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The Smashing Pumpkins

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Chicago, United States (1988 – 2000, 2007 – present)

The Smashing Pumpkins are an influential American alternative rock band, formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Billy Corgan and James Iha met in a record store, and began performing in local nightclubs with their bassist, D’Arcy Wretzky, using a drum machine. Playing with a drum machine frustrated both the band and their audience, and so Chicago jazz drummer Jimmy Chamberlin was hired soon afterwards.

Less influenced by punk than many of their contemporaries, the Pumpkins had a densely layered, guitar-heavy sound, with powerful loud-to-soft-to-loud transitions, while still picking up grunge, heavy metal, power pop, psychedelic rock, shoegazer-style production.

In later recordings, namely Adore, the fourth album, an electronica flair filtered in after Jimmy Chamberlin temporarily left the band for drug rehab. Though Chamberlin returned for their fifth album, Machina/The Machines of God, electronica undertones remained. The emotional tone of bandleader Billy Corgan’s songs ranged from angry (

X.Y.U.) to dour (

Disarm) to jubilant (

Cherub Rock).

Selling more than 18.3 million albums in the United States alone (as of 2006), the Smashing Pumpkins were one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands of the 1990s. However, internal fighting, diminishing sales, drug problems, cultural vitality, and what is speculated to be improper treatment from their record company, hampered the band in their later years, leading to the 2000 break-up.

Tagged as:

rock, alternative, alternative rock, grunge, 90s
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1	1979 full track	10,765
2	Disarm full track	7,703
3	Today full track	7,602
4	Bullet With Butterfly Wings full track	7,484
5	Tonight, Tonight full track	6,757
6	Zero full track	6,470
7	Cherub Rock full track	5,879
8	Ava Adore full track	4,501
9	Perfect full track	3,972
10	Mayonaise full track	2,728
11	Stand Inside Your Love full track	2,697
12	Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness full track	2,535
13	Here Is No Why full track	2,361
14	Siva full track	2,356
15	Thirty-Three full track	2,335

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samueljanderson wrote:
3 hours ago

Life-changing? Really? It was pretty awesome, but I would hesitate to go as far as that...

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Victo_prog wrote:
5 hours ago

That documentary is life-changing...

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Pearl_Jam10 wrote:
7 hours ago

I have played drums for over 4 years and love Jimmy's drumming. He blends it so perfectly with the music it is unbelievable. Geek USA is my favorite of his works.

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Meecrob39 wrote:
9 hours ago

I'm not musical know it all, but I like Jimmys drumming style. I usually don't pay a lot of attention to the drumming but how can you ignore Jimmy? His drumming style is exciting. I think people just like to find something bad about the band, even if the thing they find has no actual faults.

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unref wrote:
10 hours ago

I think he should listen to SP before he judges Jimmy's drumming :P But seriously: Did you name some examples where you can actually hear Jimmy's drumming abilities? SP have some songs where Jimmy's drumming is quite simple because it's the way it fits the best. Maybe he was thinking of those songs because he's not as familiar with SP as you are. You should play some stuff to him that will change his mind Machina (I & II (Cash Car Star has some of the best drumming)), Vieuphoria (Geek U.S.A for example. I think the drumming is more dynamic than on SD), United States, ..

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absolia wrote:
10 hours ago

k so, one of my very best friends and i were talking about SP and i mentioned how j.c. is an incredible/wonderful/virtuoso/god drummer. and he toooooooooootally disagreed. he said jimmy is on par with a kid in a high school garage band. it made me go like this :O because this guy is pretty well versed music-wise. and he's a musician. it just made me go "wtf?" because it makes no sense. i've never heard anyone say jimmy was anything less than incredible. i mean, even billy said jimmy is the best technical musician in the band. i don't get it. what do you guys think he was on about?

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Meecrob39 wrote:
11 hours ago

Didn't Jimmy write Loki Cat, by The Jimmy Chamberlin Complex?

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Corblimeyguvnor wrote:
yesterday afternoon

If Jimmy did write Zeitgeist then Billy Should sue him for plagiarizing Try, Try, Try

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mackil wrote:
yesterday afternoon

So, in the If All Goes Wrong concert video, Billy compliments Jimmy on writing the song Zeitgeist. Anyone know if this is true or is Billy testing the audience to see if they'll like the song more if he didn't write it.

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Chanitto wrote:
yesterday morning

Smashing Pumpkins - Nothing And Everything this is a real smashing pumpkins song.

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Metallicaian wrote:
yesterday morning

WHOA! Today passed BWBW! Only GH and RB huh. I got a new shirt today! The Smashing Pumpkins That's the way my love is with the grimp repear in front! It's AWESOME all my friends are jealous!!!

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Meecrob39 wrote:
yesterday morning

I'm not to fond of the GLOW video. At least the song is good, which is all the really matters in the end.

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footsteps wrote:
Wednesday evening

well you're missing out a LOT on some very, very good music my friend.

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xHxYxBxRxIxDx wrote:
Wednesday morning

A child of the 90's and 90's music dominates my taste...but i cold never get into SP...i think BIlly Corgans voice killed it for me...

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Corblimeyguvnor wrote:
Wednesday morning

Thank Christ she didn't get to James!!!

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absolia wrote:
Tuesday evening

um, duh, everyone knows that courtney love hexed him and he lost all his hair.

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Corblimeyguvnor wrote:
Tuesday evening

His hairline was receeding and he did the honourable thing. He still had his moments as a slaphead. http://www.mtv.com/shared/media/news/images/c/Corgan_Billy/sq_billy_smile_vid_1979_vir.jpg That part of the 1979 video was probably the most attractive he's ever looked.

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coolbeanie wrote:
Tuesday evening

Why did Billy have to shave his hair off? When he had hair, he was pretty cute. Man, was I mad that he went bald during the time that "Mellon Collie...." was released. Oh, well. Their music is awesome and has aged very very well.

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absolia wrote:
Tuesday evening

is it weird that i LOVE the kerry brown remix of 'daphne descends'? 'cause i do. a lot. ;p

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smpb wrote:
Tuesday morning

G.L.O.W. video: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&VideoID=46404025 Personally, i like it.

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Dec 2 The Smashing Pumpkins Gibson Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, United States
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Dec 3 The Smashing Pumpkins Gibson Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, United States
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Dec 5 Indie Night DeBar, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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News

Tons of new photos from Kansas City shows

4 Dec 2008 | from blog.myspace.com/smashingpumpkins

SP.com has posted a new Photo Essay from SP.com user 2ndTheory.These include some very up-close-and-personal shots of Billy Corgan and the rest. Here is a sample:See the post on SP.com now!...

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