The Smashing Pumpkins Failure Billy Corgan Blamed Himself

Not every track or album bands and musicians release is a home run. In an ideal world, that would be the case where fans adore any new material that is released. However, it’s common for the final outputs not to have the desired outcome now and then.

One of those artists who have major regrets about their creation is none other than Smashing Pumpkins’ Billy Corgan. The multi-platinum success of ‘Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness’ and a year-long world tour brought so much pressure for the band for the next round, their fourth studio album ‘Adore.’

The release of the album had so much hype surrounding it. In contrast, the behind-the-scenes of making the album was a rollercoaster as there was tension between bandmates and a musical block where they didn’t quite know their direction after so much success with their previous albums.

After the record’s release, it generally received positive reviews. However, for Corgan, who was not that happy with the outcome and the sales, the album was a massive failure. He even blamed himself for not marketing the album with the right strategy and was disappointed that even the album’s title, which was supposed to be a joke, didn’t land the same way he had hoped.

The singer initially felt responsible for introducing the record as a techno album when it should have been called an acoustic album. Regarding the title, ‘Adore’ was supposed to be a play on words and make a statement in Smashing Pumpkins’ new venture regarding their sound. In the end, from where Billy Corgan was standing, none of the critical parts of the release was done the right way to set them up for success.

The rocker blamed himself for the record’s reception in the 2000 documentary ‘Smashing Pumpkins: Full Circle’ and said:

“[I] made the mistake of telling people it was a techno record. [If I] would have told everyone Adore was the Pumpkins’ acoustic album, we would have never had the problems that we had.”

He even wrote on the band’s website:

“[The album’s title was] misunderstood and a joke that no one ever got. [He said] ‘Adore’ was meant as a play on ‘A Door,’ meaning the album would offer a new entrance to the band’s career.”

In 2005, Corgan again shared his thoughts about the making of the album:

“The very act of making this record (and writing these sad songs) is really one of the most painful experiences of my life.”

At the end of the day, the making and release period of ‘Adore’ was a hurdle for Billy Corgan, also for personal matters. He was going through a divorce and grieving the death of his mother while recording the album. Eventually, it didn’t receive the success of their previous albums. On the bright side, every new experience is a learning curve to take the lessons and apply to the next project.