For decades, Ian Anderson hated Morrissey. It only took a few days to change his mind

Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson said his view of Morrissey changed after he spent three days listening intensively to the singer’s music and The Smiths. He went from an entirely negative opinion to considering Morrissey one of popular music’s more important singers during Anderson’s career, showing how listening can alter an artist’s judgement despite reservations about the person.

Anderson has long favoured ambitious music that challenges familiar forms, citing The Beatles and Pink Floyd as influences, while also appreciating more conventional rock voices. The article notes that Morrissey’s controversial public comments remain a source of criticism, but argues that they do not erase the musical value of songs such as “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” or The Smiths’ album *The Queen Is Dead*.