The Queen Is Dead is The Smiths' third studio album and originally came out in 1986 on Rough Trade. Johnny Marr's layered guitar work is paired with Morrissey's melancholy, irony and social commentary, including on the monarchy in the title track. Bigmouth Strikes Again, The Boy with the Thorn in His Side, Cemetry Gates and There Is a Light That Never Goes Out are among its best-known songs. The album reached number 2 in the United Kingdom. The Queen Is Dead is often cited as one of the most important British albums of the 1980s.