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Sonic Youth
Band · US rock band

Sonic Youth

3.7 / 5 from 68 ratings across 9 albums
Albums
206
Members
10
Active
1981–2011
Origin
United States
Biography

Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. Their most recent lineup consisted of Thurston Moore (guitar and vocals), Kim Gordon (bass guitar, vocals, and guitar), Lee Ranaldo (guitar and vocals), Steve Shelley (drums), and Mark Ibold (guitar and bass). In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the no wave art and music scene in New York City. Part of the first wave of American noise rock groups, the band carried out their interpretation of the hardcore punk ethos throughout the evolving American underground that focused more on the DIY ethic of the genre rather than its specific sound.

As a result, some consider Sonic Youth as pivotal in the rise of the alternative rock and indie rock movements. The band experienced success and critical acclaim throughout their existence, continuing into the new millennium, including signing to major label DGC in 1990, and headlining the 1995 Lollapalooza festival. Sonic Youth expressed a wide variety of influences, ranging from the influential protopunk musician Patti Smith to composer John Cage. The band was praised for having "redefined what rock guitar could do", using a wide variety of unorthodox guitar tunings, and preparing guitars with objects like drum sticks and screwdrivers to alter the instruments' timbre.

In 2011, Ranaldo announced that the band was "ending for a while, " following Moore and Gordon's separation.

The Groove
Groove by decade

The Groove is music.nw’s own measure of renown — not an opinion, a fact computed from the record. It weighs reach (how many people engaged) against acclaim (how highly they rated it), balanced so a handful of votes can’t outshout a lasting favourite.

Computed the NeuraWeb way, across the whole record. The same yardstick for everyone — which is why the little-known can out-Groove the famous in their own corner.

The trajectory

How Sonic Youth moved

Genre belongs to the record, not to the artist. Every album’s Groove is shared out across the genres it actually is — by how the raters tagged it — so nobody is 100% one thing. Stack that by decade and a career draws itself.

Discography

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Confusion Is Sex
Sonic Youth · 1983
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Sonic Death: Sonic Youth Live
Sonic Youth · 1983
1985-01-05: Gila Monster Fest, Lucerne Valley, CA
Sonic Youth · 1985
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Bad Moon Rising
Sonic Youth · 1985
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EVOL
Sonic Youth · 1986
Walls Have Ears
Sonic Youth · 1986
Madonna???!!!! Here???!!! Where???!!!
Sonic Youth · 1987
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Sister
Sonic Youth · 1987
Town & Country 4 June 87
Sonic Youth · 1987
All Fall Down
Sonic Youth · 1988
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Daydream Nation
Sonic Youth · 1988
Silver Rocket / Slow Death / I Got A Right
Sonic Youth · 1988
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth · 1988
Candle (Edit)
Sonic Youth · 1989
Killer Kills All
Sonic Youth · 1989
Speak No Evol
Sonic Youth · 1989
Come And Smash Me / Hallowed Be Thy Name
Sonic Youth · 1990
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Goo
Sonic Youth · 1990
Kooler Thing
Sonic Youth · 1990
Moo
Sonic Youth · 1990
1985-08-11: Anarchy on St. Mary's Place: The Smart Bar, Chicago, IL, USA
Sonic Youth · 1991
Bad Mood
Sonic Youth · 1991
Goo
Sonic Youth · 1991
Goo Demos
Sonic Youth · 1991
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Hold That Tiger
Sonic Youth · 1991
Live in Heaven 1989
Sonic Youth · 1991
Personality Crisis
Sonic Youth · 1991
1992-07-04: Dirty Live: Central Park, New York City, NY, USA
Sonic Youth · 1992
Death to Our Friends
Sonic Youth · 1992
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Dirty
Sonic Youth · 1992
Dirty Boots
Sonic Youth · 1992
Happiness Is a Warm Gun...
Sonic Youth · 1992
Live at the Continental Club
Sonic Youth · 1992
The Social Power Performance
Sonic Youth · 1992
100% Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth · 1993
1988-11-05: Cabaret Metro, Chicago, IL, USA
Sonic Youth · 1993
1990-08-04: Energy: Cincinatti, OH, USA
Sonic Youth · 1993
1991-08-27: The Mira Tapes (live): Bremen, Germany
Sonic Youth · 1993
1992-07-04: Sonic Starpower: Central Park, New York City, NY, USA
Sonic Youth · 1993
1992-10-05: How Can You Want Me? Riviera Theater, Chicago, IL, USA
Sonic Youth · 1993
1992-11-23: Schizophrenia: The Rolling Stone, Milan, Italy
Sonic Youth · 1993
1993-07-01: Darupvej, Roskilde, Denmark
Sonic Youth · 1993
Be My Sister in Death
Sonic Youth · 1993
Energy
Sonic Youth · 1993
Europe 1992
Sonic Youth · 1993
How Can You Want Me?
Sonic Youth · 1993
Live USA
Sonic Youth · 1993
Schizophrenia
Sonic Youth · 1993
Sonic Starpower
Sonic Youth · 1993
Splitting the Atom
Sonic Youth · 1993
SplitTing The AtoM
Sonic Youth · 1993
100% Rebel
Sonic Youth · 1994
EJST&NS Early Rough Mixes
Sonic Youth · 1994
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Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
Sonic Youth · 1994
Listen!
Sonic Youth · 1994
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Lost Tracks: Single B-Sides and Non-Album Tracks
Sonic Youth · 1994
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Screaming Fields of Sonic Love
Sonic Youth · 1994
Take Out the Trash
Sonic Youth · 1994
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1993-07-14: Blastic Scene: Lisbon, Portugal
Sonic Youth · 1995
1995-05-16: Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA, US
Sonic Youth · 1995

Credits

Ranked #384 of 14,615 producers — 2,090.50 career Groove across 27 records.