The Smiths is the self-titled debut studio album by the English rock band the Smiths, released on 20 February 1984 by Rough Trade Records. The album was first recorded with producer Troy Tate, but the results were ultimately shelved in favour of a new version produced by John Porter. Recording took place intermittently in London, Manchester, and Stockport during September 1983, between dates on the band's national tour.
The album's songwriting pairs Johnny Marr's bright, jangly compositions and guitar work with Morrissey's literate and melancholic lyrics. The songs touch on themes of unrequited love, isolation, identity, and social disaffection. Several tracks, including "Reel Around the Fountain" and "Suffer Little Children", attracted media attention for their controversial lyrics.
Critical reception was mixed at the time, with some reviewers praising the songwriting while others criticised the production. Over time, however, retrospective assessments have recognised The Smiths as a landmark debut. It is widely considered one of the most influential British albums of the 1980s. The album was a commercial success in the United Kingdom, reaching number two on the UK Albums Chart and spending 33 weeks on that chart.
Background
In May 1982, Johnny Marr visited Steven Morrissey at his home in Stretford to invite him to form a band. The two had first met in 1978 at a Patti Smith concert in Manchester and bonded over a shared interest in literature and music. After agreeing to collaborate, they began writing songs together in Marr's attic room, starting with early drafts like "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" and "Suffer Little Children". and post-punk recording. Mark Lindores described its lyrics as "unsettling", highlighting its thematic range from unrequited love and sexual confusion to homosexuality. Similarly, Garry Mulholland wrote that the album addressed difficult themes such as child abuse. Douglas Wolk described the album's aesthetic as "murk, sexual frankness, and situational ambiguity", arguing that most of Morrissey's lyrics on the album contains allusions to "awful" doings between adults and children. Music journalist Stephen Thomas Erlewine on AllMusic described their songs as "vital and alive, developing a new, unique voice within pop music". Bands such as the Velvet Underground and the Stooges were particularly influential on the Smiths. The opening track "Reel Around the Fountain" is a near six-minute composition that emerged from Morrissey's reflections on an early formative sexual encounter, seemingly with an older partner. Anchored by his restrained lower-register vocals, the song sets a melancholic tone for the album.
"Miserable Lie" begins with a restrained, post-punk-inspired introduction, before abruptly shifting in tempo as the rhythm section surges with renewed intensity. This structural change opens space for one of Morrissey's most unrestrained vocal performances on the album, as he ascends into erratic falsetto. The lyrics of jangle pop track "This Charming Man" follow a first-person narrative in which the male protagonist punctures his bicycle tyre on a remote hillside. A well-dressed stranger in a luxury car offers him a lift. Though initially hesitant, the protagonist eventually accepts. As they drive, the two flirt, but the protagonist struggles with self-consciousness, lamenting, "I would go out tonight, but I haven't got a stitch to wear". The motorist reassures him, saying, "It's gruesome that someone so handsome should care".
Artwork and release
thumb|The original image used in The Smiths album coverThe album was released on 20 February 1984. At the time of its release, Morrissey stated that The Smiths was "a signpost in the history of popular music" and that he expected "the highest critical praise". For the most part, the album was well received, reaching high chart positions but prevented from reaching number one by Sparkle in the Rain by Simple Minds. The single "What Difference Does It Make?" was shortened and released on 16 January 1984, reaching number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. "This Charming Man" was included as the sixth track on all original US releases of the album on Sire Records (LP, CD and cassette) and on the UK cassette on Rough Trade. Following the 1989 bankruptcy of Rough Trade, WEA Records purchased the Smiths' back catalogue. In 1992 WEA re-issued the band's catalogue, and all subsequent pressings of The Smiths have incorporated "This Charming Man".
The cover's sleeve for The Smiths was designed by Morrissey. It features American actor Joe D'Allesandro in a cropped still from Paul Morrissey's 1968 film Flesh. The photograph of Morrissey was taken at the "Jobs for a Change" outdoor concert organised by the Greater London Council at Jubilee Gardens on 10 June 1984. The Grammy Awards would write about the album's 40th year anniversary, stating: "Despite its subject, the cover of The Smiths doesn't scream starpower; it looks ripped out of a moldering magazine. Which completely jibes with the music—glimmering yet murky, seemingly anti-produced in places. That vibe was the point from the beginning—hence their band name".
The Smiths debuted and peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and remained on the chart for 33 weeks. and staying on the chart for 21 weeks. Following its initial run, the album re-entered the European chart in September for an additional three weeks.