The Smiths broke up for good in 1987, only a few weeks before their last album, *Strangeways, Here We Come*, came out. Morrissey and Marr both thought it was their best work. This breakup concluded a very important five years in British rock. During that time, there were more artistic conflicts, tired band members, and problems with management.
At first, people believed it was a good thing that Johnny Marr left because it meant they wouldn’t have to come up with fresh ideas all the time. There were allegations that Marr was having trouble with his career outside of the band, but he strongly denied them and maintained that he was “under crushing strain” because he had never had to deal with management before. He was famous for saying that a young guitarist shouldn’t be in command of a great rock band, which is what he had to do too soon. Morrissey’s fixation with performing 1960s pop songs, such those by Cilla Black, was very different from Marr’s changing style of art. Marr said this fixation was “the last straw” and didn’t want the band to be a venue where other people could do covers. *Strangeways*’ music changed since it had more piano and keyboards. This made the disparities in art even evident, which was an indication that the group was likely to break up.
There was a lot of public fighting after the breakup, and drummer Mike Joyce and bassist Andy Rourke felt like they were being taken advantage of in court for royalties. There weren’t many personal problems between Morrissey and Marr, though. Marr talked about how long they had been friends even though they worked in different fields. *Strangeways, Here We Come* sold well, reaching number two on the UK charts and becoming their best-selling album in the US. The separation shows that even the strongest creative ties may be dissolved by stress from success, different artistic viewpoints, and terrible management.
**Important things to know about The Smiths’ breakup in 1987:**
– **Timing:** Early to mid-1987, just a few months before *Strangeways* came out in September.
– **Main reasons:** Being tired from touring and recording all the time and having lousy management.
– Musical rifts: Marr was upset that Morrissey was covering songs from the 1960s instead of making their own unique indie sound.
– **Interpersonal dynamics:** The members of the band don’t dislike each other, but they do have quite diverse ideas about what the future will be like.
– Aftermath: Long, public fights over royalties; great solo careers that still have an effect; and a legacy that will always be renowned for their unique sound and emotional lyrics.
The Smiths broke up in 1987, but it wasn’t out of the blue. It was because their creative constraints and goals didn’t match up with time. Their music is still very lively decades later and inspires new generations.