The Smashing Pumpkins – Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts

The Smashing Pumpkins Biography

The Smashing Pumpkins (often known as simply Smashing Pumpkins) are a Chicago-based alternative rock band. The band has gone through multiple lineup changes since it was founded in 1988 by frontman Billy Corgan (lead vocals, guitar), D’arcy Wretzky (bass), James Iha (guitar), and Jimmy Chamberlin (drums). Corgan, Chamberlin, Iha, and guitarist Jeff Schroeder make up the current lineup.They are well known today for their songs “1979” and “Bullet with Butterfly Wings”. They were nominated for two Grammy Awards for Best Hard Rock Performance; in 1997 for their “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” and in 1998 for their “The End Is the Beginning Is the End”.

They have a wide, highly layered, and guitar-heavy sound, containing elements of gothic rock, heavy metal, dream pop, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, shoegazing, and, in later albums, electronica, while disavowing the punk rock roots of many of their alt-rock contemporaries. Corgan is the primary songwriter for the band, and his artistic goals and cathartic lyrics have defined the band’s albums and songs, which have been described as “anguished, wounded reports from Billy Corgan’s nightmare-land.”

With their second album, Siamese Dream, released in 1993, the Smashing Pumpkins broke into the mainstream of music. With considerable touring, the group grew in popularity, and their 1995 follow-up, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, landed at number one on the Billboard 200 album list. With 30 million albums sold worldwide, the Smashing Pumpkins were one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands of the 1990s.

During the 1990s, the band was nominated for multiple MTV Video Music Awards. The band won eight VMAs in total in 1996 for the videos “1979” and “Tonight, Tonight,” including Video of the Year for “Tonight, Tonight.” At the 1997 Grammy Awards, the video was also nominated for a Grammy. Speaking of the “Tonight, Tonight” video, Corgan remarked, “I don’t think we’ve ever had people react [like this]… it just seemed to touch a nerve.”

The band’s music videos from 1991 to 2000 were collected in the Greatest Hits Video Collection, which included commentary from Corgan, Iha, Chamberlin, Wretzky, and other music video directors, as well as outtakes, live performances, and the extended “Try, Try, Try” short film. Internal strife, drug addiction, and declining album sales led to the band’s disbandment in 2000.

Corgan and Chamberlin reunited in 2006 to make Zeitgeist, a new Smashing Pumpkins album. Chamberlin left the band in early 2009 after touring throughout 2007 and 2008 with a lineup that included new guitarist Jeff Schroeder. Later that year, Corgan launched Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, a new recording series with a revolving lineup of musicians that included stand-alone singles, compilation EP releases, and two full albums—Oceania in 2012 and Monuments to an Elegy in 2014—that also came within the project’s scope.

In February 2018, Chamberlin and Iha formally rejoined the band. Shiny & Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future was published by the reunited group. In November 2018, there will be no Sun., and in November 2020, there will be no Cyr.

The Smashing Pumpkins Discography

Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun.SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Monuments to an ElegySpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
OceaniaSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
ZeitgeistSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern MusicSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Machina/The Machines of GodSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
AdoreSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Mellon Collie and the Infinite SadnessSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Siamese DreamSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
GishSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon

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Frequently Asked Questions

What Kind Of Music Brand Of The Smashing Pumpkins?

The Smashing Pumpkins is an American alternative rock band from Chicago, Illinois. Formed in 1988 by frontman Billy Corgan (lead vocals, guitar), D’arcy Wretzky (bass), James Iha (guitar), and Jimmy Chamberlin (drums), the band has undergone many line-up changes. The current lineup features Corgan, Chamberlin, Iha and guitarist Jeff Schroeder.

Who Is The Lead Singer Of The Smashing Pumpkins?

The lead singer of the Smashing Pumpkins is Billy Corgan. He has been with the band since its inception in 1988.

Who Is The Current Bass Player For The Smashing Pumpkins?

The current bass player for The Smashing Pumpkins is D’arcy Wretzky.

What Is The Smashing Pumpkins Most Famous Song?

The Smashing Pumpkins are most famous for their song “Cherub Rock.” The song was released in 1993 and peaked at number nine on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. “Cherub Rock” is considered to be one of the band’s signature songs.

How Many Songs Do The Smashing Pumpkins Have?

The Smashing Pumpkins have released nine studio albums, six live albums, one compilation album, five video albums, thirteen extended plays, thirty-nine singles, and seventeen Demand Film/Video. They have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide.

Most Searched For Smashing Pumpkins Songs

1979- Remastered 2012SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
ZeroSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Bullet with Butterfly Wings- RemasteredSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Tonight, TonightSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Disarm-RemasteredSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
SolaraSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
ChristastimeSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Today-2011 remasterSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
PerfectSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Cherub Rock- Remastered 2011SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Ava AdoreSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
DrownSpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon