The Smashing Pumpkins eased their way into “1979,” sneaking power-chord alt-rock hits into the charts before mustering the courage to release this as a single. Luckily, I didn’t have to decide whether I liked this sound better than the group’s prog-grunge, as I heard it as part of the group’s “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness.”
Whether it was the extended titles or Billy Corgan’s philosophical texts transformed into pop lyrics, I had trouble deciphering the meaning of the band’s music for a long time. I’m better now and will try to explain what the lyrics to “1979” mean and reveal the story behind one of the greatest alternative rock songs of the ’90s.
The Smashing Pumpkins’ Journey to Making “1979”
The Smashing Pumpkins were an excellent band from the very beginning. Its members just didn’t know yet what kind of band they wanted to be. Shoegaze, garage, and even progressive rock were some of the directions of the group’s earliest days. I find those recordings quite fascinating.
But by the early 1990s, rivals like Nirvana were conquering the airwaves with a sound dubbed by the press as “grunge.” The Smashing Pumpkins put their own spin on the trend, doing it quite memorably, in my book, with singles like “Today” or “Disarm.”
“Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” arrived just as the hype over grunge was dying down. It signalled the still very famous Pumpkins’ desire to expand artistically. And, indeed, I’m sure that it opened new doors for the band.
The Meaning of the Lyrics to “1979”
As I write this, it’s 2025. And, at this moment, The Smashing Pumpkins are (quasi) reunited, touring the world, and even putting out new music regularly.
Why? In a recent interview, Billy Corgan told the reporter that his goal had always been to write thousands of songs. In this way, he hopes, his legacy in the rock world will be secured.
Corgan was, even in the ’90s, one of the most ambitious of the alt-rockers, earning fame. This rubbed some the wrong way, including peers Pavement or Nick Cave.
But the sound and lyrics of “1979” are, I believe, a good indicator of Corgan’s aspirations. He wanted The Smashing Pumpkins to have hits in numerous styles. He wanted to write about multiple topics. And, yes, he wanted to be praised for his efforts.
I’ve always thought of the double album “Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness” as a concept record about growing up and overcoming challenging circumstances. It’s an alternative rock version of “The Wall,” where the character ultimately wins in the end.
Simply put, “1979” is the part in the story where the main character enters young adulthood and begins to discover the world. Corgan was inspired by his own story.
The lyrics and video are inspired by the singer’s high school days, early jobs, and his desire to escape his parents’ control.
Corgan later said of the song on the television show VH1 Storytellers: “Sometimes, when I write a song, I see a picture in my head. For some reason, it’s of the obscure memory I have.” The memory that goes with this song is from when he was around 18 years old. He was driving down a road near his home on a rainy night, and was waiting at a traffic light. He says that the picture “emotionally connotes a feeling of waiting for something to happen, and not being quite there yet, but it’s just around the corner.“
Writing the Song
The Smashing Pumpkins, for the most part, continually sought to change their sound. While the band’s debut, “Gish,” was influenced by shoegaze and prog-rock, the “Siamese Dream” record incorporated a mix of garage-rock and grunge influences.
It’s remarkable, I think, considering what the band’s peers were doing, that “1979” is developed using samples and an almost disco-rock groove. Part of the credit goes to producer Flood.
However, I’d like to praise Corgan’s ambition for this one. The song was completed in one night after Flood had claimed that the demo was simply not good enough to be included on the record.
While the band had already recorded 56 songs for the album, “1979” was hastily written and, ultimately, became one of the band’s biggest hits. In this respect, I’m happy to say that it shares something with songs like “Train in Vain” or “Paranoid,” last-minute additions themselves.
Music Video for “1979”
While I must admit that the idea of The Smashing Pumpkins becoming public reps of their generation seems odd to me, this is exactly what the group was by 1996. Teenagers primarily loved the band. Due to this and the song’s lyrics, teenagers are prominently featured in the now-iconic music video.
Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris directed the video, thereby continuing their collaboration with the band. The promo follows a group of kids spending one day stuck in American suburbia. It was inspired by Corgan’s teenage days in Chicago.
Upon its release, the music video became a staple of MTV. It won several awards and the group returned to the same cast of characters for 1998’s equally beautiful, but less successful, “Perfect.”
The Legacy of The Smashing Pumpkins and “1979”
Billy Corgan’s instincts were proven right. “1979” and “Tonight, Tonight” were two of the biggest rock singles of 1996 and, indeed, of the era. Did the success go to his head? Of course, but I suppose this was to be expected.
Corgan told reporters that “1979” signalled the new direction for The Smashing Pumpkins, an electro-rock blend. While this was true, this path didn’t entirely convince audiences quite in the way that the more traditional-sounding ’90s records did.
The group very publicly, and slowly, called it quits in the 2000s. Corgan revived the band in the mid-2000s to moderate success.
But the quality of the early records was undeniable. Now seen, rightfully, I think, as one of the best bands of its era, The Smashing Pumpkins was fully back in action by 2018. Yes, they still play “1979” at practically every show. Why not? It’s one of the greatest alternative rock songs of the 1990s.
