Sonic Youth was an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of the band, while drummer Steve Shelley, who joined in 1985, rounded out the core lineup. Jim O'Rourke (bass, guitar, keyboards) was also a member from 1999 to 2005; Mark Ibold of Pavement (bass, guitar) joined in 2006 and remained in the band until their 2011 split. Sonic Youth emerged from Manhattan's no wave experimental art and music scene before evolving into a more conventional alternative rock band and becoming prominent in the American noise rock scene. Sonic Youth has been praised for having "redefined what rock guitar could do", including the use of a wide variety of unorthodox tunings and preparing guitars with objects like drumsticks and screwdrivers. The band was a pivotal influence on the alternative and indie rock movements. After gaining a large underground following and critical praise through releases with SST Records in the late 1980s, the band became more popular throughout the 1990s and 2000s after signing to major label DGC in 1990 and...
Extract from Wikipedia: “Sonic Youth” (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Concerts
Vinyl
Members
14 people from MusicBrainz
- 1981–1982Anne DeMarinis — keyboard
- 1981–1982Richard Edson — drums (drum set)
- 1981–2011Kim Gordon — guitar, lead vocals, original
- 1981–2011Kim Gordon — bass guitar, original
- 1981–2011Thurston Moore — lead vocals, original
- 1981–2011Thurston Moore — guitar, original
- 1981–2011Lee Ranaldo — guitar
- 1981–2011Lee Ranaldo — lead vocals
- 1982–1982Bob Bert — drums (drum set)
- 1982–1983Jim Sclavunos — drums (drum set)
- 1983–1985Bob Bert — drums (drum set)
- 1985–2011Steve Shelley — drums (drum set)
- 1999–2005Jim O’Rourke — bass guitar, guitar, synthesizer
- 2006–2011Mark Ibold — bass guitar, guitar
Discography
212 releases from MusicBrainz · ★ 2 in my collection
Albums (19)
- 1983Confusion Is Sex
- 1985Bad Moon Rising
- 1986EVOL
- 1987Sister
- 1988Daydream Nation
- 1990★Goo
- 1992Dirty
- 1992The Social Power Performance
- 1994EJST&NS Early Rough Mixes
- 1994Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
- 1995Washing Machine
- 1998A Thousand Leaves
- 2000NYC Ghosts & Flowers
- 2002Murray Street
- 2002Terrastock 5
- 2004Hidros 3
- 2004Sonic Nurse
- 2006Rather Ripped
- 2009The Eternal
EPs (19)
- 1982Sonic Youth
- 1983Kill Yr. Idols
- 1985Death Valley ’69
- 1988Master=Dik
- 1989Candle (edit)
- 19904 Tunna Brix
- 1991Dirty Boots
- 1993Whores Moaning: Oz '93 Tour Edition
- 1994TV Shit
- 1997Sonic Life
- 1997SYR 1: Anagrama
- 1997SYR 2
- 1998Silver Session: For Jason Knuth
- 1998SYR 3: Invito al ĉielo
- 1999SYR 4: Goodbye 20th Century
- 2002In the Fishtank
- 2002Kali Yug Express EP
- 2008SYR 7: J’accuse Ted Hughes
- 2024The Flexi E.P.
Singles (45)
- 1984Death Valley ’69
- 1985(Over) Kill Yr Idols
- 1986Flower / Halloween
- 1986Halloween II
- 1986Starpower
- 1988Silver Rocket
- 1988Silver Rocket / Slow Death / I Got A Right
- 1988Stick Me Donna Magick Momma
- 1988Teen Age Riot
- 1988Touch Me I'm Sick / Halloween
- 1989Providence
- 1990Disappearer
- 1990★Kool Thing
- 1990Personality Crisis
- 1990Speak No Evol
- 1991Starpower
- 1992100%
- 1992Endless, Nameless / Goo Is You
- 1992Fall / TV Shit
- 1992Su Nioj
- 1992Youth Against Fascism
- 1993Cotton Crown
- 1993Drunken Butterfly
- 1993Sugar Kane
- 1994Bull in the Heather
- 1994Self-Obsessed and Sexxee
- 1994Superstar / For All We Know
- 1994Superstar / Let Me Be the One
- 1994Yesterday Once More / Superstar
- 1995The Diamond Sea
- 1996Little Trouble Girl
- 1998Sunday
- 2003Buddy Series, Volume 1
- 2004Unmade Bed
- 2006Helen Lundeberg / Eyeliner
- 2006Incinerate
- 2009Hang Them All / No Garage
- 2009Pay No Mind / Green Light
- 2009Sacred Trickster
- 2009Star Power (Acoustic 2009)
- 2016Massage the History
- 2018Santa Doesn’t Cop Out on Dope
- 2021Play the New York Dolls
- 2022In & Out
- —Becuz
More: singles, compilations, live & other releases
Lives (93)
- 1983Sonic Death: Sonic Youth Live
- 19851985-01-05: Gila Monster Fest, Lucerne Valley, CA
- 1986Walls Have Ears
- 19911985-08-11: Anarchy on St. Mary's Place: The Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, USA
- 1991Hold That Tiger
- 1991Live in Heaven 1989
- 19921992-07-04: Dirty Live: Central Park, New York City, NY, USA
- 1992Death to Our Friends
- 1992Live at the Continental Club
- 1993100% Sonic Youth
- 19931988-11-05: Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, USA
- 19931990-08-04: Energy: Cincinatti, OH, USA
- 19931991-08-27: The Mira Tapes (live): Bremen, Germany
- 19931992-07-04: Sonic Starpower: Central Park, New York City, NY, USA
- 19931992-10-05: How Can You Want Me? Riviera Theater, Chicago, IL, USA
- 19931992-11-23: Schizophrenia: The Rolling Stone, Milan, Italy
- 19931993-07-01: Darupvej, Roskilde, Denmark
- 1993Be My Sister in Death
- 1993Europe 1992
- 1993Splitting the Atom
- 1994100% Rebel
- 1994Listen!
- 1994Take Out the Trash
- 19951993-07-14: Blastic Scene: Lisbon, Portugal
- 19951995-05-16: Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA, US
- 1995Live Venlo, Holland 12.27.83
- 1995Turn It Up! Turn It Up!
- 19961996-03-18: Noorderligt, Tilburg, NE
- 1996Easter
- 1996Sugar Baby
- 19981998-06-26: Darupvej, Roskilde, Denmark
- 1998Sonic Friday
- 19991999-02-07: Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, BE
- 20012001-05-05: Stubb's, Austin, TX, US
- 20022002-06-20: Écoute ça coco: Lille, France
- 2002New York – Ystad
- 2005SYR 6: Koncertas Stan Brakhage Prisiminimui
- 2006Live in Roseland Theatre
- 2008SYR 8: Andre sider af Sonic Youth
- 2009Battery Park, NYC: July 4th 2008
- 2009iTunes Live from SoHo
- 20112011-08-12 Williamsburg Waterfront, Brooklyn, NY
- 2012Smart Bar • Chicago 1985
- 2017Riot In Melbourne
- 201812/13/88 CBGB, New York, NY
- 20182002-08-17: Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, USA
- 20182007-08-27: ABC Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
- 20182009-11-21: Columbiahalle, Berlin, Germany
- 20191987-05-22: City Gardens, Trenton, NJ, USA
- 20191988-06-23: CBGB’s, New York City, NY, USA
- 20191988-06-24: CBGB’s, New York City, NY, USA
- 20191988-06: CBGB's, NYC
- 20191990-11-03: Crawford Hall, Irvine, CA, USA
- 20191993-03-05: The Warfield, San Francisco, CA, USA
- 20191998-05-28: Wadsworth Theater, Los Angeles, CA
- 20192001-06-07: L'Olympia Bruno Coquatrix, Paris, France
- 20192004-08-20: The Orange Peel, Asheville, NC, USA
- 2020Live at All Tomorrows Parties 2000
- 2020Live at Brixton Academy 1992
- 2020Live in Bremen 1991
- 2020Live in Copenhagen 2000
- 2020Live in Denver 1986
- 2020Live in Moscow
- 2020Live in Torino 1987
- 2020Live in Yugoslavia 1985/1987
- 2020Perspectives Musicales: Live at Cat's Cradle 2000
- 2020World Trade Center Benefit 2001
- 20211986‐05‐11: Live at the Paradiso, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- 2021Daydream Transmission '89
- 2021Live in Austin 1995
- 2021Live in Dallas 2006
- 2022Live in Kyiv, Ukraine 1989
- 2022Take My hand (Live 1988)
- 2023Live in Brooklyn 2011
- 2026Diamond Seas
- —1989-03-26: Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- —1990-09-07: Liverpool Royal Court Theater, Liverpool, UK
- —1992-10-24: 100% a Kool Thing: Roseland Ballroom, New York City, NY, USA
- —1993-01-24: Melbourne, Australia
- —1995-07-04: Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA, USA
- —1996-04-07: Hallucinogenic Preserve: Philipshalle, Düsseldorf, Germany
- —1996-04-07: Philipshalle Easter Festival, Düsseldorf, Germany
- —1998-06-20: Rockpalast Festival, Lorelei, Germany
- —2000-05-08: Cat’s Cradle, Carrboro, NC, USA
- —2002-08-26: KCRW Morning Becomes Eclectic
- —2004-08-14: Avalon Ballroom, Boston, MA, USA
- —2006-07-01: Portland, OR, USA
- —2006-07-22: Belongil Fields, Byron Bay, NSW, Australia
- —2009-07-07: Washington, DC, USA
- —2009-07-13: Variety Playhouse, Athens, GA, USA
- —Death to Our Friends
- —Unite & Slam Against The System
- —Who Ate All the Cracklin' Oat Bran!?!
Soundtracks (2)
- 1995Made in USA
- 2011SYR 9: Simon Werner a disparu
Compilations (30)
- 1990Moo
- 1991Sonic Youth / Gumball / Laughing Hyenas / These Immortal Souls
- 1992Happiness Is a Warm Gun...
- 1994Lost Tracks: Single B-Sides and Non-Album Tracks
- 1994Screaming Fields of Sonic Love
- 2002Sonic Youth DJ Hour
- 2004Corporate Ghost - The Videos: 1990-2002
- 2004Mix Tape #1
- 2004Mix Tape #2
- 2004Past and Present
- 2005Mix Tape #3
- 2005Mix Tape #4
- 2006Mix Tape #5
- 2006The Destroyed Room: B-Sides and Rarities
- 2007Mix Tape #6
- 2008Hits Are for Squares
- 200914 Tracks: The Other Side of Sonic Youth
- 2009Mix Tape #7
- 2011Mix Tape #8
- 2015Mix Tape #9
- 2020Rarities 1
- 2020Rarities 2
- 2020Rarities 3
- 2022In/Out/In
- 2022Sonic Youth Essentials
- —1986-1992, BBC + VPRO
- —B-Sides
- —Covers
- —Covers
- —Radio Sessions 1986-1992
Demos (2)
- 1991Goo Demos
- 2016Spinhead Sessions • 1986 — Spinhead Sessions conssts of rehearsal demos for Made in USA;
Others (2)
- 1991Blowjob
- 2008Sensational Fix