The Smiths discography

The Smiths discography
Logo of the Smiths
Studio albums	4
EPs	3
Live albums	1
Compilation albums	11
Singles	24
Video albums	1
Music videos	13

The English alternative rock band the Smiths released four studio albums, one live album, 11 compilation albums, three extended plays (EPs), 24 singles, one video album and 13 music videos on the Rough Trade, Sire and WEA record labels. The band was formed in 1982 in Manchester by vocalist Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bass player Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce.^[1]

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

Despite the Smiths' chart success, Marr left the group in August 1987 because of a strained relationship with Morrissey.^[4] Failing to find a replacement, the Smiths disbanded by the time of the release of their final studio album, Strangeways, Here We Come, in September that year. Strangeways, Here We Come climbed to number two in the UK and became the band's highest-charting release in the United States when it reached number 55 on the Billboard 200. During their time together, as well as four studio albums, the Smiths also released three compilation albums (Hatful of Hollow, The World Won't Listen and Louder Than Bombs), while a live album Rank, recorded in 1986, was released in 1988 a year after the band split. In early 1992 WEA acquired the entire back catalogue of the Smiths and produced two compilations – Best I and Best II – the first of which went to the top of the UK Albums Chart. The following year, 1993, WEA re-released the four studio albums, Rank and the three earlier compilation albums. WEA released two further singles compilations in 1995 and 2001, with a further compilation, The Sound of The Smiths, released in November 2008.^[3]

Albums

Studio albums

List of studio albums, with selected details, chart positions and certifications

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions										Certifications (sales thresholds)
		UK [5]	UK Indie [6]	AUS [7]	CAN	GER [8]	NL [9]	NZ [10]	SWE [11]	US [12]	US Cash Box [13]
The Smiths	Released: 20 February 1984 Label: Rough Trade Formats: LP, cassette, CD	2	1	77	65 [14]	—	28	9	44	150	129	UK: Gold[15]
Meat Is Murder	Released: 11 February 1985 Label: Rough Trade Formats: LP, cassette, CD	1	1	58	40 [16]	45	39	13	27	110	73	UK: Gold[15]
The Queen Is Dead	Released: 16 June 1986 Label: Rough Trade Formats: LP, cassette, CD	2	1	30	29 [17]	33	11	17	39	70	59	UK: Platinum[15] US: Gold[18]
Strangeways, Here We Come	Released: 28 September 1987 Label: Rough Trade Formats: LP, cassette, CD	2	1	28	27 [19]	33	20	14	13	55	29	UK: Gold[15] US: Gold[18]

Live albums

List of live albums, with selected details, chart positions and certifications

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions										Certifications (sales thresholds)
		UK [5]	UK Indie [6]	AUS [7]	CAN [20]	GER [8]	NL [9]	NZ [10]	SWE [11]	US [12]	US Cash Box [13]
Rank	Released: 5 September 1988 Label: Rough Trade, Sire Formats: LP, cassette, CD, DAT	2	1	33	82	47	42	25	32	77	54	UK: Gold[15]

Compilation albums

List of compilation albums, with selected details, chart positions and certifications

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions										Certifications (sales thresholds)
		UK [3]	AUS [7]	CAN	GER [8]	IRE [21]	NL [9]	NZ [10]	NOR [22]	SWE [11]	US [12]
Hatful of Hollow	Released: 12 November 1984 Label: Rough Trade Formats: LP, cassette, CD	7	—	91 [23]	—	—	—	21	—	28	—	UK: Platinum[15]
The World Won't Listen	Released: 23 February 1987 Label: Rough Trade Formats: LP, cassette, CD	2	25	—	41	—	15	16	17	19	—	UK: Gold[15]
Louder Than Bombs	Released: 30 March 1987 Labels: Rough Trade, Sire Formats: LP, cassette, CD	38	—	30 [24]	—	—	—	—	—	—	62	UK: Gold[15] US: Gold[18]
Stop Me	Released: 21 January 1988 (Japan only) Label: RCA Victor Formats: CD	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Best I	Released: 17 August 1992 Label: WEA Formats: LP, cassette, CD	1	64	36 [25]	—	56	74	15	35	45	139	UK: Gold[15]
Best II	Released: 2 November 1992 Label: WEA Formats: LP, cassette, CD	29	190	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	UK: Gold[15]
Singles	Released: 20 February 1995 Label: WEA Format: CD	5	134	—	—	26	—	—	—	—	—	UK: Platinum[15]
The Very Best of The Smiths	Released: 4 June 2001 Label: WEA Format: CD	30	—	—	—	34	—	—	—	—	—	UK: Platinum[15]
The Sound of The Smiths	Released: 10 November 2008 Label: WEA Format: CD	21 [26]	114	—	—	28	—	—	—	—	98	UK: 3× Platinum[15]
The Smiths Singles Box	Released: 8 December 2008 Label: WEA Formats: 12 × 7" vinyl, 12 × CD	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
Complete	Released: 26 September 2011 3 October 2011 Label: Rhino Formats: 8 × CD, 8 × LP, 8 × CD + 8 × LP + 25 × 7" vinyl + DVD	63	—	—	—	75	—	—	—	—	—
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Extended plays

List of EPs, with selected chart positions

Title	EP details	Peak chart positions
		UK Indie [6]
GIV 1[27][28]	Released: 1985 Label: New Musical Express Formats: 7-inch vinyl	—
The 12" Mixes	Released: 1988 Label: Rough Trade Formats: cassette, CD	—
The Peel Sessions	Released: 1988 Label: Strange Fruit Formats: 12-inch vinyl, CD	9

Singles

List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications

Title	Year	Peak chart positions						Certifications (sales thresholds)	Album
		UK [29]	UK Indie [6]	AUS [7]	IRE [30]	NZ [31]	US Dance [32]
"Hand in Glove"	1983	—	3	—	—	—	—		Non-album single later included on Hatful of Hollow
"This Charming Man"		25	1	52	—	15	—	UK: 2× Platinum[15]	Non-album single later included on Best I
"What Difference Does It Make?"	1984	12	1	—	12	—	—	UK: Silver[15]	The Smiths
"Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now"		10	1	—	11	—	—	UK: Platinum[15]	Hatful of Hollow
"William, It Was Really Nothing"		17	1	—	8	—	—
"How Soon Is Now?"	1985	24	1	—	5	39	36	UK: Platinum[15]
"Shakespeare's Sister"		26	1	—	11	—	—		Non-album single later included on The World Won't Listen
"Barbarism Begins at Home"		—	—	—	—	—	—		Meat Is Murder
"The Headmaster Ritual"		—	—	—	—	—	—
"That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore"		49	1	—	20	—	—
"The Boy with the Thorn in His Side"		23	1	—	15	46	49	UK: Silver[15]	The Queen Is Dead
"Bigmouth Strikes Again"	1986	26	1	—	—	40	—	UK: Gold[15]
"Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others"		—	—	—	—	—	—
"Panic"		11	1	—	7	—	—	UK: Silver[15]	The World Won't Listen
"Ask"		14	1	—	9	—	—
"Shoplifters of the World Unite"	1987	12	1	—	7	—	—
"Sheila Take a Bow"		10	1	—	3	—	—		Louder Than Bombs
"Girlfriend in a Coma"		13	1	—	12	29	—		Strangeways, Here We Come
"I Started Something I Couldn't Finish"		23	2	—	13	—	—
"Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me"		30	2	—	17	—	—
"Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before"		—	—	91	—	31	—
"This Charming Man" (re-issue)	1992	8	—	108	9	—	—	UK: 2× Platinum[15]	Best I
"How Soon Is Now?" (re-issue)		16	—	190	—	—	—	UK: Platinum[15]
"There Is a Light That Never Goes Out"		25	—	176	22	—	—	UK: Platinum[15]	Best II
"Ask" (re-issue)	1995	62	—	—	—	—	—		Singles
"Sweet and Tender Hooligan"		—	—	—	—	—	—		Louder Than Bombs
"The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" (demo)	2017	—	—	—	—	—	—		The Queen Is Dead (2017 collector's edition)
"The Queen Is Dead"		85	—	—	—	—	—

Other certified releases

List of other certified songs

Title	Year	Certifications (sales thresholds)	Album
"Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want"	2019	UK: Gold[15]	Hatful of Hollow / Louder Than Bombs
"This Night Has Opened My Eyes"	2024	UK: Silver[15]
"Back to the Old House"	2024	UK: Silver[15]

Other album appearances

List of appearances on other albums

Title	Year	Album
"Bigmouth Strikes Again" (Live)	2013	The Old Grey Whistle Test: The Anthems

Video albums

List of video albums, with selected details and certifications

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

Music videos

List of music videos

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

References

1. Fletcher 2012, pp. 2–4.
2. Morley, Paul (12 November 1983). "This Charming Man". NME.
3. Strong 2004, pp. 1401–02.
4. Rogan, Johnny. "The Smiths: Johnny Marr's View". Record Collector (November/December 1992). London: Diamond Publishing.
5. Strong 2004, p. 1401.
6. Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980–1989'. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-9517206-9-4.
7. Australian chart peaks:
   • Top 100 (Kent Music Report) peaks to 5 June 1988: Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 279. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Music Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and 5 June 1988.
   • Top 50 (ARIA) peaks from 6 June 1988: "Discography The Smiths". australian-charts.com. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
   • Top 100 (ARIA) peaks from January 1990 to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 257.
   • All ARIA-era peaks to 27 May 2021: "The Smiths chart history, received from ARIA on 27 May 2021". ARIA. Retrieved 5 July 2024 – via Imgur.com. N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column indicates the release's peak on the national chart.
8. "Charts.de – Album suche: The Smiths". Media Control. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
9. "Discography The Smiths". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
10. "Discography The Smiths". charts.nz. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
11. "Discography The Smiths". Swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
12. "The Smiths: Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved 5 May 2010.
13. "CASH BOX MAGAZINE: Music and coin machine magazine 1942 to 1996". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
14. "RPM100 Albums". RPM. 40 (9). 5 May 1984. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
15. "British certifications – Smiths". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 26 June 2023. Type Smiths in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
16. "RPM100 Albums". RPM. 42 (7). 27 April 1985. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
17. "RPM100 Albums". RPM. 44 (23). 30 August 1986. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
18. "Search Results". Recording Industry Association of America. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 26 February 2009.
19. "RPM100 Albums". RPM. 47 (8). 28 November 1987. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
20. "RPM100 Albums". RPM. 48 (26). 15 October 1988. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
21. "Discography The Smiths". irish-charts.com. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
22. "Discography The Smiths". Norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
23. "RPM100 Albums". RPM (11). 12 January 1985. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
24. "RPM100 Albums". RPM. 46 (8). 20 May 1987. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
25. "RPM100 Albums". RPM. 56 (20). 14 November 1992. Archived from the original on 19 May 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2008.
26. "Search Results: The Smiths". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 14 August 2014. Retrieved 14 November 2020.
27. Rogan 1993, p. 307.
28. Goddard 2002, p. 129.
29. "The Smiths". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
30. "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". Irish Recorded Music Association. 2008. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2008.
31. charts.org.nz - New Zealand charts portal
32. "The Smiths > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 July 2008.
33. Larkin 2011, p. 2964.
34. Bessman, Jim (31 May 1986). "Docu-Clips Show Avant-Garde Influence". Billboard. Vol. 98, no. 22. p. 45.
35. Fletcher 2012, p. 461.
36. Goddard 2009, p. 198.
37. Fletcher 2012, pp. 593–94.
38. Fletcher 2012, p. 623.
39. Zuberi 2001, p. 48.
40. Fletcher 2012, pp. 623–24.
41. Goddard 2009, p. 196.
42. Fletcher 2012, p. 465.

Sources

• Fletcher, Tony (2012). A Light That Never Goes Out: The Enduring Saga of the Smiths. London: Random House. ISBN 978-1-4090-3860-3.
• Goddard, Simon (2002). Songs That Saved Your Life. London: Reynolds & Hearn. ISBN 978-1-903111-47-5.
• Goddard, Simon (2009). Mozipedia: The Encyclopaedia of Morrissey and the Smiths. London: Ebury Publishing. ISBN 978-0-09-192709-7.
• Kent, David (1993). Kent Music Report: Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
• Larkin, Colin (2011). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
• Rogan, Johnny (1993). Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance. London: Omnibus. ISBN 978-0-7119-3000-1.
• Strong, Martin (2004). The Great Rock Discography. Edinburgh: Canongate Books. ISBN 978-1-84195-551-3.
• Zuberi, Nabeel (2001). Sounds English: Transnational Popular Music. Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-02620-1.

External links

• The Smiths discography at AllMusic
• The Smiths discography at Discogs