Singles
| Singles | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Soundtrack by | |
| Released | June 30, 1992 |
| Length | 1:05:27 |
| Label | Epic Soundtrax |
Singles is the original soundtrack album to the film Singles, primarily focused on the ascendant Seattle grunge scene of the early 1990s. The final track is the extended version of "Drown" by The Smashing Pumpkins, which helped the song become the band's first to gain traction at national radio stations.[1] Other featured artists include Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, Chris Cornell, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and The Jimi Hendrix Experience, among others. The soundtrack is certified double-platinum (2 million sales) by the RIAA.[2]
The soundtrack was reissued in a 2×CD and 2×LP edition on May 19, 2017, coincidentally one day after the death of Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, whose music is featured prominently on the soundtrack and who has a cameo in the film, although the release date had been announced in January.[3]
Overview[edit | edit source]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Kerrang! |  [5] |
The soundtrack is considered to have helped open the door to the explosive popularity of Seattle grunge in the early 1990s. According to Steve Huey of AllMusic, "Singles helped crystallize the idea of the 'Seattle scene' in the mainstream public's mind, and it was also one of the first big-selling '90s movie soundtracks (it went platinum and reached the Top Ten) to feature largely new work from contemporary artists...it's a milestone in the breakthrough of alternative rock into mainstream popular culture, neatly and effectively packaging the Seattle phenomenon for the wider national consciousness."
In April 2019, the album was ranked No. 19 on Rolling Stone's "50 Greatest Grunge Albums" list.[6]
The Smashing Pumpkins involvement[edit | edit source]
In a VIP Q&A session in Atlanta, Billy Corgan explained that while the band was grateful to be a part of the soundtrack, the record label held back the potential that "Drown" could have had:
| “ | Although that was a great opportunity for us at the time, it codified that somehow we were part of something we weren't a part of.
We put the song 'Drown' … on there. The soundtrack was on I believe Epic or Sony. Well, they were pushing Alice in Chains' song "Would?", which is a classic. It's a great song. They were pushing that, but "Drown" actually started to get traction at radio. It was actually our first song that had momentum at radio, and Epic killed the song because they didn't want it to take away from [Alice in Chains]. |
” |
| — Billy Corgan, VIP Q&A session[1] | ||
Corgan further explained he has nothing against Alice in Chains. "I can't complain, because I love Alice in Chains and I'm friends with Jerry [Cantrell], and it's all good, but what I'm saying is that's the kind of stuff nobody ever hears about -- where actually, in the old record business, and they still do it, you'll kill something where it makes no sense. Why would you kill something that it is working and working with the public? So that song actually didn't become as big as it would have become because the record company that held the copyright killed it."[1]
Tracks of interest[edit | edit source]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Drown" | Billy Corgan | The Smashing Pumpkins | 8:17 |
| Total length: | 1:05:27 | |||
Release history[edit | edit source]
| Released | Label | Catalog ID | Format | Country | External sites | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 30, 1992 | Epic Soundtrax | EK 52476 | CD | US | Discogs | MusicBrainz | [1] |
| May 19, 2017 | Epic Soundtrax • Legacy • Vinyl Films | 88985315502 | CD | US | Discogs | MusicBrainz | [1] |
| May 19, 2017 | Epic Soundtrax • Legacy • Vinyl Films | 88985315511 | 2×12" vinyl | US | Discogs | MusicBrainz | [1] |
More releases: Discogs • MusicBrainz
Chart positions[edit | edit source]
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[7] | 6 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[8] | 6 |
| Chart (2017) | Peak position |
| US Catalog Albums (Billboard)[9] | 2 |
| US Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[10] | 2 |
| US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard)[11] | 3 |
| US Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[12] | 3 |
| US Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[13] | 3 |
| US Alternative Albums (Billboard)[14] | 6 |
| US Billboard 200[7] | 33 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[8] | 99 |
Certifications[edit | edit source]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States (RIAA)[15] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
|
^shipments figures based on certification alone | ||
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Childers, Chad (August 7, 2015). "Billy Corgan Reveals 'Singles' Soundtrack Slight Over Smashing Pumpkins 'Drown'". Loudwire.
- ↑ https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&ar=SOUNDTRACK&ti=Singles#search_section
- ↑ "Singles soundtrack to be reissued in May with 18 bonus tracks, new liner notes from Cameron Crowe". Consequence of Sound. January 26, 2017. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
- ↑ Huey, Steve. "Singles (Original Soundtrack) review". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
- ↑ Gitter, Mike (25 July 1992). "Various 'Singles Soundtrack'". Kerrang!. 402. London, UK: EMAP.
- ↑ "50 Greatest Grunge Albums". Rolling Stone. April 1, 2019.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Soundtrack Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Soundtrack Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ↑ "Soundtrack Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ↑ "Soundtrack Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ↑ "Soundtrack Chart History (Soundtrack Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ↑ "Soundtrack Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ↑ "Soundtrack Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ↑ "Soundtrack Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2021.
- ↑ "American album certifications – SOUNDTRACK – Singles". RIAA. Retrieved 2016-07-06. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH.