Morrissey has takes. Stephen Patrick Morrissey is known for his strident, uncompromising opinions on things like meat consumption, the British royal family, and his former bandmates — against, against, and against. (He's a little more quiet on certain more troubling subjects.) Now, apropos of nothing, Morrissey has shared his singular ideas about which of his records are the best.
On his own website earlier this month, Morrissey posted two best-of lists, writing, "Those of which I am most proud…" There's no further explanation for the two lists — Morrissey doesn't write blurbs — but his choices speak volumes. For instance, Morrissey's greatest album, according to him, is Bonfire Of Teenagers, the still-unreleased LP that he recorded in 2021; he split with his former label Capitol over its refusal to release that record. He ranks Make-Up Is A Lie, the album that he released earlier this year, at #2.
As for the music that Morrissey made in the 20th century, you'll have to go all the way down to #4, where he put his 1994 classic Vauxhall And I. The list is heavily weighted to his more recent material, though he does find room in the top 10 for 1992's Your Arsenal and 1995's Southpaw Grammar. There's no Viva Hate, no Kill Uncle, no Maladjusted. Also, he has made the fascinating decision to put the Smiths' 1988 live album Rank at #9. It's the only Smiths record on either list.
As for the singles, Morrissey has his 2004 songs "Irish Blood, English Heart" and "First Of the Gang To Die" at #1 and #2. Regarding the older stuff, he admits some affection for "Everyday Is Like Sunday" and "Hold On To Your Friends," but not "Suedehead," "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys," "Tomorrow, " "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful," "Interlude," or "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get." What a wacky guy. Check out his lists here.
It would feel rude to make fun of Morrissey's lists without mentioning that two previously vinyl-only recent B-sides, "Isle Of Dogs" and "Without Music The World Dies," have just reached streaming services. Heaven forbid I commit an act of rudeness toward Morrissey.