The Queen Is Dead

Tight rhythm section but Morrisey’s mopey voice annoys me. Worst offender is Frankly Mr Shankly. Would have been a 4 or a 5 but take 1 star away for that.

Por álbumes como este es que arranque en esta página. Cancion fav: Bigmouth Strikes Again Lo volvería a escuchar? sí

This album was quite nice. Morrissey's vocals were nice, even though I feel like it's the kind of voice I would usually get annoyed with after a while. On the contrary, I wish this album was longer. I liked the more subdued nature of the instrumental on this, too. Favorite Track: There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

Why is there so much fucking Morrissey on this list??? Not falling for it! 2⭐️

I might’ve gotten my hopes alittle too high, but in my defense this is like “THE” Smiths album. It’s so iconic not just to their identity but to their genre as a whole that I thought it’d be their best most untouchable album. And while I think it’s VERY close I kinda think “strangeways” is the better album with a better tracklist. That being said I saved literally the same number of songs. So I would say that these two albums are definitely my favorite from the smiths (so far, haven’t done a full deep dive). That being said I do understand why this is the quintessential the smiths album, it’s just kinda the cool brooding one. But I did find the first half to be the better half of the album. Oh and my hottest take of this album is I don’t really care for the biggest hit on this album “there is a light that never goes out”. I liked the tracks “the queen is dead” “frankly, Mr shankly” “never had no one ever” “cemetery gates” and “bigmouth strikes again” much more than that song. That being said it was a solid album that I’ll probably look for to add to my collection, I’ll just be looking for “strangeways” first.

Some classic smiths songs, and a lot of filler. A good listen but nothing special

can't give them more than 80 all time classics

I can only handle so much of Morrissey's voice at one time. I actually enjoyed the start of this album, but the longer it went, the more it slowly wore me down. There are some good songs here, but eventually Morrissey's voice becomes more than I want to deal with. I don't expect to pick this one up again.

lowk don’t like

Man I have such a hard time listening to the smiths. Some songs were fine, but didn't love the album unfortunately.

an amazing listen as always. one of The Autumn albums of all time. i was pretty familiar with half of this album already, and several of those songs (bigmouth strikes again, there is a light, i know it's over) are still my favorites from the album. besides those, cemetry gates struck me as a new favorite

The Queen Is Dead The Smiths 1986 Genres: Rock Styles: New Wave, Indie Pop, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop 1. The Queen Is Dead (★★★★★) -Contexto: Ataque satírico a la monarquía británica: Morrissey se imagina colándose en el Palacio de Buckingham y topándose con la reina y su hijo, retratando a la familia real como una carga inútil sostenida con el dinero de los contribuyentes. Se mezcla con un lamento más personal sobre la vida en Inglaterra y el paso del tiempo. El germen de la canción lo tenía Marr desde adolescente; la influencia de la Velvet Underground y el garage rock de Detroit es explícita. 2. Frankly, Mr. Shankly (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Una carta de renuncia dirigida a un jefe, escrita como reflejo de la relación tensa de la banda con Geoff Travis, cabeza de Rough Trade. Morrissey confiesa ahí su "sed insaciable de atención" y que prefiere ser famoso antes que "justo o santo": una autocrítica irónica sobre su propia obsesión con la fama. 3. I Know It's Over (★★★⯨☆) -Contexto: Balada larga y devastadora sobre la soledad y el fracaso amoroso, con la imagen final de sentir la tierra cayendo sobre la propia cabeza (connotación casi suicida). A pesar de la depresión evidente del narrador, deja una idea de esperanza: ser amable y gentil, dice, es un acto de coraje poco común. 4. Never Had No One Ever (★★★☆☆) -Contexto: Sobre no sentirse en casa ni a salvo ni siquiera en las calles donde uno nació y se crió. Morrissey explicó en entrevistas que la letra reflejaba su propia frustración a los 20 años, sintiéndose un extraño en su Manchester natal, en parte por ser hijo de una familia inmigrante irlandesa. 5. Cemetry Gates (★★★★☆) -Contexto: Dos amigos pasan el día en un cementerio (inspirado en paseos reales de Morrissey por el Southern Cemetery de Manchester junto a su amiga Linder Sterling). Uno de ellos sermonea al otro sobre el plagio, mientras la canción en sí toma líneas casi textuales de Shakespeare y de una obra de teatro de 1942: un chiste autoparódico dirigido a los críticos que lo acusaban de "robarle" citas a Oscar Wilde. 6. Bigmouth Strikes Again (★★★★★) -Contexto: Autocrítica humorística sobre la costumbre de Morrissey de meter la pata con sus declaraciones a la prensa; se compara con Juana de Arco ardiendo en la hoguera como mártir. Surgió de su hartazgo con cómo la prensa musical tergiversaba todo lo que decía ("si rescato un gatito de morir ahogado, van a titular que lo maltraté", llegó a decir a la NME). 7. The Boy with the Thorn in His Side (★★★⯨☆) -Contexto: Vuelve sobre el tema de sentirse incomprendido, esta vez en clave más universal: alude a cómo la industria discográfica y la prensa no le creían ni valoraban a la banda pese a sus intentos sinceros de comunicarse con el público. 8. Vicar in a Tutu (★★★⯨☆) -Contexto: Historia cómica de un ladrón que, robando plomo del techo de una iglesia, sorprende a un vicario vestido con tutú deslizándose por la baranda, para enojo de un monseñor. El propio Marr la calificó de canción "de relleno" y "un poco descartable", pensada como respiro divertido entre temas más pesados; trata el cruce de normas de género con humor y sin condena. 9. There Is a Light That Never Goes Out (★★★★☆) -Contexto: Fantasía romántica sobre el amor y la muerte: la imagen central es desear morir atropellado por un colectivo de dos pisos junto a la persona amada, como la forma más dichosa posible de morir. Marr contó que la primera vez que la tocaron pensó que era "la mejor canción que había escuchado" en su vida. 10. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others (★★☆☆☆) -Contexto: El propio Morrissey describió su letra como una reducción deliberada de sentido, pensada para resaltar "lo absurdo de reconocer los contornos del propio cuerpo": más un juego formal y humorístico que una canción "seria". -TOTAL = ★★★⯨☆ (3,65) -Debería ser un 4, pero no me resulta suficientemente sólido como para merecerlo.

I did not listen to this because I don't want Morrissey to get any money if I can help it.

Peakest Smiths album OAT. Who knew the queen is dead was so good

Maybe this will be the first Smiths album I like. Let's take it track by track. Wish me luck! Title track ('The Queen Is Dead'): fabulous bassline. The drums are infected by 80's-itis but the beat is excellent (the tom-centric section at the end is its best part; the snare sound is a bit bad). Johnny Marr is present as a texture as much as anything else; a flanger, some reverb and something else I can't place have reduced his guitar to a slightly-crunchy pad. Morrissey is inoffensive; he's crooning less on this but he's still got to be my least favourite frontman of all time. A 4/5 song. I'd be happy to hear this on the radio and might look up the band later. It does wear out its welcome around 5 minutes and keeps yammering for a minute and a half. 'Frankly, Mr. Shankly': Morrissey's voice is too chronically serious to be allowed near these funny, boppy songs. The jangly guitar bridges between verses are incongruent. "Making Christmas cars for the chronically illllll-uh" kind of crystallizes the things I dislike about Morrissey. 3/5; acceptable filler on the radio and suitably short. 'I Know It's Over': Morrissey mopes as hard as he can. These songs used to come on when I was driving long distance late at night and lull me to sleep. Morrissey is trying to kill drivers, apparently. It was going to be 2/5 until I caught that I was going to listen to almost six minutes of this indulgent dreck. 1/5, fuck you guys. 'Never Had No One Ever': I think this is supposed to be a vocal fireworks song. Morrissey sounds like he's sitting by an open window and performatively moaning about the pointlessness of life. I do not enjoy the performance. The worst thing about these Morrissey-centric songs is that the rest of the band (which is pretty good) takes a backseat to his complaining. 2/5 I hope I don't have to listen to this again. 'Cemetry Gates': Went by without my notice. That's a 3/5 Smiths song; possibly my third favourite behind 'How Soon Is Now' and now, 'The Queen Is Dead'. 'Big Mouth Strikes Again': The chipmunk effect on the backing vocal is annoying and distracting, though that makes it a perfect duet partner for Morrissey. Ironically, there was a take from the wonderful Kirsty McColl that was discarded because Morrissey thought it was "too weird," so they did this travesty instead. 2/5 'The Boy With the Thorn In His Side': Anytime you get Morrissey doing some 'la la la' stuff, you're guaranteed I've dropped out. Actually sounds almost like Simon's Graceland in parts, which is a real testament to Marr and the other two. Again, the lead singer sucks. Meat might be murder but Morrissey's singing is a crime against humanity. 2/5 'Vicar In A Tutu': Catchy rhythms and a decent jangle-guitar bit, just buried under too much 'verb. And then there's the singer. The extra layer of effects on the frontman in this one makes it sound like he's singing his way out of a bad trip. He sounds like the inside of a cheesy lounge singer's head while on a bunch of acid. 2/5 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out': But it isn't for The Smiths. 'Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others': Again, great work by Mike Joyce (drums) and Andy Rourke (bass). Marr was lost to the 80's, here. They almost overcome their albatross (the godawful singing) and the lyrics are meandering and occasionally mumbled. Maybe the problem is that I imagine Old Man Morrissey singing instead of the 27-year-old that really was. In that light, I might have thought his voice characterful. Except he always sounds like he's coming off a heroin binge, so not that interesting. 3/5 God, what a slog. The title track is genuinely good; I hate The Smiths and 'The Queen Is Dead' is undeniable. It's a steep decline after that, though. Hopefully I can stop listening to Morrissey, soon. Curse you, Dimery. 2/5

Fínt. Hef ekki enn dottið almennilega á Smiths-vagninn. Rúmlegur þristur.

Absolutely the best

Probably their best album, I love hatful of hollow But that’s a combo of b sides etc. I regularly listen to cemetry gates, bigmouth strikes again, and there is a light that never goes out. One of my favorite bands.

Both better and worse than expected! Morissey's lyrics sound like MadLibs. I think he writes them before and just tries to make it work for the song. It's great if it works but horrible when it doesn't.

Fun to listen to as always, 3.5

I let out an audible groan when I saw this album pop up. I hated the prior Morrissey I listened to for this project. This album was a little better, which I attribute to the rest of the Smiths. I just can’t with his crooning. 2 stars

Enjoyed this one! It felt very evenly paced and didn’t overstay its welcome. Emo music for people who don't want to sound emo all the time.

мне кажется я до этого не слушала этот альбом полностью. Поэтому когда начала играть первая песня и скривила лицо и с удивлением решила, что я не люблю всё таки зе смитс. но потом заиграла I know it’s Over, и, конечно, There is A light, потом ещё я подумала о бесящей Some Girls и заметила насколько великий в ней риф и как это реально тупо и смешно сочетается с текстом, хотя на месте Марра я бы убила за эту выходку Морисси. Короче, как всегда, известные песни легко ложатся на ухо и ты думаешь «а не так уж это и плохо». Сейчас заново включилась «Never Had No One Ever» и я уже думаю, что и она мне приятна.

Trying to decipher Morrissey's psychosexual hangups pays off about half the time. Putting Keats and Yeats in opposition to Wilde is dorky and wrong, and it's rich that he chides his tourist friend for being pretentious and stealing glory from better poets when... well. But Bigmouth, Boy, and Light are fantastic, and I even have a warm spot in my heart for Some Girls, even if I don't really know what it's about except tits. Oh, and Johnny Marr does great work here, buried somewhere down in the mix.

Number: 250 Familiarity: Extremely (5) Rating: 5 Before: ======= This is probably my favorite album from The Smiths. I suspect I'll rate it a 4, though it's conceivably a 5. After : ======= I see Morrisey getting a lot of hate from reviewers here. I have nothing to say about that other than I find it kind of sad. Anyways, on to what I think about the music. I'm rating this one a 5. It's probably one of my top 10 albums from the 80's and would most likely be in my top 50 essential albums of all time, maybe even top 20.

Lite svårt för Morrisseys röst. Men en del bra låtar som man hört och trallar med i typ There is a light that never goes out och Bigmouth Strikes Again. 3,5 av 5.

The Smiths are clearly influential. Morrissey can make a good turn of phrase, and Marr and the rest of the band are very talented. That said, on the slower tracks I find myself annoyed by Morrissey's whines and moans. It is a personal preference thing, but it does limit my enjoyment. Still, the classics are classics for a reason (Queen Is Dead, Cemetry Gates, There Is a Light, Bigmouth etc.)

Great fun album

While I know a lot of their songs, I've never really listened to The Smiths - and thanks to 1001 I am now discovering them properly. Damn this is great!

I am not really a fan of The Smiths but lets go. I kinda like "I Know Its Over".. the song progresses and swells. Thats nice. I can see the appeal of this. Its not for me, though. It was kind of pleasant.. in one ear, out the other. It all kinda sounded the same, like how all your soup tastes the same when you use the same soup base. Its fine but we can do better. A 3, I'd give it a 2.5 if I could.

25 Sep 2026 · 6 → 8 Listened to some more songs, and it's better than I thought!!! 9 Sep 2026 · 6/10 Will be listening again! It's an interesting vibe, it has some great lyrics, and some great melodies. I saved quite a few songs to see if they'll grow on me. It's the kind of album you know you have to give another go further down the line and you might hate it or love it. Morrissey can eat a dick.

The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead (1986) On Day 257, separating the art from the artist was essential, but there is no denying the brilliance captured here. Morrissey delivered his signature theatrical wit and falsetto flourishes, but Johnny Marr's production and layered guitar work were absolute peak craft—consistently framing the vocals with intricate, driving melodies. While cuts like the title track, "Bigmouth Strikes Again," and "Cemetry Gates" are total bangers that made me appreciate the entire tracklist over repeated listens, two specific songs elevate this album beyond measure: "I Know It's Over" and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out." During a period when I was turning to new wave and indie rock to drown out frustration and pain, these two songs met me exactly where I was. One matched my internal resentments with raw, vulnerable introspection, while the other carried an unmistakable feeling of hope. Alongside their seminal compilation Hatful of Hollow (which deserved a spot in the challenge book itself), this record arrived when I needed it most. A timeless, emotionally grounded classic. An easy 5/5.

Sad minstrel music made for people who want to be in their feelings too much. Still it's fine. Marr and Royce carry like they do on all the Smiths records while Morrissey muppets away in the center.

Mid imo

Toplo hladno

It was really fun to listen to this again. I'm immediately transported back to my childhood bedroom - dancing around with an unbuttoned shirt and a bouquet of fake flowers - desperately wanting to be Morrissey. Listening to it now, the cynical, self-centered conceitedness of his persona comes across as everything I'm trying not to be. People really shouldn't act so surprised that Morrissey sucks now, because the writing on the wall was really always there. Still, some of the lyrics are so so great at doing what they're meant to. Take a line like "I'd rather be famous than righteous or holy" or "love is natural and real, but not for such as you and I," already great on it's own. And then couple it with Morrissey's famous delivery that is somewhere in between androgynous theatricality and self-aggrandizing arrogance of a man who thinks being a poet is a personality type, and the result is just, uh, delicious? All the best and the worst of the man is on full display and I kinda love it. There's some really great songs on this album, maybe the best selection of 'hits' on any of their regular studio albums. Johnny Marr's playing is, as always, really really great. There's no gap in the mix on any of the songs that he can't in some way fill with a perfectly executed and tasteful guitar part. That being said, I think some of the deep cuts on the album, like "Vicar in Tutu," "I know it's over," and the closing track are really quite weak. They sound like worse versions of the other songs, with similar instrumentation and vocal delivery, which makes them sound very formulaic. Frankly, it's a little annoying to hear Morrissey wail in the exact same way in every track, especially when the songs aren't interesting enough to stand out. Not every album has to be great all the way through, but these songs add nothing to the experience at all. I wish they'd have changed up the songwriting or instrumentation style a little to make them stand out. I guess you could just skip them, like the people on Spotify all seem to do, but it does keep me from rating the album 5*.

5/10 Medio meh, no me convencio la verdad

Airtight tracklist, like 5 songs on here can be argued to be the greatest song ever written.

redelijk, beetje veel het zelfde

бэнгер че скажешь

I like The Smiths so I feel like I was naturally really gonna like this. Enjoyed listening from start to finish. Inserting The Smiths into a playlist does feel like a task though. Very unique sound

Ik vraag mij af waarom ik die plaat eigenlijk gekocht heb

Hits!

porca puttana che palle

Genuinely might be one of my new favorite albums

A few good tracks on this, but most of the tracks become an indistinguishable mess of what would now be hipster rants.

Didnt hate this album despite it being The Smiths.

Favorite Song: I Know It’s Over Least Favorite: Vicar in a Tutu

Felt like I was listening to Morrissey... The only song which caught my ear was "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others".

High 4s on a bad day, 5 on most. A decently compact album with so much quality.

none

First Smiths album I listened to and the one I’ve listened to the most. A good few 5 out of 5 tracks - including the awesome opening title track. Let down slightly by Frankly, Mr Shankly and Some Girls Are Bigger.. so a high 4.

So what to score the best album by the best group of my lifetime? It's tricky. The Smiths are on a different level to anyone at this point. An organism of their own, their songs becoming works of art - from the brooding, brutal first track, through it's whimsical second, heartbreaking mid section, the perfect pop of Bigmouth and then THAT track. There Is A Light....possibly the best song ever written. Vicar In A Tutu and Some Girls Are Bigger are less than perfect but it's a high bar set by the other songs.

Blistering opener, definitely amongst my handful of favourite openings tracks. Rest pretty damn good too, although I am no doubt in the minority in not being overly enthused by Marrs guitar work, just a little too jangle-pop for my personal tastes, really love the bass tho!

🥊 Here’s an album which comes out at the bell with wild abandon, gets in some good early punches, drops the pace at the back end of the first half before finding its rhythm again and finishing with a flourish. Those early mid rounds are where it drops its points, otherwise it’s an elite level performance and a masterclass in parts. Two observations: 1. “There is a light…” is one of the best songs ever written 2 With Sepultura still to come to today, this album has probably ruined what would have been a full house of terrible listens this week and arguably the worst week of the journey so far as I head towards the 500 mark. So very typical of Morrissey to spoil the party.

Classic… liked the music; his voice wears on me over time. There is a Light and Frankly Mr. Shankly are really good.

I wish I’d appreciated The Smiths more at the time. The lyrics are sharp and witty, and the music is beautifully crafted. The Queen Is Dead is an excellent collection of songs, bar one dud: Frankly, Mr. Shankly. My one criticism might be that Morrissey’s vocal delivery shows relatively little variation across the record. Then again, that distinctive style is a large part of what made The Smiths sound so unique.

Tracklist 1. ❤️The Queen Is Dead 2. ❤️Frankly, Mr. Shankly 3. ❤️I Know It's Over 4. ❤️Never Had No One Ever 5. ❤️Cemetery Gates 6. ❤️Bigmouth Strikes Again 7. The Boy With the Thorn in His Side 8. Vicar in a Tutu 9. ❤️There Is a Light That Never Goes Out 10. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others Avis - Je comprends les critiques comme quoi c'est très "weepy". C'est vrai ça l'est mais ça reste super bien écrit. C'est même parfois drôle / humoir noir (*Frankly, Mr. Shankly*). - Même si les arrangement sont simples, ça va pas chercher midi à 14 heures, les mélodies sont diablement efficaces, comme dans *There Is a Light That Never Goes Out. * - Concrètement je pourrais aimer toutes les musiques je pense c'est assez immersif comme atmosphère, je réécouterai ça tous les jours sans sourciller. - J'ai hâte d'écouter les autres albums !

Gets better and better the more I listen.

Never rated the smiths but now ive sat down and listened to an album, I get it

Oh, great, Morrissey again? Oh, wait, this is a Smiths album, so it should be better than the solo ones. It is better than the solo albums, of course, because it is the album that truly cemented the Smiths' legacy. It's a pretty good poppy college rock album with a lot of sad songs on it. Of course, this sadness is a large part of the Smiths' sound, even when it's mixed with absurdist lyrics designed to shock. The songs are very well written, even if the band and especially the vocals can be very one-note. This album doesn't entirely deserve its reputation, but it's still a pretty good album that represents its genre very well. This album is ranked #3 of 23 albums for 1986. Other 1986 albums rated by me: Graceland(1/23)-3 Licensed to Ill(4/23)-4 Raising Hell(6/23)-5 Skylarking(9/23)-3 EVOL(20/23)-4 Guitar Town(21/23)-2

Good tunes.

Meh.

The queen is dead? Wish I was

This is as good as remembered.

not my style

I got like halfway through and just couldn’t do it

UGH. The last time this site made me listen to an album by The Smiths or Morrissey, my take was that there's only one upshot to that: it's one fewer album that this site will force me to listen to. Really dreading this. Also, the last time I had to listen to a Morrissey/The Smiths album, I noted that my only solace was in giving a thumbs up to every 1 star album. I'm planning on doing the same here. Yup, this was awful. I expect to hate all the other Morrissey/The Smiths albums that this site makes me listen to, and I'll continue giving thumbs ups to each 1 star review.

Absolutely superb

It was alright. Maybe upon a relisten it might get a bit higher.

What on earth is that last song?

Likte den overraskende godt. Spesielt noen av gitarriffene gjennom er ganske sånn "refreshing" og easy on the ears"

Really good! Had a lot of songs I already knew and it's a very timeless album. I could totally see myself listening to these songs often.

AND IF A DOUBLE DECKER BUS CRASHES INTO USSS TO DIE BY YOUR SIDE IS SUCH A HEAVENLY WAY TO DIE AND IF A TEN TON TRUCK KILLS THE BOTH OF US, TO DIE BY YOUR SIDE, WELL THE PLEASURE - THE PRIVILEGE - IS MIIINE

Starts off weak with TQID and FMS (post punk and bad ska) but after that becomes just fine. I have serious Morrissey fatigue, but am pleased to report this is the last of his/the Smiths releases I need to review. 3/5

Despite the Morrissey-shaped elephant in the room, this is just a damn good set of tracks. 4.5 bumped up to 5.

I’m at a 5. As always, Morrissey's a dickhead. You know it, I know it; no need to say anything more. Johnny Marr, however, fucking rules, and the combination of the two here feels especially potent. The unsung third hero of this album, and one who unlocks both Marr & Morrissey further, is Mike Joyce, who puts in some unbelievably strong percussion work on all of these tracks. There’s a hell of a pulse that comes from the drums that breathes some extra life into the album, and between that drum work, Johnny Marr’s guitars & yes, Morrissey’s vocals, it’s just an unstoppably captivating album (at least until the last track, but we’ll get there). Morrissey, by this point, has begun bitching about the world. Not everything about the world, but the self-aware savior complex prick version of him with a desire for a spotlight on his plight is slowly coming to life on this album. However, unlike the bitter solo version of himself trying to prove misguided points about the world after the Smiths’ breakup, this version of Morrissey has enough tact to add lots of wit that keeps these from being too bitchy. There’s enough self-awareness here to wink to the room & induce a little bit more empathy than disagreement, and it helps that the songwriting is relatable in broader strokes. “The Queen is Dead”, for example, is a pretty strong case for the monarchy losing its cultural staying power & becoming just more cogs in the machine of life. “Frankly, Mr. Shankly” is just a desire to be known & make an impact (and to get paid, as most people want). “I Know It’s Over” is drab & dreary, comparing beds to coffins & contemplating suicide after being rocked to the core by an especially hard breakup. It’s dramatically overdone, yes, but in the broadest strokes possible, there’s something innately relatable to that initial wave of sadness & mourning if you’ve ever felt it at a deeper level. The same goes for “Never Had No One Ever”, especially if your hometown reminds you of any kind of loneliness in your formative years. This album sets its lyrical tone in the first four tracks before instrumentally switching it up for the last 6 tracks, as everything from “Cemetry Gates” onward just sounds a lot brighter & more energetic, with the composition & production work lifting up an energy that’s just infectious to the ears. This is where the drums shine pretty brightly (and a bit loudly), & it’s where Johnny Marr’s guitar work hits a higher level. Morrissey’s vocal delivery switches to glide on both more easily, and he finds a natural flow that really works. All of the wit is still there (“Some dizzy whore, 1804” is a pretty funny line, come on), & while both “Bigmouth Strikes Again” & “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side” are the most bitchy-feeling tracks on the album, they’re at least complaints centered around himself & not societal issues at large, so they’re nowhere near as annoying as they could be. “Vicar in a Tutu” is odd, but at least it’s a positive note for the outcasts of the world to live life in ways that makes them feel happy without judgement. “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” is THE monster hit here, & I see why it has over a billion plays on Spotify. The instrumentation is fantastic, and the dual interpretations of the track both work in my mind. It’s either a desire to maintain vicarious ecstasy brought upon from love even at the most mortal cost, or a desire to end it all in a place where he can at least feel good about dying next to someone he loves. Regardless of either interpretation, it’s a track that’s deeply centered around a desire to feel something, and I think there’s just an innately human quality behind it that’s relatable. While I may never quite know what the light truly represents, I do think it’s the best track here, & a great closer to a great alb- Oh, right, sorry. Yeah, “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” is just kinda there. You could try to sell me on the timeless nature of male fascination with the female body as the driving thing that makes the track work, but there’s just not enough lyrical potency to make that point feel more compelling. I think it’s fantastic instrumentation that just doesn’t flesh out its thoughts on the flesh enough. It’s not a *bad* track, but frankly, it’s a really weak closer after such a timeless high. It’s unfortunate. It honestly could've been fine earlier in the album. Hence, a 5. It could’ve been a little higher, but the last track just kinda pulls it down. Regardless, it’s an album that earns a lot of its acclaim, at least to my ears. The floor here is a 3.5, bare minimum, as the musical talent at hand here is undeniably alluring, even if it’s solely from everyone who’s not Morrissey. I think everything comes together here really nicely. For our last Smiths album on the list, it’s a good way to go out, as it naturally lifts up from “Meat is Murder” & fills in some of my minor nitpicks from “Strangeways, Here We Come”. It is probably the best Smiths album here from top to not quite bottom, and I’m glad it lived up to the hype. It’s a 5. I am so fucking ready to be free of Morrissey.

8/10

Listened 8/25/2026 (a relisten of course).

Fav song: I Know It’s Over

Pretty good

Best album I've heard from this website so far

Meh

Very good

I like their sound and off-beat vocalizing

Not bad, I enjoyed listening to this. I had never listened to an entire album by the Smiths so this was a first. Some very good songs here and a number that I didn't care for. Overall, I don't like them but there are a few good songs here and there

Absolutely stunning wonderful and beautiful in every way. 10s across the board

I thought I didn't like The Smiths because they were too depressing and boring for me (which at the time was ironic if you knew some of the other things I was listening to at the time). Accordingly, I forgot about The Smiths for many years. A few years ago a friend suggested I revisit a couple of songs on this album. Now I like The Smiths. I consider "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" to be one of the great love songs of all time.

No like

"There is a Light That Never Goes Out" is inescapably interesting. But many of the others escaped my interest. Unfortunately for instance the last song, right after that one -- "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" -- what the hell was that. But I've actually come to like the Smiths more through this than I thought I would. (Review copied from my other group.)

Remember when white people used to make music like this?

The Smiths are a great band led by a great but very obnoxious singer. I won't even mention the controversial stuff around Morrissey. Even without all that still, he holds the band back. His lyricism is great, but his singing style is hard to listen too. Johnny Marr is an incredible guitar player and I wish I could hear more of it on this album, but more often it gets drowned out by Morrissey whining about how he's a weird little guy.

I ❤️ the smiths

Vocal work is atrocious, there’s an Eminem lamp shading tactic - but even if you admit you can’t sing you still can’t sing. Instrumentation is incredibly repetitive, As in every song is the exact same song repetitive. It’s not even a good song they’re regurgitating. Lyrics are good actually which is my only takeaway. I quite liked the namesake surprisingly. Little to no syntactic complexity, though the songs do blend well for the whole album ( again if only for being the same ). Solid 2/5

The Smiths were arguably the best group of the 80s. Morrisey and Marr are musical gods. Morrisey writes sharp ironic while Marr arranges the music. The Queen is Dead is their best album Let’s do a song by song analysis of the album. The Queen is Dead: Morrisey pokes fun at the Royals, the Queen and Prince Charles. Frankly Mr. Shanty: Morrisey writes about his disgust of his record company President. I would feel more fulfilled writing Christmas cards for the mentally ill. I know it’s over: it’s so easy to laugh,so easy to hate, it takes strength to be gentle and kind. Never had no one ever: self explanatory. Cementary Gates: nice arrangement by Marr. Morrisey talks about how interesting and fun it is to walk through a cemetery. Bigmouth strikes again: I’d like to smash every tooth in your face. Great guitar by Marr.. There is a light that never goes out: Smiths’ anthem. Song of existential angst. Will be played at my celebration of life. Some girls are bigger than others: Morrisey writes about his obsession with big girls. All these songs are beautifully arranged by Johnny Marr. An amazing album. Five big stars.

Was expecting to hate this given how much I disliked Meat is Murder. Very impressed

Fuck Morrissey

Didn't recognize a single song from the album, totally new to me though I've heard of the band before. Was worried when I saw post-punk as a genre but this seems much more indie rock to me, very cohesive from front to back and doesn't meander off into dark alleyways but does have ups and downs emotionally. Just felt like really solid songs that could be a part of a rock collection with ease. Vocals are clear and convey a good emotion to pair with the instruments very well. I can see coming back to this album/ band regularly in the future.

Funny album. Love his voice, always.

The top two reviews don't even comment on the album; they are simply anti-Morrissey. Have you bothered to read that he's only 1/4th of the Smiths? That Johnny Marr composed all of these songs? And that Rourke and Joyce are simply a killer rhythm section? I honestly feel that reviews that blatantly bash artists/bands just for the sake of it should be removed on this site. Otherwise, why am I and others putting in all the effort to listen to these albums and learn about them, and provide a constructive critique? I've never been a Smiths die-hard fan. But I have always loved this album, even going as far to learn how to play many of these songs and sing along to them - which is frankly difficult to do. These are not simple structures and chord changes, though they seem as such at a first listen. With influences varying from punk, folk, chamber music, Phil Spector-style pop, and more, Marr truly dwelled into very melancholy, moody melodies here. I love how dark and intimate the songs and themes are as a result. Say what you will about Morrissey today, at the time he was at the top of his game, vocally and lyrically speaking. After all these years, I find myself smirking and chuckling at a lot of his very dark imagery and sardonic observations: "I say, Charles, don't you ever crave To appear on the front of the Daily Mail Dressed in your mother's bridal veil?" "Oh, I didn't realise that you wrote poetry I didn't realise you wrote such bloody awful poetry, Mr Shankley" "If you're so very entertaining Then why are you on your own tonight? If you're so very good-looking Why do you sleep alone tonight? I know, 'cause tonight is like any other night" "All those people, all those lives Where are they now? With-a loves and hates and passions just like mine They were born, and then they lived And then they died Seems so unfair, I want to cry" "Sweetness, I was only joking when I said By rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed" There are others, such as the chorus on "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out", but overall these are seriously SMART and often FUNNY lyrics sung in a very idiosyncratic, swooning style that elevates the heavily chorused, reverbed, atmospheric sound. Especially on "I Know It's Over" and "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" - those vocals! The percussion and bass is busy and bouncy, and the jangly guitar lines allow the songs to remain listenable and accessible in spite of the dark themes and experimental mix. It's truly sad that this band wouldn't go on for much longer - Morrissey and Marr were simply at odds with each other in terms of wresting control, but here, they beautifully compliment each other, sound-wise and lyrically-speaking. This is an all-time classic of indie rock and post punk, maybe pop music in general. We owe so much to it.

Firstly, Morrissey is a real twat of a guy. Secondly, he knows how to write damn good music. This albums is so sonically brilliant; it's a wonder how I hadn't sat down to listen to it front to back till now. The Queen Is Dead is filled to the brim with somber, melancholic beauty. Each song hits you where it should (thanks to Morrissey's belief that he truly is the most tortured person in existence). An amazing album. Fav Songs I Know It's Over Cemetery Gates The Boy with the Thorn in His Side Is it Top 1001 Worthy (is it essential)? Absolutely Yes. One of the greatest indie rock records and albums EVER. Each song hits hard, no skips found. Just ignore Morrissey as best as possible if you have to because this is a MUST listen.

My way of "separating the art from the artist" is to cancel in life but forgive in death (assuming I'm otherwise inclined to fuck with that person's work, like I don't really feel like throwing on a Burzum record regardless what side of the grave Varg Vikernes turns up on on any given day). Mostly this has been fine, occasionally I feel a lackness, like with Kanye, but the only one that really hurts is Stephen Patrick Fucking Morrissey, whose weird trajectory from sad fop to vegan fop to Victorian racist to 21st-century far-right ghoul (so easy to imagine him around a table with Peter Thiel and Nick Fuentes and "Mencius Moldbug," outwardly reticent but inwardly salivating at the decadent homosocial blandishments of these alt-White iconoclasts) is, like, exhibit 1 for the dangers of believing, just because someone's words hit us like a lapel lily to the heart, that they see the world the way we do. Like ... "It's so easy to laugh, it's so easy to hate / It takes strength to be gentle and kind" – what depths of irony???!!! "If a double-decker bus crashes into us / To die by your side / What a heavenly way to die" – that song was a precarious rope bridge, for me and a certain other beautiful soul who I'll always cherish, to something like a grownup version of love – or, like, the cloak of melodrama that made something simpler and plainer and better (regardless how it ended, things end, people grow and fail and grieve) possible. And songs like "Cemetery Gates," that just simply make me happy. Today I'm listening to The Queen Is Dead for my 1001 albums project; tomorrow it'll go back to being dead to me until Morrissey finds his spot with Keats and Yeats (if they'll have him), except when it comes on at a coffeeshop or the like and I linger for a minute for a taste of that lost feeling. Makes it hard to know how to rate it – people always say like "I still love the Smiths for Johnny Marr," and sure, but it's not like you can syphon "Moz" (once nickname-beloved for millions! Pale bisexuals, Chicano tough guys with a teardrop tattoo, poor ol' Mark Simpson who wrote a whole horny book called "Saint Morrissey") from this music. Seems to make more sense to separate the music not only from the artist but also from my own maybe eccentric listening practice, grant it the 5/5 it undeniably has in my heart, and go back to not playing it, return it to the silence of irreconcilability.

Ironically, I really have never listened to this record, although I have heard most of this material as represented on the band's live album. The opening track is really fantastic and sets the album on the right foot. It's big and anthemic. The next few tracks feel oddly anemic as opposed to the live versions that I am used to. The worst of the bunch is Frankly Mr Shankly, which feels stiff and considerably less appealing to the live version. The songs that follow are better and are generally better songs, but I again would prefer to hear the live versions, which just feel more alive. That streak breaks with the boy with a thorn in his side, which is fantastic here. Vicar in a tutu is okay, but there's a light that never goes out is perfect, as is the last song. Overall, this isn't really as strong as I thought it was going to be. The songs are here, but I wish the sound were a little rawer and more immediate. The highlights on the other hand are to strong for this to receive merely three stars, but its close.

In my youth I always thought Morrisey was too whiny and this was depressing music. I was wrong, and as I have grown and become a fan of more music especially post-punk and Britpop I can admit it. The musicianship is awesome, Marr is a great composer. Morrisey does have a kind of whiny falsetto singing style but it fits with their music and he is a witty lyricist. The album is full of big hits, even the ones I don't really like are decent songs. My SO will hate it but this is one I will be adding to my collection.

It was fine but at this point in my life I find their music to be rather whiney and pedantic.

Good memories from college.

I'm the opposite of James because I really like Morrissey's voice and that's a big part of the reason I enjoy this album. I think if it was any other singer it wouldn't capture me quite as much. There's something about Morrissey's vocal tone/timbre that I find so appealing. I tend to like melancholy music so this is right up my alley. It has that slightly imperfect sound that I'm often drawn to with indie rock.

Im very unsure of why I dislike Morisseys voice, but I do. Its not terrible, its just not something I'd choose to listen to.

Real neat, though the lyrics are strange as heck. Dark humor i guess?

Eh, not really for me, but I understand why people love them

This is so British

It’s fine. It’s been steadily growing on me for the past 6 years or so but I still don’t think I’d call it particularly fantastic or anything. I think Johnny Marr is one of the best guitarists to ever do it and there are some phenomenal guitar melodies here, but I don’t really enjoy much else about a lot of these songs. With that being said, ‘There Is a Light That Never Goes Out’ is a contender for the best 80s song. It’s probably in my top 20 songs of all time. Single-handedly bumps this album up a point.

IF A DOUBLE DECKER BUS CRASHES INTO US TO DIE BY YOUR SIDE IS SUCH A HEAVENLY WAY TO DIE

I'm honestly sick of Morrissey (second-to-last of Morrissey's on the list, but as of the time of writing this review, I'm finally done, yippee!), but I will say this is his best album. Ignoring the fact that "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" is on this album, the rest of it matches his energy well, which is rare for one of his albums. The rest of the band maintains their brilliance, and I would be a fan of this band if they had a different singer.

Morrissey is such a goddamn whiner, I could barely finish this, but There Is A Light That Never Goes Out is a fun listen

Sounded quite good something I would imagine downloading and listening to more often

Thumbs up!

Excellent and the best Smiths album with Frankly Mr Shankly, Cemetery Gates, Big Mouth etc

6/10 - Could never get into the smiths Heard before? --------–- ✅ Saved a new Song? ----- ❌ Saved Album? -------–-- ❌ Will Listen Again? ---––– ❌

Favorite songs: Cemetry Gates, Bigmouth Strikes Again, The Boy with the Thorn in His Side, Vicar in a Tutu, There Is a Light That Never Goes Out, Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others 3.5

Missed this the first time through. Always wanted to listen to it, too. It doesn’t disappoint.

I can't think of another band with lyrics like, "If a 10 ton truck kills the both of us, to die by your side well, the pleasure, the privilege is mine" that are set more beautifully to music.

Wins the title for most provocative song titles.

The Smiths. Such a ground breaking band. Yet this album is not their best work.

There Is a Light That Never Goes Out absolutely steals the show here, and is arguably the greatest track in the whole Smiths catalogue, and arguably one of the best tracks of the 80s. Because of that, the other tracks here do pale in comparison. That said, there are no bad tracks here, and a number of other great tracks too such I Know It’s Over and Bigmouth Strikes Again, making for a really enjoyable listen across the board.

I know its over is alright. The queen is dead (first song) not my style. Album is short, pretty good though as it got better as it went on.

An essential and no-skip record from The Smiths.

The Smiths have an important catalogue overall but I find each album itself has it bright spots and its flaws. Some iconic cuts here, but also a few that drag…

The Queen IS dead. Long live Camilla.

Great

Loved The Smiths as a teen, they're even better than I remember. 5/5.

There were a number of songs that I remembered from a previous listen of the album with my favourite on this listen through being “Frankly, Mr. Shankley”. I thought the best song on the entire album though was “Cemetry Gates”. While there are really good songs on this album that I could listen to on their own, this album is a good example of the whole being greater than its parts. The songs together build on one another and create a quite enjoyable listening experience

Love the album but hate morrissey as a person

It was ok, I feel almost neutral about it. The lyrics are just so bland, and I fear the singing is very whiny.

An classic indie (? Alternative?) album. The songs are different, they have an exciting production, there’s a variety in each of the songs’ sounds while remaining cohesive. My favs are Bigmouth and the title track.

This is an absolute classic. Listening to it felt like the perfect mix of sadness and beauty that only The Smiths could pull off. The energy is unique, melancholy but never heavy in a way that drags you down. It just sits in that special place where the songs feel both personal and larger than life. Morrissey’s lyrics here are the best of his career. Sharp, witty, emotional and full of character. Johnny Marr’s guitar work is equally outstanding. The melodies and arrangements are inventive without ever losing their emotional punch. The whole album has a clear identity and a strong sense of direction. The production is clean and well balanced, giving both the voice and the guitars plenty of space. It sounds like a band completely locked in and confident in what they were doing. The Queen Is Dead still feels like their peak, the moment where everything came together in the strongest way.

Morrisey's crooning is not unpleasant, nice actually. Despite him being something of a twat I enjoyed this one. Heard several songs before but never the whole album. Will be back for sure.

Heard before?:✔️ Will listen again?:✔️/❌️(individual songs) 2.5

This album sounds pretty cool; it’s cohesive

I love frankly mr shankly.

It's a hell of a record. Sounds amazing and Morrissey hasn't lost his mind yet. I could probably give it 4 stars just for "Bigmouth Strikes Again" Marr sounds excellent and Andy Rourke is a very talented bass player. It's worth a re-listen to just his bass parts. Seriously underrated talent.

I can't deny my love for the Smiths anymore! Only thing that would make this album better would be to have Panic on it!

pretty good, but Morrissey is so whiny it is distracting.

Really strong album. Morrissey's whine got a little tiresome by the end, and a couple tracks just didn't work for me. Some really great stuff, though.

never understood the appeal.

Weirdly don't like this as much as I used to

Je me rappelle exactement le moment où les Smiths se sont engouffrés dans ma vie. J'étais adolescent, enfermé dans une chambre trop petite, le cerveau asphyxié par les hormones, le spleen anglais et cette sensation poignante que personne sur cette terre ne pouvait me comprendre. Et puis, la voix de Morrissey est arrivée. Ce crooner dramatique, sarcastique, drapé dans un romantisme morbide et une ironie tranchante comme une lame de rasoir. Depuis ce jour-là, Morrissey et la guitare magique de Johnny Marr ne m'ont plus jamais quitté. Ils ont été là lors de mes premiers chagrins d'amour dévastateurs, mes errances sous la pluie, mes cuites mélancoliques et mes remises en question existentielles. Ils ont été les témoins et les complices de toutes les étapes de ma vie. Alors, s'attaquer aujourd'hui à The Queen Is Dead, c'est un peu comme ouvrir le livre de mes propres souvenirs. C'est l'album culte par excellence, le monument de l'indie-pop britannique, le disque que tout le monde vénère sur un autel. Et soyons clairs d'entrée de jeu : c'est un chef-d'œuvre absolu de bout en bout. Dès le morceau-titre qui ouvre l'album, l'attaque est frontale, irrévérencieuse, presque sauvage. Ça commence par un extrait sonore de Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty avant d'exploser dans un maelström de larsen, de batterie pilonnée par Mike Joyce et de basse vrombissante signée Andy Rourke. Et là-dessus, Morrissey débarque avec son venin le plus pur, s'en prenant directement à la monarchie, à la Reine, au Prince de Galles et à l'establishment britannique tout entier. « Is the World ah so foul that we're standing on the edge of a brutal war? I'm with the H-bomb... » C'est violent, c'est drôle, c'est d'une insolence rare. Marr fait hurler sa guitare avec une pédale wah-wah furieuse. En quatre minutes, les Smiths balayent la mièvrerie ambiante et rappellent qu'ils sont le groupe le plus important et le plus dangereux du Royaume-Uni. Ce qui fait la force inégalable de cet album, c'est l'alchimie parfaite entre le désespoir le plus noir et un humour noir totalement décapant. Morrissey n'est pas juste un type triste qui pleure sur son sort ; c'est un auteur cynique, acerbe, d'une intelligence diabolique. Prenez Frankly, Mr. Shankly. En deux minutes d'une pop bondissante et faussement naïve, le duo règle ses comptes avec le patron de leur label Rough Trade, Geoff Travis. C'est une lettre de démission mise en musique, remplie d'insultes poétiques et de sarcasmes désopilants sur l'industrie musicale. Puis, sans transition, l'album vous enfonce la tête sous l'eau avec I Know It's Over et c'est ici que le disque touche au sacré. Morrissey y livre une performance vocale d'une vulnérabilité terrifiante, hurlant sa solitude face à un amour impossible. Quand la guitare de Marr s'élève doucement sur le final et que Morrissey répète en boucle « I can feel the soil falling over my head », j'ai encore des frissons qui me traversent l'échine, exactement comme la première fois que je l'ai entendu à seize ans. Et comme si le groupe voulait nous empêcher de nous taillader les veines, ils enchaînent avec Cemetry Gates. Une balade acoustique lumineuse où Morrissey se moque des plagiaires, cite Keats, Yeats et Oscar Wilde, tout en se promenant joyeusement dans un cimetière. Ce contraste permanent entre la lumière de la musique de Johnny Marr et l'ombre des textes de Morrissey est tout simplement génial. Si la première face est une démonstration de force, la seconde moitié de l'album enfonce le clou sans la moindre baisse de régime. On y retrouve l'hymne auto-dérisoire Bigmouth Strikes Again, où Morrissey se compare à Jeanne d'Arc sur son bûcher parce qu'il a encore sorti une connerie de trop. La guitare de Marr y est d'une précision chirurgicale, un galop effréné de cordes en acier qui a inspiré des générations entières de guitaristes indie. On croise aussi la beauté pure de The Boy with the Thorn in His Side, une chanson pop aérienne, brillante, où la voix de Morrissey part dans des vocalises improbables qui devraient être ridicules mais qui s'avèrent magistrales. Et puis... il y a There Is a Light That Never Goes Out. Que dire sur ce morceau qui n'a pas déjà été dit mille fois ? C'est tout simplement l'une des plus belles chansons pop jamais écrites dans l'histoire de la musique moderne. Ce fantasme romantique d'un adolescent prêt à mourir percuté par un bus à double étage plutôt que de rentrer chez lui, porté par des arrangements de cordes synthétiques sublimes, c'est de la poésie pure. C'est l'essence même de ce que sont les Smiths : la beauté trouvée dans le désastre, le romantisme absolu niché dans le désespoir le plus complet. Arrivé à ce stade de ma chronique, vous vous dites sûrement : « Bon, il leur a mis 5 sur 5, il vient de passer dix paragraphes à expliquer à quel point ce disque est un monument, l'affaire est pliée. » Eh bien non, et c'est ici qu'intervient mon avis de fan absolu, celui qui écoute les Smiths depuis des décennies. The Queen Is Dead est un album parfait de bout en bout. Il n'y a pas une seule fausse note, pas un seul morceau à jeter (même le sautillant et absurde Vicar in a Tutu ou le très étrange Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others ont leur place exacte dans cette dynamique). C'est leur album le plus iconique, le plus équilibré, le plus populaire. Mais à mes yeux, ce n'est pas encore la perfection absolue. Car la perfection absolue, le sommet inégalable de leur carrière, le chef-d'œuvre ultime où le groupe a touché le divin avant de se désintégrer à jamais, ce sera sur l'album suivant : Strangeways, Here We Come. Là où The Queen Is Dead est l'apogée de leur formule classique indie-pop/rock, Strangeways est une œuvre sombre, complexe, orchestrale, tragique et expérimentale. Sur Strangeways, Marr explore des sonorités plus denses, des pianos hantés, des ambiances crépusculaires (Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me, A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours). The Queen Is Dead est l'album de la maturité triomphante ; Strangeways est le chant du cygne sublime d'un groupe au bord du gouffre. Mais ne nous trompons pas de débat : dire que The Queen Is Dead est légèrement inférieur à Strangeways, c'est comme dire que la cathédrale de Notre-Dame est légèrement moins impressionnante que le Taj Mahal. On discute ici au niveau des dieux. The Queen Is Dead méritera toujours sa place au panthéon des plus grands disques de tous les temps. C'est un album que l'on peut réécouter cent fois, mille fois, et y trouver à chaque fois une nouvelle subtilité dans le jeu de guitare de Marr, une nouvelle nuance d'ironie dans le chant de Morrissey, ou simplement se laisser porter par cette vague de nostalgie magnifique. Si vous ne l'avez jamais écouté (ce qui serait un crime passible de la correctionnelle pour tout amateur de rock), jetez-vous dessus. Et si, comme moi, vous avez grandi avec ce disque gravé dans votre ADN, remettez-le sur votre platine. Laissez la guitare de Marr ouvrir le bal, fermez les yeux, et rappelez-vous l'époque où quatre gamins de Manchester ont réussi à faire croire à toute une génération que la mélancolie pouvait être la plus belle chose au monde. Une note finale indiscutable : 5 / 5.

its good!! just too old coded for me but i’d listen to it on my free times :)))

as far as 80's music goes.... I kid. I could see this being quite good of the times. I don't think it holds up as well as others do, though. big fan of "i know it's over" 3.5

a lil bit short, but it's an amazing albom

The Smiths is ALWAYS a 5 stars. I had this one in vinyl so I listened to it on my vinyl deck/turntable.

ALBUM FAMOSO E ACCLAMATISSIMO, FORSE SONO PARTITO CON UN LEGGERO BIAS. POCO IMPORTA. GRANDE CRITICA VERSO UN PO' TUTTO: CHIESA, MONARCHIA, SOCIETA', SE STESSI... FATTA CON UN'IRONIA NON BANALE. LA MIA TOP 3 E' "I KNOW IT'S OVER","NEVER HAD NO ONE EVER" E "THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT". L'OUTRO DI CHITARRA E' UN ALTRO MOMENTO SALIENTE. A UN PAIO DI CANZONI DEVO ANCORA ABITUARMI, ARRIVERA' COL TEMPO. PER ORA DO 4 MA PUO' AUMENTARE COL TEMPO. 4/5 EDIT: LE CANZONI SONO CRESCIUTE TUTTE TRANNE “VICAR IN A TUTÙ”, MA PASSA A 5. 5/5

I know it’s over is een prachtig nummer. De rest vind ik een beetje irritant.

College frat party jumping around dancing. Goth, British, moody vibes. Not for me.

There are a few songs on here that I really like (The Boy with the Thorn in His Side, Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others) but overall the album leaves me a little flat.

I like how sonically different the tracks are from each other. They've captured the emotion perfectly. Although not my soundscape, I know this would hit for some of my friends!

Наконец-то альбом, которому я могу поставить пять звёзд. Одна из моих самых любимых пластинок. Настоящий шедевр

Inversely proportional to Morrissey’s twattery

Big girls

I don't what it is, but there is something in the music of The Smiths that just.... resonates with me. It's melancholy that is being elevated almost to an art form. Ah, yes, mandatory clarification: fuck Morrissey

Morrissey is the Salvador Dali of music, a contrarian fascist whose work is admired in spite of his worldview. The difference is The Smiths had Johnny Marr to thank for the brilliant melodies. Morrissey wrote some cracking lyrics and performed brilliantly on some tracks, but fucking ruined others. This is a fucking brilliant album. But I still hate Morrissey.

Johnny Marr dropped to 98 pounds during the recording of this album, running on nervous energy, brandy and cocaine, serving simultaneously as guitarist, co-producer, de facto band manager, and logistics coordinator including van hire. He later said no one could touch us, that this was the peak of the Smiths' career. He was right about the music and apparently had nothing left over for meals. The album's working title was Margaret On The Guillotine. It was changed to The Queen Is Dead, taken from a chapter of a Hubert Selby Jr. novel. Both titles tell you everything about where Morrissey's head was in 1985 and neither of them is subtle, which is on brand for a man who fired his bassist by leaving a note on his car windshield that read Andy, you have left the Smiths. Goodbye and good luck, Morrissey. Andy Rourke passed away in 2023. Johnny Marr specifically recalled watching him record his bassline on the title track, saying he would never forget it. Morrissey has not been quoted. There Is a Light That Never Goes Out almost was not on the album. Johnny Marr did not think the guitar part was particularly interesting. Morrissey insisted on keeping it. History has proven Morrissey correct, which is most annoying and I will not be dwelling on it. This is the third Morrissey adjacent album to receive 2 stars from me. Wild Beasts got a 2 for sounding like discount Morrissey. Vauxhall and I got a 2 for being full price Morrissey in an expensive coat. The Queen Is Dead gets a 2 for being genuinely the best thing Morrissey ever made, which means Johnny Marr starved himself down to 98 pounds on brandy and cocaine to make an album I am giving 2 stars, which is the most I can offer and more than Morrissey deserves. 2 out of 5. Both stars belong entirely to Johnny Marr. Please eat a sandwich.

There is a light that never goes out is a classic for a reason, but I think there are a lot of weak songs here as well

Banger.

Has a couple bangers. I really like The Smiths, though not the biggest fan of a few of the tracks in this album. I was torn between giving it a 3 and a 4, but doing 3 because Morrissey is a chud

Pas mal frchm

Now see, this is where I get really hypocritical with this project. Are there individual songs I would add to my library and therefore influence my rating? Well, no. Because this album is already in my library. Is Morrissey a huge asshole? No doubt. But this album and a few others from the same time period had a huge effect on my musical tastes that stay on to this day. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go sit somewhere and look moody. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

15 year old me would never forgive me if I gave this less than 5 stars. Nearly 20 years after hearing it for the first time this still holds up as an incredible work of art. Lyrics that range from hilarious (Frankly Mr Shankly, Bigmouth Strikes Again) to the equivalent of a sucker punch to the heart (I Know It's Over, There is a Light That Never Goes Out) to hard to decipher but still pretty cool (The Queen is Dead). The instrumentation is of course second to none. Johnny Marr one of the best musical writers out there. I feel the since Andy Rourke has died I have appreciated his bass playing more, the interplay with Marr's guitar(s) is excellent. The best band of the 80s bar none.

Would be good background music while working.

"I want to go down in musical history . . ." and so you shall! Solid album - great lyrics, punchy music, bopping my head the whole time.

The Smiths are highly regarded by many and Morrissey's voice is unmistakable for sure. While I find the Smiths to be but an average alternative band from the early 80s, they do have some good hits and one of them is Big Mouth Strikes Again, which is the best song on the album. The rest of the album is average to me. It is an easy listen but can get monotonous at times.

Amazingly untouchable.

Enjoyed this more than last time- heading towards a 4. Again worth a relisten

Love the smiths. Love their sound

Damn, en un viernes. ¿Acaso pretende que me suicide el fin de semana? Al final fue más divertido de lo que pensaba, creo que lo volvería a escuchar.

Insane peak

236. weirdo

I feel like this somehow sounds even better now that she is

Beautifully weird and dark record. An all time classic

I enjoyed this album, some of to lyrics caught me off guard. I didn’t listen to The Smiths back in the day, but I enjoy their music now.

It's interesting listening to this album knowing how much friction there is now between the previous bandmates. Given the amount of bands that have had this happen, it makes you wonder if that contributes to these amazing albums. The combination of music and Morrisey's crooning made for some of the most memorable, timeless songs. My teenager and I both sing along to Bigmouth Strikes Again.

6/10

Not quite the untouchable masterpiece that many view it as, but I can't ignore its influence and status. This takes a little while to properly get going for me after a promising start packed with energy – I'm not really keen on "I Know It's Over" or "Never Had No One Ever" at all, both of which very much err on the dirging, self-pitying side and threaten to grind the album's early momentum to a halt, but Side 2 is much more my speed. Everything else about this album has already been said before.

Mükemmel albüm inanılmaz vokaller

Anything making fun of monarchs and people in power is good with me. Title track was awesome. Track 2 is a little slow and almost folksy in it's composition. I'd personally focus a little more on the punky side of this music, but I also understand that Morrissey is like, an idol of post-punk. There's a lot of indie influences in this, and I don't love indie. But I can see (hear?) that this was likely groundbreaking forty years ago. Lyrically though, this is right up my alley. It's political and it's depressed. Interestingly, I liked the second side a lot more than the first. Wikipedia indicates that's where all the singles came from anyways. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out was excellent.

Enjoyed this album and the opportunity to explore The Smiths. Morrissey’s voice is very pleasant to listen to and the songs kept me interested throughout.

Definitely will put it in my library, some great songs. Needs more than one listen.

8.5/10, overall very solid album, not my go to from The Smiths, but good. Highlight tracks: - Frankly, Mr. Shankly - Bigmouth Strikes Again - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out

Loved it. Great hearing the electronic experimentation. The album has a great mix of humor and seriousness. Good beat in each and excellent vocals.

First experience with The Smiths. Probably the last. I'd say I was relatively attentive during the listen and it kinda sounded like one long song/vibe. Can't say I'm into Morrissey's sound.

Honestly, the album is great in a vacuum. I am not sure its the best album of all time as NME ranked it, but its good. The production it is incredible, and iconic. Johnny Marr is fantastic on guitar. On repeat listenings the vocal stylings of Morrissey grow on you, no matter how pretentious he is. *outside of a vacuum and in the context of the pretentious hipsters I went to college with, its a hard listen.

3.5

WHAT ARE THE ODDS?! I just got my last Morrissey album and now I get my last Smiths album? HOW?! I can't believe this! Actually insane coincidence right there. Now, I may not have cared about that Morrissey album from yesterday, like, at all, but The Queen Is Dead? Fuck, this album is good. Really good, actually. This thing is phenomenal. Listening to this so soon after a Morrissey solo album really made me realize just how talented the instrumentalists of the Smiths really are. Like, Morrissey is still an excellent singer and occasionally an excellent lyricist, especially on The Queen Is Dead, but I really did miss the other Smiths. Johnny Marr's musical compositions on here are some of the finest of his whole career. This album has really made me realize just how underrated of a bassist Andy Rourke is. His basslines are some of my favorite parts of many of these songs. Mike Joyce's drumming also gets its time to shine on here, which is great! This album really is just every member of the Smiths at their absolute best in every conceivable way. And that's not even getting into the songs themselves, which are some of the best in the band's discography. The title track is a cool opener. This is one of those points where Mike Joyce's drumming really shines. It's pretty awesome, if you ask me. "I Know It's Over" has some of Morrissey's best vocal work laid over one of the band's loveliest instrumentals. "Cemetry Gates" does an amazing job contrasting a darker lyrical theme with an upbeat sound. "Bigmouth Strikes Again" and "The Boy with the Thorn In His Side" are just really great in general. These were the only two singles released around the time of the album's release and I can see why. But of course, there is still one other single for the album that actually wasn't released as a single until 1992. Quite frankly, I can't believe it wasn't released as a single sooner, because it is easily the best song on the album. That song, of course, is "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out." I don't say this lightly or hesitantly, so believe me when I say that this is one of the greatest songs ever written. The gorgeous musical composition is highlighted wonderfully by the strings starting in the first chorus, though the song already hooks you with the band's standard instruments. The writing has some of the heaviest-hitting lines I've heard in a love song. There's something so simple yet so powerful about a line like "To die by your side is such a heavenly way to die" that can relate to just about anyone. These lines are made all the more emotional by Morrissey's outstanding vocal performance. It really is a perfect song. As for the album? It's not quite perfect, but it's pretty close. Everything here just works, and I have no problems calling this the best Smiths album and the best album that Morrissey ever had a hand in making. It's a classic for a reason, okay? 5/5.

Definitely not for me.

Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Still bad though.

Basically what expected, though I hadn’t heard (or don’t remember) any of these songs before.

What a back loaded album, but no need to listen again

Not bad.

Have listened to it multiple times so I skip it 9/10 though

4/5

good album cant say anything more

Rough Trade ROUGH 96 (UK) vinyl rip: Favorite tracks are "The Queen Is Dead" and "Cemetry Gates." Very pleasant listening. Morrissey's vocals are light and airy. The perfect soundtrack to a slow, rainy day. "Goth-lite" Had to make sure volume issues at the beginning of "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" was actually in the album and not just in this rip.

3.5/5

There's a first time for everything; this is the fifth Smiths and/or Morrissey album I've listened to, and this is the first one I've liked a little bit. Still don't like Morrissey's voice and style, he is a miserable hang, but there's a handful of pretty good songs on here in spite of him. Johnny Marr is still good, the arrangements are good, and the lyrics on some songs are quite beautiful. Solid 3/5, probably the absolute ceiling score from me for anything featuring Morrissey.

- the queen is dead: good opening, i just really like the vibes of the smiths mostly when I was younger, now I sometimes just hear a man complaining. But hey, I still get those autumn vibes. - Frankly, Mr. Shankly: definitely something else to what I’m used to from the smiths, good vibes. - I know it’s over: I usually only listen to Jeff Buckley’s cover from this song, I didn’t realise this shit was just as sad. - never had no one ever: okay I love this, the lyrics and the music. 15 years old me would’ve loved this. - cemetery gates: I love how the smiths can talk about the most depressing shit and then make it sound like it’s a shits and giggles. - bigmouth strikes again: I’ve listened to this song many times before and I love it so much like genuinely. - the boy with the thorns in his side: as someone with only genuine intentions this song is so so so relatable. - Vicar in a tutu: what a silly little song - there is a light that never goes out: obviously heard this before, so cute. - some girls are bigger than others: yeah okay lil bro.

2.51 and rounded up

fine but a bit bland, morrissey's singing is subpar

Fun lyrics, but music feels pretty standard fare.

Das dritte Studioalbum der englischen Band aus Manchester entstand zwischen Juli und Dezember 1985 in den RAK Studios London, den Jacobs Studios in Farnham sowie den Drone Studios in Manchester und erschien im Juni 1986 bei Rough Trade – einem Label, das dem Quartett seit dem Debüt jene künstlerische Freiheit ließ, die dieses Album in jeder Note einlöst. Johnny Marrs Gitarrenarbeit oszilliert zwischen Wucht und Filigran, mal treibend und aggressiv wie im Titeltrack, mal von schwebender Zartheit wie in „There Is a Light That Never Goes Out", während Morrisseys Gesang zwischen bitterem Sarkasmus und verletzlicher Offenheit changiert. Was dieses Album über bloße Songsammlung hinaushebt, ist seine Geschlossenheit als Werk: Von der monarchiekritischen Eröffnung über die morbide Selbstironie von „Cemetry Gates" bis zur emotionalen Wucht von „I Know It's Over" entfaltet sich ein Bogen, der britischen Alltag, Klassenbewusstsein und persönliche Verzweiflung miteinander verwebt, ohne dabei je pathetisch zu werden. Andy Rourkes Bassläufe und Mike Joyces präzises, oft unterschätztes Drumming geben dem Ganzen ein rhythmisches Fundament, das Marrs Klangexperimente erdet, ohne sie einzuschränken. Rückblickend markiert „The Queen Is Dead" den kreativen Höhepunkt einer Band, die kurz darauf an genau jenen Spannungen zerbrach, die ihre Musik so unverwechselbar machten – ein Album, das seine Zeit überdauert hat, weil es nie bequem sein wollte. Ein Meisterwerk britischer Popmusik, das seine Widersprüche nicht auflöst, sondern zelebriert.

Me ha hecho cambiar la opinión que tenía sobre las canciones de The Smiths.

Ridiculously boring, annoying voice and not a single hint for a melody.

already listened to this one

I enjoyed a lot of these lyrics and while the sound is a bit moody and repetitive for me, it’s certainly not bad. 3.5 but I also am not sure that I really understand all the hype that this album gets.

The middle to end of this album is as good as anything that's been recorded but the opening third is middling to outright bad--I Know It's Over and Never Had No One Ever are automatic skips anytime I play this album. That said the highs are so damn good and are as good as a British band had sounded since the Beatles.

If you can look past the mopey attitude for a second, there is some really solid music in here. Your experience will vary based on your ability to do so

Référence absolue même si certains morceaux sont un peu en-dessous du reste de l'album.

Bits of this I loved, bits of it were OK. I might like this album more with more listens and would be willing to try.

You know… I just still don’t get it.

begrudgingly great

My first experience with the smiths although I’ve known of them for a long long time. I knew I was going to like this given all the other bands I like that reference the smiths and the people whose global music tastes align with my own but holy smokes it was great. That second last track was the high point for me and if you know what I love in an album it’s a penultimate track high point.

Before seeing this album today, I was thinking about what I would say about The Smiths when one of their albums came up. The title track is one of the all time best opening tracks on any album, with, perhaps the funniest line ever in a song: "She says, 'Eh, I know you and you cannot sing.'/ I said, 'That's nothing you should hear me play piano.'" It gets me every time. Morrissey took his gift for sardonic lyricism, and his inimitable vocal style and decided to become a world class crank in his old age. While his lyrics capture the maudlin misanthropy of many a youth, Morrissey has chosen to not grow up. But in not growing up, he's not an athlete failing to realize the game has passed him by, but a poet obsessed with holding everyone in judgment of not being worthy of his time or consideration. He judges everyone for failing to live up to his standards, without acknowledging that the problem is him. But, Johnny Marr. Johny Marr. Has there ever been a guitar player with a better sense of melody? His chord changes are exquisite: so understated, so flash-less and so in service to the songs. The music of these songs is where the magic starts. The lyrics make the music come alive and make the Smiths one of the most idiosyncratic bands ever.

DAVE's original rating was a 4.

Cemetery Gates, Frankly Mr Shankly, Big Mouth Strikes Again, There is A Light That Never Goes Out 🌟

The Smiths fucking suck

Have I listened to this album before No How familiar am I with this album Only a little How do I feel about this artist? Morrisey bothers me but Marr is a god Pre-Listen Thoughts: This will be my first Smiths album on the list, I’ve only had Morrissey solo. I know a lot of people like this album. Favorite track(s): Big Mouth Strikes Again Post-Listen Thoughts: His voice just doesn’t do it for me, the music is good though. Morrissey is a good musician, and not an untalented singer, but his vocals are the weak part of this album for me personally. NOTE: When it comes to certain artists I am doing my best to judge an album based purely on the music, not how I feel about the artist as a person

Oh good another one. This is my favourite of theirs. Again it’s got a very British tongue in cheek music hall feel which is tempered by the beauty of There is a Light that Never Goes Out - in my opinion their best song. Wonderful album.

Good but not my type of music. My favorite songs are normally based on the lyrics excercised in the song however in the album i really struggled to get the meaning. I couldnt find myself imerssig in the tones and genre of the album. Great album, alot of potential and where people could enjoy it but it didnt spark anything in me.

Wasn't my jam.

Not my favorite.

There were some high points and the general style of the music is enjoyable. Then there were some super repetitive parts.

Up and down on this album. Meh…

"There is a Light That Never Goes Out" is inescapably interesting. But many of the others escaped my interest. Unfortunately for instance the last song, right after that one -- "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" -- what the hell was that. But I've actually come to like the Smiths more through this than I thought I would.

One Smiths album was sufficient for this list. A second adds nothing. That said, the album is fine. Nothing I'd actively seek out to listen to again.

I just like the Smiths in general.

- Word

Why?

7.5/10

the smiths is my favorite

There are so many Smiths albums on this list. Certainly they were all good, I prefer others, but this one is great as well except some odd choice here and there (why do we need a chipmunk sound on Morissey in that one track?).

Very enjoyable and solid listen from this artist

Probably the best album from the Smiths, absute classic

Really good to be fair they were in their bag

#188/1001 🇬🇧🟩 This record blows me away just as much as the first time i heard it 35 years ago. Undoubtedly in my top 10 of all time. This is the perfect album in my eyes, both musically and lyrically. Sadness, humour, drama and nostalgia despite stiĺl sounding fresh and urgent now. Best Tracks: The Queen is Dead, I Know its Over, Cemetery Gates, Bigmouth Strikes Again, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out.

Oh yes old but with power!

Exceptional album. Perfect 10/10

8.5/10

Charming, love-sick, dramatic, whip-smart, romantic, just silly; The Smiths contained multitudes. This is their defining moment. From front to back, The Queen is Dead is incredibly consistent in how good it is. This is where you start with The Smiths. The marriage of Johnny Marr's jangly guitar to Morrissey's silky voice and dramatic lyrics of love and longing will forever strike a chord with anyone who has ever yearned for another person, or has experienced being an awkward teenager. The music is very much post-punk, but with dreamy qualities, vaguely funky tendencies, and somehow matches and, yet, defies, the dramatic melancholy of Morrissey

morrissey is such a terrible person it’s too bad that has 20-50 amazing songs

Mid

Good album. A few bangers but very long and samey at times.

It was better than I thought it'd be. Dancier than i expected which was nice but the overall sound is redundant. My faves were Cemetery Gates and There is a Light That Never Goes Out.

Some songs were popular on social medias and I knew quite a range of songs already. But listening to it again really was a blessing. The intro track, Bigmouth strikes again, There Was a Light That Never Goes Out were my favorite tracks.

Bueno, si yo me hubiera encontrado con Summer en vez de Tom, no hubiéramos podido coincidir porque definitivamente lo mio no son The Smiths

The Smiths are usually talked about in terms of Morrisey's lyrics, performance, and vocals and of Marr's excellence on lead guitar. However, this album again reminded me of the brilliant rhythm section with Andy Rourke (RIP) on bass and Mike Joyce on drums. That holds it all together so well. Flashes of post punk on here added to the jangly indie guitar rock. This is a possible desert island top 10 album for me. 10 perfect songs combining humour, despair, absurdity, violence and everything in between here coming in at the ideal album length of around 37 minutes. 5 stars.

Alright, I got an album that I’ve already acquainted myself with. Going in, I’d already listened to this whole album and I definitely enjoyed it, and after doing my re-listen, my opinion on this album has not changed, I still believe it to be one of the best alternative rock albums of the 80s. A lot of it comes down to Morrissey’s lyrics and delivery. Even though the guy is a huge prick and I don’t condone any of the nasty stuff he’s said, his songwriting on this album is one of its strongest assets. The range of emotions the songs go through is aided by his lyrics, as they can go from being melancholy on songs like I Know It’s Over, to self deprecating on songs like Bigmouth Strikes Again, both of which are standout tracks. The other main appeal of this album is Johnny Marr’s guitar playing, which is unlike any other band of this time. It really helps songs like There Is A Light That Never Goes Out or Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others shine, but in different ways, in the former, he uses a lot of shimmery chords, while the latter utilizes a cool riff. Although these two really make the album shine, the rest of the band have their moments, such as the drum fill that opens the title track. Overall, this is definitely one of the great new wave/alternative rock albums of the 80s, and I would highly recommend checking it out.

Not quite as good as their first album but the ethereal dream wave synth pop sound is incredible.

More maudlin droning over some alright 80s jangle. The musicianship is great, the vocals are insipid, and the songs are average. I really don't get the hype. Their best album is one of their best-of compilations, their albums suffer from so much uninteresting filler. Bang average album, pleasant enough in parts but overall nothing amazing.

I'm repeating, verbatim, my previous review of the other Smiths album I got on this list (and, yes, I will repeat it for the third one too): The Smiths are one of those groups that "everyone" says you need to like. But you know what? I'm not everyone. The Smiths are garbage. Their music is boring and whiney. It's music for people who can't grow a pair and find a way to talk to someone they're attracted to, so they just sit in the corner of the bar and complain about how nobody comes and talks to their shallow, low self esteem self. Were they influential on subsequent rock, grunge, and alternative groups? Sure. That doesn't mean that I have to like their music though. "Everyone" else can have them, I'll be somewhere else listening to more enjoyable music that doesn't make me feel like I'm listening to my little sister's hipster ex-boyfriend whine about why she left him for someone more confident.

Always important to remember that Morrisey was once merely irritating rather than the modern day gobshite. Still, this is a pretty excellent album. Some of the dated production knocks it down from a 5. Call it a 4 because of modern Morrissey. Johnny Marr still seems like a good egg.

its ok not my fav but good

I hadn't listened to this full album before, and only recognized one or two songs off of it. It has a good cohesive feel but none of the songs stood out to me. I could see how it would improve with familiarity, and I will revisit it.

Siitä ei ole vielä viikkoakaan, kun kuuntelin The Smithsiä viimeksi tämän haasteen merkeissä. The Queen is Dead on yhtyeen magnum opus ja se mainitaan syystäkin usein, kun listataan kaikkien aikojen parhaimpia ja merkittävimpiä musiikkilevyjä. Kymmenestä kappaleesta kaikki paitsi Never Had No One Ever ja Vicar in a Tutu kuuluvat bändin parhaimpiin, eikä noissa kahdessa mainitsemassani kappaleessa mitään hävettävää ole. Myös "track list" on järjestetty hyvin, eikä kuuntelijan mielenkiinto pääse lopahtamaan missään vaiheessa. Morrisseyn lyriikat vaihtelevat murheellisesta ja romanttisesta haikailusta piikikkääseen ivaan, jonka kohteeksi ovat joutuneet ainakin Englannin kuningasperhe ja levy-yhtiön johtoporras. Myöskin Johnny Marr tarjoaa parasta osaamistaan helisevine kitaroineen, eikä sovi unohtaa basisti Andy Rourken ja rumpali Mike Joycen tärkeää panosta.

Sorry, I can't stand this band!

re-listen

Despite the controversy surrounding their former lead singer these days, I must say that some of the most witty lyrics and coolest guitar riffs I’ve heard in a while come from this album. The second five star album for me on this project, and one I hadn’t heard prior!

This just isn’t for me. The whole thing felt like a waste of time, I don’t get what people enjoy about this. I feel nothing when listening to this, just washes over me and I can’t connect with any of it. Maybe I will come to enjoy this someday but today isn’t that day. 2 stars because it was brief and not a chore to listen to

This is actually one of my favourite Smiths albums, containing one of my favourite tunes (There Is a Light That Never Goes Out). You kind of know what you're getting with one of these - a bit depressing, a bit existentialist, a bit (a lot) woe-is-me, but wrapped up in irresistible riffs and memorable songs. This would get a 4, but it is of course subject to the MATT (Morrisssey is A Twat Tax), an automatic 2-star deduction for his mere presence, so it gets a...

I liked Morrissey a lot more when he didn’t take himself so serious. His lyrics are similar to reading out loud from a middle school girls diary. It’s oddly appealing at first, but after a while, you start to wonder if he’ll ever reach his 20’s.

Truly one of the great albums of all time, This represents the Smiths at their best and most cohesive, I dont think theres a weak song here, Its concise enough that every song is arguably a highlight, its bouncy fun, with Morriseys bleak and often very fun lyrics layered over. A true british classic.

Love it!

genuinely might not be possible for me to do justice to how much Johnny Marr's work on this album opened up my world. the guitar break on "Frankly Mr. Shankly" is transportive and magical. and yet the MVP of the album might be Andy Rourke! "Cemetry Gates" is so gorgeous and pretty. it makes it omega embarrassing that this album is like ground zero for a certain strain of male manipulator but that's my cross to bear i guess. "Bigmouth Strikes Again" is funny as hell.

A true classic

Very good.

Classic. Not my favorite from them though.

Fantastic. Nearly flawless.

Despite the Smiths having an overwhelming Morrissey problem, the album is solid Brit pop-rock. While I do not get the over-the-top swooning for this record from critics (someone really needs to check the NME offices for lead paint), Johnny Marr can write some nice hooks.

RIP the Queen dude

"Pretention" doesn't come close enough. If you're going to be this much of a navel-gazing ass, your songs need to be better.

I guess as good as a Smiths album is gonna get

I love Jangle Pop, and this is one of the best in the genre. However, it's maybe my 3rd favorite album of The Smiths. I love Johnny Marr's guitar playing. There's plenty of humor along with the darkness of the lyrics, and it's a solid mix of upbeat and downbeat songs.

had it in the background so not a thorough listen, but i did enjoy it

fine, not a smiths fan really

already listened

Morrissey is questionable, but I do love The Smiths as a musical artist. Favorite on this album is Frankly, Mr. Shankly. Love a good 80’s indie vibe for sure!

Didn't really like this much. The singers voice is unique, but I didn't hear the Smiths songs I've liked before on this album.

Great

He’s a bit grumpy but superb lyrics and riffs.

As relevant today as in 1986, probably The Smiths at their peak. The trademark interplay of Johnny Marr's layered guitar playing and Morrisey's witty, self-deprecating lyrics. And the Queen is dead.

I have a difficult relationship with the Smiths. They make me invest heavily. Sometimes the rewards are fantastic sometimes not.

The odd track that doesn't quite do it. But when it works, it's majestic. Morrissey's soaring tenor and brilliant (never bettered by him?) lyrics rise gloriously above Marr's beautiful guitar. A generational band. 5*

An all time classic. So much variety on here - so many classics. Morrissey’s finest moment

sin duda sobrevalorado, fav Bigmouth Strikes Again 3.7

9/10 no notes

like a good album but i don’t like

Every country has their Legião Urbana.

Honestly I hate that I liked this as much as I did

4/5. The Smiths are quintessential college radio indie ‘rock’. I couldn’t escape their music past sophomore year of high school. Had bought the CD of their debut album and spun it in my car many times back before streaming became the norm. Alot of their stuff carries a similar style and sound throughout their discography; however, the Queen is Dead album is their most experimental outing Id say.

I cannot stand this dude's voice man but the music isn't bad. 3/5

Mid, nothing stands out.

One of the easiest fives. No words, pure art.