Meat Is Murder (studio album)
by The Smiths

Meat Is Murder by The Smiths
Year: 1985
Overall rank: 257th   
Average Rating: 
82/100 (from 1,297 votes)
     
Accolades:
Award Top 5 albums of 1985 (4th)
Award Top 50 albums of the 1980s (32nd)
Award Top 500 albums of all time (257th)

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The Smiths Meat Is Murder Lp Vinyl 1985 1st SRC Press Shrink/Hype/Insert EX/EX
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The Smiths bestography

Meat Is Murder is ranked 3rd best out of 15 albums by The Smiths on BestEverAlbums.com.

The best album by The Smiths is The Queen Is Dead which is ranked number 16 in the list of all-time albums with a total rank score of 34,116.

The Smiths album bestography « Higher ranked (191st)
The Smiths
This album (257th)
Meat Is Murder
Lower ranked (276th) »
Hatful Of Hollow

(N.B. Bestographies include all albums by an artist (and their variations), but do not include albums ranked outside the top 100,000).

Upcoming concerts

Dec
13
Sat
20:00
120 Minutes Presents: A Tribute to The Smiths & The Cure
Off Broadway, Saint Louis, United States. United States
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Jan
23
Fri
20:00
Girlfriend In A Coma - A Tribute To Morrissey And The Smiths
The Vault at Capital One Hall, Tysons, United States. United States
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Mar
07
Sat
21:00
The Cure Vs. the Smiths Night
Thunderbird Lounge, Phoenix, United States. United States
Tickets from Ticketmaster Get tickets
 
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Meat Is Murder track list

   The tracks on this album have an average rating of 86 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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Track pick (890 - 350 votes)
Average Rating: 89 (350 votes)Comments: View 5
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Average Rating: 83 (259 votes)Comments: View 3
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Average Rating: 83 (253 votes)Comments: View 2
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Track pick (890 - 334 votes)
Average Rating: 89 (334 votes)Comments: View 5
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Average Rating: 86 (263 votes)Comments: View 3
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Average Rating: 88 (291 votes)Comments: View 5
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Average Rating: 82 (264 votes)Comments: View 5
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Meat Is Murder rankings

Rankings summary
Overall rank: 257th | 1980s rank: 32nd | 1985 rank: 4th

Meat Is Murder collection

Meat Is Murder ratings

Average Rating: 
82/100 (from 1,297 votes)
   Help Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
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Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 1,297 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
85/100
 !
12/05/2025 17:44 Araldo   1,46980/100
 
100/100
 !
12/01/2025 00:08 kinginsomniac12   354100/100
 
80/100
 !
11/28/2025 11:10 Jantje   59275/100
 
70/100
 !
11/19/2025 15:24 timosbuecherei   29876/100
 
75/100
 !
11/17/2025 21:02 Exist-en-ciel   2,60470/100

Rating metrics: Help Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 1% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 81.7/100, a mean average of 80.4/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 81.8/100. The standard deviation for this album is 14.6.

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Meat Is Murder comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 68 comments |
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Rating:  
80/100
From 02/27/2023 21:48 | #294530
This is a great lyrical record with Morrissey penning some of his best lyrics across this release. The writing just feels much more personal and tailored towards issues that he might hold close to him. This makes it easy to connect to in places but can also lead to some stuff you might disagree with but the way he talks about these themes are just brilliant. Musically, this might be the weakest Smiths album that exists. That doesn't mean it is bad as it is still very good instrumentally but it doesn't stand up to their other releases with Marr putting in stronger performances on The Queen Is Dead and Strangeways. Despite this, it is consistent with the quality level it is at and no song is below good making it feel like a cohesive experience. Overall, this isn't my favourite Smith's album but it is still full of great songs and is a must listen for any music fan.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 12/12/2022 20:40 | #291943
Great as always with The Smiths. This album is the most political and personal for Morrissey, I don't agree with some of his views, but you can't deny how well-written the lyrics here are, especially This Joke Isn't Funny Anymore and Well I Wonder gives you this feeling of depression emphasised by atmosphere created with instruments. The Headmaster Ritual and Barbarism Begins At Home are lyrically great songs about school and I really love how they sound on the second one the bassline is amazing. I Want The One I Can't Have is another masterpiece on this album. The rest is still very strong, even the last track that I'm not a fan of, because I'm not vegan is beutifully written and played.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 11/27/2022 15:00 | #291592
Great Album. Great Record!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 05/27/2022 17:52 | #285765
I haven’t really liked The Smiths on previous listens, but I really enjoyed the combination here of Morrisey’s biting lyrics with unusual musical styles (rockabilly, funk, etc.). Helps lighten the dour mood which tends to otherwise dominate Smiths records.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 02/05/2022 09:39 | #280774
Classic
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 01/26/2022 19:56 | #280147
83.89

Pertenece a los dos discos más flojos de los Smiths, este y Strangeways. Los tengo con casi igual puntaje. En comparación a debut y a The Queen Is Dead, le tengo mucho menos apego a este y a Strangeways. De hecho, hoy por primera vez he escuchado algunas canciones por primera vez como Meat is Murder y Barbarism Begins at Home. Me parece que en una versión del album aparece How Soon is Now? y veré si en un futuro también la incluyo como si le perteneciera a este album, porque eso le subiría el puntaje.
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Rating:  
80/100
From 12/25/2021 10:16 | #277956
Incredibly consistent album. Some of Morrissey's best (and naturally most dark) lyrics are on this album - That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore shows compassion for people who are depressed, The Headmaster Ritual and Barbarism Begins at Home explores child abuse, the title track although admittedly preachy is also beautifully written. Some highlights lyrically are "Sir please excuse me from gym, I've got this terrible cold coming on, he grabs and devours, he kicks me in the showers" (Headmaster Ritual), "She is famous, she is funny, an engagement ring doesn't mean a thing to a mind consumed by brass and money" (Rusholme Ruffians) but there are so many more.

The only forgettable song is What She Said but that is still a nice track. My highlights are Barbarism Begins at Home, Well I Wonder and The Headmaster Ritual.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 03/25/2021 15:17 | #267743
As sacadas desse álbum são demais!!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
95/100
From 03/04/2021 02:07 | #266935
Get a CD with How Soon Is Now and it's hands-down their best album. It feels like the album was always meant to have that track in that exact sequence.

This is the most energetic this band ever got and their most consistently-good songwriting, the title track drags but everything before that is one catchy, memorable hook after the other without any of the fat that makes up a few tracks on Queen Is Dead.

Highs: The Headmaster Ritual, I Want The One I Can't Have, Well I Wonder
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
50/100
From 07/15/2020 00:26 | #255599
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Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -13 votes (0 helpful | 13 unhelpful)
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Best Albums of 1985
1. Hounds Of Love by Kate Bush
2. Rain Dogs by Tom Waits
3. Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits
4. Meat Is Murder by The Smiths
5. Psychocandy by The Jesus And Mary Chain
6. Songs From The Big Chair by Tears For Fears
7. The Head On The Door by The Cure
8. Tim by The Replacements
9. Steve McQueen by Prefab Sprout
10. Rum Sodomy & The Lash by The Pogues
11. Misplaced Childhood by Marillion
12. Low-Life by New Order
13. New Day Rising by Hüsker Dü
14. This Nation's Saving Grace by The Fall
15. This Is The Sea by The Waterboys
16. Fables Of The Reconstruction by R.E.M.
17. Little Creatures by Talking Heads
18. Around The World In A Day by Prince And The Revolution
19. Love by The Cult
20. Live At The Harlem Square Club, 1963 by Sam Cooke
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