On this day, February 11, 1985, The Smiths released their highly influential second album, Meat Is Murder. With a more politically charged and aggressive tone than their debut, the album saw Morrissey and Johnny Marr refining their signature sound while incorporating deeper social commentary.
Though it only reached number 110 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S., the album was a major success in the UK, where it became The Smiths’ first and only number one album. Songs like The Headmaster Ritual and That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore tackled themes of authority and emotional turmoil, while the title track, Meat Is Murder, became an outspoken vegetarian anthem that solidified Morrissey’s activism in music.
The album’s sound was darker and more experimental, with Johnny Marr’s intricate guitar work pushing the band’s style beyond the jangle pop of their debut. Meat Is Murder is now considered one of the defining alternative albums of the 1980s, influencing countless bands that followed.
80s insight: The Smiths' Meat Is Murder cover features a real 1967 Vietnam War photograph of a U.S. Marine, with the words “Meat Is Murder” edited onto his helmet.
Though it only reached number 110 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S., the album was a major success in the UK, where it became The Smiths’ first and only number one album. Songs like The Headmaster Ritual and That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore tackled themes of authority and emotional turmoil, while the title track, Meat Is Murder, became an outspoken vegetarian anthem that solidified Morrissey’s activism in music.
The album’s sound was darker and more experimental, with Johnny Marr’s intricate guitar work pushing the band’s style beyond the jangle pop of their debut. Meat Is Murder is now considered one of the defining alternative albums of the 1980s, influencing countless bands that followed.
80s insight: The Smiths' Meat Is Murder cover features a real 1967 Vietnam War photograph of a U.S. Marine, with the words “Meat Is Murder” edited onto his helmet.
