With synthesizers and mind-numbing excess on the rise, The Smiths took the road less traveled, challenging listeners with outspoken lyrics and taunting guitars. With their eponymous 1984 debut, The Smiths began their tenure as the definitive British indie rock band as well as the torchbearers of a new musical era. Johnny Marr's inventive songwriting and Morrissey's unconventional croon made for an evocative sound that was both innovative and timeless. Songs about homosexuality ("Hand in Glove") and child molestation and murder ("Suffer Little Children") enshrouded the band in controversy and cult-like devotion, both of which would only grow from here.