Adore Songs Ranked

Adore is the fourth studio album by the American alternative rock band 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 yearlong world tour, follow-up 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 and 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. Here are all of Adore’s songs ranked.

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16. 17

“Hmm I see what they did there, so it’s like track 16 but it’s called 17…and it lasts like 17 seconds and it’s useless? Yeah good one…nah I don’t mind it to be honest…nice little outro.”

15. Once Upon a Time

“A low point, but I think this proves that the main level this album works on is as a whole. I don’t think I’d ever rush to my iPod thinking “you know what I want to listen to? Once Upon A Time off of Adore…” I’d more likely listen to the complete album. So this song has some ok lyrics actually but isn’t that memorable in the long run.”

14. Annie-Dog

“Erm…dunno what to think about this. Is it some kind of drugs allegory? Linking Annie-Dog from the title to drugs? Or is Billy just slightly ill? That isn’t for mortals like you and I to know unfortunately…all we can do is take his creations and either love or hate them. I lean towards love for this song – but only on the album as I’ve kept saying concerning Adore.”

13. Blank Page

“Not the best of the slow songs, as I said swap it with For Martha…or just cut it. Not bad but seems unnecessary really.”

12. To Sheila

“This is the album which I avoided for the longest amount of time. I’ve been a fan for about 3 years yet I listened to this last month for the first time. Why? Because everyone claims it’s bad. I agreed on the first listen sure…but then I felt like I owed them a second listen after they gave me 2 of my favourite albums ever. So this opener is quite a beautiful track, it’s a slow start of course but it really has nothing wrong about it. It showcases typical Cogan lyrics, a lovely easy piano track and some very melodic and dreamy drums. This song could have been on any of the earlier albums without to much change.”

See more: Smashing Pumpkins Albums Ranked

11. Crestfallen

“Piano intro here which really pics up on the infinite sadness which appeared from nowhere on the last song. It’s a good little sad song as well, it somehow feels right even after the long Tear. Again great in the album context…probably less than that on its own.”

10. Pug

“I do like the music on this one, I want it to be a guitar but I bet its not. More dirge-like lyrics here which are getting a little bit old by here but are still acceptable. The song is broken up by a less thick-with-music bit (not a technical musician type so I dunno the names for things like that), which balances well with the more heavy parts.”

9. Appels + Oranjes

“Billy’s love of misspelling stuff is shown in the title…he’s a silly chap. A faster paced song here which keeps the flow up after the last two emotionally draining songs. The lyrics are a little bit iffy but overall a good addition to the feel. Still seems depressing and bleak lyrics wise and even the music, although upbeat, is still quite mournful.”

8. For Martha

“I do like this, it’s better than To Sheila which is almost the same song when you think about it. This seems like a good ending but then Blank Page is another full song…it seems song order is an issue with SP to me. Oh well I think it sorta leads into Blank Page well so we’ll let it off.”

7. The Tale of Dusty and Pistol Pete

“The lowest point on the album is this song to me. It seems to not fit in with the rest of the structure. Just a random song with strange lyrics that makes little sense to me. Maybe some sort of homework into the album would provide answers but as I said before I really have no motivation to learn about it.”

See more: Smashing Pumpkins Songs Ranked

6. Behold! The Night Mare

“I read this as another misspelling as it references a night mare (horse)…but thats just me really isn’t it? But I do also really like this song, it’s my 3rd favourite behind Ava Adore. The album is definitely best consumed as a whole. There are only about 4 or 5 songs which work on their own. This is one of them.”

5. Shame

“Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-shame…sh-sh-shouldn’t work as lyrics in a SP song…but it seems to. I always feel like I want this song to hurry up when I listen to the album. But thats not to say it isn’t good…just quite long on an already long feeling album.”

4. Perfect

“Reminds me of Rocket for some reason or another, it’s actually nothing like it. If Ava Adore wasn’t a single this definitely was. It seems quite happy, and I think it actually is a happy point in the album. Not bad but oh well…come to think of it this sounds like 1979 more than Rocket…”

3. Tear

“This is my favourite…I have to kind of take back my previous comment here because I would happily listen to this song as a one-off. It’s a slow dramatic depressing number about a dead girl. It’s unusual for Smashing Pumpkins to explore the emotion of sadness – usually skipping that and going for extreme anger – so yeah I see this as the best use of the electronic style and just the best song.”

2. Daphne Descends

“I love the transition from Perfect to this…This song was the first from Adore I heard, which unusual. I downloaded it back in the day because I liked the sound of the title. So I feel a sort of bias towards it as I’ve listened to it countless times. For first time listeners I’d assume some sort of lowered standard would be sensed. This band used to be epic, now they’re making songs like this which fits with the album style but not what you’d expect from quite a heavy grunge band.”

1. Ava Adore

“My first real love from Adore. I’m not 100% sure but I think this was a single…(the fact I’m typing this up on a WEBSITE tells you I have the capability to look up my “facts” but I just don’t have the motivation to do it)…This song is heavier, but in the strange Adore style electronic way, the lyrics are Pumpkins perfect and the overall feel of the song fits in with the noir-type feel to the album.”