Alternative rock from either the United States or Britain owes a lot to the creations of the 1980s rock group the Smiths. The band first started in 1982 with guitarist Johnny Marr recruited Stephen Patrick Morrissey as a lyricist in Manchester, England. Marr had tried to start find success with other bands in the past, but had not found much luck. They changed with Morrissey, who was as much a writer as he was a lyricist. They added in Andy Rourke on bass and Mike Joyce on drums to complete the lineup. They played live infrequently, but enough to be offered a record deal from Manchurian Factory Records, which they turned town.

They soon found a home with Rough Trade Records and released the single "Hand in Glove." The single was an underground success, and soon the band was getting major attention. Helping their popularity was the strange stage presence of Morrissey, who wore a hearing aid and also performed with a pocket stuffed with gladioli. They released their self-titled debut album in 1984, which reached number two in the British charts. The album was pushed along by top singles and also controversy surrounding Morrissey's songwriting and criticism of the philanthropy Band Aid.

The Smiths released their second album, Meat Is Murder in 1985, and it debuted at number one on the charts. Morrissey raised eyebrows with some of his political comments during interviews, but it only seemed to add to the band's appeal. Later in 1985, they released their third album, The Queen is Dead, which reached number two in the UK and also making it onto the U.S. charts. They also added guitarist Craig Gannon. Before they could release their next album, Marr was involved in a serious car accident. While he healed, both Gannon and Rourke were fired, but Rourke later returned. They released a live album before releasing Strageways, Here We Come in 1987. After the album, Marr left after years of clashing with Morrissey, effectively ending the Smiths.