The Smashing Pumpkins were one of the most popular alternative rock bands of the 1990s, mostly thanks to the success of second and third albums Siamese Dream and Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. At the height of their fame they guest-starred in a memorable episode of The Simpsons.
The line-up of American alt-rock band the Smashing Pumpkins has altered over the years since their formation in 1988, but the most consistent members are Billy Corgan (vocals/guitar) and Jimmy Chamberlin (drums/percussion), who weathered the break-up of 2000 to return with a reunited band in 2006.
Corgan founded the band with guitarist James Iha, and with the line-up completed by D'arcy Wretzky and Jimmy Chamberlin, they recorded a series of demos. Their debut album was 1991’s Gish, which was moderately successful and they toured, opening for Jane’s Addiction (with whom they were often compared) and Red Hot Chili Peppers, among others.
1993 saw the release of Siamese Dream. As a result of being linked with the upcoming grunge movement they felt that a lot was expected of this release and the pressure became unbearable. Corgan became a depressive workaholic, Chamberlin became addicted to narcotics, and the band fought badly. Nonetheless the album fared well, debuting at No.10 on the US Billboard charts and receiving widespread critical acclaim.
The follow-up was Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, a double album which achieved enough sales to earn nine platinum discs and seven Grammy Award nominations. The ensuing tour initially proved to be a triumph as they played to huge crowds, but serious problems were just around the corner. A fan was crushed to death at a concert in Dublin, touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin died of a heroin overdose, and Chamberlin was arrested for his involvement in the incident. Chamberlin was fired as a result, and for their next album Adore the Smashing Pumpkins were stripped down to a three-piece. The album was considered a minor failure, but only in relation to the sales of their previous outings as it still sold well in real terms.
Chamberlin joined them again in 1999 for the 2000 release of Machina/The Machines of God. The album sold passably well, but not well enough to prevent the decision, announced in 2000, that the band would split after their next album, the internet-only Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music.
Post split, the band members engaged in various projects with other musicians. In 2001 Corgan and Chamberlin formed the short-lived supergroup Zwan, who released a well received album in 2003. In 2005 Corgan released the solo album TheFutureEmbrace, which failed to sell well.
By 2005, Corgan announced that the Pumpkins would reunite, and the reformed band played live for the first time in Paris, France, in May 2007. The album Zeitgeist followed in July, debuting at No.2 on the Billboard 200.
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