre."<ref>''The Daily Star'', Thursday, 12 December 1996. A transcript of the [http://www.morrissey-solo.com/news/news1296.htm article] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120173341/http://www.morrissey-solo.com/news/news1296.htm|date=20 November 2012}} is archived at morrissey-solo.com. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref>{{sfn|Goddard|2009|p=83}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Kurson|first=Ken|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887323297104578177310003624672|publisher=Wall Street Journal|title=The Pleasure, the Privilege Was Ours|date=28 December 2012|access-date=22 October 2021}}</ref> Morrissey's counsel, Ian Mill, conceded that Morrissey's attitude "betrayed a degree of arrogance".<ref>''Manchester Evening News'', Wednesday, 11 December 1996. A transcript of the [http://www.cemetrygates.com/vault/news/court.html article] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620064733/http://www.cemetrygates.com/vault/news/court.html|date=20 June 2012}} is archived at ''Cemetry Gates''. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref> Morrissey appealed against the verdict; the appeal was heard by the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) in November 1998 and dismissed.<ref name="Others 1998"/> Inspired by Joyce's success, Rourke sought legal advice on his own options.<ref>"Morrissey may face new claim for £1m", ''Manchester Evening News'', Thursday, 12 December 1996. A transcript of the [http://www.morrissey-solo.com/news/news1296.htm article] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120173341/http://www.morrissey-solo.com/news/news1296.htm|date=20 November 2012}} is archived at morrissey-solo.com. Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref> He was declared bankrupt in 1999.<ref>Robert Bottomley, [http://www.citylife.co.uk/news_and_reviews/news/5110_can_a_new_film_heal_smiths__rift_ "Can a New Film Heal Smiths Rift?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121165802/http://www.citylife.co.uk/news_and_reviews/news/5110_can_a_new_film_heal_smiths__rift_|date=21 January 2012}}, ''Manchester Evening News'', Tuesday, 29 August 2006. Retrieved 10 January 2012. See also the [http://www.morrissey-solo.com/news/1999/150.shtml discussion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120173240/http://www.morrissey-solo.com/news/1999/150.shtml|date=20 November 2012}} at morrissey-solo.com. Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref>

In November 2005, Joyce told [[Marc Riley]] on [[BBC Radio 6 Music]] that financial hardship had reduced him to selling rare Smiths recordings on eBay. By way of illustration, Riley played part of an unfinished instrumental known as the "Click Track" (or "Cowbell Track").<ref>''The Mint Show with Marc Riley'', BBC Radio 6 Music, Sunday, 27 November 2005. See the [https://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/news/20051201_joyce.shtml report] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081118055754/http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/news/20051201_joyce.shtml|date=18 November 2008}} at BBC Radio 6 Music; and the [http://www.morrissey-solo.com/article.pl?sid=05/11/28/162226 discussion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190313212910/https://www.morrissey-solo.com/article.pl?sid=05%2F11%2F28%2F162226|date=13 March 2019}} at morrissey-solo.com. Both retrieved 9 January 2012.</ref> Morrissey responded with a statement three days later revealing that Joyce had received £215,000 each from Marr and Morrissey in 1997, along with Marr's final backpayment of £260,000 in 2001. Morrissey failed to make his final payment because, he said, he was overseas in 2001 and did not receive the paperwork. Joyce obtained a default judgement against Morrissey, revised his outstanding claim to £688,000 and secured orders garnishing much of his income. This was a source of grievance to Morrissey, who estimated that Joyce had cost him at least £1,515,000 in recovered royalties and legal fees up to 30 November 2005.<ref>[http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_051130_01 "Statement from Morrissey"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510054040/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_051130_01|date=10 May 2012}}, 30 November 2005, at true-to-you.net. Retrieved 9 January 2012.</ref>

==Solo careers==
[[Image:MorrisseySXSW2006.jpg|thumb|upright|left|Morrissey performing at [[SXSW]] in Austin, Texas in 2006]]
Following the group's split, Morrissey began work on a solo recording, collaborating with producer [[Stephen Street]] and fellow Mancunian [[Vini Reilly]], guitarist for [[the Durutti Column]]. The resulting album, ''[[Viva Hate]]'' (a reference to the end of the Smiths), was released in March 1988, reaching number one in the UK charts. In the following years, he invited several singers for backing vocals on several songs such as [[Suggs]] of [[Madness (band)|Madness]] on "[[Piccadilly Palare]]" and "[[Sing Your Life]]", and [[Chrissie Hynde]] of [[the Pretenders]] on "[[My Love Life]]". He recorded a duet with [[Siouxsie Sioux]] of [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]], "[[Interlude (Timi Yuro song)|Interlude]]" which was released under the banner of both artists. He also collaborated with arranger [[Ennio Morricone]] on "Dear God Please Help Me". At the beginning of the 90s, he enjoyed a new popularity in North America, following his first tour as Morrissey. Morrissey continues to perform and record as a solo artist and had released 13 studio albums as of 2020.

Marr returned in 1989 with [[New Order (band)|New Order]]'s [[Bernard Sumner]] and [[Pet Shop Boys]]' [[Neil Tennant]] in the supergroup [[Electronic (band)|Electronic]]. Electronic released three albums over the next decade. Marr was also a member of [[the The]], recording two albums with them between 1989 and 1993. He has worked as a session musician and writing collaborator with artists including [[the Pretenders]], [[Bryan Ferry]], Pet Shop Boys, [[Billy Bragg]], [[Black Grape]], [[Talking Heads]], [[Modest Mouse]], [[Crowded House]], and [[Beck]].
[[File:Johnny Marr (The Cribs) at the 9-30 Club 1.jpg|right|upright|thumb|Johnny Marr performing as part of the group [[the Cribs]] at the [[9:30 Club]] in Washington, DC, in 2010]]

In 2000, he started another band, Johnny Marr + the Healers, which released only one album, ''[[Boomslang (album)|Boomslang]]'' (2003), to moderate success, then split up shortly afterwards. He later worked as a guest musician on the [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]] album ''[[Heathen Chemistry]]'' (2002). In 2006, he began work with [[Modest Mouse]]'s [[Isaac Brock (musician)|Isaac Brock]] on songs that eventually featured on the band's 2007 release, ''[[We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank]]''. Modest Mouse subsequently announced that Marr was a fully fledged member and the reformed line-up toured extensively in 2006–07. In January 2008, it was reported that Marr had taken part in a week-long songwriting session at Moolah Rouge recording studio in Stockport with Wakefield indie group [[the Cribs]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |first=Adam |last=Moss |url=http://www.citylife.co.uk/news_and_reviews/news/751_marr_rocking_the_cribs |title=Marr Rocking the Cribs |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120121171307/http://www.citylife.co.uk/news_and_reviews/news/751_marr_rocking_the_cribs |archive-date=21 January 2012 |newspaper=Manchester Evening News |date=26 January 2008 |access-date=8 January 2012}}</ref> Marr's association with the band lasted three years and included an appearance on its fourth album, ''[[Ignore the Ignorant]]'' (2009). His departure was announced in April 2011.<ref>[http://www.thecribs.com/news.php?id=219 "Cribs Back to a 3 Piece"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110416084408/http://www.thecribs.com/news.php?id=219 |date=16 April 2011 }}, thecribs.com, 11 April 2011. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref> He recorded three solo albums, ''[[The Messenger (Johnny Marr album)|The Messenger]]'' (2013), ''[[Playland (album)|Playland]]'' (2014) and ''[[Call the Comet]]'' (2018). In addition to his activities as a musician and songwriter, Marr produced [[Marion (band)|Marion]]'s second album, ''[[The Program (album)|The Program]]'' (1998) and [[Haven (band)|Haven]]'s debut album, ''Between the Senses'' (2002).<ref>Talia Soghomonian, [https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/whatever-happened-to-marion-761843 "Whatever Happened To Marion?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180816063935/https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/whatever-happened-to-marion-761843 |date=16 August 2018 }}, ''NME'', 26 October 2011. Retrieved 18 January 2019.</ref><ref>Siobhan Grogan, [https://www.nme.com/reviews/artistKeyname/6059 "Haven: Between the Senses: Promising Indie Debut"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305135935/http://www.nme.com/reviews/artistKeyname/6059 |date=5 March 2016 }}, ''NME'', 5 February 2002. Retrieved 9 January 2012.</ref>

Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce continued to work together. They toured with [[Sinéad O'Connor]] in the first half of 1988; Rourke also appeared on her 1990 album ''[[I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got]]''. Still in 1988, they were recruited (with Craig Gannon) to [[the Adult Net]], but left the band soon afterwards. In 1988 and 1989, they recorded singles with Morrissey. In 1998, they toured and recorded with [[Aziz Ibrahim]] ([[the Stone Roses]]). In 2001 they formed Specter with Jason Specter and others. The band played in the United Kingdom and the United States, but did not prosper.<ref>Joe D'Angelo, [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1443991/exsmiths-sniff-us-deal.jhtml "Two Ex-Smiths Sniffing for Record Deal"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120210155059/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1443991/exsmiths-sniff-us-deal.jhtml |date=10 February 2012 }}, ''MTV'', 23 May 2001. Retrieved 7 January 2012.</ref> In the same year they recorded demos with [[Paul Arthurs]] ([[Oasis (band)|Oasis]]), Aziz Ibrahim and [[Rowetta|Rowetta Idah]] ([[Happy Mondays]]) under the name Moondog One, but the project went no further. Towards the end of 2001, they played together in the veteran Manchester band Jeep.<ref>Originally reported in the ''Manchester Evening News'', 14 December 2001. See the [http://www.morrissey-solo.com/articles/01/12/20/1729245.shtml discussion] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120173332/http://www.morrissey-solo.com/articles/01/12/20/1729245.shtml |date=20 November 2012 }} at morrissey-solo.com. Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref> In 2005, they played with Vinny Peculiar, recording the single "Two Fat Lovers" (Joyce also appeared on the 2006 album ''The Fall and Rise of Vinny Peculiar'').<ref>[http://www.vinnypeculiar.co.uk/about/ "About Vinny Peculiar"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120721234307/http://www.vinnypeculiar.co.uk/about/ |date=21 July 2012 }} and [http://www.vinnypeculiar.co.uk/shop-3/two-fat-lovers/ "Two Fat Lovers"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019041926/http://www.vinnypeculiar.co.uk/shop-3/two-fat-lovers/ |date=19 October 2013 }}, at ''Vinny Peculiar''. Both retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref> In 2007 they released the documentary DVD ''Inside the Smiths'', a memoir of their time with the band, notable for the absence of Marr, Morrissey and their music.

Joyce recorded with [[Suede (band)|Suede]] (1990); toured and recorded with [[Buzzcocks]] (1990–91); toured with [[Julian Cope]] (1992); toured with [[John Lydon]] and [[Public Image Ltd]] (1992); recorded with [[P.P. Arnold]] (1995); toured and recorded with [[Pete Wylie]] (1996–98); toured with Vinny Peculiar and [[Paul Arthurs]] (2007); and toured with Autokat (2008–09).<ref>[http://www.mikejoyce.com/ "History"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111229011315/http://www.mikejoyce.com/ |date=29 December 2011 }}, mikejoyce.com. Retrieved 10 January 2012. Joyce says he played with PiL in 1993, but it was the ''[[That What Is Not]]'' tour of 1992. See the [http://www.fodderstompf.com/MEMBERS/1992.html ''Fodderstomp''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120126024239/http://www.fodderstompf.com/MEMBERS/1992.html |date=26 January 2012 }} database. Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref> He presented the ''Alternative Therapy'' radio show on [[The Revolution (radio station)|Revolution 96.2 FM]] until the station changed format in 2008, later reviving it on Manchester Radio Online and Tin Can Media.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2008/sep/03/post106 "The Revolution: how not to relaunch a radio station?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418031209/http://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2008/sep/03/post106 |date=18 April 2016 }}, ''The Guardian'', Organgrinder Blog, 3 September 2008. Retrieved 10 January 2012. [http://www.how-do.co.uk/north-west-media-news/north-west-broadcasting/no-revolution-for-joyce-as-he-joins-manchester-radio-online-200902184696/ "No Revolution for Joyce as he joins Manchester Radio Online"], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120307140553/http://www.how-do.co.uk/north-west-media-news/north-west-broadcasting/no-revolution-for-joyce-as-he-joins-manchester-radio-online-200902184696/ |date=7 March 2012 }} ''How Do'', 18 February 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2012. [https://archive.today/20120709114339/http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-11211596/ONLINE-RADIO-Smiths-man-returns.html "Smiths man returns to indie charts with Coalition airing"], ''Music Week'', 22 August 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref> He hosts ''The Coalition Chart Show'' on [[East Village Radio]], which streams from New York.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110623093059/http://www.eastvillageradio.com/shows/mikejoycescoalitionchartshow/ ''Mike Joyce's Coalition Chart Show'']. Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref>

Rourke played and recorded with [[the Pretenders]] (featuring on ''[[Last of the Independents]]'', 1994); [[Badly Drawn Boy]] (with whom he played for two years); [[Proud Mary (band)|Proud Mary]] (featuring on ''Love and Light'', 2004); and [[Ian Brown]] (featuring on ''[[The World Is Yours (Ian Brown album)|The World Is Yours]]'', 2007). In 2007, he formed [[Freebass]] with fellow bassists [[Peter Hook]] ([[New Order (band)|New Order]] and [[Joy Division]]) and [[Gary Mounfield|Mani]] ([[the Stone Roses]] and [[Primal Scream]]).<ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Beaumont-Thomas |first=Ben |date=2023-05-19 |title=Andy Rourke, bassist for the Smiths, dies aged 59 |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/may/19/andy-rourke-bassist-for-the-smiths-dies-aged-59 |access-date=2023-05-19 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Rourke co-founded the [[Manchester v Cancer]] concert series, later known as [[Versus Cancer]], to raise money for cancer research.{{Citation needed|date=May 2023}} He concentrated on his radio career, beginning with a Saturday-evening show on [[XFM]] Manchester. He was a regular on [[East Village Radio]], where his colleagues include Joyce.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110623121120/http://www.eastvillageradio.com/shows/andyrourkesjetlag/ ''Andy Rourke's Jetlag''.] Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref> Rourke relocated to New York in early 2009.<ref>[http://jetlagnyc.blogspot.com.au/search/label/info "About Jetlag"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110024755/https://jetlagnyc.blogspot.com/search/label/info |date=10 January 2021 }}, ''Jetlag''. Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref> There, he formed Jetlag, a "DJ and audio production outfit", with Olé Koretsky.<ref>[http://jetlagnyc.blogspot.com.au/ ''Jetlag''.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019083229/http://jetlagnyc.blogspot.com.au/ |date=19 October 2013 }} Retrieved 10 January 2012.</ref> In April 2014, the [[The Cranberries|Cranberries]] vocalist [[Dolores O'Riordan]] joined the group and they changed their name to [[D.A.R.K. (band)|D.A.R.K.]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://consequence.net/2016/09/cranberriessmiths-supergroup-d-a-r-k-share-gothic-club-track-the-moon-listen/ |work=Consequence of Sound |title=Cranberries/Smiths supergroup D.A.R.K. share gothic club track 'The Moon' |first=Alex |last=Galbraith |date=6 September 2016 |access-date=18 January 2019 |archive-date=26 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190226155708/https://consequence.net/2016/09/cranberriessmiths-supergroup-d-a-r-k-share-gothic-club-track-the-moon-listen/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Reunion speculation===
Marr and Morrissey have repeatedly said that they will not reunite the band. In 2006, Morrissey declared, "I would rather eat my own testicles than reform the Smiths, and that's saying something for a vegetarian."<ref>Scott Colothan, [http://www.gigwise.com/news.asp?contentid=15239 "Morrissey: 'I'd Rather Eat My Testicles Than Reform The Smiths{{'"}}], {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212084806/http://www.gigwise.com/article.php?contentid=15239 |date=12 December 2008 }} ''Gigwise'', 30 March 2006. Retrieved 9 January 2012.</ref> When asked why in another interview the same year, he responded, "I feel as if I've worked very hard since the demise of the Smiths and the others haven't, so why hand them attention that they haven't earned? We are not friends, we don't see each other. Why on earth would we be on a stage together?"<ref>Daniel Melia, [http://www.gigwise.com/news.asp?contentid=18006 "Morrissey: 'The Smiths Don't Deserve to Be on Stage with Me{{'"}}], {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212045141/http://www.gigwise.com/article.php?contentid=18006 |date=12 December 2008 }} ''Gigwise'', 5 June 2006. Retrieved 9 January 2012.</ref> In a February 2009 interview on [[BBC Radio 2]], he said, "People always ask me about reunions and I can't imagine why&nbsp;[...] the past seems like a distant place, and I'm pleased with that."<ref>[http://www.idiomag.com/peek/64678/morrissey "Morrissey turns down The Smiths&nbsp;... again"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120327140952/http://www.idiomag.com/peek/64678/morrissey |date=27 March 2012 }}, ''Idio'', 13 February 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref> In 2002, Joyce said he was not interested in reforming as he felt the Smiths had run its course.<ref>{{cite web |last1=ITV |title=The Smiths – These Things Take Time (documentary) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG0Gi5KeWLI | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211029/WG0Gi5KeWLI| archive-date=2021-10-29|website=YouTube |date=3 April 2011 |access-date=11 April 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

In November 2004, [[VH1]] screened a ''Backstage Pass Special'' episode of ''[[Bands Reunited]]'' showing host Aamer Haleem trying and failing to corner Morrissey before a show at the Apollo Theater.<ref>The encounter is described in an [http://www.morrissey-solo.com/articles/04/11/12/153226.shtml anonymous post] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121120173430/http://www.morrissey-solo.com/articles/04/11/12/153226.shtml |date=20 November 2012 }} at morrissey-solo.com, 12 November 2004; retrieved 8 January 2012. See also the VH1 [http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Coming+Up+on+VH1+November+5+-+November+11,+2004.-a0124018186 media release] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305130213/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Coming+Up+on+VH1+November+5+-+November+11,+2004.-a0124018186 |date=5 March 2016 }}, 3 November 2004; retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref> In March 2006, Morrissey said he had declined a $5&nbsp;million offer to reunite the band to perform at the [[Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival]], saying, "Money doesn't come into it ... It was a fantastic journey. And then it ended. I didn't feel we should have ended. I wanted to continue. [Marr] wanted to end it. And that was that."<ref name="billboard">Barry Jeckell, [https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/59064/morrissey-smiths-turned-down-millions-to-reunite "Morrissey: Smiths Turned Down Millions to Reunite"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025153029/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/59064/morrissey-smiths-turned-down-millions-to-reunite |date=25 October 2018 }}, ''Billboard'', 16 March 2006. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref>

In August 2007, it was widely reported that Morrissey had declined an offer of $75&nbsp;million from a "consortium of promoters" to reunite with Marr for a fifty-date world tour under the Smiths' name in 2008 and 2009. ''[[NME]]'' gave Morrissey as its source for the story.<ref>[https://www.nme.com/news/the-smiths/30599 "Morrissey rejects fresh attempt at Smiths reunion"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306021322/http://www.nme.com/news/the-smiths/30599 |date=6 March 2016 }}, ''NME'', 23 August 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2011.</ref> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' cited his publicist.<ref>Elizabeth Goodman, [https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/morrissey-turned-down-mega-bucks-smiths-reunion-offer-over-johnny-marr-20070823 "Morrissey Turned Down Mega-Bucks Smiths Reunion Offer Over Johnny Marr"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113162036/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/morrissey-turned-down-mega-bucks-smiths-reunion-offer-over-johnny-marr-20070823 |date=13 November 2017 }}, ''Rolling Stone'', 23 August 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref> The offer was also reported at true-to-you.net, an unofficial fan site tacitly supported by Morrissey.<ref>[http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_070822_01 "Press release regarding tour dates"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120510055058/http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_070822_01 |date=10 May 2012 }}, 22 August 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2012.</ref> It was later described as a hoax, although it is unclear who was hoaxing whom.<ref>[http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=26177_0_2_0_C "Morrissey announces new album – reunion tour Smiths a hoax"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120609063109/http://www.side-line.com/news_comments.php?id=26177_0_2_0_C |date=9 June 2012 }}, 3 October 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref> In October, Marr said on [[BBC Radio 5 Live]]: "Stranger things have happened so, you know, who knows? ... It's no biggie. Maybe we will in 10 or 15 years' time when we all need to for whatever reasons, but right now Morrissey is doing his thing and I'm doing mine."<ref>[http://everyjoe.com/entertainment/johnny-marr-doesnt-rule-out-smiths-reunion-with-morrissey/ "Johnny Marr Doesn't Rule Out Smiths Reunion with Morrissey"], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308040831/http://everyjoe.com/entertainment/johnny-marr-doesnt-rule-out-smiths-reunion-with-morrissey/ |date=8 March 2012 }} ''Every Joe'', 23 October 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref>

In 2008, Marr resumed contact with Morrissey and Rourke while remastering the band's catalogue.<ref name="guardmarr">{{cite web|last1=Hattenstone|first1=Simon|title=Johnny Marr: 'The conversation about re-forming the Smiths came out of the blue'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/29/johnny-marr-the-smiths-morrissey-simon-hattenstone|website=The Guardian|access-date=29 October 2016|date=29 October 2016|archive-date=30 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161030081914/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/29/johnny-marr-the-smiths-morrissey-simon-hattenstone|url-status=live}}</ref> That September, Morrissey and Marr met in Manchester and discussed the possibility of reforming the band.<ref name="guardmarr" /> The two kept in contact over the next four days and decided to exclude Joyce from any prospective reunion and to wait until after Marr completed his commitments to [[the Cribs]].<ref name="guardmarr" /> Communication between the two abruptly ended while Marr was touring in Mexico with the Cribs and the topic of a reunion was never brought up again.<ref name="guardmarr" /> Marr said that he did not hear from Morrissey again until a brief email correspondence in December 2010.<ref name="guardmarr" /> In June 2009, Marr told an interviewer on London's [[XFM]], "I think we were offered $50 million for three&nbsp;... possibly five shows." He said that the chances of a reunion were "nothing to do with money" and that the reasons were "really abstract".<ref>[http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/2009/johnny-marr-weve-been-offered-50-million-to-reform-the-smiths "Johnny Marr: 'We've Been Offered $50 Million To Reform The Smiths{{'"}}] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826130122/http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/2009/johnny-marr-weve-been-offered-50-million-to-reform-the-smiths |date=26 August 2012 }}, Radio XFM London 104.9, 30 June 2009. Retrieved 7 January 2012.</ref>

In January 2006, Marr and the Healers played at Rourke's [[Manchester v Cancer]] benefit concert, where Marr performed "How Soon Is Now?" with Rourke.<ref>[http://www.johnny-marr.com/dates/shows-archive "28 January 2006 – Johnny Marr and The Healers – Manchester vs Cancer – MEN Arena – Manchester UK"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120101023608/http://www.johnny-marr.com/dates/shows-archive |date=1 January 2012 }}, Shows Archive, johnny-marr.com. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref> Marr and Rourke also performed "How Soon Is Now?" at the Lollapallooza Brazil festival in 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://musica.uol.com.br/noticias/redacao/2014/04/06/com-andy-rourke-johnny-marr-faz-show-possivel-do-smiths-no-lollapalooza.htm|title=Com Andy Rourke Johnny Marr faz show possivel do Smiths no lollapalooza|publisher=musica.uol.com.br|access-date=6 April 2014|archive-date=7 April 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407074927/http://musica.uol.com.br/noticias/redacao/2014/04/06/com-andy-rourke-johnny-marr-faz-show-possivel-do-smiths-no-lollapalooza.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Rourke died of [[pancreatic cancer]] on 19 May 2023, aged 59.<ref name=":3" />

In August 2024, Morrissey claimed that he and Marr had received a "lucrative offer" to tour as the Smiths in 2025,<ref name="moz central 2024">{{cite web |last1=Morrissey |title=WAR IS OLD, ART IS YOUNG |url=https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/war-is-old-art-is-young |website=Morrissey Central |access-date=2 September 2024}}</ref> and alleged that while he accepted, Marr did not respond to the offer. Marr replied to a social media post by a fan that he and Morrissey could follow [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]] and tour by posting a picture of [[Reform UK]] leader [[Nigel Farage]]: this was interpreted as a dismissal of a reunion, with Marr having previously criticised Morrissey's and Farage's political opinions.<ref name="bbc reunion 2024">{{cite web |last1=Long |first1=Chris |title=Morrissey claims Johnny Marr 'ignored' 2025 Smiths reunion offer |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cp352111wyxo |website=[[BBC News]] |date=29 August 2024 |access-date=2 September 2024}}</ref> Weeks later, Marr stated he declined the offer.<ref name="Marr Variety"/> Marr went onto refute other claims by Morrissey, such as alleging that Marr had filed for 100% ownership of the Smiths' intellectual property and [[trademark]]s without consulting Morrissey, in order to tour under the Smiths' name with another singer.<ref>{{cite web | title=MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY | website=MORRISSEY CENTRAL | date=16 September 2024 | url=https://www.morrisseycentral.com/messagesfrommorrissey/the-plot-thickens | access-date=2024-09-17}}</ref> Marr claimed that, upon discovering that the band did not own the trademark, and in an effort to protect the trademark from a third party attempt in 2018 to use the band's name, Marr registered the trademark solely under his name after a failure to receive a response from Morrissey: this was despite also agreeing to share ownership of the name with Morrissey.<ref name="Marr Variety">{{cite web|last=Aswad|first=Jem|title=Johnny Marr Responds to Morrissey's Claims About Smiths Reunion Tour, Name Ownership: 'It Was Left to Me to Protect the Legacy'|work=Variety|date=17 September 2024|url=https://variety.com/2024/music/news/smiths-johnny-marr-responds-to-morrissey-reunion-tour-1236147686/|access-date=18 September 2024}}</ref>

==Musical style==
The Smiths's music has been described as [[indie pop]],<ref name=MonroeJ>{{cite web |last1=Monroe |first1=Jazz |title=The Smiths Bassist Andy Rourke Dies at 59 |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/the-smiths-bassist-andy-rourke-dies-at-59/ |website=Pitchfork |date=19 May 2023 |access-date=23 May 2023}}</ref> [[indie rock]],<ref name=AllMuBio>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-smiths-mn0000899530#biography|title=The Smiths Biography|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=25 February 2020|archive-date=15 December 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181215175459/https://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-smiths-mn0000899530/biography|url-status=live}}</ref> [[jangle pop]],<ref name=MatBan>{{cite book|last=Bannister|first=Matthew|title=White Boys, White Noise: Masculinities and 1980s Indie Guitar Rock|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lt2hAgAAQBAJ|year=2013|publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|isbn=978-1-4094-9374-7|pages=71–72, 87, 124–125|author-link=Matthew Bannister (musician)}}</ref> [[post-punk]]<ref name=PayneC>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/review/5915487/the-smiths-at-30-classic-track-by-track-review|title='The Smiths' at 30: Classic Track-By-Track Review|last=Payne|first=Chris|date=20 February 2014|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=25 February 2020|archive-date=23 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123225148/https://www.billboard.com/articles/review/5915487/the-smiths-at-30-classic-track-by-track-review|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[alternative rock]].<ref name="Ref-1"/> According to Steve Jelbert of ''[[The Independent]]'', "Whole eras and genres collide in their music: Sixties soul and rock, funk, glam, rockabilly, [[Highlife|African high life]] and plenty of studio electrickery."<ref>{{Cite news |title=A Light That Never Goes Out: The Enduring Saga of The Smiths, By Tony Fletcher |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/a-light-that-never-goes-out-the-enduring-saga-of-the-smiths-by-tony-fletcher-8100846.html |first=Steve|last=Jelbert|archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20220709060618/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/reviews/a-light-that-never-goes-out-the-enduring-saga-of-the-smiths-by-tony-fletcher-8100846.html |archive-date=2022-07-09 |access-date=2025-07-23 |work=The Independent}}</ref> Morrissey and Marr dictated the musical direction of the Smiths. Marr said in 1990 that it "was a 50/50 thing between Morrissey and me. We were completely in sync about which way we should go for each record".<ref name="Joe Gore 1990">Joe Gore, "Guitar Anti-hero", ''Guitar Player'', January 1990.</ref> The Smiths' "non-rhythm-and-blues, whiter-than-white fusion of 1960s rock and [[post-punk]] was a repudiation of contemporary dance pop",<ref name="Ref-1">Simon C. W. Reynolds, [http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/549957/the-Smiths "The Smiths"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150504043826/http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/549957/the-Smiths |date=4 May 2015 }}, ''Britannica Online''. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref> and the band purposely rejected synthesisers and [[dance music]].{{sfn|Rogan|1993|pp=280–282}} From their second album ''Meat Is Murder'', Marr embellished their songs with keyboards.<ref name="Marr_Byrds" />

Marr's jangly guitar-playing was influenced by [[James Honeyman-Scott]] of [[the Pretenders]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/theres-a-lot-of-guitar-culture-that-i-dont-like-at-all-how-johnny-marr-placed-the-smiths-at-the-forefront-of-the-uks-1980s-music-scene |title={{-'}}There's a Lot of Guitar Culture That I Don't Like At All': How Johnny Marr Placed The Smiths at the Forefront of the U.K.'s 1980s Music Scene |work=[[Guitar Player]] |first=Mark |last=McStea |date=22 February 2022 |access-date=2024-12-12}}</ref> and [[Bert Jansch]] of [[Pentangle (band)|Pentangle]].<ref>{{YouTube |5GUCqMEeaRY |Interview: Johnny Marr plays tribute to guitar hero Bert Jansch – 2015}}</ref> Marr often used a capo to tune his guitar up a full step to F-sharp to accommodate Morrissey's vocal range and also used [[open tunings]]. Citing producer [[Phil Spector]] as an influence, Marr said, "I like the idea of records, even those with plenty of space, that sound 'symphonic'. I like the idea of all the players merging into one atmosphere".<ref name="Joe Gore 1990" /> Marr's other favourite guitarists are [[James Williamson (musician)|James Williamson]] of [[the Stooges]], [[Rory Gallagher]], [[Pete Townshend]] of [[the Who]], [[Jimi Hendrix]], [[Marc Bolan]] of [[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]], [[Keith Richards]] of [[the Rolling Stones]], and [[John McGeoch]] of [[Magazine (band)|Magazine]] and [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]].<ref>"Johnny Marr's Top Ten Guitarists", ''Uncut'', November 2004. Marr's selections are [http://www.morrissey-solo.com/threads/91739-Johnny-Marr-s-Top-Ten-Guitarists summarised] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120101071653/http://www.morrissey-solo.com/threads/91739-Johnny-Marr-s-Top-Ten-Guitarists |date=1 January 2012 }} at morrissey-solo.com, 12 October 2008. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref> In a 2007 interview for the BBC, Marr said that his goal was to "pare down" his style and avoid rock guitar clichés.<ref>BBC Four, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VozP2JzueI Johnny Marr – The Joy Of The Guitar Riff] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200118081022/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VozP2JzueI |date=18 January 2020 }}, accessed 7 April 2018</ref> Marr used "arpeggiated chords, open-string licks and unusual progressions" and his style "combined the chime of '60s jangle-pop bands with the pared-down musicality of players like [[Nile Rodgers]] and Keith Richards."<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.guitarplayer.com/lessons/johnny-marr-guitar-lesson | title=The Ultimate Johnny Marr Guitar Lesson | work=Guitar Player | first=Patrick | last=Brennan | date=29 September 2023 |access-date=22 August 2024}}</ref> Marr also used an [[overdrive pedal]] in "[[London (The Smiths song)|London]]".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Franklin |first=Jamie |date=16 December 2009 |title=Johnny Marr – PowerOn |url=http://www.roland.co.uk/blog/johnny-marr-2/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140805072626/http://www.roland.co.uk/blog/johnny-marr-2/ |archive-date=5 August 2014 |access-date=2 September 2022 |website=Roland UK}}</ref>

Morrissey's role was to create vocal melodies and lyrics.<ref>Jennifer Nine, "The Importance of Being Morrissey", ''[[Melody Maker]]'', 9 August 1997. The full text of the interview is reproduced [http://motorcycleaupairboy.com/interviews/1997/import.htm here.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120071530/http://motorcycleaupairboy.com/interviews/1997/import.htm |date=20 January 2012 }} Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref> Morrissey's songwriting was influenced by punk rock and post-punk bands such as [[New York Dolls]], [[the Cramps]], [[the Specials]] and [[the Cult]], along with 1960s [[girl group]]s and singers such as [[Dusty Springfield]], [[Sandie Shaw]], [[Marianne Faithfull]] and [[Timi Yuro]]. Morrissey's lyrics, while superficially depressing, were often full of mordant humour; John Peel remarked that the Smiths were one of the few bands capable of making him laugh out loud.{{citation needed|date=April 2024}} Influenced by his childhood interest in the [[social realism]] of 1960s [[kitchen sink realism|"kitchen sink"]] television plays, Morrissey wrote about ordinary people and their experiences with despair, rejection and death. While "songs such as 'Still Ill' sealed his role as spokesman for disaffected youth", Morrissey's "manic-depressive rants" and his {{"'}}woe-is-me' posture inspired some hostile critics to dismiss the Smiths as 'miserabilists.{{'"}}<ref name="Ref-1"/> Julian Stringer characterised the Smiths as "one of Britain's most overtly political groups",{{sfn|Stringer|1992|p=16}} while in his study of their work, Andrew Warnes termed them "the most anti-capitalist of bands".{{sfn|Warnes|2008|p=143}}

==Imagery==
The group's cover artwork had a distinctive visual style and often featured images of film and pop stars, usually in [[duotone]]. Design was by Morrissey and Rough Trade art coordinator Jo Slee. The covers of singles rarely featured any text other than the band name and the band itself did not appear on the cover of any UK release. (Morrissey did, however, appear on an alternative cover for "What Difference Does It Make?", mimicking the pose of the original subject, actor [[Terence Stamp]], after the latter objected to his picture being used.) The choice of cover subjects reflected Morrissey's interest in film stars (Stamp, [[Alain Delon]], [[Jean Marais]], [[Warhol]] protégé [[Joe Dallesandro]], [[James Dean]]); figures from sixties [[Culture of the United Kingdom|British popular culture]] ([[Viv Nicholson]], [[Pat Phoenix]], [[Yootha Joyce]], [[Shelagh Delaney]]); and anonymous images from old films and magazines.<ref>{{cite web |author=Powell, Mike |date=15 March 2005 |title=The Smiths. Under the Covers |url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/under_the_covers/the-smiths.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120413104743/http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/under_the_covers/the-smiths.htm |archive-date=13 April 2012 |access-date=5 April 2012 |website=Stylus Magazine |publisher=}}</ref>

The Smiths dressed mainly in ordinary clothes&nbsp;– jeans and plain shirts&nbsp;– in keeping with the back-to-basics, guitar-and-drums style of the music. This contrasted with the exotic high-fashion image cultivated by [[New Romantic]] pop groups such as [[Spandau Ballet]] and [[Duran Duran]] and highlighted in magazines such as ''[[The Face (magazine)|The Face]]'' and ''[[i-D]]''. In 1986, when the Smiths performed on the British music programme ''[[The Old Grey Whistle Test]]'', Morrissey wore a fake hearing-aid to support a hearing-impaired fan who was ashamed of using one,{{sfn|Rogan|1993}} and also frequently wore thick-rimmed [[NHS]]-style glasses. Morrissey also would often wave [[gladiolus]] flowers onstage.

As frontman of the Smiths, Morrissey subverted many of the norms that were associated with pop and rock music.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|pp=23–24}} The band's aesthetic simplicity was a reaction to the excess personified by the [[New Romantics]],{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=101}} and while Morrissey adopted an androgynous appearance like the New Romantics or earlier glam rockers, his was far more subtle and understated.{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=102}} According to one commentator, "he was bookish; he wore NHS spectacles and a hearing aid on stage; he was celibate. Worst of all, he was sincere", with his music being "so intoxicatingly melancholic, so dangerously thoughtful, so seductively funny that it lured its listeners... into a relationship with him and his music instead of the world."{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=24}}

==Legacy==
The Smiths have been widely influential. Ian Youngs of [[BBC News]] described them as "the band that inspired deeper devotion than any British group since [[the Beatles]]".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21323467 | title=Johnny Marr on The Smiths and going solo | first=Ian | last=Youngs | work=BBC News | date=17 February 2013 | access-date=18 February 2013 | archive-date=19 April 2013 | archive-url=https://archive.today/20130419175039/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-21323467 | url-status=live }}</ref> Marr's guitar playing "was a huge building block for more Manchester legends that followed the Smiths", including [[the Stone Roses]], whose guitarist [[John Squire]] said Marr was an influence.<ref>Stephen Dowling, [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3005033.stm "The Smiths: The Influential Alliance,"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090214032916/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3005033.stm |date=14 February 2009 }} BBC News, 13 May 2003. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref> The [[Oasis (band)|Oasis]] songwriter and guitarist [[Noel Gallagher]] also cited the Smiths as an influence, especially Marr, saying that "when [[the Jam]] split, the Smiths started, and I totally went for them".<ref>Dowling, "The Influential Alliance".</ref> The Smiths were an early influence on [[Radiohead]] and inspired their 2001 single "[[Knives Out (song)|Knives Out]]".<ref name="guitar-world">{{cite magazine |last=Randall |first=Mac |date=1 April 1998 |title=The Golden Age of Radiohead |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/radiohead-interview-golden-age-radiohead |magazine=[[Guitar World]]}}</ref><ref name="Hoskyns">{{Cite web |last=Hoskyns |first=Barney |author-link=Barney Hoskyns |date=September 2001 |title=The Backpages Interview: Johnny Marr |url=https://www.rocksbackpages.com/Library/Article/the-backpages-interview-johnny-marr |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011013053327/http://www.rocksbackpages.com/features/smiths/hoskyns.html |archive-date=13 October 2001 |access-date=16 October 2023 |website=[[Rock's Backpages]]}}</ref> In 2001, Marr said Radiohead were the act that had "come closest to the genuine influence of the Smiths".<ref name="Hoskyns"/>

[[Alex Turner]] of the English rock band [[Arctic Monkeys]] cited the Smiths as an influence on the band's album ''[[Suck It and See]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.nme.com/news/music/arctic-monkeys-277-1279825 | title=Arctic Monkeys reveal The Smiths as a key influence on 'Suck It And See' | work=NME | first=Tom | last=Goodwyn | date=4 November 2011 | access-date=21 August 2025}}</ref> The Canadian artist [[the Weeknd]] listed the Smiths as an inspiration during the making of his third studio album, ''[[Starboy (album)|Starboy]].''<ref>* {{cite web | last=Claymore | first=Gabriela Tully | title=The Weeknd Talks New Album Inspired By Talking Heads, Bad Brains, & The Smiths | website=Stereogum | date=September 6, 2016 | url=https://www.stereogum.com/1897400/the-weeknd-talks-new-album-inspired-by-talking-heads-bad-brains-the-smiths/news/ | access-date=April 21, 2024}}</ref> The American singer-songwriter [[Jeff Buckley]] was a fan of the Smiths and Morrissey.<ref>* {{cite web | title=Jeff Buckley revealed as massive Smiths fan | website=NME | date=May 25, 2007 | url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/jeff-buckley-21-1342033 | ref={{sfnref | NME | 2007}} | access-date=April 21, 2024}}</ref> He covered Smiths songs such as "[[I Know It's Over|I Know it's Over]]" and "[[The Boy with the Thorn in His Side]]". In 2010, Morrissey named Buckley's 1994 album ''[[Grace (Jeff Buckley album)|Grace]]'' as his 12th-favourite album.<ref>* {{cite web | title=Morrissey Reveals His Favourite LPs Of All Time | website=The Quietus | date=August 13, 2010 | url=https://thequietus.com/articles/04797-morrissey-s-supreme-13-favourite-albums?page=3 | ref={{sfnref | The Quietus | 2010}} | access-date=April 21, 2024}}</ref>

In ''[[Q magazine|Q]]'', [[Simon Goddard]] argued in 2007 that the Smiths were "the one truly vital voice of the '80s" and "the most influential British guitar group of the decade". He continued: "As the first indie outsiders to achieve mainstream success on their own terms (their second album proper, 1985's ''Meat Is Murder'', made Number 1 in the UK), they elevated rock's standard four-piece formula to new heights of magic and poetry. Their legacy can be traced down through the Stone Roses, Oasis and [[the Libertines]] to today's crop of artful young guitar bands."<ref>Simon Goddard (May 2007). "The Last Rites". ''Q''. No.&nbsp;250.</ref>

In ''[[Uncut (magazine)|Uncut]],'' [[Simon Reynolds]] wrote: "Once upon a time, a band from the North came with a sound so fresh and vigorous it took the nation by storm. The sound was rock, but crucially it was pop, too: concise, punchy, melodic, shiny without being 'plastic'. The singer was a true original, delivering a blend of sensitivity and strength, defiance and tenderness, via a regionally inflected voice. The young man's lips spilled forth words that were realistic without being dour, full of sly humour and beautifully observed detail. Most recognised their debut album as a landmark, an instant classic."<ref>Simon Reynolds, ''Uncut'', No.&nbsp;120, May 2007.</ref>

The "[[Britpop]] movement pre-empted by the Stone Roses and spearheaded by groups like Oasis, [[Suede (band)|Suede]] and [[Blur (band)|Blur]] drew heavily from Morrissey's portrayal of and nostalgia for a bleak urban England of the past."<ref>Chloe Veltman, [http://www.believermag.com/exclusives/?read=article_veltman "The Passion of the Morrissey"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080728053248/http://www.believermag.com/exclusives/?read=article_veltman |date=28 July 2008 }}, ''The Believer''. Retrieved 8 January 2012.</ref> Blur formed as a result of seeing the Smiths on ''[[The South Bank Show]]'' in 1987. Yet even while leading bands from the Britpop movement were influenced by the Smiths, they were at odds with the "basic anti-establishment philosophies of Morrissey and the Smiths", since Britpop "was an entirely commercial construct".<ref name="Veltman, The Passion">Veltman, "The Passion".</ref> [[Mark Simpson (journalist)|Mark Simpson]] suggested that "the whole point of Britpop was to airbrush Morrissey out of the picture&nbsp;... Morrissey had to become an 'unperson' so that the Nineties and its centrally-planned and coordinated pop economy could happen."{{sfn|Simpson|2004|p=172}}

''[[Teezo Touchdown]]'' included them in a Counter Culture playlist on [[Spotify]]. ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' included four Smiths albums on its 2012 list of the "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]",<ref name=":2">{{cite web|title=Top 500 albums of all time|url=http://www.archer2000.net/sbs/awardsrs500.html|access-date=26 April 2013|publisher=Rolling Stone LLC/Archer & Valerie Productions|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140102200719/http://www.archer2000.net/sbs/awardsrs500.html|archive-date=2 January 2014|url-status=usurped}}</ref> and included "[[William, It Was Really Nothing]]" and "[[How Soon Is Now?]]" on its 2004 list of the "[[500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]".<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=2003-12-11|title=500 Greatest Songs of All Time|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-151127/|access-date=2021-09-19|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref> Morrissey is included in its 2010 list of the greatest singers.<ref>{{Cite magazine|date=2010-12-03|title=100 Greatest Singers of All Time|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/100-greatest-singers-of-all-time-147019/|access-date=2021-09-19|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref> In 2014 and 2015, the Smiths were nominated for the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]].<ref name="greene">{{cite magazine|last=Greene|first=Andy|date=9 October 2014|title=Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, Smiths Nominated for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/green-day-nine-inch-nails-smiths-nominated-for-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-20141009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019111950/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/green-day-nine-inch-nails-smiths-nominated-for-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-20141009|archive-date=19 October 2014|access-date=11 January 2016|magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref><ref name="france">{{cite news|last1=France|first1=Lisa Respers|date=8 October 2015|title=Janet Jackson, N.W.A, Los Lobos among Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominees|work=[[CNN]]|url=http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/08/entertainment/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees-feat/|url-status=live|access-date=11 October 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151011012624/http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/08/entertainment/rock-roll-hall-of-fame-nominees-feat|archive-date=11 October 2015}}</ref>

In 2021 and 2023, the band [[Blossoms (band)|Blossoms]] and the singer [[Rick Astley]] performed several concerts of Smiths covers, including a performance at [[Glastonbury Festival 2023|2023 Glastonbury Festival]]. ''The Guardian'' gave the performances positive reviews, suggesting they offered fans a way to enjoy the Smiths without the "moral queasiness" of Morrissey, who had become a controversial figure in the preceding years.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Simpson |first=Dave |date=2021-10-10 |title=Rick Astley and Blossoms review – the ultimate Smiths karaoke shouldn't work, but it does |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/oct/10/rick-astley-blossoms-review-smiths-karaoke-albert-hall-manchester |access-date=2023-06-25 |work=[[The Guardian]] |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Williams |first=Jenessa |date=2023-06-24 |title=Blossoms and Rick Astley at Glastonbury review – Smiths hits are the very opposite of miserable now |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jun/24/blossoms-rick-astley-glastonbury-review-smiths-covers-morrissey |access-date=2023-06-25 |work=[[The Guardian]] |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> Morrissey thanked Blossoms and Astley on his website, but Marr said the performances were "funny and horrible at the same time".<ref>{{cite web |last=Trendell |first=Andrew |date=2021-09-24 |title=Johnny Marr puts Blossoms and Rick Astley Smiths covers row to bed: 'I've dealt with it' |url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/johnny-marr-puts-blossoms-and-rick-astley-smiths-covers-row-to-bed-ive-dealt-with-it-3054333 |access-date=2024-12-12 |website=[[NME]]}}</ref>

== Members ==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Principal members'''
* [[Morrissey]] – lead vocals (1982–1987)
* [[Johnny Marr]] – guitars, piano, keyboards, harmonica (1982–1987)
* [[Andy Rourke]] – bass (1982–1986, 1986–1987; died 2023)
* [[Mike Joyce (musician)|Mike Joyce]] – drums, percussion (1982–1987)
{{col-2}}
'''Other members'''
* Steven Pomfret – guitars (1982)
* Dale Hibbert – bass (1982)
* James Maker – dancing, maracas, backing vocals (1982–1983)
* [[Craig Gannon]] – guitars, bass (1986)
* Ivor Perry – guitars (1987)
'''Session and touring members'''
* [[Simon Wolstencroft]] – drums (1982)
* [[Guy Pratt]] – bass (1986)
{{col-end}}

===Timeline===
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 id:harmonica value:skyblue     legend:Harmonica
 id:keyboards value:purple      legend:Piano,_keyboards
 id:perc      value:claret      legend:Percussion
 id:dance     value:pink        legend:Dancing,_backing_vocals
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 at:01/07/1985
 at:20/07/1985
 at:23/09/1985
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 bar:Hibbert        text:"Dale Hibbert"
 bar:Rourke         text:"Andy Rourke"
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 bar:Wolstencroft   from:01/08/1982 till:01/09/1982 color:touring   width:3
 bar:Joyce          from:01/09/1982 till:28/09/1987 color:drums
 bar:Joyce          from:01/09/1982 till:28/09/1987 color:perc      width:3
 bar:Maker          from:04/10/1982 till:25/01/1983 color:dance
 bar:Maker          from:04/10/1982 till:25/01/1983 color:perc      width:3
}}

== Discography ==
{{Main|The Smiths discography|List of songs recorded by the Smiths}}
* ''[[The Smiths (album)|The Smiths]]'' (1984)
* ''[[Meat Is Murder]]'' (1985)
* ''[[The Queen Is Dead]]'' (1986)
* ''[[Strangeways, Here We Come]]'' (1987)

==References==
===Footnotes===
{{Reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite book |last=Bret |first=David |author-link=David Bret |title=Morrissey: Scandal and Passion |year=2004 |publisher=Robson |isbn=1-86105-787-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Goddard |first=Simon |author-link=Simon Goddard |title=[[The Smiths: Songs That Saved Your Life]] |publisher=Reynolds and Hearn |year=2006 |orig-year=2002 |isbn=1-905287-14-3}}
* {{cite book |last=Goddard |first=Simon |title=Mozipedia: The Encyclopedia of Morrissey and The Smiths |year=2009 |publisher=Ebury Press |isbn=978-0-09-192709-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Marr |first=Johnny |author-link=Johnny Marr |date=2016 |title=Set The Boy Free: The Autobiography |location=London |publisher=Century |isbn=978-1-780-89432-4}}
* {{cite book |last=Middles |first=Mick |title=The Smiths: The Complete Story |publisher=Omnibus |orig-date=1985 |date=1988 |author-link=Mick Middles}}
* {{cite book |last=Rogan |first=Johnny |author-link=Johnny Rogan |title=Morrissey and Marr: The Severed Alliance |publisher=Omnibus |orig-date=1992 |date=1993 |isbn=0-7119-3000-7}}
* {{cite book |last=Simpson |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Simpson (journalist) |title=Saint Morrissey |year=2004 |orig-year=2003 |isbn=978-0-946719-75-4}}
* {{cite journal |last=Stringer |first=Julian |title=The Smiths: Repressed (But Remarkably Dressed) |journal=Popular Music |volume=11 |number=1 |pages=15–26 |year=1992 |doi= 10.1017/s0261143000004815|jstor=853224|s2cid=194017413 }}
* {{cite journal |first=Andrew |last=Warnes |title=Black, White and Blue: The Racial Antagonism of the Smiths' Record Sleeves |year=2008 |journal=Popular Music |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=135–149 |doi=10.1017/S0261143008001463 |jstor=40212448 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40212448}}
* {{cite encyclopedia |last=Woods |first=Paul A. |contribution=Morrissey Needs No Introduction |title=Morrissey in Conversation: The Essential Interviews |others=Paul A. Woods (ed.) |location=London |publisher=Plexus |year=2007 |pages=5–8 |isbn=978-0-85965-394-7}}

== Further reading ==
* [[Marc Spitz|Spitz, Marc]] (2003). ''How Soon Is Never''. [[Three Rivers Press]]. {{ISBN|978-0-609-81040-8}}.

==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
* {{discogs artist|The Smiths}}
* {{IMDb name|3058944}}
* [http://www.plunderingdesire.com Plundering Desire&nbsp;– articles & interviews, release reviews, live reviews, news items]
* [http://www.vulgarpicture.com Vulgar Picture&nbsp;– visual Smiths and Morrissey discography]

{{The Smiths|state=expanded}}
{{Morrissey}}
{{Johnny Marr}}
{{Portal bar|United Kingdom|Greater Manchester|Biography|Music|Rock music|Pop music|1980s}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smiths, The}}
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