The Smiths

The Smiths joined a handful of other 1980s bands in bypassing that decade's musical stereotypes (thundering drums, stabbing synths, stripped-down production) in favor of a fresh update of the Beatles/Byrds/Elvis shimmering guitar sound. The band also decided to unleash a torrent of singles at a time when the 7-inch single was dying out. These fantastic singles, collected here, show a restlessly creative band who could do more in three minutes than most bands can do across entire albums. To get the essential B-sides, go directly to the deluxe edition.