Best... I

Best… I is a 1992 compilation that condenses The Smiths’ brief but hugely influential 1983–87 career into 14 songs. Issued after the band had disbanded, it draws from their studio albums, singles, B-sides, and earlier compilations, opening with “This Charming Man” and moving through defining tracks such as “William, It Was Really Nothing,” “What Difference Does It Make?,” “Hand in Glove,” “Shoplifters of the World Unite,” “Sheila Take a Bow,” and “Panic.” The original release reached No. 1 in the UK and was certified gold there, confirming the group’s enduring audience beyond its active years.

The selection presents the characteristic Smiths contrast at its most immediate: Morrissey’s literate, melodramatic, and often darkly comic lyrics are matched with Johnny Marr’s bright, intricate guitar figures, while bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce give the songs their agile rhythmic drive. It includes the full-length “How Soon Is Now?”—built around Marr’s famous tremolo guitar motif—as well as the delicate “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want,” the off-kilter “Girlfriend in a Coma,” and the sweeping “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others.” Though it is not a complete singles collection, Best… I serves as a compact, well-chosen introduction to the band’s indie-pop range: romantic, witty, abrasive, and unmistakably melodic.