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Morrissey' s solo career versus his The Smiths' career
Executive summary
Morrissey rose to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of The Smiths (active 1982–87) and then launched a long solo career beginning with Viva Hate in 1988; Wikipedia notes both the Smiths’ critical cult status and Morrissey’s subsequent “successful solo career” [1]. Fan discussion and polling show divided tastes — some prefer The Smiths’ concentrated classic run, others value Morrissey’s larger solo catalogue and continued touring — and commercial/attendance signals show Morrissey still sells shows while often playing a mix of solo and Smiths material [1] [2] [3].
1. The Smiths: a short, intense legacy
The Smiths existed primarily from 1982 to 1987 and produced a compact body of work now widely regarded as influential and critically acclaimed, with several top-twenty UK singles and three major studio albums (Meat Is Murder, The Queen Is Dead, Strangeways, Here We Come) during that period [1]. That concentrated era is what fans and writers point to when calling The Smiths “perfect” or “flawless” as a band, and many Smiths-era songs remain festival and setlist touchstones [3] [4].
2. Morrissey solo: longevity, volume and ongoing appeal
Morrissey began his solo career in 1988 with Viva Hate and has since produced a lengthy catalogue and ongoing tours; sources describe his solo career as “successful” and note headline tours and ticketed dates into the 2020s [1] [2]. Fan forums repeatedly emphasize quantity: some argue The Smiths and Morrissey each have “50–60 great, classic songs, but Moz also has dozens of really good songs,” reflecting that solo output increases the pool of preferred tracks for many listeners [3] [5].
3. What critics and fans disagree about
Public and fan opinion divides along predictable lines. Some argue The Smiths’ brief run produced consistently high-quality work with no “duff” originals [3]. Others insist Morrissey’s solo writing and performances have emotional reach and breadth that surpass the band era for them personally, and they highlight solo-era classics such as “Everyday Is Like Sunday,” “Suedehead” and “Irish Blood, English Heart” as evidence of enduring solo strengths [2] [3]. Online threads and polls show both positions are strongly held but rooted in taste rather than settled metrics [6] [7] [5].
4. Live shows and repertoire: Smiths classics remain currency
Reporting and concert accounts show Morrissey’s live shows commonly mix solo material with Smiths classics, and reviewers note that Smiths-era songs still elicit major audience response; for instance, he opened a recent Radio City show with “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out,” and most tours include a handful of Smiths tracks amid solo numbers [4] [2]. That practice indicates the Smiths catalogue retains cultural and commercial value for Morrissey’s solo career [4].
5. Financial and practical comparisons — limited public data, competing claims
Some articles and summaries assert Morrissey’s solo career has been commercially rewarding over decades, with claims of significant touring income and catalogue value; an example piece directly states his solo output and touring have been financially important and quotes a net-worth figure [8]. However, available sources here offer assertions and fan impressions rather than audited comparative sales breakdowns between Smiths-era and solo-era earnings; detailed accounting of which era has been “more lucrative” is not provided in these sources [8] [1].
6. Reunion talk and personal dynamics affect comparisons
Disputes between Morrissey and former Smiths members (notably Johnny Marr) have shaped the public narrative: Wikipedia and contemporary reporting recount offers and public back-and-forth about reunion proposals, with Morrissey saying he accepted a lucrative reunion offer that Marr did not answer — a development that underscores how interpersonal dynamics influence how the two careers are compared and monetized [1] [4]. That disagreement colors fans’ hopes and the practical availability of joint Smiths-era activity.
7. What to watch next and how to judge “better”
If you want to judge comparably, look at three axes: influence and critical legacy (Smiths’ concentrated 1980s imprint), breadth and sustained output (Morrissey’s solo catalogue and touring life), and live/audience response (how Smiths tracks perform in Morrissey’s concerts). Fan polls and message-board debates show no consensus — many prefer both for different reasons — so “better” remains subjective and tied to whether you prize a compact classic catalogue or wider solo output and longevity [3] [6] [7].
Limitations and caveats: the sources provided include Wikipedia, fan forums, ticketing write-ups and a net-worth-style piece; none supply comprehensive sales-by-era accounting or independent critical meta-analysis to settle objective superiority claims, so conclusions about “better” are necessarily interpretive and audience-dependent [1] [6] [8].