Viva Hate is Morrissey's debut solo album, released on March 22, 1988. The album was more successful than any of Morrissey's work with The Smiths and was more modern and musically innovative in comparison as well. The album was originally going to be called Education in Reverse, but was renamed to reflect Morrissey's feelings after the break-up of The Smiths. Some LPs in Australia were misprinted with the original title.

The album was released a mere six months after The Smiths' final album, Strangeways Here We Come. The title predicts the content as Morrissey's lyrics are sardonic and filled with invective, while some of the tracks deal with the harshness of the breakup of The Smiths.

Interestingly, British band The Ordinary Boys were previously called 'Viva Hate'. The band are big Moz fans and their current name is another Morrissey song.

'Everyday Is Like Sunday', proving that the artist was very much capable of making records which sell too. Forgetting the largely perfunctory three tracks which conclude the recording it would take some time for Morrissey to surpass this album with the outstanding 'Vauxhall And I'.