In 1988, the Chicago-based alternative music group The Smashing Pumpkins was founded. The first lineup of the group included drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, bassist D’arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha, and lead singer and guitarist Billy Corgan.
The band’s lineup has changed a lot throughout the years. Corgan, Chamberlin, and Iha are the only current original members of the group. Jeff Schroeder, the band’s guitarist, joined the group later. The Smashing Pumpkins have sold more than 16.7 million CDs since the start of their musical career.
Additionally, they have received numerous honors for their music, including two Grammy Awards. The Smashing Pumpkins have produced 11 studio albums, 4 live albums, 7 compilation albums, 4 video albums, 6 EPs, 5 soundtrack albums, 3 demon albums, 36 music videos, and 54 singles during their tenure together. Here is a ranking of every studio album by The Smashing Pumpkins.
1. Siamese Dream (1993)
According to Kerrang, ‘Siamese Dream‘ is not only one of the best albums released by the Smashing Pumpkins, but it is also one of the albums that most significantly contributed to the development of popular music in the 1990s.
Even though it is not the band’s most commercially successful album, it is often considered to be their most definitive and iconic work. It is also the album that has received the highest accolades from music critics and is the one that has the greatest popularity among fans.
In the United States of America, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, it reached the top ten of the album charts.
2. Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
The Smashing Pumpkins ‘Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness’ is the album that has been the most successful commercially. It was the band’s first album to reach number one on the album charts in the United States and their third studio album overall.
Additionally, the album reached number one on the charts in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. It placed in the top 10 in nations such as the United Kingdom, Belgium, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
This album’s lead single was titled ‘Bullet with Butterfly Wings,’ while the other five singles issued from the album were titled ‘Zero Tonight,’ ‘1979,’ ‘Muzzle,’ ‘Thirty-Three,’ and ‘Tonight, Tonight.’ The lead single for this album was ‘Bullet with Butterfly Wings.’
3. Adore (1998)
The fourth studio album by the Smashing Pumpkins was titled “Adore.” The album peaked at number one in Australia, Belgium, France, and New Zealand even though it did not teach the same level of success as its predecessor and only debuted at number two on the US charts.
Jimmy Chamberlin, the band’s drummer, had quit, and the other members were battling chronic interpersonal problems leading up to the album’s release, which made it challenging for the group.
The change in the musical direction of this album, which was more influenced by electronica than their earlier work, may have been brought on by their problems.
4. Zeitgeist (2007)
After disbanding in the year 2000, the band did not get back together under its original name until 2007. Although it was the band’s seventh studio album overall, ‘Zeitgeist‘ was the first album they issued after reuniting as a group.
It reached its highest position of number two in the United States, while it also topped the charts in Canada and the Netherlands. Additionally, it was a top ten success in several other countries, including Australia, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany, New Zealand, Ireland, and the Netherlands.
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5. Machina/ The Machines of God (2000)
The Smashing Pumpkins released their fifth studio album, titled Machina/The Machines of God, in 2000. This album was the first of two albums to be released that year. It was the first album to feature bassist Melissa Auf der Maur and was a concept album that heralded the return of drummer Jimmy Chamberlin.
The album also featured other members of the band. The band had reached the top of the charts with their third studio album, but they were unable to duplicate that feat with their fourth.
As a result, The Smashing Pumpkins decided to experiment with a new sound and approach with this album. They reached their highest position on the charts in the United States, which was number three, but they were unable to top the charts there once more.
6. Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music
(2000)
The album titled “Machina II: The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music” has an interesting backstory that explains how it came to be released. Virgin postponed the release of the follow-up album, Consequence Sound, because of the lackluster response that was received upon the initial release of the ‘Machina’ album.
Corgan became impatient with the waiting process and decided to have only 25 copies of the album printed on vinyl. He distributed these copies to fans and radio stations to get the music into circulation as quickly as possible.
Because of this, the studio album in question was never distributed commercially by a record company. However, those who are interested in downloading it for free can still do so if they are fans of the band.
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7. Oceania (2012)
The band’s chart performance took a turn for the worse with the publication of their eighth studio album, titled “Oceania,” which also marked the album’s release.
In spite of the fact that it fared rather well on the charts in both the United States and Canada, where it peaked at position number four, it did not fare as well in other nations.
It was the first album on which guitarist Jeff Schroeder appeared, as well as the only record on which drummer Mike Byrne and bassist Nicole Fiorentino appeared.
8. Monuments to an Elegy (2014)
The band’s ninth studio album, titled “Monuments to an Elegy,” was the result of a paired effort on the part of Billy Corgan and Jeff Schroeder. It did not feature the official drummer or bassist; instead, Corgan took responsibility for the contributions made by the latter instrument.
In spite of the fact that album sales were low in comparison to those of the artist’s prior work, it was met with mostly favorable reviews from music critics. In the United States, where it reached number 33 on the charts, it was the song’s greatest chart triumph.
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9. Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1/ LP: No Past, No Future. No Sun. (2018)
“No Past, No Future, Vol. 1/ LP: Shiny and Oh So Bright. No Sun.” The Smashing Pumpkins, an American alternative rock band, released their latest studio album in November 2018.
Billy Corgan, James Iha, and Jimmy Chamberlin from the band’s beginnings as well as veteran guitarist Jeff Schroeder all appear on the album. The band’s founding members had not collaborated on an album in 18 years prior to this.
Eight songs make up the album, including the lead single “Solara,” which was made available in June 2018. According to reviews, the album features a combination of powerful guitar riffs, ethereal interludes, and beautiful lyrics, and is a return to the band’s classic style.
10. Cyr (2020)
‘Cyr.’ was the eleventh studio album overall to be released by the Smashing Pumpkins, and it was their most recent release. It reached number 40 on the singles charts in Australia and Germany, but it did not fare as well in other countries.
At the same time that the band released the album, they also published a five-part animated series called ‘In Ashes’ that was written by Corgan. Each of the episodes was turned into a music video to accompany one of the songs on the album. The songs were chosen at random.