Artist Playlists
-
Few pop artists inhabit the tormented-genius archetype as alluringly as Morrissey. He's a literate lyricist who writes barbed but romantic songs and has a keen eye for social injustice. He also has a love/hate relationship with both love and hate, best summed up by the lyrics to “The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get.” In his solo work and as lead singer of ‘80s indie heroes The Smiths, he's written tough songs from a sensitive perspective—mournful melodies over sparkling glam-rock guitars, as in his solo debut, “Suedehead”—making his music a rallying point for legions of disaffected rock fans. - Melodies work differently in Morrissey songs. Sometimes he doesn't even write a chorus, preferring to pack his verses with memorable hooks and sharp one-liners, irrespective of the musical style at hand. His lesser-known songs betray a record collector's musical appreciation, including the jagged New Wave of “Billy Budd,” the swampily trancelike “Ganglord,” and doomy funk of “Life Is a Pigsty.”
- Morrissey has long been a revered singer/songwriter, not just for his brooding passion but for his dark sense of humor. Following in his footsteps are many of indie rock's wittiest wordsmiths, including Pulp's Jarvis Cocker, who warps ribald poetry around glammed-up Britpop, and Belle and Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch, the whimsical storyteller who veils his acerbic observations in breezy indie pop.
- Though they split after just five years, The Smiths cast a formidable shadow as legendary songwriters and architects of indie rock. So it's no surprise that so many groups who have come along in their wake would want to pay tribute. Acts ranging from bubblegum-poppers t.A.T.u. to alt-metal heavyweights The Deftones have tackled their catalog, a testament to the lasting appeal of Manchester's cult favorites.
- Morrissey's taste was ignited by ‘50s rock ‘n' roll and ‘60s pop, then shaped by glam and punk, particularly the doomed street romances of the New York Dolls. His creative imagination flourished during his years as a passionate pop and rock connoisseur, fueled by Roxy Music's sense of theatricality, T. Rex's rockabilly guitar riffs, and the gritty social commentary of latter hits from The Supremes.