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Cover of Siamese Dream by The Smashing Pumpkins
Cover: Siamese Dream

Song · The Smashing Pumpkins

“Cherub Rock” by The Smashing Pumpkins

From the album Siamese Dream (1993)

“Cherub Rock” by The Smashing Pumpkins appears on 77 radio countdowns from 30 stations between 1993 and 2026. It was first released in 1993 on the album Siamese Dream. Its best result is #8 on The Best Opening Tracks of All Time. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #24 alternative song of 1993, #161 alternative song of all time and #266 of the '90s.

77countdowns
30stations
#8best position
0#1 finishes
1top 10 finishes
1993–2026years charted

Watch

The Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock

Video from YouTube (SmashingPumpkinsVEVO). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube

"Cherub Rock" throws open Siamese Dream, the Smashing Pumpkins' second album, released on Virgin in 1993, and it was the first single anybody heard from the record. Billy Corgan wrote it, words and music, and sings it, and Butch Vig produced it, with Alan Moulder mixing.

It builds like a warning and then the whole band lands at once, a wall of fuzz so dense and layered it feels like standing in front of a jet engine. Corgan's voice, thin and sneering, cuts right through it. This is the Pumpkins' trick in miniature: huge, overdriven guitars that still somehow sound pretty, and a melody sweet enough to hum underneath all the noise. As an opening statement it's a dare, a signal that the band meant to be much bigger than their debut.

It earned a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance, and as the first thing you hear on Siamese Dream, it sets the tone for everything after it.

Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.

RockLists rankings

Alternative & Modern Rock

Indie & Adult Alternative

Classic Rock

Hard Rock & Metal

All Rock Formats

Year-end countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1993 32 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1993 107
1993 18 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1993 91
1993 62 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105 Songs of 1993 105
1993 31 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1993 101
1993 43 Triple J Australia (national) Triple J Hottest 100 of 1993 100

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
1994 352 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 351 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1994 444 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1994) 1000
1995 113 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1995 144 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1995 339 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1995) 1000
1996 443 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1996 371 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1996 273 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1996) 1000
1998 371 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1998) 1000
1999 155 KROQ KROQ Top 300 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 1999) 300
1999 168 WHFS WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999) 500
1999 473 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 103 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 111 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 221 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 426 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 138 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 76 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
1999 316 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1999) 998
2000 138 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2000 47 103.3 The Edge 103.3 The Edge Top 103 New Rock Songs of the Millennium 103
2001 139 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 142 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 17 WFNX WFNX Top 50 Grunge Songs of All-Time (June 2002) 50
2002 139 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 648 KISW KISW Top 999 of All Time (2002) 999
2002 560 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 139 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2004 297 Q101 Q101 Top 300 Party Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 215 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 139 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 284 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2005 137 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 85 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2006 190 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 265 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2007 87 KROQ KROQ Top 500 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 2007) 500
2007 62 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2007 388 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2008 188 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 55 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2009 119 CFNY 102.1 The Edge The Top 200 Songs of the 90's According to 102.1 The Edge 200
2009 157 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 50 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2010 113 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of the 90's (September 2010) 200
2010 43 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2011 41 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2013 39 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2014 40 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 180 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2014) 500
2015 166 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2015) 500
2018 628 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 137 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2019) 500
2020 430 Q105.7 Q105.7 Memorial Day 500 (2020) 499
2020 187 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2020) 420
2020 369 DC101 The DC101 Top 500 500
2021 410 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s 908
2021 189 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2021) 420
2021 409 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021) 500
2022 398 101X 101X 500 (2022) 498
2022 191 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2022) 420
2022 302 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2023 66 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893
2023 223 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2023) 500
2023 170 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2023) 420
2024 181 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2024) 400
2024 8 KEXP The Best Opening Tracks of All Time 738
2025 154 WFPK WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s 500
2025 483 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2025 269 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2025) 400
2026 444 101X 101X 500 (2026) 500

Charting alongside it in 1993

Best songs of 1993 →
  1. 1CannonballThe Breeders
  2. 2CreepRadiohead
  3. 3LingerThe Cranberries
  4. 4PlushStone Temple Pilots
  5. 5No RainBlind Melon
  6. 6Soul to SqueezeRed Hot Chili Peppers

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