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The Smashing Pumpkins are an influential American alternative rock band known for their dense, guitar-heavy sound, introspective lyrics, and ambitious concept albums, rising to prominence in the 1990s alternative rock boom.Formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1988 by singer/guitarist Billy Corgan and guitarist James Iha, with bassist D'arcy Wretzky and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin joining soon after. They achieved massive commercial success and critical acclaim in the 1990s with albums like 'Siamese Dream' (1993) and the multi-platinum 'Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness' (1995). The band underwent significant lineup changes, disbanding in 2000. Corgan revived the name with new members in 2006. A partial reunion of the original lineup (Corgan, Iha, Chamberlin) occurred in 2018, with Jeff Schroeder on bass initially, later replaced by Katie Cole for touring. Jack Bates is the current touring bassist.

• Billy Corgan wrote nearly all the band's music and lyrics, often recording guitar and bass parts himself on early albums, leading to internal tensions within the original lineup.
• Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin was fired in 1996 following his involvement in the heroin overdose death of touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin. Chamberlin struggled publicly with addiction for years before eventually rejoining Corgan.
• The original band acrimoniously broke up in 2000. Corgan announced the breakup via a full-page ad in the Chicago Tribune without consulting all band members first. Deep personal rifts, particularly between Corgan and Wretzky, persisted for decades.
• Despite their alternative rock status, they achieved mainstream success rarely seen in the genre, with 'Mellon Collie' selling over 10 million copies in the US alone and producing multiple hit singles including 'Bullet with Butterfly Wings' and '1979'.
• Corgan's revival of the band name in 2006 with an almost entirely new lineup (excluding Chamberlin's brief return later) was controversial among fans who saw the original chemistry as irreplaceable.
• The 2018 reunion tour featured Corgan, Iha, and Chamberlin, but D'arcy Wretzky publicly stated she was not invited to rejoin despite expectations, leading to a bitter public exchange between her and Corgan. Bass duties were handled by Jack Bates (son of Peter Hook).