1979 (song)

For the Good Charlotte song, see Cardiology (album).

"1979"
Single by The Smashing Pumpkins
from the album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
B-side
  • "Ugly"
  • "The Boy"
  • "Cherry"
  • "Believe"
  • "Set the Ray to Jerry"
ReleasedJanuary 23, 1996 (1996-01-23)
Genre
Length
  • 4:24 (album, single, video version)
  • 4:16 (radio edit)
Label
Songwriter(s)Billy Corgan
Producer(s)
The Smashing Pumpkins singles chronology
"Bullet with Butterfly Wings"
(1995) 		"1979"
(1996) 		"Zero"
(1996)
Audio sample
Music video
"1979" on YouTube

"1979" is a song by American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. It was released in 1996 as the second single from their third studio album, Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. "1979" was written by frontman Billy Corgan, and features loops and samples uncharacteristic of previous Smashing Pumpkins songs.[7] The song foreshadows the synth-pop sound the band would embrace more openly on Adore and its tracks "Ava Adore" and "Perfect".[8][9] The song was written as a nostalgic coming-of-age story by Corgan. In the year 1979, Corgan was twelve, and this is what he considered his transition into adolescence.[10]

"1979" reached number two in Canada and Iceland, number six in Ireland, number nine in New Zealand, and number 12 in the United States. It charted within the top 20 in several other countries, including Australia and the United Kingdom. The song was nominated for the Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal at the 39th Annual Grammy Awards, and won an MTV Video Music Award for Best Alternative Video. In 2012, it was voted the second-best Smashing Pumpkins song by Rolling Stone readers.[11]

  1. ^ Gray, Scott A. (April 4, 2018). "An Essential Guide to the Smashing Pumpkins". Exclaim!. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  2. ^ "50 Greatest Grunge Albums". Rolling Stone. April 1, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  3. ^ "The 250 Best Songs of the 1990s". Pitchfork. September 27, 2022. Retrieved October 21, 2022.
  4. ^ Leas, Ryan (October 29, 2013). "Smashing Pumpkins Albums From Worst To Best". Stereogum. Retrieved February 19, 2023.
  5. ^ "Adore". Rolling Stone. May 18, 1998.
  6. ^ Philip Cosores (July 5, 2017). "Ranking: Every Alternative Rock No. 1 Hit from Worst to Best". Conseqeunce.net. Retrieved January 30, 2024.
  7. ^ Kot, Greg. "A Long Strange Trip to 1979". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 5, 2011.
  8. ^ Parks, Andrew. "Smashing Pumpkins Share 'Adore' Bonus Tracks, Including a Banjo Take and Diddy Remix". Wondering Sound. Archived from the original on November 17, 2014. Retrieved November 26, 2015.
  9. ^ "Adore". Rolling Stone. May 18, 1998.
  10. ^ "Top 21 Songs About Nostalgia". Consequence of Sound. September 3, 2018. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
  11. ^ "Readers' Poll: The Best Smashing Pumpkins Songs". Rolling Stone. June 13, 2012. Retrieved January 21, 2023.