British Prime Minister David Cameron Adores The Smiths But The Smiths Don’t Adore Him
Thirty years have passed since the Smiths released their 1986 state-of-the-nation address, “The Queen Is Dead.” Once deemed the greatest album ever by NME, the honor is a key entry in the band’s ongoing canonization, alongside two nominations for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This mainstreamification of the Smiths’ legacy is not exactly new, but it’s grown more sanitized over time. Even Prime Minister David Cameron—a Conservative, the party the Smiths rebelled against in their lifetime—has called The Queen Is Dead his favorite album. The Smiths don’t appreciate all the PM’s love.
