LogFAQs > #954854769

183. Smashing Pumpkins Tonight, Tonight (1995)
from the album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOG3eus4ZSo

Key lyrics:
Well crucify the insincere tonight, tonight

Few acts in the 90s alternative scene had a sound as expansive as the Smashing Pumpkins, and Tonight, Tonight just might be their biggest. Being the first lyrical piece on the epic Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, it is clear Billy Corgan wanted a singularly sweeping piece to set the scene. Including a 30-piece string section, this is a truly symphonic work. Though they have a tendency toward brooding (just look at that obnoxious album title), Smashing Pumpkins created a truly uplifting piece with Tonight, Tonight, a song which can easily carry the listener through the dark turns that follow. This is Billy Corgan reaching out a hand, welcoming the disillusioned to a musical journey.

There is something I find gripping about artists with unusual voices, and Corgan is undeniably among the strangest singers to achieve mainstream success. He inflects every word with a nasally quality, one that borders on grating at times. But as a songwriter, he knows how to write for his voice. It is hard to imagine Tonight, Tonight having the same effect if those lengthy notes didnt carry his rough edge. But through all the strings and Corgans unique voice, the part that defines this song to me is Jimmy Chamberlins drumming. Chamberlin accomplishes the seemingly contradictory task of generating a tranquil forcefulness, perfectly bridging the lofty symphonic sound and the bands alt rock roots.

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My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/