The Smiths

United Kingdom, 1982–1987

Manchester band of Morrissey and Johnny Marr, active 1982-1987, whose literate lyrics and chiming, arpeggiated guitar became a defining sound of British indie rock in the 1980s.

MusicRoots documents 5 artists who influenced The Smiths and 13 artists The Smiths influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced The Smiths?

• New York Dolls — Morrissey ran the New York Dolls' British fan club and wrote about them before he had ever sung a note.
• Patti Smith — Morrissey cited Patti Smith's fusion of poetry and rock as a direct literary influence on his own lyrics.
• T. Rex — Morrissey was president of the T. Rex fan club as a teenager — a documented fact of his formative years.
• The Rolling Stones — Johnny Marr cited Keith Richards as the primary guitar blueprint for his rhythm-guitar approach.
• The Velvet Underground — The Velvet Underground's fusion of guitar drive and literary, detached lyrics was the model for Johnny Marr.

Which artists did The Smiths influence?

• The Cranberries — The Smiths were a primary influence on Dolores O'Riordan — she named their debut album among her three favourites and later formed the band D.A.R.K. with former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke.
• Jeff Buckley — Buckley was a devoted admirer of The Smiths, and Johnny Marr's shimmering guitar textures and Morrissey's expressive vocals shaped his own style.
• The Libertines — Pete Doherty was principally inspired by the Smiths — he has singled out 'Still Ill' as a song that means a great deal to him.
• Oasis — Noel has called seeing Johnny Marr's Smiths the moment he took the guitar seriously — 'The Smiths changed my life'.
• Ride — Gardener and Bell formed their guitar partnership on Smiths worship — the jangle beneath Ride's noise.
• The Killers — Flowers is a devout Smiths fan who has named Morrissey one of his biggest influences — the melodic, literate side of the Killers.
• Keane — Rice-Oxley cited 'a lot of the Smiths' behind 'Somewhere Only We Know' — Morrissey-Marr melodicism in Keane's melancholy pop.
• Kino — The Smiths were Tsoi's favourite Western band; Kino's jangling guitar melodicism of the mid-1980s follows their model.
• My Chemical Romance — The Smiths and Morrissey are among the British acts Gerard Way names — their melodrama and wit shaping MCR's romantic, literate side.
• Fall Out Boy — The Smiths are among Fall Out Boy's named influences — their melody and lyrical wit informing the band's hook-driven songwriting.
• Third Eye Blind — The Smiths' jangling melodicism and literate melancholy inform Third Eye Blind's blend of catchy hooks and darker lyrics.
• Suede — The Smiths' songwriting partnership is a template for Suede — Bernard Butler's soaring guitar lines echo Johnny Marr.
• Belle and Sebastian — The Smiths' literate, melodic jangle-pop is a foundational model for Belle and Sebastian's bookish indie-pop.