iTunes welcomes The Smiths

Some bands are bigger than others, it's true, but stop me if you think you've heard this one before: a major British act, long absent from the iTunes store, has appeared with its full catalog for sale. No, it's not The Beatles -- it's the delicious sounds of Johnny Marr and Morrissey in The Smiths.

If you came of age in the 1980s, The Smiths might be just as important to your musical upbringing as The Beatles were for a previous generation of rock fans. For me, this is a great chance to retire those ancient cassette copies of Meat is Murder and Strangeways, Here We Come.

While a greatest-hits compilation from The Smiths was previously available, the band's Ping page announced the rest of the releases earlier this week.

Thanks to reader Eric for the heads-up.