"Suedehead" is the debut solo single by the English singer Morrissey, released on 15 February 1988. Co-written by Morrissey and former Smiths producer Stephen Street, the song was Morrissey's first solo release after the Smiths break-up. Morrissey was inspired lyrically by the suedehead subculture, recalling an individual from his teenage years in the context of the movement. Street, who had originally sought to contribute his musical ideas to Morrissey to use for Smiths B-sides, also contributed bass guitar, while Vini Reilly and Andrew Paresi rounded out his new solo band.

"Suedehead" was featured on Morrissey's debut album, Viva Hate, and the compilation album Bona Drag, the latter of which also featured the B-side "Hairdresser on Fire". Upon release, the song saw commercial success, reaching number five in the UK, as well as rave reviews for its Smiths-esque musicianship and the new Morrissey-Street writing team. Encouraged by the success of the single, Morrissey would continue working with Street for subsequent singles.

Since its release, "Suedehead" has become one of Morrissey's most successful songs and remains critically acclaimed by modern writers.

Morrissey wrote the lyrics to "Suedehead" about a figure he knew from his teenage years, though he refused to specify the individual in an interview, commenting, "I'd rather not give any addresses and phone numbers at this stage". The song took its title from the suedehead subculture. Morrissey elaborated on his feelings about the subculture in a June 1988 interview with Spin magazine:

A suedehead was an outgrown skinhead, but outgrown only in the hair sense. An outgrown skinhead who was slightly softer. Not a football hooligan. Back in '71, when youth cults were on the rampage in Manchester, there was a tremendous air of intensity and potential unpleasantness. Something interesting grabbed me about the whole thing. I don't think there were any good guys; everybody had several chips on several shoulders. There was a great velocity of hate. Everybody got their head kicked in. It's made me what I am today.

It shares a title with the Richard Allen book of the same name, which similarly was set in the subculture, but Morrissey commented, "I did happen to read the book when it came out and I was quite interested in the whole Richard Allen cult. But really I just like the word 'suedehead'." The song also features the lyrics, "It was a good lay", which Morrissey jokingly commented was actually a mishearing of "It was a bootleg".

"Suedehead" was Morrissey's first songwriting collaboration with former Smiths producer Stephen Street. Street, who initially believed the Smiths would reunite within a few months of breaking up, sent demos of his instrumental tracks to Morrissey as possible ideas for Smiths B-sides. With a band including Street, Vini Reilly, and Andrew Paresi, Morrissey attempted the song in his first solo recording session. With regards to his bassline, Street noted, "One thing I always picked up on working with the Smiths was that Morrissey often positions himself in relation to what the bassline is doing. So when I worked on 'Suedehead' I made the bassline melodic, not just root notes."

"Suedehead" was noted as a potential single early in the song's recording process. Street recalled, "I think that it was quite evident straight away that it was going to be a single. There was something about it that was really special." Morrissey commented in a 1988 interview that he was worried it "would gasp in the higher 30s and disintegrate" and that he was hesitant to release it but was "carried along on a wave of general enthusiasm." Street later disputed this, remembering, "Morrissey sent me a card saying, 'Don't read the interview'. I think he realised after he'd done it that he'd been a bit negative about things. The idea that he didn't want 'Suedehead' to be the single is utter rubbish, he was just as excited as anyone else about releasing it." The record label's affinity for the song helped assuage concerns with Street writing the whole Viva Hate album.