The Smiths – Meat Is Murder

Meat is Murder is the second studio album by English rock band The Smiths, released on February 11, 1985, by Rough Trade Records. It became the band’s only studio album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart, and stayed on the chart for 13 weeks. The album was an international success: it spent 11 weeks in the European Top 100 Albums chart, peaking at number 29. It also reached number 110 on the US Billboard 200, in the United States.

The album is more strident and political than its predecessor, with the pro-vegetarian title track (Morrissey forbade the rest of the band from being photographed eating meat), and the anti-corporal punishment “The Headmaster Ritual”. Musically, the band had grown more adventurous, with Marr and Rourke channelling rockabilly and funk influences in “Rusholme Ruffians” and “Barbarism Begins at Home”, respectively. “Rusholme Ruffians” interpolates the Victoria Wood song “Fourteen Again”.

Meat is Murder is a landmark album in the history of alternative rock, and is considered to be one of the band’s greatest works. It is a challenging and thought-provoking album that tackles a wide range of social and political issues, including animal rights, child abuse, and the futility of war.