Studio albums 17 Video albums 6 EPs 8 | Compilation albums 4 Music videos 46 Singles 21 | |
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Sonic Youth was an alternative rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Their lineup included Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, Kim Gordon, Mark Ibold, and Steve Shelley. The band's discography includes 16 studio albums, seven extended plays, three compilation albums, seven video releases, 21 singles, 46 music videos, eight releases in the Sonic Youth Recordings series, eight official bootlegs, and contributions to 16 soundtracks and other compilations.
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In 1981 Sonic Youth signed with Neutral Records, and released its eponymous debut EP Sonic Youth the next year. The band's first full-length album was Confusion is Sex, released in 1983. Kill Yr Idols was released the same year, under the German label Zensor Records. Bad Moon Rising was released two years later on Blast First, a label created specifically for Sonic Youth releases. In 1986 Sonic Youth signed to SST Records and released EVOL later the same year. The album gained the band increasing critical acclaim and exposure, and the group released Sister and the double LP Daydream Nation in 1987 and 1988 respectively, the latter on Enigma Records.
In 1990 the band signed to major label Geffen Records, and released Goo the same year. The band's 1991 tour with the then little-known band Nirvana was documented in the film 1991: The Year Punk Broke. In 1992, Sonic Youth released Dirty. Two years later, the group released Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star, and Washing Machine the following year.
Forced to start from scratch after its instruments and equipment were stolen, the band released NYC Ghosts & Flowers in 2000. Sonic Youth released Murray Street in the summer of 2002, followed in 2004 by Sonic Nurse. Rather Ripped and The Destroyed Room: B-sides and Rarities were released in 2006, the latter featuring tracks previously available only on vinyl, limited-release compilations, B-sides to international singles, and other previously unreleased material. The Eternal was released 3 years later, in 2009.
Sonic Youth Recordings (SYR) series
Sonic Youth have released a number of mostly experimental and instrumental releases under their own label Sonic Youth Recordings. The SYR series has established a tradition where each album is released in a different language. SYR1 has song titles and album sleeve artwork all in French, SYR2 is in Dutch, SYR3 is in Esperanto, SYR4 in English SYR5 is in Japanese, and SYR6 is in Lithuanian.