The Smiths

Arriving in an era dominated by synth pop and gloomy post-punk, the Smiths' eponymous 1984 debut was the bracing beginning of a new era.

On the surface, the Smiths' sound wasn't radically different from traditional British guitar pop, but it was actually an astonishing subversion of the form, turning the structure inside out. Very few of the songs followed conventional verse-chorus structure, yet they were quite melodic within their own right. Marr's inventive songwriting was made all the more original and innovative by Morrissey's crooning and lyrics.