Once Upon a Time in the Top Spot: Morrissey, Viva Hate

27 years ago today, the former frontman for The Smiths arrived at the top of the UK Albums chart with his debut solo album a mere six months after the release of his band's final studio effort, Strangeways, Here We Come.

Produced by Stephen Street, Viva Hate had already been preceded by Morrissey's debut single, “Suedehead,” which hit #5 on the UK Singles chart and caused Smiths fans' mouths to start watering at the thought of what Viva Hate would sound like, which no doubt had something to do the album's out-of-the-box success.

Those who worried that Morrissey wouldn't find a guitar hero to match Johnny Marr were, at least for the most part, pleased with his choice of Vini Reilly of The Durutti Column, but it's interesting to note in retrospect that Reilly reportedly created all of the music for the album's tracks except “Suedehead” yet agreed to leave the songwriting credits to Street, who'd brought him onto the project in the first place. (Street says otherwise, however, so it's all down to who you'd prefer to believe.)

Viva Hate's other signature track is “Everyday is Like Sunday,” a song which still finds its way onto American radio stations even now, but the album is filled with a number of classic Moz numbers, including “Angel, Angel, Down We Go Together,” “I Don't Mind if You Forget Me,” and - at least for the original U.S. edition, anyway - “Hairdresser on Fire.” Speaking of original editions, if you're a fan of “The Ordinary Boys,” you'd better hold onto the copy of Viva Hate you already have: when the album was remastered and reissued in 2012, it arrived without the song, a decision made by Morrissey which rather infuriated those who'd come to know and love the original track listing.

Sorry, folks: it's Morrissey's world, we only live in it.