The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead (35th anniversary)

Today (June 16th) marks the thirty-fifth anniversary of The Queen Is Dead, the third studio album from the Smiths. This 1981 release was certified Gold in both the UK (where it reached number 2) and the US (where it only reached number 70 on the Billboard Album chart during its thirty-seven week run).

For more from this album, click here.

For more from the Smiths, click here.

Happy Birthday, Andy Rourke

Happy forty-eighth birthday today (January 17) to bass guitarist Andy Rourke.

Born in Manchester, England, Rourke received his first guitar at age 7. At age 11, he made friends with a young John Maher (who would later use the studio name Johnny Marr). At age 15, Rourke dropped out of school to work and play in music; one of the first bands he belonged to was a funk group called Freak Party.

The Smiths - The Queen Is Dead

In June of 1986, the Smiths released their third studio album The Queen Is Dead. The album was certified Gold in both the UK (where it reached number 2) and the US (where it only reached number 70 on the Billboard Album chart). The record appears on Rolling Stone magazines 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list at number 216.