The Smithereens

The Smithereens are an American rock band formed in Carteret, New Jersey in 1980. The original lineup consisted of Pat DiNizio (vocals, guitar), Jim Babjak (guitar, vocals), Mike Mesaros (bass, vocals) and Dennis Diken (drums, percussion).

The Smithereens achieved success in the 1980s with their signature brand of power pop, highlighted by DiNizio's distinctively raspy vocals and catchy melodies. Their debut album, Especially for You, was released in 1986 and featured the singles “Blood and Roses” and “Behind the Wall of Sleep.” The follow-up album, Green Thoughts, was released in 1988 and included the hits “Only a Memory” and “A Girl Like You.”

The Smithereens’ most successful album was 1991’s 11, which included the singles “A Girl Like You” and “Too Much Passion.” The band has released several additional albums since then, including 2011’s 2011, which featured the single “Sorry.”

The Smithereens have been active for over 30 years, and have achieved a devoted following throughout their career. They have been featured in films and television, including the movies Singles (1992) and Beautiful Girls (1996).

An interesting fact about the Smithereens is that they have released several albums of cover songs, including Meet the Smithereens! (2007), which featured covers of songs by The Beatles, and The Smithereens Play Tommy (2008), which featured covers of songs from The Who's album Tommy.