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

Song · The Smashing Pumpkins

“Disarm” by The Smashing Pumpkins

From the album Siamese Dream (1993)

“Disarm” by The Smashing Pumpkins appears on 125 radio countdowns from 35 stations between 1993 and 2026. It was first released in 1993 on the album Siamese Dream. Its best result is #3 on the Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1994. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #30 alternative song of 1993, #14 alternative song of all time and #95 of the '90s.

125countdowns
35stations
#3best position
0#1 finishes
3top 10 finishes
1993–2026years charted

Watch

The Smashing Pumpkins - Disarm

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

"Disarm" was the third single pulled from Siamese Dream, the Smashing Pumpkins' 1993 album, and it's the moment the band's great fuzz machine goes quiet. Billy Corgan wrote it, words and music, and by his own account it came out of a rough childhood with his parents, which explains the bruised hush of the vocal.

Instead of a wall of guitars, strings carry the song: David Ragsdale's violin and Eric Remschneider's cello saw and swell around Corgan until the thing feels closer to a chamber piece than an alternative-rock single. Butch Vig produced, Alan Moulder mixed, and both keep the strings raw and close rather than sweetening them into syrup.

It went top 20 in Australia, Canada and the UK, even though the BBC kept it off Top of the Pops over a line about a child and British radio mostly gave it a wide berth. The "Heart" edition of the single carried a pair of classic rock covers on the flip, one of them "Landslide". Proof, if anyone needed it, that this band could hit just as hard with the amps turned down.

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 26 KROQ Los Angeles, CA KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 1993 107
1993 35 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1993 91
1993 48 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105 Songs of 1993 105
1993 20 Q101 Chicago, IL Q101 Top 101 Songs of 1993 101
1994 42 91X San Diego, CA / Tijuana 91X Top 91 Songs of 1994 91
1994 3 Live 105 San Francisco, CA Live 105 Top 105.3 Songs of 1994 106
1994 18 Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) Radio & Records Top 94 Songs of 1994 94

All-time and decade countdowns

Year#StationCountdownof
– 12 CRNC 90.1 CRNC Top 90.1 Songs of the '90s 91
1994 217 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 500 (July 1994) 500
1994 54 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1994) 500
1994 19 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1994) 100
1994 611 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1994) 1000
1995 92 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 1995) 500
1995 40 Live 105 Live 105 Revolutionary 300 (July 1995) 300
1995 7 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1995) 100
1995 754 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1995) 1000
1996 93 Q101 Q101 Top 500 Songs of All-Time (1996) 500
1996 46 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1996) 498
1996 9 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1996) 100
1996 620 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1996) 1000
1997 15 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1997) 100
1998 976 KISW KISW Top 1000 of All Time (1998) 1000
1998 14 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1998) 100
1999 57 KROQ KROQ Top 300 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 1999) 300
1999 65 WHFS WHFS Top 500 Songs of the '90s (December 1999) 500
1999 70 91X 91X Fat 500 Songs of All-Time (July 1999) 500
1999 38 Q101 Q101 Top 1,011 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1017
1999 44 WFNX WFNX Top 500 Songs of All-Time (June 1999) 500
1999 91 107.7 The End The End Top 1077 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 1077
1999 114 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (1999) 500
1999 12 CD101 CD101 Top 2000 Songs of All-Time (December 1999) 2000
1999 25 CFNY 102.1 The Edge CFNY Top 1002 Songs of All-Time (November 1999) 1002
1999 38 The Buzz The Buzz Top 99 Songs of All-Time (1999) 99
1999 17 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (1999) 150
2000 92 DC101 DC101 Top 101 Rock Songs of the 90s 101
2000 147 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2000) 500
2000 16 CD101 CD101 Top 2001 Songs of All-Time (December 2000) 2001
2000 21 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2000) 100
2000 57 The Edge KEDJ Countdown 2000 (106 songs) 106
2000 37 103.3 The Edge 103.3 The Edge Top 103 New Rock Songs of the Millennium 103
2001 149 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2001) 498
2001 17 CD101 CD101 Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (December 2001) 2002
2001 17 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2001) 100
2001 90 WBRU WBRU Modern Rock Top 500 (2001) 500
2002 41 WFNX WFNX Top 50 Grunge Songs of All-Time (June 2002) 50
2002 110 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2002) 500
2002 19 CD101 CD101 Top 2003 Songs of All-Time (December 2002) 2003
2002 19 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2002) 100
2002 565 KISW KISW Top 999 of All Time (2002) 999
2002 54 Fred (XM 44) Fred XM Top 2002 Songs of All-Time (July 2002) 2002
2003 93 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2003) 500
2003 19 CD101 CD101 Top 2004 Songs of All-Time (December 2003) 2004
2003 21 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2003) 100
2004 114 107.7 The End The End Original Alternative 500 (May 2004) 500
2004 19 CD101 CD101 Top 2005 Songs of All-Time (December 2004) 2005
2004 94 Y100 Y100 Top 300 Songs of All-Time (July 2004) 300
2004 23 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2004) 100
2005 102 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2005) 500
2005 17 CD101 CD101 Top 2006 Songs of All-Time (December 2005) 1994
2005 233 99X 99X Freedom of Choice 1000 (2005) 1000
2005 17 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2005) 100
2006 56 107.7 The End The End Top 107 Songs of the '90s (December 2006) 107
2006 169 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 87 Live 105 Live 105 500 Co-Op Countdown (Memorial Day 2006) 500
2006 131 WOXY 97X WOXY Modern Rock 500 (2006) 499
2006 18 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2006) 100
2007 17 KROQ KROQ Top 500 Most Requested Songs of the '90s (Labor Day 2007) 500
2007 44 CD101 CD101 Top 2008 Songs of All-Time (December 2007) 2008
2007 802 WTMD WTMD Top 897 Songs of All Time 897
2007 21 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2007) 100
2008 43 KROQ KROQ Flashback 500 (Memorial Day 2008) 500
2008 42 CD101 CD101 Top 2009 Songs of All-Time (December 2008) 2009
2008 31 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2008) 100
2009 34 CFNY 102.1 The Edge The Top 200 Songs of the 90's According to 102.1 The Edge 200
2009 21 Live 105 Live 105 Memorial 500 Song List (2009) 500
2009 40 CD101 CD101 Top 2010 Songs of All-Time (December 2009) 2010
2009 47 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of All-Time (2009) 200
2009 454 WYEP WYEP 913 Essential Songs 913
2009 39 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2009) 100
2010 74 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 200 Songs of the 90's (September 2010) 200
2010 36 CD101 CD101 Top 2011 Songs of All-Time (December 2010) 2011
2010 53 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2010) 100
2011 36 CD101 CD101 Top 2012 Songs of All-Time (December 2011) 2011
2011 66 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2011) 100
2012 69 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2012) 100
2012 28 CFNY 102.1 The Edge 102.1 The Edge Top 102 New Rock Songs of All-Time 102
2013 36 CD101 CD101 Top 2013 Songs of All-Time (December 2013) 2012
2013 74 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2013) 100
2014 36 CD101 CD101 Top 2014 Songs of All-Time (2014) 2013
2014 181 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2014) 500
2014 64 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2014) 100
2015 173 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2015) 500
2015 82 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2015) 100
2016 88 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2016) 100
2016 777 WYEP WYEP 913 Countdown 2016 913
2018 819 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs 892
2019 74 X96 X96's Top 100 Songs of the 90's 100
2019 326 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2019) 500
2019 152 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2019) 500
2020 239 DC101 The DC101 Top 500 500
2020 454 Q105.7 Q105.7 Memorial Day 500 (2020) 499
2020 221 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2020) 500
2020 93 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2020) 420
2021 336 90.9 The Bridge 90.9 The Bridge Top 909 Songs of the '90s 908
2021 228 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ 500 (2021) 500
2021 89 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2021) 420
2021 305 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Big 500 (2021) 500
2022 878 The Colorado Sound The Colorado Sound Top 900 Songs of the '90s 900
2022 1142 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2022 603
2022 90 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2022) 420
2022 374 X96 X96 Top 500 Alternative Songs of All Time 500
2022 77 101X 101X 500 (2022) 498
2023 175 The Current The Current's 893 Essential Songs of the '90s 893
2023 94 Studio Brussel Studio Brussel De Tijdloze 100 (2023) 100
2023 698 WYEP WYEP Countdown to Fall 2023 1229
2023 114 94.3 WCYY WCYY CYY 500 Most Played Songs (2023) 500
2023 93 105.9 The X 105.9 The X July 420 (2023) 420
2024 558 WYEP WYEP Best Songs of the Past 50 Years 1049
2024 128 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2024) 400
2025 114 WFPK WFPK Top 500 Songs of the '90s 500
2025 317 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2025) 500
2025 144 99.1 PLR 99.1 PLR Top 400 of the Last 40 Years (2025) 400
2026 73 101X 101X 500 (2026) 500
2026 266 106.7 WLLZ WLLZ Rock N Roll 500 (2026) 500
2026 750 WYEP WYEP Greatest Songs of All Time 1180

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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