The Smiths 

The Smiths were an English 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 1980's.

The Smiths had several singles reach the UK top 20 and all four of their studio albums reached the UK top five, including one which topped the charts. They won significant following and remain cult favorites, 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 chances to reunite.

The band's focus on a guitar, bass, and drum sound, and their fusion of 1960's rock and post-punk, were a repudiation of synthesizer-based contemporary dance-pop - the style popular in early 1980's. Morrissey's lyrics combined themes about ordinary people with a mordant sense of humor.

The group's cover artwork had distinctive visual style and often featured images of film and pop stars, usually in duo tone. The covers of singles rarely featured any text other than the bands name, and the band itself did not appear on the cover of any UK release. The choice of cover subjects reflected Morrissey's interest in cult film.