The Smiths discography

The English alternative rock band the Smiths released four studio albums, three extended plays (EPs), one live album, 10 compilation albums, 25 singles, one video album and 13 music videos on the Rough Trade, Sire and WEA record labels. The band was formed in 1982 in Manchester by vocalist Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bass player Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce.[1]

The Smiths discography
Members of the Smiths from left to right: Morissey, Marr, Rourke, Joyce
Studio albums4
Live albums1
Compilation albums10
Video albums1
Music videos13
EPs3
Singles25

The Smiths' debut single was "Hand in Glove" (May 1983); it failed to chart. Its follow-up, "This Charming Man" (October 1983), met with critical approval and reached number 25 on the UK Singles Chart.[2] In 1984 the band reached number 12 in the UK with the single "What Difference Does It Make?" and went to number two on the UK Albums Chart with their debut album, The Smiths. Their next three singles all went into the top 20 of the charts in the UK, helping to consolidate their previous chart success. The next studio album, Meat Is Murder (1985), reached the top of the British charts; the only single to be released from the album, "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" (1985), failed to break into the UK Top 40. The Smiths' next six singles all made the top 30 in the UK, and their third album, The Queen Is Dead (1986), climbed to number two in the UK.[3]

Despite the Smiths' chart success, Marr left the group in August 1987 because of a strained relationship with Morrissey.[4] Failing to find a replacement, the Smiths disbanded by the time of the release of their final studio album, Strangeways, Here We Come, in September that year. Strangeways, Here We Come climbed to number two in the UK and became the band's highest-charting release in the United States when it reached number 55 on the Billboard 200. In early 1992 WEA acquired the entire back catalogue of the Smiths and produced two compilations Best... I and ...Best II – the first of which went to the top of the UK Albums Chart. WEA released two further singles compilations in 1995 and 2001, with a further compilation, The Sound of The Smiths, released in November 2008.[3]

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
UK
[5]
UK
Indie
[6]
AUS
[7]
CAN GER
[8]
NL
[9]
NZ
[10]
SWE
[11]
US
[12]
US Cash Box
[13]
The Smiths
  • Released: 20 February 1984
  • Label: Rough Trade
  • Formats: LP, cassette, CD
2 1 77 65
[14]
28 9 44 150 129
Meat Is Murder
  • Released: 11 February 1985
  • Label: Rough Trade
  • Formats: LP, cassette, CD
1 1 58 40
[16]
45 39 13 27 110 73
The Queen Is Dead
  • Released: 16 June 1986
  • Label: Rough Trade
  • Formats: LP, cassette, CD
2 1 30 29
[17]
33 11 17 39 70 59
Strangeways, Here We Come
  • Released: 28 September 1987
  • Label: Rough Trade
  • Formats: LP, cassette, CD
2 1 28 27
[19]
33 20 14 13 55 29

Live albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
UK
[5]
UK
Indie
[6]
AUS
CAN
[20]
GER
[8]
NL
[9]
NZ
[10]
SWE
[11]
US
[12]
US Cash Box
[13]
Rank
  • Released: 5 September 1988
  • Label: Rough Trade, Sire
  • Formats: LP, cassette, CD, DAT
2 1 30 82 47 42 25 32 77 54

Compilation albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
UK
[3]
UK
Indie
[6]
AUS
[7]
CAN GER
[8]
IRE
[21]
NL
[9]
NZ
[10]
NOR
[22]
SWE
[11]
US
[12]
US Cash Box
[13]
Hatful of Hollow
  • Released: 12 November 1984
  • Label: Rough Trade
  • Formats: LP, cassette, CD
7 1 91
[23]
21 28
The World Won't Listen
  • Released: 23 February 1987
  • Label: Rough Trade
  • Formats: LP, cassette, CD
2 1 25 41 15 16 17 19
Louder Than Bombs
  • Released: 30 March 1987
  • Labels: Rough Trade, Sire
  • Formats: LP, cassette, CD
38 2 29
[24]
62 27
Best... I
  • Released: 17 August 1992
  • Label: WEA
  • Formats: LP, cassette, CD
1 64 38
[25]
56 74 15 35 45 139 49
...Best II
  • Released: 2 November 1992
  • Label: WEA
  • Formats: LP, cassette, CD
29
Singles
  • Released: 20 February 1995
  • Label: WEA
  • Format: CD
5 26
The Very Best of The Smiths
  • Released: 4 June 2001
  • Label: WEA
  • Format: CD
30 34
The Sound of The Smiths
  • Released: 10 November 2008
  • Label: WEA
  • Format: CD
21
[26]
28 98
  • UK: 2× Platinum[15]
The Smiths Singles Box
  • Released: 8 December 2008
  • Label: WEA
  • Formats: 12 × 7" vinyl, 12 × CD
Complete
  • Released: 26 September 2011
    3 October 2011
  • Label: Rhino
  • Formats: 8 × CD, 8 × LP, 8 × CD + 8 × LP + 25 × 7" vinyl + DVD
63 75
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Extended plays

Title EP details Ref. Peak chart positions
UK UK
Indie
[6]
GIV 1 [27]
[28]
The 12" Mixes
  • Label: Rough Trade
  • Formats: cassette, CD
The Peel Sessions
  • Label: Strange Fruit
  • Formats: 12-inch vinyl, CD
[5] 90 9

Singles

Year Single Peak chart positions Certifications
(sales thresholds)
Album
UK
[29]
UK
Indie
[6]
AUS
[7]
IRE
[30]
NZ
[31]
US Dance
[32]
1983 "Hand in Glove" 3 Non-album singles
"This Charming Man" 25 1 52 15
1984 "What Difference Does It Make?" 12 1 12 The Smiths
"Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" 10 1 11 Non-album singles
"William, It Was Really Nothing" 17 1 8
1985 "How Soon Is Now?" 24 1 5 39 36
"Shakespeare's Sister" 26 1 11
"Barbarism Begins at Home" Meat Is Murder
"The Headmaster Ritual"
"That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" 49 1 20
"The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" 23 1 15 46 49 The Queen Is Dead
1986 "Bigmouth Strikes Again" 26 1 40
"Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others"
"Panic" 11 1 7 Non-album singles
"Ask" 14 1 9
1987 "Shoplifters of the World Unite" 12 1 7
"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" The Queen Is Dead
"Sheila Take a Bow" 10 1 3 Non-album single
"Girlfriend in a Coma" 13 1 12 29 Strangeways, Here We Come
"I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" 23 2 13
"Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" 30 2 17
"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" 91 31
1992 "This Charming Man" (re-issue) 8 9 Best... I
"How Soon Is Now?" (re-issue) 16
"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (re-issue) 25 22 ...Best II
1995 "Ask" (re-issue) 62 Singles
"Sweet and Tender Hooligan"
2017 "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" (demo) The Queen Is Dead (2017 collector's edition)
"The Queen Is Dead" 85

Other certified releases

Year Title Certifications
(sales thresholds)
Album
2011 "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" Complete

Video albums

Title Album details Ref. Certification
The Complete Picture
  • Label: WEA
  • Format: VHS / LaserDisc / DVD / VCD
[33] * UK: Platinum

Music videos

Year Title Director(s) Notes Ref.
1985 "How Soon Is Now?" Paula Grief and Richard Levine [34]
"The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" Ken O'Neill [35]
1986 "The Queen Is Dead"/"Panic"/"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" Derek Jarman A short film made for the 1986 Edinburgh Festival. [36]
"Panic" Derek Jarman A promo video for the "Panic" single was made using a mixture of concert footage and footage from Jarman's film. [36]
"Ask" Derek Jarman [36]
1987 "Shoplifters of the World Unite" Tamra Davis Combines footage of The Smiths on The Tube in April 1987 with footage from the film A Place in the Sun. [35]
"Sheila Take a Bow" Tamra Davis [37]
"Girlfriend in a Coma" Tim Broad [38]
"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" Tim Broad Video produced for a single whose release was cancelled. [39]
"I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" Tim Broad Promo video released after The Smiths had split, which recycles footage from the "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" video. [40]
1988 "Ask" (live) Peter Fowler Promo video produced to promote the Rank live album. [41]
1992 "This Charming Man" Unknown Uses footage originally shot for the Tyne Tees Television show The Tube in 1983. [35]
"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" Tim Broad Recycles footage from the "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" promo video. [42]

References

  1. Fletcher 2012, pp. 2–4.
  2. Morley, Paul (12 November 1983). "This Charming Man". NME.
  3. Strong 2004, pp. 1401–02.
  4. Rogan, Johnny. "The Smiths: Johnny Marr's View". Record Collector. London: Diamond Publishing (November/December 1992).
  5. Strong 2004, p. 1401.
  6. Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980–1989'. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4.
  7. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 279. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  8. "Charts.de – Album suche: The Smiths". Media Control. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  9. "Discography The Smiths". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  10. "Discography The Smiths". charts.nz. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  11. "Discography The Smiths". Swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  12. "The Smiths: Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
  13. "CASH BOX MAGAZINE: Music and coin machine magazine 1942 to 1996". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  14. "RPM100 Albums". RPM. 40 (9). 5 May 1984. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  15. "British certifications – Smiths". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 30 October 2022. Type Smiths in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  16. "RPM100 Albums". RPM. 42 (7). 27 April 1985. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  17. "RPM100 Albums". RPM. 44 (23). 30 August 1986. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  18. "Search Results". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2009.
  19. "RPM100 Albums". RPM. 47 (8). 28 November 1987. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  20. "RPM100 Albums". RPM. 48 (26). 15 October 1988. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  21. "Discography The Smiths". irish-charts.com. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
  22. "Discography The Smiths". Norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  23. "RPM100 Albums". RPM (11). 12 January 1985. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  24. "RPM100 Albums". RPM. 46 (8). 20 May 1987. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  25. "RPM100 Albums". RPM. 56 (20). 14 November 1992. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
  26. "Search Results: The Smiths". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
  27. Rogan 1993, p. 307.
  28. Goddard 2002, p. 129.
  29. "The Smiths". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
  30. "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". Irish Recorded Music Association. 2008. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2008.
  31. charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal
  32. "The Smiths > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 July 2008.
  33. Larkin 2011, p. 2964.
  34. Bessman, Jim (31 May 1986). "Docu-Clips Show Avant-Garde Influence". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 22. p. 45.
  35. Fletcher 2012, p. 461.
  36. Goddard 2009, p. 198.
  37. Fletcher 2012, pp. 593–94.
  38. Fletcher 2012, p. 623.
  39. Zuberi 2001, p. 48.
  40. Fletcher 2012, pp. 623–24.
  41. Goddard 2009, p. 196.
  42. Fletcher 2012, p. 465.

Sources

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