Billy Corgan believes he’s an underrated guitarist
Smashing Pumpkins’ frontman Billy Corgan has lashed out at being overlooked in lists celebrating the greatest guitarists of all time, saying that he believes to be constantly underrated by critics.
As a founding member and the principal songwriter for Smashing Pumpkins, Corgan helped shape the sound of the 1990s with his often aggressive playing style, and was hailed by journalists of the period as an important figure that contributed to popularising alternative rock during the decade, releasing songs like ‘Cherub Rock’ and ‘Tonight, Tonight’ that would see the band receive critical acclaim.
Speaking to Guitar World, Corgan made his dissatisfaction known about often being left out on rankings of the greatest guitar players. “I usually don’t even make those lists,” he expressed in the interview, “or they’ll put me behind somebody who I could play circles around.”
While playing alongside fellow guitarist James Iha in the band during that period, Corgan’s guitar playing was characterised by a heavy mix of distortion and reverb-drenched guitar tones alongside softer arpeggiated melody lines, with Corgan often being the member responsible for playing lead parts to Iha’s rhythm.
In the recent interview, Corgan expanded on his feelings and stated that he understands why others will repeatedly receive acknowledgement in the lists, but he appeared frustrated at the fact that he is rarely ever given the respect he feels he deserves.
“I sat for hours across from Eddie Van Halen at 5150 with my jaw open, watching Eddie play,” Corgan would admit. “My father was a great guitar player. I’ve got no problem acknowledging some of the greatest guitar players ever.”
Although greatest guitarist lists often place more favour on players from earlier decades, others from Corgan’s era still receive recognition towards the top end of countdowns such as Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello, and Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood.
When speaking about how he was largely responsible for several elements of his band’s creative process, he was unhappy that this is often not noticed by those who judge the greatness of him and his peers, stating that “they don’t want to believe one person can do all those things.”
After multiple hiatuses and restructurings of the band’s lineup, Smashing Pumpkins’ most recent album, Aghori mhori mei, was released earlier in 2024, and Corgan himself will be seeing out the year with a solo tour of Australia, performing six dates in the country during December, 2024.
Billy Corgan tour dates:
December 2024
- 1st – Adelaide, Hindley St Music Hall
- 3rd – Melbourne, Palais Theatre
- 4th – Sydney, Enmore Theatre
- 6th – Melbourne, Good Things Festival
- 7th – Sydney, Good Things Festival
- 8th – Brisbane, Good Things Festival
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