Adore is the fourth studio album by the American alternative rock band the Smashing Pumpkins, released on June 2, 1998, by Virgin Records. After the multi-platinum success of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and a subsequent world tour, Adore was considered "one of the most anticipated albums of 1998" by MTV. Recording the album proved to be a challenge as the band members struggled with lingering interpersonal problems, musical uncertainty in the wake of three increasingly successful rock albums, and the departure of drummer Jimmy Chamberlin. Frontman Billy Corgan would later characterize Adore as made by "a band falling apart". Corgan was also going through a divorce and the death of his mother while recording the album.
Vinyl cover/2014 reissue cover
Image: Smashing Pumpkins Adore
Due to Jimmy Chamberlin being fired from the Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron was one of several percussionists brought into the studio to record with the band.
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band from Chicago. Formed in 1988 by frontman and guitarist Billy Corgan, bassist D'arcy Wretzky, guitarist James Iha, and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, the band has undergone several line-up changes since their reunion in 2006, with Corgan being the sole constant member since its inception. The current lineup features Corgan, Chamberlin, and Iha.
Smashing Pumpkins performing in 2019. Left to right: Jimmy Chamberlin, Billy Corgan, and James Iha
Vocalist Billy Corgan in 1992
Guitarist James Iha in 1995
Corgan performing at the Nassau Coliseum on Long Island in January 1997, featuring a shaved head and his iconic "Zero" shirt.