How Much Do You Know About Alt-Rock Royalty, The Smashing Pumpkins?

Bullet with Butterfly Wings… and rain coats? When alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins made their debut in the Philippines in 2012, it was literally raining in Manila as the city was flooded due to heavy monsoon rains. But that didn’t stop the band or their fans from having a rocking good time even as the show was postponed to the next night.
Thirteen years later, the band’s frontman, Billy Corgan, is returning to Manila not just for a concert — but a reunion tour with the original members set to play on stage! The Rock Invasion Tour kicks off in Nagoya, Japan on Sept. 15, followed by several other cities in Asia including Busan (Sept. 27), Manila (Sept. 29), Bangkok (Oct. 1), Jakarta (Oct. 3), and Singapore (Oct. 10).

For the uninitiated, The Smashing Pumpkins is more than just a rock band. They’re a genre-defying powerhouse that blurred the lines between grunge, goth, metal, and dream pop, creating some of the most emotionally charged music of the ‘90s. The band also boasts a bunch of awards, including two Grammy wins, six MTV Video Music Awards, and a string of Billboard Hot 100 hits. Safe to say they’re hardcore rock legends, even deemed as one of the “Big 4” of alternative rock in the ‘90s, alongside Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden.
Whether you’re curious about their biggest hits or intrigued by their dramatic evolution and cult-like fan devotion, we’re here to guide you through five essential things to know about the band before you step into their beautifully haunted world — one that’s full of dreamy distortion, poetic angst, and remarkable ambition.
Fact 1: They’re Not a Grunge Band
Although they rose to fame in the same era as Nirvana and Soundgarden, The Smashing Pumpkins’ music leaned towards more dream pop, metal, goth, and shoegaze than grunge. The band has been known for being introspective but theatrical, as well as emotional yet experimental. Their sound has always been neither this nor that but a unique blend of heavy distortion, dreamy melodies, and orchestral arrangements. While going through their discography, you’ll find traces of melancholic acoustic ballads, prog-rock epics, as well as electronic experiments that showcased the band’s evolution with every album.
Just take their popular hit “1979” from the “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” album (1995). This dreamy and bittersweet coming-of-age track captures the essence of youth and leans more into alternative pop and atmospheric textures. Meanwhile, their first big hit, “Today” from the album “Siamese Dream” (1993) was ironically upbeat, the sound composed of bright guitars and a catchy melody that cleverly masks the darker messaging of the song. Listening to their music proves just how much they were genre-benders, and it’s mostly thanks to the guy we’re about to talk about next.

Fact 2: Billy Corgan Is the Band
Billy Corgan is more than just a frontman, but also the founder, creative mastermind, and primary songwriter.
He’s known for being intensely driven, which proved to be a good thing and a bad thing, for while his bold artistic vision has shaped their genius, making them iconic, his perfectionism and intensity have also led to lineup changes and a whole lot of band drama through the years. It’s also probably why their entire catalog feels very distinct.
Love him or hate him, Billy is the driving force behind The Smashing Pumpkins, and is in fact a huge fan of this fans, too. During the band’s first show in Manila, Billy had told the media how he had grown up around Filipinos in Chicago, and even worked briefly at a Filipino restaurant! He shared that he learned a lot from them and has much respect for their culture and family values.
Perhaps Billy did learn a thing or two about tight-knit families, considering he got the band’s original lineup back together in 2018, and even recorded their 10th studio album, “Shiny and Oh So Bright, Vol. 1/LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun.”

Fact 3: They Created One of the Most Ambitious Rock Albums of the ‘90s
There’s no doubt that The Smashing Pumpkins’ Magnum Opus is the “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” (1995), a 28-track double album composed of orchestral ballads and rock anthems that explored themes of youth, alienation, and the beauty amid the chaos.
The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts, sold over 10 million copies, and earned seven Grammy nominations. Billy really said: Go big or go home! The record spawned all their biggest hits, including “1979”, “Tonight, Tonight,” and “Bullet with Butterfly Wings,” marking the band’s creative high point. Up to this date, it’s regarded as one of the best rock albums of the ‘90s — and of all time.


Fact 4: Music Videos? More Like Works of Art!
The Smashing Pumpkins aren’t just making music videos as visual accompaniments; they’re crafting experiences. It’s no wonder that they’ve bagged several MTV Video Music Awards for their MVs, which were often story-driven and visually daring.
The music video for “Tonight, Tonight” (1996), for example, was inspired by the 1902 silent short film, “A Trip to the Moon” by Georges Méliès, and won multiple VMAs, including Video of the Year, Best Direction, and Best Cinematography.
Other notable MVs you should check out from them are the nostalgic lo-fi “1979” which won Best Alternative Video at the MTV VMAs, “Ava Adore” (1998), which was shot in one continuous take, and “Try, Try, Try” (2000), which presented a raw and controversial documentary-style depiction of a couple struggling with codependency and addiction.
Fact 5: They’re Still Evolving, Still Rocking Through
Despite the breakups and lineup changes in the 2000s, The Smashing Pumpkins was able to revive itself slowly, with Billy bringing back the original members slowly back into the fold.
Their recent releases are proof that they’re still creatively restless and have much to give in the music industry. There may be changes in their sound, but like their older stuff, it’s packed with emotion and ambitious instrumentation made up of modern synths and classic guitar riffs.
Now, in 2025, the band is still selling out shows and arenas, even reuniting the original lineup for the Rock Invasion Tour later this year! Billy Corgan is also hosting a podcast series where he converses with extraordinary individuals who have reached the pinnacle of success in their respective fields.
This just goes to show that their legacy lives on, and if you haven’t been completely immersed in their music catalog yet, there’s no better time to start than now. Here’s a curated playlist of all their biggest hits — the perfect starting point for new listeners.
For tour updates and new music releases, follow The Smashing Pumpkins on Facebook, X (Formerly Twitter), TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
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