The Smiths

The new Uncut ranks the 500 greatest albums of the 80s. All five Smiths albums make the top 100, with two of them making the top 10.
Typically, Morrissey is ignored…


Full top-10:
1. Kate Bush – Hounds Of Love – 1985
2. Talking Heads – Remain In Light – 1980
3. Joy Division – Closer – 1980
4. Kraftwerk – Computer World – 1980
5. De La Soul – 3 Feet High And Rising – 1989
6. Prince – Sign O’ The Times – 1987
7. The Smiths – The Queen Is Dead – 1986
8. My Bloody Valentine – Isn’t Anything – 1988
9. Talk Talk – Sprit Of Eden – 1988
10. The Smiths – Hatful Of Hollow – 1984

What Difference Does It Make? (Rough Trade Records)

The photographer Kevin Cummins writes a piece in every Manchester City home game programme based on events in his life relating to the town / city the opposition are based at.

Today (Saturday 30th December) City faced Sheffield United and Cummins detailed attending The Smiths gig in Sheffield on 31st January 1984, under the title
"It's Time The Tale Were Told"

There Is A Light That Never Goes Out is the first Smiths song to reach the 500 million plays milestone on Spotify, yesterday, making it one of the biggest streaming 80s songs on the platform. Making the mistake to never release it as a single at the time all the more painful.

Top 5 Smiths songs now are:

1. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out 501 million
2. This Charming Man 424 million
3. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now 281 million
4. How Soon Is Now? 242 million
5. Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want 212 million

A few weeks ago I quoted from Ged Duffy's book "Factory Fairy Tales" on when Ged bumped into Morrissey pre Smiths.
Having finished the book, Ged also describes being at two early Smiths gigs when working as an in-house roadie and also as support band in his new band Lovolta Lakota.

Richard Hell and The Smiths at Rafters (21st February 1983, The Smiths 4th gig)

"After both bands had done their soundtrack, Alan (Wise) asked me and Slim to carry down about 30 chairs from Fagins (the club above Rafters) and set them all up in front of the stage.
When the audience came in we had to keep them away from the chairs. Just before The Smiths came on the seats were occupied by family members of the band. Parents and grandparents were all there. Once The Smiths were on, me and Slim had to stand behind the chairs to make sure no one banged into the people sitting...

Surface posted the link in the original thread:

Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want


Also:

How Soon Is Now?


Panic


There Is A Light That Never Goes Out


EDIT 4:24PM PT
link posted by Mozzer1980:

Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me


Image from unknown Instagram source posted by Amy:

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Related item:

• Factory International: "A night with The Johnny Marr Orchestra" (on December 7-8, 2023)

Give The Smiths Back to the Irish
Music fanatics Steven Cockcroft and Jason Carty are joined by author Sean Campbell to explore the Irish roots of legendary Manchester indie icons The Smiths.

Only on iPlayer currently - was going to make this a separate post, but until I have time to rip the audio, it'll keep.
Part of a series of give X back to the Irish.
30 minutes long.
FWD.

Edit:
Audio rip:



And download: