The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. The band consisted of vocalist Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce. Critics have called them the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s. The band's focus on a guitar, bass, and drum sound, and their fusion of 1960s rock and post-punk, were a repudiation of synthesizer-based contemporary dance-pop – the style popular in the early 1980s. Marr's guitar-playing on his Rickenbacker often had a jangly sound reminiscent of Roger McGuinn of the Byrds and influenced later Manchester bands, including the Stone Roses and Oasis. Morrissey and Marr's songs combined themes about ordinary people with complex, literate lyrics delivered by Morrissey with a mordant sense of humour.
The Smiths had several singles reach the UK top twenty and all four of their studio albums reached the UK top five, including one which topped the charts. They won a significant following and remain cult favourites, although they had limited commercial success outside the UK while they were still together. The band broke up in 1987 and have turned down several offers to reunite. In 2014 and 2015, they were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Morrissey and Johnny Marr dictated the musical direction of the Smiths. Marr said in 1990 that it "was a 50/50 thing between Morrissey and me. We were completely in sync about which way we should go for each record". The band's "non-rhythm-and-blues, whiter-than-white fusion of 1960s rock and post-punk was a repudiation of contemporary dance pop" – the style popular in the early 1980s. The band purposely rejected synthesisers and dance music. They sometimes used Sergei Prokofiev's Montagues and Capulets as entrance music at live shows.
Morrissey and Johnny Marr of The Smiths photographed just after they first signed to the legendary Rough Trade Records.
Morrissey wields a protestor’s placard bearing the title of The Smiths anarchic ‘Queen is Dead’ tour and album in Manchester,1986
The image of The Smiths outside Salford Lads' Club that graces the inner sleeve of their classic album The Queen is Dead
Iconic Strangeways Road sign from the back of the ‘Strangeways, Here We Come’ album shot in 1987.
Johnny Marr playing his Rickenbacker guitar at the 'Jobs for A Change' Festival at Jubilee Gardens, London in June 1984
Johnny Marr onstage with The Smiths at the GLC's Jobs For Change free music festival in the summer of 1984.
Billy Idol with Ziggy Stardust flash makeup. New Wave just wouldn’t have been New Wave without Billy to pave the way through the 1980’s.
David Bowie wearing a two piece quilted suit designed by Freddie Burretti for the 1972 Ziggy Stardust tour.
Rod Stewart standing next to his concert tour plane in Los Angeles, December 1977. Rod recalls, "The tour got off to a terrible start."
Album cover for Mars Volta's 'Frances the Mute' created in Bedfordshire, UK in 2004 by Storm Thorgerson
Jimi Hendrix was an American rock guitarist, singer, songwriter & arguably the greatest instrumentalist in the history of rock music.
Björk Guðmundsdóttir, (born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk is an Icelandic singer-songwriter.
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in 1975. Without them popular culture in the last 30+ years would be very different.
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, artist & writer. He has been influential in popular music & culture for more than five decades.
We are delighted to share our brand new collection of Bob Dylan prints by photographer Arthur Rosato taken in 1980 during the 'Gospel Years'
Here are the very latest prints we have added to our collection. We hope you love them as much as we do.
Welcome to our Jazz & Blues Print Collection - over 50 years of iconic images of the world's greatest Jazz & Blues musicians
Welcome to our Folk & Country Print Collection - iconic images of the world's greatest artists from the past 50 years
