High school and MTV
Junior Dias Taubaté, SP, BR
First Concert
Benjamin Radebeul, DE
This year, I attended the your concert in Berlin. It was my first concert EVER and the performance of the band just left me stunned. Honestly life changing to hear some songs live and everyone just having a great time. Porcelina was amazing 😛
Also, long life the pumpkin man! 🎃
Thru The Eyes of Ruby
Ava Adore Bandung, ID
“Ngobrol sama kamu, jadi pengen nyetel Thru The Eyes of Ruby.” Sejujurnya aku gak pernah bener-bener dengerin Mellon Collie sealbum. Lagu itu cukup awam buat aku. Sambil bercakap-cakap via Whatsapp, aku nyolong dengerin Thru The Eyes Of Ruby. Aku baca baik-baik liriknya. Aku pun jadi ikutan suka. Gak cuma suka sama lagunya. Tapi aku suka aja kalo ada orang yang dengerin lagu itu jadi inget aku.
Luna
Adriana Madrid, ES
This is an art piece I draw during my endless sessions listening to MCIS. It has the vibe of Tonight tonight videoclip inspired by Meliès film. By that time I was 15/16 years old and this album definitely changed my life, I still recall how I was fascinated by the artwork showcased in the album and the aesthetic used in that era (videos, photographs of Billy, James and Darcy, especially her), their clothes…). They were ahead of their time!
Hillary Ojai, US
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness changed my life. I got it in my Easter basket when I was 15 years old, and I have never been the same. I was a sad teenager, and the music held me like a cradle. It gave me hope that there were people out there like me. It inspired my writing (I would much later in life go on to get my masters in wriring). I saw a picture of Billy Corgan at a radio station, and it dawned on me, in my bedroom that day, that radio and music would be my career path. I celebrate 26 years in radio this year. I’ll never forget hearing Porcelina for the first time on my Discman, lying down on my daybed, just overcome with a wash of emotion for music that never went away after that night.
Mellon Collie opened up the floodgates of creativity and belonging for me. It shaped me in innumerable ways and I’ve been grateful for it every single day for the past thirty years.
First Pumpkins Song – Tonight Tonight
Hareez Kuala Lumpur, MY
My friend introduced me to SP with Tonight Tonight back in 1998. It blown my mind thinking how it perfectly played with my emotion as I go through the phases of that song. I started digging SP materials since then. I stumbled into Ava Adore and I’m pretty sure I heard it before in a Levi’s commercial. But I couldn’t find the commercial anywhere online now. Can somebody confirm if Ava Adore ever been used for a Levi’s commercial in the 90’s?
Karen Tlaquepaque, MX
I remember being 16 and in high school. I was going through depression after my father’s death, and my boyfriend had left me. I heard the song 1979 on VH1, and it had a sound unlike anything I’d ever heard before. It was the rainy season, and I couldn’t stop listening to it. It stayed in my head so much that even now, 20 years later, 1979 is still my favorite song. Somehow, when I listen to it, my memories are nothing but good ones, despite those being the worst days of my life. The power of that song transformed the meaning of sadness for me.
Summer of Love and Pumpkins
Seb Hassocks, GB
When I was 15 and doing my GCSEs at school, I discovered the Pumpkins and instantly fell in love with them. It opened up whole new ideas for what music could be and really helped me get more into listening to alt rock stuff. (It’s my favourite genre now)
I listened to MCIS on repeat while revising for my exams and even tried to learn some songs on guitar, giving me a nice escape from the stress of the exams. I constantly tried to imitate Billy’s tone with the limited resources I had but never really came close. Still, it was a strange time in my life and I’ll always remember how it weirdly got me into one of my favourite bands of all time.
How I Met My BFF
Apryl Worcester, MA, US
About 20 years ago I was at a house party when all of a sudden someone’s iPod shuffle played “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” over the stereo system. Suddenly both me and another girl excitedly scream out YESSSSSS at the exact same time!!!!! We immediately make eye contact and point to each other in excitement through the crowd of people just knowing we were about to become best friends over our shared love of the smashing pumpkins. Well it’s 20 years later we are indeed still BFFs! ANY time the pumpkins are in the Boston area we are THERE and we go ALL out! We get all gussied up in crazy outfits, scream sing every song, and dance all night like silly stupid teenagers. We even got yelled at once at the Orpheum theater for dancing too much in the aisle! 🙄 We also both got terrible matching tattoos of a bullet with butterfly wings.. it’s the ugliest tattoo.. it came out just awful! But we both still have it! 😅 We love you Billy! 🖤
Bodies
Joseph Moran West Kingston RI, US
The first time I heard the intro to “Bodies” I was sure the boombox chewed up my blue CD, something was terribly wrong, for ten seconds I panicked.
Then the burst of guitars and the joke was on me!
Sigh. Laying on my bed, nightlamp on, reading the brown lyric book, again and again. Thanks Billy, James, Darcy JC
Ellie AU
Growing up Mum would always play 1979 and Tonight, Tonight was our family song. Mum passed away in June – we played both songs at her memorial. Attached is a picture of us at Smashing Pumpkins in Melbourne 2023. So many memories of such a wonderful album that will always remind me of her.
On my skin forever
Greta Aubry Busca, IT, IT
I decided to share this photo which for me contains many beautiful memories. For my first smashing pumpkins concert last year, I wanted to put the cover of this fantastic album on my skin forever. The emotions I felt that day are indescribable, I have never felt so much joy and emotion, usually when it happens I detach myself from reality and I don’t enjoy the moment, but both during the first and second concert I went to I managed to fully experience my emotions and be moved. I have a band and hearing you live motivated me even more to want to become a great guitarist and convey the emotions that you convey to me. Mellon collie and the infinite sadness is a magical album, my father introduced it to me and it kind of ties us up. Your music pushes me every day to move forward even though this last period is not very easy for me, thank you for understanding me through your lyrics and never letting me give up.
Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness inspired room 🌛🌞✨
Fleur Telemark, NO
Two years ago I was in a dark place and during that time I started listening to the Smashing Pumpkins. I could release my emotions into the music and I felt understood, without having to say a word. I decided to buy a ticket for the upcoming concert, unsure if I would actually be able to go. But half a year later, me and my fiance were at the front of the audience watching the band perform live. When ‘Tonight, Tonight’ started playing it hit me, I was there and everything was better. Life can change, you’re not stuck in vain. It became one of my core memories and whenever I feel sad this memory brings me joy. Two months after the concert, the songs played on our wedding day 😊 My husband also became a big fan and we created a Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness inspired room together ✨
Old crayon doodle I’ve done.
Bee US
One of the first songs I remember listening to as a child was Bullet with Butterfly Wings. MCIS is an album I will always love deeply, it was my first album I heard from the band, it’s my profile picture, all my friends know me as the smashing pumpkins enjoyer. One of my favorite memories was seeing the band with my mother live, full circle moment. Happy 30th MCIS!!
Tonight, Tonight changed me
Ben Staten Island, US
“Tonight, tonight” came into my life very randomly and unexpectedly. I knew of the smashing pumpkins but never listened to them before. But that one random day I heard that song for the first time changed something in me. It felt like the answers I had spent years searching for were found in those lyrics. From the very second the song finished I knew in my heart that something had changed in me, and I am forever grateful for how it has affected my life.
Cool kids never have the time…
Amy Loera Charles Town, WV, US
I was became a fan at age 13 when Siamese Dream came out…life was changed at 15 when Mellon Collie debuted. Thirty years to the day (today, 10/23) 1979 comes on the FM radio in the car and my 14 year old said “ahh I love this song…turn it up..have you ever heard this song mom?” And I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry…so I did both.
My first ever gig
Jonathan Kirk Manchester , GB
My first ever concert was SP at Manchester Arena on Melon Collie tour. I was 14. It was amazing!
Hearing zero for the first time
Caleb Houston , US
I was about 11 or 12 years old. My parents were driving us home from our grandparents house. My brother let me borrow his mellon collie and the infinite sadness cd for the first time. During the bridge in zero ‘and god is empty just like me’ I felt a rush of fear and excitement come over me because my father was a pastor and I was afraid maybe he could hear those lyrics even though I had headphones on.