The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. Their line-up comprised singer Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce. They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s. The Smiths signed to the independent label Rough Trade Records and released their first album, The Smiths, in 1984. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Marr, the Smiths' focus on a guitar, bass and drum sound, and fusion of 1960s rock and post-punk, were a rejection of the synth-pop sound that was predominant at the time. Several Smiths 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). They achieved mainstream success in Europe with The Queen Is Dead (1986) and Strangeways, Here We Come (1987), both of which entered the top 20 of the European Albums Chart.
Los Smiths fueron una banda de rock inglesa formada en Manchester en 1982. Su line-up consistía en el cantante Morrissey, el guitarrista Johnny Marr, el bajista Andy Rourke y el batería Mike Joyce. Se consideran uno de los actos más importantes que surgieron de la escena musical británica independiente de la década de 1980. Los Smiths firmaron con el sello independiente Rough Trade Records y lanzaron su primer álbum, The Smiths, en 1984. Basado en la colaboración de Morrissey y Marr, el enfoque de los Smiths en la guitarra, el bajo y el sonido del tambor, y la fusión del rock y el post-punk británico de la década de 1960, fueron un rechazo del sonido sintético-pop que era predominante en ese momento. Varios singles de los Smiths alcanzaron el top 20 de la UK Singles Chart y todos sus álbumes de estudio alcanzaron los top cinco de la UK Albums Chart, incluyendo el álbum número uno Meat Is Murder (1985).