The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. The group consisted of vocalist Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce. Critics have called them one of the most important bands to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s. In 2002, NME named the Smiths "the artist to have had the most influence on the NME".[1] In 2003, four of the band's albums appeared on Rolling Stone's list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time".