Cherub Rock

1993 single by the Smashing Pumpkins

"Cherub Rock"

Single by the Smashing Pumpkins
from the album  Siamese Dream
B-side|

* "Pissant"
* "French Movie Theme/The Star-Spangled Banner"
* "Purr Snickety"

Released| June 21, 1993 (1993-06-21)[1]
Genre|

* Grunge[2][3]
* alternative rock[4]
* hard rock[5]

Length| 4:58
Label| Virgin
Songwriter(s)| Billy Corgan
Producer(s)|

* Butch Vig
* Billy Corgan

The Smashing Pumpkins singles chronology
| "Drown"
(1992)  | "Cherub Rock"
(1993)  | "Today"
(1993)

|
|

Music video
"Cherub Rock" on YouTube

"Cherub Rock" is a song by American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins. It is the first single from their second album, Siamese Dream (1993) and is the opening track. It was written by lead vocalist and guitarist Billy Corgan. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance.

## Composition

[edit]

Cherub Rock

Sample of "Cherub Rock" from Siamese Dream, which features layers of guitar overdubs influenced by arena rock and shoegazing, as well as repeated use of "the Pumpkin chord".

* * *

Problems playing this file? See media help.

"Cherub Rock" was one of the last songs written for the album, and the lyrics relate to Corgan's relationship with his perception of the indie rock community and larger media.[6] The song was performed in standard tuning with an E octave played at the 7th fret, a technique which the band used on other songs, such as "Drown", "Tristessa", and "Starla". Corgan describes this as the "Pumpkin Chord", saying "We basically stole that from Jimi Hendrix. But Jimi Hendrix probably stole it from Wes Montgomery."[7] The prominent effect on the solo was achieved by recording the guitar solo to two different tapes which were then run simultaneously, with the speed of one tape slightly altered. "Cherub Rock" contains various overdubs influenced by the genres of shoegazing as well as 1970s classic arena rock. According to Corgan, the song's introductory drum riff is a direct lift from Rush's 1975 song "By-Tor and the Snow Dog."[8]

## Reception

[edit]

Corgan insisted that the song be released as the first single from the album,[9] though record executives believed that "Today" would be a stronger opening single.[10] Although Corgan's wishes were honored, the single was indeed received much less enthusiastically than "Today",[10] although it remains a fan favorite. An acoustic version of the song is performed on Vieuphoria and its CD companion, Earphoria.[11]

The song was a moderate success for the band, being performed on Saturday Night Live on October 30, 1993[12] and making it to the Triple J Hottest 100 at number 43.[13] Readers ranked "Cherub Rock" at number 97 in Guitar World's list of the 100 greatest guitar solos of all time.[14] In March 2005, Q magazine placed it at number 67 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.[15]

Following the 2011 re-issue of Siamese Dream, Consequence of Sound commented that the single "seemed tailor-made to feed the emerging modern rock radio format."[16]

## Music video

[edit]

The video features footage of the band performing the song live in a forest setting. It was shot outside San Francisco entirely on Super8 film on a modest budget. The director, Kevin Kerslake, employed various destructive techniques when developing the film to give the video a broken and dirty look. Corgan was reportedly extremely unhappy with the shooting experience, and the band never worked with Kerslake again until the video for ‘Empires’, the third single from the 2023 album Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts.[17]

The video received its world premiere on MTV's late-night alternative rock program 120 Minutes on July 11, 1993.[18]

## In popular culture

[edit]

The song features on numerous rhythm video games such as Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock,[19] Rock Band,[20] Power Gig: Rise of the SixString[21] and Rocksmith 2014.

Rochester, New York band Roses Are Red covered the song for Reignition Records' 2005 compilation The Killer in You: A Tribute to Smashing Pumpkins.[22]

## Track listings

[edit]

All songs were written by Billy Corgan.

CD and 12-inch vinyl

1. "Cherub Rock" – 4:59
2. "Pissant" – 2:30
3. "French Movie Theme" / "Star-Spangled Banner" – 3:50

7-inch vinyl (5000 copies only)

1. "Cherub Rock" – 4:59
2. "Purr Snickety" – 2:50

## Personnel

[edit]

* Billy Corgan – vocals, lead guitar, bass (recording session), production
* James Iha – rhythm guitar
* D'arcy Wretzky – bass (credited), vocals
* Jimmy Chamberlin – drums

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

Weekly chart performance for "Cherub Rock"  | Chart (1993)  | Peak
position

|

Australia (ARIA)[23] | 87
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[24] | 91
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[25] | 16
UK Singles (OCC)[26] | 31
UK Indie (Music Week)[27] | 1
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[28] | 7
US Mainstream Rock (Billboard)[29] | 23

### Year-end charts

[edit]

Year-end chart performance for "Cherub Rock"  | Chart (1993)  | Position

|

US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)[30] | 24

## Certifications

[edit]

Certifications and sales for "Cherub Rock"  Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

New Zealand (RMNZ)[31] | Gold  | 15,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. June 19, 1993. p. 19.
2. ^ Dahlen, Chris (December 11, 2002). "Smashing Pumpkins - Earphoria". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved October 6, 2014.
3. ^ Danaher, Michael (August 4, 2014). "The 50 Best Grunge Songs". Paste. Archived from the original on September 28, 2019. Retrieved November 9, 2014.
4. ^ Yglesias, Matthew (May 21, 2007). "The Ultimate Nineties Alt-Rock Playlist". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on August 24, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2016.
5. ^ MacDonald, Bruno (2016). "The Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream". In Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. London: Cassell Illustrated. p. 706.
6. ^ Kelly, Christina. "Smashing Pumpkins-The Multi-Platinum Band is over the infighting but can the harmony last? Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine" US Magazine, December 1, 1995.
7. ^ "The Best, Worst, and Pumpkin Chord-iest of Smashing Pumpkins". November 27, 2020. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
8. ^ The Smashing Pumpkins: The Billy Corgan Interview, archived from the original on December 15, 2022, retrieved December 15, 2022
9. ^ Ducker, Eric (July 26, 2013). "Smashing Pumpkins' 'Siamese Dream' Turns 20: How Five Music Video Directors Brought Billy Corgan's Masterpiece to Life". Spin. Archived from the original on November 8, 2015. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
10. ^ a b Soniak, Matt (October 2012). "The Late Movies: The Smashing Pumpkins". Mental Floss. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
11. ^ Prato, Greg. "Vieuphoria – Smashing Pumpkins". Allmusic. Archived from the original on May 15, 2016. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
12. ^ "Cherub Rock by Smashing Pumpkins - Songfacts". www.songfacts.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
13. ^ Triple J Hottest 100, 1993
14. ^ "Top 100 Greatest Guitar Solos". HearYa - Indie Music Blog. Archived from the original on December 7, 2019. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
15. ^ "Rocklist.net...Q Magazine Lists." www.rocklistmusic.co.uk. Archived from the original on October 13, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
16. ^ "Album Review: Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream [Deluxe Edition]". November 29, 2011. Archived from the original on May 11, 2021. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
17. ^ Commentary for "Cherub Rock" music video. The Smashing Pumpkins 1991–2000: Greatest Hits Video Collection (Virgin Records, 2001).
18. ^ "MTV 120 Minutes July 11, 1993". YouTube. July 11, 1993. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
19. ^ "Guitar Hero 3 Setlist Revealed". PC World. Archived from the original on December 11, 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
20. ^ "Rock Band Songs". Harmonix Music Systems. Archived from the original on January 7, 2015. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
21. ^ "Track list released for Power Gig: Rise of the SixString". GamePro. Archived from the original on August 6, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
22. ^ Prato, Greg. "Smashing Pumpkins Tribute: The Killer in You". Allmusic. Archived from the original on June 4, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
23. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (PDF ed.). Mt Martha, Victoria, Australia: Moonlight Publishing. p. 257.
24. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2270." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. October 16, 1993. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
25. ^ "The Smashing Pumpkins – Cherub Rock". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
26. ^ "Smashing Pumpkins: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
27. ^ "Independent Singles" (PDF). Music Week. July 17, 1993. p. 26\. ISSN 0265-1548 - via World Radio History.
28. ^ "Smashing Pumpkins Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
29. ^ "Smashing Pumpkins Chart History (Mainstream Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved November 23, 2016.
30. ^ "The Year in Music: Top Modern Rock Tracks". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 52\. December 25, 1993. p. YE-39.
31. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Smashing Pumpkins – Cherub Rock". Radioscope. Retrieved January 12, 2025. Type Cherub Rock  in the "Search:" field.

## External links

[edit]

* "Cherub Rock" Official music video on YouTube
* "Cherub Rock" at AllMusic

* v
* t
* e

The Smashing Pumpkins

* Jimmy Chamberlin
* Billy Corgan
* James Iha

* D'arcy Wretzky
* Melissa Auf der Maur
* Lisa Harriton
* Ginger Pooley
* Jeff Schroeder
* Mike Byrne
* Nicole Fiorentino

Studio albums|

* Gish
* Siamese Dream
* Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness
* Adore
* Machina/The Machines of God
* Machina II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music
* Zeitgeist
* Oceania
* Monuments to an Elegy
* Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun.
* Cyr
* Atum: A Rock Opera in Three Acts
* Aghori Mhori Mei

Extended plays|

* Lull
* Peel Sessions
* American Gothic

Live albums|

* Earphoria

Compilation albums|

* Pisces Iscariot
* Rotten Apples

Box sets|

* The Aeroplane Flies High

Singles|

* "I Am One"
* "Tristessa"
* "Siva"
* "Cherub Rock"
* "Today"
* "Disarm"
* "Rocket"
* "Bullet with Butterfly Wings"
* "1979"
* "Zero"
* "Tonight, Tonight"
* "Thirty-Three"
* "The End Is the Beginning Is the End"
* "Ava Adore"
* "Perfect"
* "The Everlasting Gaze"
* "Stand Inside Your Love"
* "Try, Try, Try"
* "Untitled"
* "Tarantula"
* "That's the Way (My Love Is)"
* "G.L.O.W."
* "Freak"
* "The Celestials"
* "Panopticon"
* "Being Beige"
* "One and All"
* "Drum + Fife"
* "Run2me"
* "Solara"
* "Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)"
* "Cyr/The Colour of Love"
* "Beguiled"
* "Spellbinding"
* "Mayonaise"
* "Sighommi"

Promotional singles|

* "Rhinoceros"
* "Drown"
* "Muzzle"
* "Eye"
* "Crestfallen"
* "Doomsday Clock"
* "Widow Wake My Mind"
* "Owata"

Other songs|

* "Soma"
* "Landslide"
* "Let Me Give the World to You"
* "FOL"
* "A Song for a Son"
* "Quasar"

Promotional releases|

* The Smashing Pumpkins 1991–1998

Videos|

* Vieuphoria
* Greatest Hits Video Collection (1991–2000)
* If All Goes Wrong

Tours|

* The End Times Tour
* Shiny and Oh So Bright Tour

Touring personnel|

* Kenny Aronoff
* Katie Cole
* Dennis Flemion
* Mike Garson
* Stephen Hodges
* Jonathan Melvoin
* Mark Stoermer
* Sierra Swan
* Mark Tulin
* Matt Walker
* Kiki Wong

Related articles|

| Bands|

* Catherine
* The Frogs
* Starchildren
* Zwan
* A Perfect Circle

|

Albums|

* Let It Come Down
* Life Begins Again
* TheFutureEmbrace
* Teargarden by Kaleidyscope
* Look to the Sky
* Ogilala
* The Parable
* Cotillions

Other|

* Discography
* Songs
* Band members
* Awards and nominations
* Constantinople Records

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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