The Smiths

Front man, Morrissey, met guitarist, Johnny Marr, in 1982. Marr told Daily Mail in 2009: "When I first turned up on his doorstep in 1982, the connection was instant, even though we were complete opposites."

Morrissey's full name is Steven Patrick Morrissey. Johnny Marr's real name is John Maher, but he changed it to avoid confusion with The Buzzcocks' drummer of the same name.

Morrissey claimed that the band called themselves The Smiths because "it was the most ordinary name" that they could think of, adding: "I think it's time the ordinary folk of the world showed their faces." This came at a time when there were many pretentious names in pop, including Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, Depeche Mode and Spandau Ballet.