Sonic Youth discography

Sonic Youth discography
Studio albums	17
Compilation albums	4
Video albums	6
Music videos	46
EPs	8
Singles	21
Sonic Youth Recordings (SYR)	8
Bootlegs	8
Soundtrack and compilation appearances	16

Sonic Youth was an alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981.^[1] Their lineup included Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, Kim Gordon, Mark Ibold, and Steve Shelley. The band's discography includes 16 studio albums, seven extended plays, three compilation albums, seven video releases, 21 singles, 46 music videos, eight releases in the Sonic Youth Recordings series, eight official bootlegs, and contributions to 16 soundtracks and other compilations.

In 1981 Sonic Youth signed with Neutral Records, and released its eponymous debut EP Sonic Youth the next year.^[1] The band's first full-length album was Confusion is Sex, released in 1983.^[1] Kill Yr Idols was released the same year, under the German label Zensor Records.^[1] Bad Moon Rising was released two years later on Blast First, a label created specifically for Sonic Youth releases.^[1] In 1986 Sonic Youth signed to SST Records and released EVOL later the same year. The album gained the band increasing critical acclaim and exposure, and the group released Sister and the double LP Daydream Nation in 1987 and 1988 respectively, the latter on Enigma Records.^[1]

In 1990 the band signed to major label Geffen Records, and released Goo the same year. The band's 1991 tour with the then little-known band Nirvana was documented in the film 1991: The Year Punk Broke. In 1992, Sonic Youth released Dirty. Two years later, the group released Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star, and Washing Machine the following year.^[1]

Forced to start from scratch after its instruments and equipment were stolen, the band released NYC Ghosts & Flowers in 2000. Sonic Youth released Murray Street in the summer of 2002, followed in 2004 by Sonic Nurse. Rather Ripped and The Destroyed Room: B-sides and Rarities were released in 2006, the latter featuring tracks previously available only on vinyl, limited-release compilations, B-sides to international singles, and other previously unreleased material. The Eternal was released 3 years later, in 2009.^[1][2]

Studio albums

Year	Album details	Peak chart positions
		US [3][4]	UK [5]	AUS [6]	GER [7]	FRA [8]	NOR [9]	SWE [10]	NLD [11]	NZ [12]	BEL [13]	JPN [14]
1983	Confusion Is Sex Released: February 1983 Label: Neutral (Neutral #9)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1985	Bad Moon Rising Released: March 1985 Label: Homestead (HMS #16)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1986	EVOL Released: March 1986 Label: SST (SST #59)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1987	Sister Released: June 1987 Label: SST (SST #134)	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1988	Daydream Nation Released: October 1988 Label: Enigma (EN #75403-02)	—	99	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	91	—
1989	The Whitey Album (as Ciccone Youth) Released: January 18, 1989 Label: Enigma (EN No. 7 75402)	—	63	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1990	Goo Released: June 26, 1990 Label: DGC (DGC #24297)	96	32	—	—	—	—	—	71	22	—	—
1992	Dirty Released: July 21, 1992 Label: DGC (DGC #24485)	83	6	22	59	—	—	26	57	5	—	53
1994	Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star Released: May 3, 1994 Label: DGC (DGC #24632)	34	10	25	87	—	—	27	65	16	—	62
1995	Washing Machine Released: September 26, 1995 Label: DGC (DGC #24852)	58	39	34	—	—	—	—	91	41	38	94
1998	A Thousand Leaves Released: May 12, 1998 Label: DGC (DGC #25203)	85	38	66	84	32	37	43	—	—	28	43
2000	NYC Ghosts & Flowers Released: May 16, 2000 Label: Geffen (GEF #069490650-2)	172	113	—	—	61	37	—	—	—	—	—
2002	Murray Street Released: June 25, 2002 Label: DGC (DGC #694933192)	126	77	78	63	48	16	—	—	—	28	45
2004	Sonic Nurse Released: June 7, 2004 Label: Geffen (GEF #B0002549-12)	64	—	54	89	40	21	—	98	—	23	47
2006	Rather Ripped Released: June 13, 2006 Label: Geffen (GEF #B0006757-02)	71	64	40	79	25	13	46	—	—	20	41
2009	The Eternal Released: June 9, 2009 Label: Matador	18	42	52	29	19	17	28	90	38	9	29
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Live albums

Year	Album details	Notes
1984	Sonic Death: Early Sonic 1981–1983 Released 1984 Label: Ecstatic Peace!
1986	Walls Have Ears Released 1986 Label: Not	semi-official bootleg recording[15] double album featuring two live sets: one performance with Bob Bert and one with Steve Shelley limited to 2,000 machine-numbered copies Not was a short-lived Blast First imprint
1991	Hold That Tiger Released 1991 Label: Goofin'
1992	Live at the Continental Club Released 1992 Label: Red Line
2012	Smart Bar: Chicago 1985 Released November 13, 2012 Label: Goofin'

Extended plays

Year	EP details	Notes
1982	Sonic Youth Released March, 1982 Label: Neutral (NEUTRAL #1)
1983	Kill Yr Idols Released: October 1983 Label: Zensor Records (Z #S10)	Released on CD with Confusion Is Sex by Geffen in 1995.
1987	Master=Dik Released: January 1988 Label: Blast First (CHAT #1)
1993	Whores Moaning Released: February 1993 Label: Geffen (GEF #21783)	Released for Australian/New Zealand tour.
1994	TV Shit Released: February 1994 Label: Ecstatic Peace! (E #38)	With Yamatsuka Eye.
1998	Silver Session for Jason Knuth Released: July 14, 1998 Label: Sonic Knuth Records (SKR #1)	Dedicated to Sonic Youth fan and radio DJ, Jason Knuth.
2001	In the Fishtank 9 Released: July 2001 Label: Konkurrent Records	With Instant Composers Pool and The Ex.
2002	Kali Yug Express Released: 2002 Label: Geffen Records
2009	Sensational Fix Released: January 2009 Label: Matador Records

Compilations

Year	Compilation details	Notes
1984	Sonic Death Label: Ecstatic Peace (E #2)	Live recordings from 1981 to 1983.
1995	Screaming Fields of Sonic Love Released: April 25, 1995 Label: DGC (DGC #24809)	Compilation of songs from Daydream Nation and earlier.
2006	The Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities Released: December 12, 2006 Label: Geffen (GEF #B000812402)	Compilation of various B-sides.
2008	Hits Are for Squares Released: June 10, 2008 Label: Starbucks	Compilation of songs chosen by various celebrities, plus an original song.

Sonic Youth Recordings (SYR) series

Sonic Youth have released a number of mostly experimental and instrumental releases under their own label Sonic Youth Recordings. The SYR series has established a tradition where each album is released in a different language. SYR1 has song titles and album sleeve artwork all in French, SYR2 is in Dutch, SYR3 is in Esperanto, SYR4 in English SYR5 is in Japanese, and SYR6 is in Lithuanian.

Year	Album details	Notes
1997	SYR1: Anagrama Released: June 10, 1997
	SYR2: Slaapkamers met slagroom Released: September 2, 1997
1998	SYR3: Invito al ĉielo Released: February 24, 1998	Sonic Youth's first collaboration with Jim O'Rourke.
1999	SYR4: Goodbye 20th Century Released: November 16, 1999	Double-album featuring covers of various avant-garde recordings by Sonic Youth and other collaborators such as John Cage, Yoko Ono, Steve Reich, and Christian Wolff.
2000	SYR5: ミュージカル パ一スペクティブ Released: August 29, 2000	Collaboration between Kim Gordon, DJ Olive, and Ikue Mori.
2005	SYR6: Koncertas Stan Brakhage prisiminimui Released: December 6, 2005	Live recording of an Anthology Film Archives benefit show, played to silent films of Stan Brakhage. It is a CD only release.
2008	SYR7: J'Accuse Ted Hughes Released: April 22, 2008	It is a Vinyl only release.
	SYR8: Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth Released: July 28, 2008	It is a CD only release. Live recording of the 2005 Roskilde Festival in Denmark. Featuring Jim O'Rourke, Mats Gustafsson, and Merzbow.
2011	SYR9: Simon Werner a disparu Released: 2011	Soundtrack to the film Simon Werner a disparu.

Official bootlegs

Year	Title	Notes
1986	Walls Have Ears	Live show from 1985.
1988	* "Stick Me Donna Majick Momma"	Bootleg 7" single. The title track being a studio recording from 1985 and an early version of "Expressway to Yr. Skull", while track two was recorded live on October 30, 1983 in Berlin, Germany
1990	4 Tunna Brix	Four covers of songs by The Fall (one being a cover of a cover of a Kinks song), recorded at the BBC for the John Peel show
1991	Goo Demos	Collection of demos for Goo.
	Hold that Tiger	Live show from 1987.
1992	Live at the Continental Club	Live show from 1986, released through the band's fan club.
1994	Live in Bremen
1995	Live Venlo, Holland December 27, 1983	Live show from 1983, released through the band's fan club.
	Blastic Scene	This bootleg had a semi-official release. The recorded show was held on July 14, 1993 in Lisbon, Portugal @ Campo Pequeno.

Video releases

Year	Video details	Notes
1985	Live at Stache's Label: Altavistic (ATV #2)	Concert video filmed on August 1, 1985 in Columbus, Ohio.
1991	Goo Released: April 13, 1993 Label: DGC (DGC #V-39508)	Compilation of music videos for every song on Goo. Featured on Corporate Ghost: The Videos: 1990–2002.
1992	Gila Monster Jamboree Label: Sonic Death (SD #13005)	Concert video filmed on January 5, 1985 in the Mojave Desert.
	1991: The Year Punk Broke Label: DGC (DGC #V-39518)	Documentary featuring various alternative rock bands, mostly Sonic Youth.
1995	Screaming Fields of Sonic Love Label: DGC (DGC #V-39550)	Collects all of the band's pre-DGC music videos and a couple of live performances.
2004	Corporate Ghost: The Videos: 1990–2002 Released: June 8, 2004 Label: Geffen (GEF #75409)	Compilation DVD of the band's Geffen-era videos, from 1990–2002. Certified gold in Canada.[16]

Soundtrack and compilation appearances

Year	Title	Track(s)
1986	Sub Pop 100	"Kill Yr Idols"
1988	Fast 'n' Bulbous – A Tribute to Captain Beefheart OST	"Electricity" (by Captain Beefheart)
1988	Sgt. Pepper Knew My Father	"Within You Without You" (by The Beatles)
1988	The Melting Plot	"I Am Right" (by Saccharine Trust)
1989	The Bridge: A Tribute to Neil Young	"Computer Age" (by Neil Young)
1990	Pump Up the Volume OST	"Titanium Exposé"
1992	Fortune Cookie Prize: A Tribute to Beat Happening	"Black Candy" (by Beat Happening)
1993	Judgment Night OST	"I Love You Mary Jane" with Cypress Hill
1994	If I Were a Carpenter	"Superstar" (by The Carpenters)
	DGC Rarities Volume 1	"Compilation Blues"
1995	My So-Called Life OST	"Genetic"
	Made in USA	All tracks.
1997	SubUrbia OST	Three original songs and one from Thurston Moore solo album.
	Nowhere OST	"Hendrix Necro"
1999	Pola X	"Blink".
2002	Demonlover OST	Eight original songs.
2003	You Can Never Go Fast Enough
2004	Hidros 3 (To Patti Smith) with Mats Gustafsson
2006	From the Kitchen Archives No. 3 – Amplified: New Music Meets Rock 1981–1986	"World Looks Red", "Shaking Hell"
	The Harry Smith Project: The Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited	"Dry Bones" with Roswell Rudd
2007	Like a Hurricane: A Tribute to Neil Young	"Computer Age" (by Neil Young) same recording as above
	I'm Not There OST	"I'm Not There"
2008	Juno OST	"Superstar"
2010	Simon Werner a Disparu OST	Original Score

Singles

Note: Sonic Youth have never charted on the Billboard Hot 100.

Year	Single	Peak chart positions				Album
		US Mod. [3][4]	AUS [6]	IRL [17]	UK [5]
1984	"Death Valley '69"	—	—	—	—	Bad Moon Rising
1985	"Flower/Halloween"	—	—	—	—
1986	"Flower / Satan Is Boring"	—	—	—	—
	"Starpower"	—	—	—	—	EVOL
	"Into the Groove(y)" (as Ciccone Youth)	—	—	—	—	The Whitey Album
1988	"Teen Age Riot"	20	—	—	—	Daydream Nation
	"Silver Rocket"	—	—	—	—
1989	"Candle"	—	—	—	—
	"Providence"	—	—	—	—
	"Touch Me I'm Sick/Halloween"	—	—	—	—	split with Mudhoney
1990	"Kool Thing"	7	—	24	81	Goo
	"Disappearer"	—	—	—	—
1991	"Dirty Boots"	—	—	—	—
1992	"100%"	4	67	—	28	Dirty
	"Youth Against Fascism"	—	—	—	52
1993	"Sugar Kane"	—	—	—	26
	"Drunken Butterfly"	—	—	—	—
1994	"Bull in the Heather"	13	90	—	24	Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
	"Superstar"	26	—	—	45	If I Were a Carpenter
1995	"The Diamond Sea"	—	—	—	—	Washing Machine
1996	"Little Trouble Girl"	—	—	—	81
1998	"Sunday"	—	—	—	72	A Thousand Leaves
2000	"Nevermind (What Was It Anyway)"	—	—	—	—	NYC Ghosts & Flowers
2003	"Kim Gordon & The Arthur Doyle Hand Cream"	—	—	—	—	split with Erase Errata
2006	"Helen Lundeberg/Eyeliner"	—	—	—	—	Rather Ripped
	"Incinerate"	—	—	—	—
	"Beautiful Plateau"	—	—	—	—	The Destroyed Room
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Music videos

Year	Title	Director
1985	"Death Valley '69"	Richard Kern
1986	"Shadow of a Doubt"	Kevin Kerslake
1987	"Beauty Lies in the Eye"
1988	"Teen Age Riot"	Sonic Youth
	"Silver Rocket"	Charles Atlas
	"Providence"	Peter Fowler Sonic Youth
	"Candle"	Kevin Kerslake
	"Addicted to Love" (as Ciccone Youth)	Kim Gordon
	"Macbeth" (as Ciccone Youth)	Dave Markey
1990	"Kool Thing"	Tamra Davis
	"Disappearer"	Todd Haynes
1991	"Dirty Boots"	Tamra Davis
	"Tunic (Song for Karen)"	Tony Oursler
	"Mary-Christ"	Steve Shelley
	"Mote"	Ray Agony
	"My Friend Goo"	Dave Markey Joe Cole Kim Gordon Thurston Moore
	"Mildred Pierce"	Dave Markey
	"Cinderella's Big Score"
	"Scooter + Jinx"	Richard Kern
	"Titanium Expose"	Phil Morrison
1992	"100%"	Tamra Davis Spike Jonze
	"Youth Against Fascism"	Nick Egan
1993	"Sugar Kane"
	"Drunken Butterfly"	Stephen Hellweg
	"Swimsuit Issue"	Morty
1994	"Bull in the Heather"	Tamra Davis Kim Gordon
	"Superstar"	Dave Markey
1995	"Little Trouble Girl"	Mark Romanek
	"The Diamond Sea"	Spike Jonze Lance Bangs Dave Markey Steve Paine Angus Wall
1998	"Sunday"	Harmony Korine
	"Hoarfrost"	Lee Ranaldo
1999	"Piano Piece No. 13 (Carpenter's Piece)"	Sonic Youth
2000	"Nevermind (What was it Anyway)"	Kim Gordon Jim O'Rourke Chris Habib
2002	"The Empty Page"	Thurston Moore Chris Habib
	"Disconnection Notice"	Tom Surgal
2004	"Peace Attack"	Chris Habib
	"I Love You Golden Blue"	Dave Markey
2006	"Incinerate"	Claire Denis
	"Do You Believe In Rapture?"	Braden King
	"Jams Run Free"	Claire Denis
	"Reena"	Braden King
2009	"Sacred Trickster"	Tom Surgal
	"What We Know"	Chris Habib

References

General

• "Sonic Youth – Discography". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 12, 2008.
• "Sonic Youth". Allmusic. Retrieved April 12, 2008.
• "Sonic Youth home page". Sonic Youth. Retrieved April 12, 2008.
• "Sonic Youth : Releases". Geffen Records. Retrieved April 12, 2008.

Specific

1. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Sonic Youth > Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved May 4, 2008.
2. Maher, David. "Sonic Youth Unveil Rarities Comp Tracklist". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved November 7, 2006.
3. "Sonic Youth – Artist Chart History – Albums". Billboard. Retrieved April 5, 2008.
4. "Sonic Youth > Charts & Awards". Allmusic. Retrieved April 5, 2008.
5. "Sonic Youth Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
6. Australian (ARIA Chart) peaks:
   • Top 50 peaks: "australian-charts.com > Sonic Youth in Australian Charts". Hung Medien. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
   • Top 100 peaks from January 1990 to December 2010: Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
   • "100%": "Chartifacts Week Ending 29th May, 1994 – Issue No. 224". ARIA. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
   • "Bull in the Heather": "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart – Week Ending 19 Jun 1994". ARIA. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
7. "Sonic Youth Germany Chart history". Musicline.de. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
8. "Sonic Youth French Album Charting". lescharts.com. Retrieved April 5, 2008.
9. "Sonic Youth Norwegian Album Charting". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved April 12, 2008.
10. "Sonic Youth Swedish Album Charting". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved April 12, 2008.
11. "Sonic Youth Dutch Album Charting". dutchcharts.com. Retrieved April 5, 2008.
12. "Sonic Youth New Zealand Charting". Charts.org.nz. Retrieved April 5, 2008.
13. "Sonic Youth Belgian Album Charting". Ultratop.be. Retrieved April 12, 2008.
14. "Sonic Youth Japanese Album Charting". oricon.co.jp. Retrieved October 10, 2008.
15. "Walls Have Ears". sonicyouth.com. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
16. "Canadian Recording Industry Association – Search Certification Database". Canadian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 10, 2008. Note: User must define search parameters as "Sonic Youth".
17. "Sonic Youth Irish charts". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved April 18, 2008. Note: User must define search parameters, i.e. "Sonic Youth".

External links

• Official website
• Sonic Youth discography at Discogs
• Sonic Youth at Rate Your Music