The Smashing Pumpkins

Formed in 1988 in Chicago, Illinois, The Smashing Pumpkins became one of the best-selling alternative rock bands of the 1990s. The band debuted with 1991's Gish, which was co-produced by frontman Billy Corgan and reached Number 146 on the Billboard 200. 1993's Siamese Dream reached Number 10 in America and earned quadruple platinum status on the strength of singles like "Cherub Rock," "Disarm," and "Today," all of which were Top 10 hits on the Alternative Airplay chart. The band's next album, the ambitious double LP Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and sold over 10 million copies in the US alone. It also spawned four Top 40 hits on the Hot 100, including "1979" and "Tonight, Tonight." The band markedly changed its style with the 1997 single "Eye," which relied almost exclusively on electronic instruments, and the 1998 album Adore finalized The Smashing Pumpkins' shift toward the electronic genre. Co-founder D'arcy Wretzky exited in the band in 1999 and was replaced by bassist Melissa Auf der Maur, who appeared on 2000's Machina/The Machines of God. The album marked a return to the band's traditional rock sound, but years of internal fighting had already strained relationships with the band, and The Smashing Pumpkins broke up later that year. In 2006, Corgan announced his intentions to reform the band. Although several members declined the opportunity to be part of the reunion, he and new drummer Mike Byrne set the wheels in motion to revive The Smashing Pumpkins with new material on 2007’s Zeitgeist. In 2009, they released the 44-track concept album Teargarden by Kaleidyscope as a free download. After more line-up shuffles, Oceania was released in 2012, debuting at Number 4 on the Billboard 200. Monuments to an Elegy was released in 2014, and original members James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin rejoined the band for the release of the single “Solara” in June 2018. The Smashing Pumpkins' tenth studio album, Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1/LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun, was released in November 2018, with CYR following in 2020. The group's next project was Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts, another ambitious project whose three volumes were released between late 2022 and early 2023. "Empires," a track from the album's third volume, became a hit in May 2023, reaching Number 35 on the Top 40 Radio Mainstream Songs chart.

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