List of songs recorded by the Smiths

The Smiths members post-break-up
The members of the Smiths in the 2000s. Clockwise from left: Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Mike Joyce, and Andy Rourke.

The English rock band the Smiths recorded 74 songs during their five-year career, which included 70 originals and 4 covers. The band was formed in Manchester in 1982 and signed a one-off recording contract with independent record label Rough Trade Records, releasing their debut single, "Hand in Glove" in May 1983.[1] The single found success in the UK, earning the group a full contract.[2] Their follow-up singles, "This Charming Man" and "What Difference Does It Make?" fared better on the UK charts and helped increase the band's popularity.[2] The next year saw the release of their self-titled debut album, several non-album singles, and Hatful of Hollow, a collection of B-sides, live recordings, and numerous non-album singles.[2][3][4] The band's popularity increased with Meat Is Murder (1985), their only UK number one studio album, and The Queen Is Dead (1986), which reached number two on the UK charts and peaked in the US Top 100.[2] Several non-album singles after Hatful of Hollow saw release on the compilations The World Won't Listen and Louder Than Bombs in early 1987.[2][5][6] Despite their chart success, tensions began growing in the band, mainly between Marr and Morrissey and the band's label; the band announced their break-up shortly before the release of their final album, Strangeways, Here We Come.[2][7] The live album Rank followed in 1988.[8]

The majority of the Smiths' songs were written by the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr.[1] Throughout their career, their songs differed from the predominant synth-pop British sound of the early 1980s,[2] instead fusing together 1960s rock and post-punk.[9] In their early years, the band purposely rejected synthesisers and dance music,[10] until Meat Is Murder, which contained keyboards as well as rockabilly and funk influences.[11] The Queen Is Dead was notable for featuring harder-rocking songs with witty, satirical lyrics of British social mores, intellectualism and class.[12] Throughout their career, Morrissey drew attention during interviews and live performances for his provocative statements, such as criticising the Thatcher administration and being pro-vegetarian, as shown in the title track of Meat Is Murder.[13] The Smiths often addressed controversial topics in their lyrics, including homosexuality ("Hand in Glove"),[2] the Moors murders ("Suffer Little Children"),[2] as well as burning "the disco" and hanging "the DJ" ("Panic").[14] Since their breakup, the Smiths have been considered one of the most influential bands of the 1980s,[2] with Ian Youngs of BBC News describing them as "the band that inspired deeper devotion than any British group since the Beatles."[15]

  1. ^ a b Goddard, Simon (2006). The Smiths: Songs That Saved Your Life. Reynolds and Hearn. p. 38. ISBN 978-1-905287-14-7.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Smiths – Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  3. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Smiths – The Smiths". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  4. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Hatful of Hollow – The Smiths". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  5. ^ DiGravina, Tim. "The World Won't Listen – The Smiths". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  6. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Louder Than Bombs – The Smiths". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 12 February 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  7. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Strangeways, Here We Come – The Smiths". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 30 October 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  8. ^ DiGravina, Tim. "Rank – The Smiths". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 7 June 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  9. ^ Reynolds, Simon C. W. "The Smiths – Members, Songs, & Facts". Britannica Online. Archived from the original on 30 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  10. ^ Rogan, Johnny (1992). Morrissey and Marr: The Severed Alliance. London: Omnibus. pp. 281–282. ISBN 978-0-7119-3000-1.
  11. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Meat Is Murder – The Smiths". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  12. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Queen Is Dead – The Smiths". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 26 December 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  13. ^ Adams, Erik (28 February 2015). "The Smiths' "Meat Is Murder" is nauseating to vegetarians and carnivores alike". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  14. ^ "What is the Meaning of "Panic" By The Smiths?". Radio X. 13 October 2018. Archived from the original on 10 February 2019. Retrieved 10 February 2019.
  15. ^ Youngs, Ian (17 February 2013). "Johnny Marr on The Smiths and going solo". BBC News. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 10 February 2019.