The Smiths. The Queen Is Dead (1986)

The Queen Is Dead is the third studio album of The Smiths. It was released on June 16, 1986 by their U.K. record company, Rough Trade Records, and reached No. 2 in the British charts. Their U.S. record company released the album on June 23, 1986. The album reached No. 70 on the Billboard 200.

In 1997 The Queen Is Dead was named the 15th greatest album of all time in a 'Music of the Millennium' poll conducted by HMV, Channel 4, The Guardian and Classic FM. In 2003, the album was ranked number 216 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2005 Channel 4 viewers placed it at number 20, and in 2006 Q magazine readers placed it at number 12. In 2000 Q placed it at number 27 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever; in 2004, a similar list by The Observer Music Magazine's critics placed it at number 37, behind the band's eponymous debut which was 21st. It was ranked 5 in Spin's "100 Greatest Albums, 1985-2005" (2005). The German newspaper WAZ placed it at number 1. In June 2006, 20 years after its original release, NME dedicated almost a whole issue to the album. Much More Music placed it at 24 on Listed's Top 40 Album of the Past 25 Years. In 2006 NME placed the album second in a list of greatest British albums, behind The Stone Roses.

The tribute album, The Smiths is dead (Small Records, 1996) was compiled by the French art criticism magazine Les Inrockuptibles to celebrate The Queen Is Dead's 10th anniversary.

Track listing

All songs written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr Marr except "Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty" (used as an intro to "The Queen Is Dead"), written by A.J. Mills, Fred Godfrey and Bennett Scott.

1. "The Queen Is Dead" – 6:24
2. "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" – 2:17
3. "I Know It's Over" – 5:48
4. "Never Had No One Ever" – 3:36
5. "Cemetry Gates" – 2:39
6. "Bigmouth Strikes Again" – 3:12
7. "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" – 3:15
8. "Vicar in a Tutu" – 2:21
9. "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" – 4:02
10. "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" – 3:14

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