Top 7 timeless songs by The Smiths every fan should hear

It's amazing how much The Smiths mean to so many, even if they were together as a band for only five years. From 1982 to 1987, they released four main albums, a few mixed ones, a live show, and a famous John Peel show, leaving a huge mark.

They came from the post-punk world of Manchester, and made their own way: deep but clear, tuneful yet sad. Many tried to copy their style - like The Sundays and Belle and Sebastian, and the early sounds of Voxtrot - but not many got it just right.

Many link The Smiths to the rise of Britpop, with bands like Blur, Oasis, Suede, and the Stone Roses naming them as big influences. Yet, the sound links are more in spirit than in a straight line. Hard to put a name on their style: some say jangle pop, others go for British alternative, or even mope rock.

The Smiths started when Morrissey and Johnny Marr found a common love for music, meeting as teens at a Patti Smith show. With Mike Joyce on drums, who was said to be high on mushrooms at his try-out, and later, Andy Rourke on bass, the band took shape. Early tensions and changes in the group couldn't kill the odd magic they caught in their short, but big impact run.

Even though The Smiths did not last long, their mark is clear not just in who they led, but in how they changed the frame of British guitar tunes. Marr's detailed, tune-filled play took on the rule of punk's simple rawness, while Morrissey's way with words, book-smart, sharp, and open in feeling, gave rock music a fresh sort of open heart.

The Smiths did not follow the hot styles; rather, they made a space of mix-ups: tough yet gentle, real in show, and cool in politics, all shown through plain life tales. This mix made them hard to copy and almost too hard to put in a box.

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Here are the top 7 The Smiths songs of all time

Listing the best songs by The Smiths is hard, not for a lack of great songs, but because each one from their list stands out, each brings its own feel, sound, or meaning. In their short but full work, the band put deep themes like being alone, love lost, being let down by politics, and day-to-day gloom into tunes that touched you deeply and yet felt known to all.

Johnny Marr's rich, full guitar work made a bright match to Morrissey's often sad, sharp words. This made a mix that hit you hard yet felt close. From big songs about never-ending love to tough words on kings and class, The Smiths' music hit on big thoughts but kept its own clear voice.

The following seven tracks represent the full range of The Smiths' artistry, the songs that not only shaped their legacy but also influenced generations of artists who followed. These aren't just fan favorites; they are milestones in alternative music that continue to echo across genres and decades.

1) Paint a Vulgar Picture

Paint a Vulgar Picture is like a sweet song hiding a sharp bite against the harsh ways of the music world. It uses bright guitars and fun tunes to cover up its real anger. On top, it looks like any other song by the Smiths, sad yet catchy.

The song is like a sad poem about losing what's real, showing how a true artist turns into just a thing to sell. It shows the sad change from making music from the heart to just doing it for money. Each line breaks down the fake shine of fame, showing a dark truth where singers turn into just looks and money, where big bosses set the pace of their days.

Even when they make a lot of money, the main person feels alone, walking in a big, fancy house, feeling empty because true joy is missing. The song doesn't yell its anger, it cooks with it, using sharp words and right hits to show a loss of hope. In the end, Paint a Vulgar Picture is not just a song about the music world; it's a sad song for what is lost when art must bow to business.

2) Miserable Lie

The Smiths met the world in 1984 with their first album, The Smiths. It came as a sharp shock next to the bright show of 80s pop under Reagan. While most went for smooth sounds and plain songs, The Smiths stood out. They were not fancy, but proud of their deep words, strong feelings, and firm post-punk roots. They weren't just on the edge; they chose to be different.

Pete Burns and Morrissey - Source: Getty

The cover of the album, a rough shot of Joe Dallesandro from Andy Warhol's movie Flesh (1968), marked them as unique. It was a nod to queer films and rebel art when such things were rare in hit songs. The album had many good singles, but the deep tracks show the real art of The Smiths, and Miserable Lie is a clear case. It starts as a sad, slow song, but soon turns into something wild and showy.

Johnny Marr's sharp guitar work sets the stage, but it is Morrissey's jumpy, high voice, mixing joke and real feeling, that makes the song stand out. His words, full of hurt love, come out with such big drama that they almost mock themselves, as if he's asking the listener to find humor in the sadness.

3) I Know It's Over

I Know It's Over stands as the deep heart of The Smiths' album, The Queen Is Dead. It's more than a song about sad love; it's a big, song-like thing on the sharp feel of being alive. The album is often loved for its smart jokes and talk on culture, yet this song pulls us into a dark, close place, one that seems like a secret told low into the empty air.

The Smiths were making a spot where rock music could be as book-smart as it was full of tune, but here, they drop all joking for true talk, and the hit is deep. Morrissey does not just grieve a lost love; he shows the fear of not feeling needed, the deep hurt from asking if love or a bond will come back again. His voice shakes, not for show but for real, as if he's falling apart right then.

The music follows that drop, with Johnny Marr's soft, sad guitar letting the words flow and fall. The song, I Know It's Over, doesn't show grief as a big, movie-like thing. It shows it as slow, hard to breathe, and very real. It's not just about losing love, it's about losing yourself, feeling alone, and hoping someone out there still cares. In that way, the song goes beyond just a broken heart.

It turns into a deep talk about life, both sad and beautiful at the same time. Among The Smiths' catalog, and even within the grandeur of The Queen Is Dead, this song feels like a quiet peak, a place where all pretense falls away and what remains is the bare, bruised truth of feeling too much and still never enough.

4) What Difference Does It Make

Even though Morrissey openly said he likes What Difference Does It Make? the least among the songs made with the Smiths, it still grew to be a big hit. It moved up the UK songs list well and made its mark in the band's story. The song pulls people in with its strong, hard-to-forget guitar sound that fills it with life.

Morrissey's own way of singing adds to this, especially the high, almost ghost-like sounds he makes near the end. Morrissey often skips using pronouns for men or women in his songs, a choice that makes his stories more open to different takes. This small skip makes the song feel reach further, letting all kinds of people find themselves in the tale it tells.

What Difference Does It Make? goes deep into the hard, painful land of secret want and a deep need for love, feelings we all know but that are made hard by what folks expect. The song shows this tight spot with a mix of fast need and smooth words, showing how hard love is when you can't show it.

By doing this, it serves as a strong show of how Morrissey’s words in songs go past just telling a story to make an emotional link that feels both close and wide.

5) Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others

Even though Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others was not put out as a main song, it has turned into one of The Smiths' top and most loved songs over time. This song has a clear, light, and fun take on humor. It smartly flips what we think of as pretty, using a fun yet deep feel. Instead of big, loud words, it goes for a low-key, quiet style in its words, which makes it more cool and rich.

On the music side, this track is often seen as one of Johnny Marr's best guitar works. It shows how good he is at making deep and fun tunes that fit well with Morrissey's sharp words. The mix of Marr's cool guitar work and the easy-going way the song is sung sets a vibe that is both chill and full of detail.

Photo of Mike JOYCE and SMITHS and MORRISSEY and Andy ROURKE and Johnny MARR - Source: Getty

In a lot of ways, Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others shows how good The Smiths were at mixing fun, feeling, and skill into one great piece. This song stands out in their work even though it didn't make a big splash when it first came out.

6) There Is a Light That Never Goes Out

When we look at The Smiths' work, we can't miss There Is a Light That Never Goes Out. Many fans and reviewers see this song as the key to the band. It's most felt in The Queen Is Dead, an album seen as a classic in rock music. The song's deep feel is set by its main chords in F sharp minor, picked not by chance but with thought. It nods to old music that came before The Smiths.

Johnny Marr, the band's main music man, often said in talks that he took this tune part from the Rolling Stones' take on Marvin Gaye's Hitch Hike. This move was almost a fun test to see if the ones hearing it would get the hint, since the Velvet Underground had used that same tune flow before in their song There She Goes Again.

This mix of old tunes used again and paying respect reveals a cool talk between bands from old times and new, where new stuff grows from old love and new takes. Such links make There Is a Light That Never Goes Out more than just a deep love song.

It turns it into a rich story of rock's past and shared art push. It's this mix of deep words and smart song roots that makes the song stand strong as a key part of The Smiths' lasting charm and the ongoing story of The Queen Is Dead.

7) How Soon Is Now?

Many see How Soon Is Now? as The Smiths' key song, but it sits in a rare spot, never on a main album; it first came out as a B-side to the single William, It Was Really Nothing. Yet, even with this odd way of coming out, the song has hit a high mark, living on for years as a sign of the band's own sound.

The top thing about How Soon Is Now? is found in Johnny Marr's smart mix of styles: the dream-like, choppy beats that take you back to Bo Diddley's famous shuffle, the strong pace of Hamilton Bohannon's Disco Stomp, and the bold style from Can's I Want More.

This eclectic blend coalesced into a mesmerizing guitar riff and atmospheric texture that propelled the track beyond its initial context, cementing it as a timeless piece of rock history. Both haunting and exhilarating, it continues to resonate with listeners as one of the genre’s most powerful and enduring compositions.

The Smiths' music is key in alt rock, known for its mix of sharp guitars, deep words, and real feelings. In a short but full run, they made songs about being alone, love, and life views with a true heart and humor. Each album and song added to a great mix of sound, blending Johnny Marr's cool guitar play with Morrissey's bold, sharp singing and words.

The Smiths' work has shaped many artists and kept a strong group of fans, years after they first came out, showing how lasting and key their music is. In sum, The Smiths' work remains a vital chapter in music history, celebrated for its artistic integrity and enduring emotional resonance.