Memories | The Smashing Pumpkins

leaving, losing, finding myself

Kim Tupponce King William, VA, US

That photo i submitted for me in the Zero shirt is actually from now. She is the self I’ve found after twenty five long years of searching. MCIS came out during my senior year of college, as I was contemplating and ultimately making a cross-country move, away from my family and a painful period, into a (not-so) shiny, brand new life. I still vividly remember that first winter in my new life in late 1996, when Thirty-three was playing on the radio in the cold morning on my way to work and it was the most beautiful song I had ever heard. It represents for me the heartache and the joy and the fear and the suffering and ultimately the peace of growing older and wiser; of change, and also nostalgia. Namaste.

MCIS

Em J Byron Center, MI, US

I didn’t know who I was. I had inklings. Ideas. Feelings. And then it happened. It wasn’t until I picked up Smashing Pumpkins/Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness double disc set from Meijer on Alpine in 1995, in sixth grade, that I ever felt ‘connected’ in a real, fucking raw way to any musician or song. My love, my anger, my passion, my wonder, my questions, my suffering, my passion… it felt like I was finally able to FEEL all of those things, and connect it to music. And every emotion was captured. Every. Single. One. Emotion I didn’t realize existed. Tears- I didn’t know I needed to cry. Thoughts- I didn’t know I needed to think. Love- I didn’t know I needed to feel. Anger- I didn’t know I needed to experience. Songs- that immediately crept their fiery way into a young heart and old soul. Classical instruments gracefully danced behind luscious rocknroll rhythms, faraway feelings- driven by insane solos… lyrical brilliance… like I’d never heard and a heartfelt heaviness I’d never known- FLOODED my entire existence. I don’t know what could compare, fucking ever. I think everyone has their first kick into reality, musically, if they care enough, and this was mine. Had to get to a tattoo about it even, thank u @john.kurse Happy 25th anniversary Mellon Collie. I fucking love you. @williampcorgan @smashingpumpkins #MyFavoriteBandEver #melloncollieandtheinfinitesadness #smashingpumpkins @john.kurse

We are going tonight.

J. Escobar Los Angeles, US

On the evening of MCIS. I ask my parents to take me to Tower Records on Sunset. My parents said “NO” because the album was going to come out at midnight. I was so bum out about it. My kid brother ask me if it meant a lot to me if I got the album that night. I was like heck yeah! So he said we are going to get In trouble but I will take you. I said you don’t have a license. Then he said but I know it will make you happy if you get the album tonight. So he stole my dads car and he took me. Best time ever. Everyone in the parking lot was dancing and having a good time. At midnight Tower Records was playing the album in the parking lot. We stayed around till 2 maybe 2:30. But it was so worth it. I stay up all night listening to the album on repeat. It got me through really hard times. Dealing with my dads death my best friend in the hospital and dealing with suicide issues. MCIS got me to value life, my friends, and just people around me. Thank You Guys A Million. I Owe You Guys More Then You Will Ever Think!!! Forever A Pumpkin 🎃 Head…♥️

Life changed at 8 years old

Melanie Keezer Huntsville, Ontario, CA

I was at my babysitters at the age of 8 watching much music and then came on a song that would be with me for life. 1979, billy singing in a car with a cute boy running around with friends.

1979 became my favorite life long song. Every scary change in my life, 1979 was there to comfort me. Moving across country after almost dying, 1979 was there. And in the best of times 1979 was there to cheer me on.

The pumpkins was what my big brother and i bonded over.

I will always be greatful for what 1979 did for me

First rock album ever

Indara Camarão Dias Uberlândia, MG, BR

I was 10, at this time here in Brazil, it was really hard to have access to good music. But, thanks to MTV, I saw the Bullet with Butterfly wings video clip. I remember of falling completly in love with the Song, strong and powerfull. I remember to find the record at a store at the mall and I bought it. Even though I couldn’t understand The lyrics, I loved the rythms and the Flow. This record shaped my intire taste in music so far. Thank you Smashing Pumpkins!!!!!

The First Double Album In My Existence

Max Los Angeles, CA, US

Even though the album was released in October of 1995, it didn’t really hit me across the face until April of 1996. With “1979”, “Tonight, Tonight” and “Zero” on the radio I finally had enough influence to beg my mother to buy me the album. At this time I just turned 8 years old. I was a fan of “Today” and “Cheurb Rock” from the previous album but I never owned it. I had been influenced by my mom’s bands/artists from the 60s and 70s during my infancy. I knew the Beatles, The Stones and Eagles front to back it seemed. However, in 1996 after watching my older cousins adore Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, etc. Mellon Collie arrived at the perfect time in my growing up. It felt like mine. I felt that I was on a wave with the promotion of music videos, live performances and everything Smashing Pumpkins.

Years later, after music school and working in this industry for 12 years, you are still one of my favorite artists/bands of all time. You (Billy) influenced me beyond measure. There’s so much music that has come through the years and still nothing compares to the imagination, passion and influence Mellon Collie has had on my life.

MCIS my first record of the 2000’s

Max Rosas Puebla, MX

I remember like time not pass, in July 2000 see this double CD with a lovely cover, only know a bunch of song but, when i put the cd in the player…It’s like my music world start over, a brand new sounds come and never leave. The worn out cover it’s a sample of how many times I listen this masterpiece…What a time to start musically the 2000’s

25 years of music inspiring my art- thank you ♥︎

Fonda Gunnedah, AU

This photo taken from my art diary as a teenager when I first heard Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and my life changed. Thr music spoke to my soul and art flowed… 25 years later I am still so moved by this album and make art as I listen. It takes me from the darkness and inspires me always. Thank you for this gift you have given us ♥︎

Halloween

Skye Owen Berick, AU

When I was eight years old, I was carving pumpkins with my dad, and he began playing The Smashing Pumpkins. And with that became a very long path of love for this band!

MCIS was my favourite album throughout my entire childhood, and even now I can’t go very long without listening to it! It’s helped me so much in the long run, as much as it has everyone else here I imagine!

This album, and this band, had inspired me to play bass, had inspired me in so many different ways!

The cornerstone of my relationship with music, and a map for coming of age

Adam Android Coeur D Alene Idaho, US

Growing up in Seattle, as a young musician I remember my friend playing me a snippet of a song over the phone attached to the wall. “The world is a vampire “. I had to hear more. Offering something, deeper & more musically sophisticated than the grunge I couldn’t escape this album changed my life. I remember the smell of the booklet. The way that record made me feel; understood- somehow not alone. To this day that is my “stranded on an island” record. My greatest inspiration and an absolute masterpiece. The lyrical turn for something a bit more obvious cut through the noise, giving me an internal outlet for the heartbreak, the rejection, isolation, and angst I experienced. MCIS is hands down one of the most important records of all time, and it wouldn’t be SP if it wasn’t forever under-appreciated. There is not enough space here for me to be able to fully describe how this album was MY LIFE for so many years, and still sees no equal in my eyes as far as the songs on it, and the variety , that paved the way for “alternative music” by definition.

The Discovery of Mellon Collie

Cristian Alva Chicago, IL, US

My first experience with Mellon Collie was through listening to the song “1979”. As soon as I heard that first line, “shakedown, 1979”, I immediately was hooked. Ever since that rainy day working in Hot Topic, I went on to listen to the entire album and immediately fell in love. Never in my life has a record become so important to me in such a short amount of time.

Zero ‘On The Beach’

Nick Coffman Philadelphia, PA, US

I hadn’t yet matured enough to appreciate the artistry or sonic complexity of MCIS, but I did wait up all night to catch a rerun of “Tonight, Tonight” on the nightly MTV music video loop and was subsequently hooked. I wore this t-shirt around through the summer of 1996 and likely through the end of that decade. I didn’t fully understand what it meant at the time, but I wanted to be a part of whatever it was. Hats courtesy of my Uncle Pete… (Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, 1996)

We will always remember, Tonight

David Toronto, Ontario , CA

Mellon Collie has made an indelible impact on my life, leading me down the rabbit hole, from exploring SP’s vast catalogue to going to my first paid concert to connecting with fans around the world. “1979” drew me in but it was another song that got me hooked. I remember my brother bringing home Mellon Collie. From the first swell of strings, I was so enthralled by “Tonight, Tonight” that I demanded we play it again and again that night. I connected with the song so deeply that it’s the first SP CD I bought and I would later get it signed by the band. I had its poster block mounted and my wife even made me a beautiful custom cake inspired by the video for my birthday this past summer. While Mellon Collie as a whole is a masterpiece, “Tonight, Tonight” remains my favorite song of all time by any artist.

Blasphemy In My Old Jangly Walk

Mathew Hudson Arnold, MO, US

When I was 16, my parents got me my first digital music player: an iPod Shuffle 2nd Gen. (The first one that was really tiny, didnt have a screen, and had a clip on the back). It was criminally limited with only 1GB of storage but given the fact it was 2007 and up until that point I was still carrying around a CD Player and a CD wallet, I was stoked to have it and instantly loaded it up with music and was practically updating that thing like everyday with new music. Since I could only have a handful songs on it, I usually stuck to only adding a selection of songs from a bands album instead of the whole thing but I couldn’t help but make an exception for Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. The album wasnt new to me by any means as I heard it for the first time a few years earlier when a friend of mine put it on in their car and always remembering how blown away I was while listening to introductory title track. As much as I loved the album and had pretty much every song off both discs, I had never listened to it from start to finish, all at once, in order. And now that I had my iPod, I didnt have to swap out discs to do that. So one Saturday morning, I decided to go for a walk and listen to entire thing, not ending my walk and not going back home until it had ended. Needless to say, it was a very long and exhausting trip I made walking all around my hometown but it was more than worth it to hear the album in its entirety as a whole. That experience has always been not only one of my favorite memories I’ve had that’s associated with music but one of the most important memories of mine as well. Oh and final side note, there have been so many albums I’ve listened to that have had just some incredible closing tracks on them but none of them will ever be as powerful and as moving like Farewell and Goodnight is.

Accepting Zero

Guillermo Leon Restrepo Brentwood, New York, US

Finding MCIS was the the first time I can really connect and relate to music in a personal way, and has helped me accept who I am, and I’m glad to say I’m more sure of myself now. When Smashing Pumpkins announced the SAOSB tour, you best believe I instantly got myself a ticket and it was the first concert I been to, and will cherish it for the rest of my life!

My school was hell, but SP save me.

Stephanie Martínez Santiago de Chile, CL

Is not that I hated school, but I hated my classmates. This music free me from all that machism abuse that existed around me. My corrosive character on mondays it was for the same reason, I hated to go to school because, I was useless to know how to stop been abused. And then, I took refuge in my music. Mcis was like my wall. The one that gave me strength after the blows that my teammates gave me and the mistreatment of my colleagues. It was my only escape route. I don’t remember what exactly happened at that time, I just remember having my shredded siamese dream cassette in my jacket, and the mcis disc 2 in my cassette player. I don’t remember how I get hurt, I only remember SP.

Smashing Pumpkins - Memories!

First purchase

Adrianne DeAlba Montclair, CA, US

Zero Regretz

Charlie Cullen Stittsville, Ontario, CA

Picture Day

Shannon Stoner Norfolk, Virginia, US

In love

Justice Pittsburgh Pennsylvania , US