The Smiths - Meat Is Murder

By the time Meat Is Murder arrived in 1985, The Smiths were already being hailed as the most significant British band since Joy Division. This second proper studio album saw the legendary quartet branching out and diversifying their sound, moving beyond the jangling guitar pop of their debut into a more muscular and politically charged territory. It remains a "hand-crafted" masterclass in musical chemistry, where Johnny Marr’s intricate, multi-layered guitar work found a perfect, high-fidelity foil in Morrissey’s provocative and uncompromising lyricism.

The album features fine elaborations of their signature style, such as the aggressive opener "The Headmaster Ritual" and the longing intensity of "I Want the One I Can't Have." Elsewhere, the band experimented with infectious stabs at rockabilly on "Rusholme Ruffians" and atmospheric, sprawling textures on the haunting title track. In 1985, there was no other group making music with this level of creative thrust, as they balanced working-class grit with a sophisticated, melodic wit that shifted the trajectory of alternative rock.