Top 10 Best The Smiths Songs

The Top Ten
1 There is a Light that Never Goes Out

How could one rate this song below number one? It is the finest example of what Morrissey's lyrics are about: tragic love. The chorus is truly haunting, and I do hope you can find it in yourselves to vote this song as the best of The Smiths' career.

It's fresh even today, because the greatest compliment to love is dying together, and the haunting backbeat and soft guitar rhythm make this song stand out. Definitely my number one.

Magic words were chosen. Poetic way of making sentences. Completed with a sound that never goes out (of your mind). One of a million songs that never will be boring. Thank you, Britain. Here, Holland.

2 How Soon is Now?

Such a creative song! It is like there is less singing in the song because they're trying out different beats to make this song as catchy and creative as possible. Which is good and smart for the Smiths, don't get me wrong. Overall, this is probably, in my opinion, one of the best songs by The Smiths ever.

Honestly, Johnny Marr killed it on this song, and you will never convince me otherwise. Not only that, but the lyrics are very poignant - I wonder whether I would ever be able to forget them. Not that I'd want to.

3 This Charming Man

My absolute favourite. Apart from "Ask". However, "it's gruesome that someone so handsome should care".

Oscar Wilde would be proud to have written this little gem. Pure class. Mike Luke.

That opening riff pretty much sums up what The Smiths are all about.

4 Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want

I'm glad this is moving up since I was the one who nominated it. This was also my first Smiths song.

This is my favorite The Smiths song! It should definitely be in the top 10, come on!

Makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Which is the greatest thing a piece of music can do.

5 The Boy with the Thorn in His Side

Great song, though I can't see why they released this as a single. It's just not very commercial, in my opinion. It took many listens for me to finally understand its greatness.

6 I Know It's Over

This song is very underrated. The disregard for any linear lyrics makes this song very interesting. The lyrics rhyme in unexpected places and manage to hit many insecurities among listeners, depending on how they interpret the lyrics. The guitars and basses, while important to the gentleness of the song, are not loud, giving way to Morrissey's voice that oozes out his heart.

The recurring "Oh Mother" part really evokes hard emotions, and you can feel the pain in Morrissey's voice. The vagueness of the lyrics creates an aura of mystery that is only amplified by the vocals and backing instruments. Overall, it's an emotionally and amazingly produced song.

7 Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now

Don't really like the singing on this one, but it does have the greatest lyric ever written: "I was looking for a job, and then...and heaven knows I'm miserable now."

"In my life
Why do I give valuable time
To people who don't care if I live or die?"

A beautiful observation!

Beautiful song with a great guitar riff, and as always, Morrissey's vocals are as awesome as ever.

8 Bigmouth Strikes Again

This song truly is a masterpiece, a magnificent offering by The Smiths and easily their second best song. The passion, the vivaciousness of the melody... Whenever I feel as though I'm overflowing with rage, I listen to this song, and my fiery hatred is subdued to a lull throbbing sensation.

Words for how much I love this song haven't been invented yet.

An absolute classic. Lyrics so great, how do they keep making such brilliant songs? Mike Luke.

9 Panic

The music that they constantly play, it says nothing to me about my life.
Awesome lyric - that still speaks volumes, and it summed up what I feel like as an Indie kid against the corporate pop of the modern world.

10 The Queen is Dead

One of Morrissey's first overtly political/social songs. He has no agenda but his own, and this song exemplifies such. The abrasive nature of the guitar contrasts against the twee pop of The Boy with the Thorn, etc.

A very powerful song. I love the drumming and Morrissey's powerful vocals. This should be considered their best, with There Is A Light That Never Goes Out being second.

I love this song and have always loved it. Usually, it doesn't get on lists of the best Smiths songs. It's hard for me to see why.

The Contenders
11 Cemetry Gates

One of the greatest songs ever written.

12 Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before

Great opening! A song that comes right out at you, not to be ignored. Best, though, are the lyrics that make me laugh.

Truly a great song. Honestly, it should be number 2, right after There is a Light.

A shy, bald Buddhist plotting mass murder - the lyrics of someone so far ahead of the rest. Unreal, man. Mike Luke.

13 The Headmaster Ritual

Honestly, I can't believe how low this is. For me, no Smiths playlist would be complete without this song. The opening punches you in the face with some genius guitar and bass, and the great musicianship continues throughout the whole song. The lyrics are simple yet some of the best Morrissey has ever written. Everything about this song is great.

I listened to MIM on a tape of a radio broadcast, during 1985, traveling as a young teen on trains all across Asia. Had no idea what they looked like or their history. I just knew it was the greatest music I'd ever heard. Didn't know I'd never hear anything like it again.

14 Asleep

Despite the fact that prepubescent girls and wannabe hipsters now flock around this song, it still resonates with me. I never grow tired of hearing it, no matter how many times it gets played now. Yes, Perks was a good movie. However, Charlie is not someone to emulate. Choose to like the song because it's a good song, not because Charlie liked the song.

This song has helped me through so much. It's beautiful and perfect in every way.

I think that this song is one of the most beautiful things I've ever heard.

15 What Difference Does It Make?

This is definitely one of the best, if not the best, song The Smiths have done. It's amazing rhythmically, melodically, lyrically, and Morrissey's vocals are unlike anything I've ever heard before. It's such an intense and captivating song. One of the best ever.

This should be in the top three with There Is A Light That Never Goes Out and How Soon Is Now. The riff that flows all the way through is just so memorable, I would be able to identify it anywhere just from the guitar.

This is their best song and maybe even the best song ever. The lyrics are captivating, the riff is memorable, and his voice is mysterious.

16 Ask

Ask me,
Ask me,
Ask me why this song is not in the top ten?

17 Still Ill

This is such a masterpiece. It tells the story of the whole world against the unrelenting bass and drum lines, and then at the forefront, guitar and vocals, bitterly sweet and clever, masterful, and oh so honest.

With such enthusiastic agreement, I've followed the words quite literally and yes, the world is mine and owes me a living. So mostly after that, I didn't bother, kissed and got sore lips, and yes, I saw the brighter sides of life, but not very often.

No idea why this isn't in the top ten!
"Under the iron bridge we kissed, and although I ended up with sore lips, it just wasn't like the old days."
"Does the body rule the mind or does the mind rule the body? I don't know."
"I decree today that life is simply taking and not giving."
Brilliant lyrics.

18 Hand in Glove

Simply the best love song there is, there was, and ever will be.

The greatest love song ever written.

19 Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me

Just that opening sound, heaves like the agony of a broken heart as it tries to breathe, and then the vocals, like secret internal pain you shamefully hide, and yet Morrissey is so open and vulnerable. I die thinking someone might know they made me feel that way.

Not too long ago, I heard this in my playlist and I just lay in my bed and cried for what felt like the entire night. I had that moment of really connecting with the song, and somehow I don't think any type of popularity or greatness or whatever can beat that feeling of deepness. So, for me, this is number 1.

20 I Started Something I Couldn't Finish
21 William, It Was Really Nothing

This is their best song by far! I can't believe it's not on the list. It's even on Rolling Stone's list of five hundred best songs of all time.

This is the actual best of The Smiths. Two minutes of pure brilliance!

22 Half a Person

I do love this song. With a passion. "Call me morbid, call me pale... I've spent six years on your trail. So if you have five seconds to spare, I'll tell you the story of my life"...

I always thought this was such a great classic pop song, so so catchy. I never understood why it wasn't a major single.

Sad and funny at the same time. Mike Luke

23 You've Got Everything Now
24 This Night Has Opened My Eyes

This song is brilliant it deserves to be a contender.

So underrated and it's absolutely brilliant.

Seriously underrated, the guitar riffs are fantastic as is the hook

25 Paint a Vulgar Picture

This song is haunting me. My favorite Smiths song, at the moment.

Unusually high praise from my end.

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