It’s been a bittersweet month for long-term fans of Morrissey and The Smiths.
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The man himself has not only just joined Twitter but also dropped brand new single Spent The Day In Bed – a rather cool return to form.
However, it’s also the 30th anniversary of the group he’s most famous for splitting up.
Yes, their last studio album Strangeways, Here We Come was released on 28 September 1987. Johnny Marr had already left the band and the end had been in sight but it was confirmed there would be no more new music from The Smiths.
Bereft fans were left with little more than 70 songs, the suddenly heartbreaking South Bank Show dedicated to the band that was shown that October, and the memories.
But in the 30 years that have passed since then The Smiths have never faded from view, have never been far from the British consciousness and still continue to gather new fans, while their original ones remain as faithful as ever.
If we set out criteria for what makes not just a great band, but one of the best (in my heart I know they ARE the best) then this would be the checklist:
- Iconic songwriting partnership
- Revolutionary and original
- Era and generation defining
- Legendary live shows
- Controversial, divisive and memorable
- Passionate fans
- Musical longevity
- Life changing songs
- Something indefinable
Which probably just about sums up The Smiths.
Despite chart success and constant media attention they kept their ‘alternative’ tag – maybe because they were so very different to the glamorous, colourful mainstream 80s music happening at the time – but they were genuine one-offs.
They weren’t trying to be anything other than what they were. It wasn’t an act, you believed.
During an era of materialism and Thatcherism it was startling for a man to be singing about shyness, loneliness and intimacy and inviting you to be the alternative.
Morrissey didn’t just quote poetry, he became a poet. The haunting, recognisable, uncomfortable, hilarious lyrics spoke to a generation finding their feet and now, timeless, they continue to do so.
Before social media, music played a huge part in uniting like-minded souls. Relatable words and stirring music played alone in your room was enough to make you believe you were part of something larger. You belonged.
The Smiths offered that, ensuring fans remained loyal for life as you would thank a friend for seeing you through a tough time.
The music moved on what the idea of Northern indie bands were, because despite the melancholic image and emotional lyrics they were actually a rock band with a hard sound.
One that turned gigs into incendiary events where seemingly mild-mannered music fans ripped their shirts off and tried to storm the stage to touch flesh.
The inventive Johnny Marr was always creating new sounds and redefining what was possible with a pop song.
It’s staggering to think a band that were only together for a measly five years had such an impact and their precious and tiny catalogue is considered almost perfect.
It has been suggested they are still so loved because they split before releasing anything rubbish.
So the legacy continues, the mystery deepens, whether the band like it or not. And for fans they’re not just the most loved but still the most lamented as the reforming rumours continue to come to nothing, and we all doubt they ever will.
There has never been another band quite like The Smiths – the combination of those extraordinary lyrics with the scorching, unbelievable music that inspired such adoration.
It’s a bit of magical musical history unlikely to be repeated. It certainly hasn’t been in the three decades since they split up.
And heaven knows I’m still miserable about it now.
MORE : Johnny Marr isn’t fussed about The Smiths reuniting
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