3. The Smiths :: The Queen Is Dead

I can't remember not knowing of this album. My dad loves The Smiths, and I grew up hearing their music. I remember listening to this album when I was about 3 and asking my mom why they didn't play "I Know It's Over" on the radio. The album starts strong with the raucous "The Queen Is Dead" and followed by the hilarious "Frankly, Mr. Shanky". The emotion poured into "I Know It's Over" reaches a climax that could leave one in tears. "Cemetery Gates" pits English poet heavyweights Keats and Yates against the Morrissey-backed Oscar Wilde. I always thought running around in a cemetery was a great thing to do on a sunny day myself. Over the years, I have come to appreciate each song on this album more and more, but especially "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out". How much Smith-ier can you get than saying "And if double-decker bus / crashes into us / to die by your side / is such a heavenly way to die" over Marr's wistful guitar lines along with a superb synth line. I can appreciate this album from a musical, lyrical, and emotional standpoint (since it reminds me of my childhood and my growing appreciation of The Smiths as I got older). Isn't that what makes a great album?