“Undeniably the best”: The singer Johnny Marr called the greatest in pop music

Posted On May 20, 2025May 20, 2025

Providing a suitably melancholic voice for multiple generations of disenfranchised youths, The Smiths were absolute titans of the indie underground back in the 1980s. Taking key inspiration from the DIY ethos of the punk explosion a decade prior, the band’s formation in 1982 and their partnership with Rough Trade the following year set them apart from the musical mainstream. However, their position as indie icons certainly did not mean that Morrissey and Johnny Marr didn’t hold a healthy appreciation for pop music. 

It was the inspiration of punk rock which first united Marr and Morrissey, but the two songwriters quickly found common ground in their love of 1960s pop, too. Groups like The Shangri-Las, The Ronettes, and artists like Marianne Faithfull formed key elements of The Smiths’ early inspiration, coupled together with more punk-adjacent influences like The Stooges and the New York Dolls. Although, arguably, this dedication to old pop stars eventually signalled the downfall of the band.

When Morrissey dictated that the band’s 1987 single ‘Girlfriend In A Coma’ would be backed by a cover version of Cilla Black’s ‘Work Is a Four-Letter Word’, Johnny Marr was not overly pleased. Tensions between the two songwriters were already pretty high, resulting from musical differences and, indeed, personality differences, but the singer’s choice to record ‘Work Is a Four-Letter Word’ was “the last straw,” according to Marr. “I didn’t form a group to perform Cilla Black songs. That was it, really,” he told Record Collector in 1992.

This intense disapproval of Swinging Cilla might suggest that Marr’s love of pop waned, but it would be more accurate to say that his toleration of Morrissey waned instead. In fact, Marr’s appreciation of 1960s pop has only seemed to increase as his solo career has rumbled on. Throughout that time, however, one figure has remained a notable favourite. In 2015, when asked to select his favourite albums for The Quietus, the guitarist could not help but heap praise onto Dusty Springfield.

A defining voice of the swinging sixties, Springfield first established herself as a solo performer with the pop classic ‘I Only Want To Be With You’ in 1963. From there, the vocalist went on to record a seemingly endless array of now-iconic tracks, each showcasing the unique beauty of her distinctive voice. As opposed to many pop stars of that era, however, Springfield was never afraid to be outspoken and individualistic, something which places her in a similar ilk to Johnny Marr.

Highlighting Springfield’s US debut album Stay Awhile/I Only Want To Be With You as one of his all-time favourite records, Marr shared, “If you want to pick a Dusty Springfield album, it is tricky because you are not going to get the benefit of having some of the singles.”

The guitarist went on to declare, “The greatest thing about Dusty Springfield was her run of singles, but pure greatest hits albums are easy to wear out and you end up wanting a little bit more. This record does it all for me.” Explaining, “It’s from that period where she was undeniably the best singer in pop music and that includes singers from the US too.”

Expanding on the unique power of Springfield as a vocalist, Marr said, “There is a sound to this album that is rough pop and soul without it getting too purist. It was made by someone who was very serious about what she did and had a voice that I don’t think has ever been bettered.”

It speaks to the enduring, universal power of an artist like Dusty Springfield. Her music can appeal to the mainstream masses while resonating with an indie hero like Johnny Marr, even decades after her heyday. He might have resented Cilla Black’s unwanted influence on his own career, but the Smiths guitarist never lost his appreciation for the kind of pop mastery demonstrated by Springfield. 

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