Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Marr, the Smiths' focus on a guitar, bass and drum sound, and fusion of 1960s rock and post-punk, were a rejection of the synth-pop sound that was predominant at the time. The Smiths signed to the independent label Rough Trade Records and released their first album, The Smiths, in 1984.

They are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s. Their line-up comprised singer Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce. The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982.