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Dirty (Sonic Youth album)

by Sonic Youth

Released: July 21, 1992

Noise rock, alternative rock, experimental rock, grunge

musicOnOff editorial

Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Experimental Album.

The Album

Dirty is the seventh full-length studio album and second double album by American rock band Sonic Youth, released on July 21, 1992, through DGC Records. The band recorded and co-produced the album with Butch Vig at the Magic Shop recording studios in early 1992. Influenced by the popularity of grunge music at the time, Dirty has been described as experimental rock.

Stories and details

Interesting Facts

To support the album, Sonic Youth went on…

To support the album, Sonic Youth went on the Pretty Fucking Dirty tour, which spanned 1992 and 1993.

The tour included performances across North America, New…

The tour included performances across North America, New Zealand, and Australia, and featured most of the tracks from Dirty.

In late 1992, they released the Whores Moaning…

In late 1992, they released the Whores Moaning EP, which included many of the B-sides from Sugar Kane.

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Essential Tracks

Sugar Kane

The subsequent single Youth Against Fascism did not achieve significant chart success, while "Sugar Kane" performed better commercially than Drunken Butterfly.

Youth Against Fascism

The subsequent single Youth Against Fascism did not achieve significant chart success, while "Sugar Kane" performed better commercially than Drunken Butterfly.

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Explore the Album

Sonic Youth - Dirty (Sonic Youth album)

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Then

Reception

It produced four singles: 100% was the lead single and charted well, though it did not become the crossover hit that the label had hoped for. The album reached number 83 on the US Billboard 200 and number six on the UK Albums Chart. The subsequent single Youth Against Fascism did not achieve significant chart success, while "Sugar Kane" performed better commercially than Drunken Butterfly.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

The album reached number 83 on the US Billboard 200 and number six on the UK Albums Chart. It produced four singles: 100% was the lead single and charted well, though it did not become the crossover hit that the label had hoped for. The subsequent single Youth Against Fascism did not achieve significant chart success, while "Sugar Kane" performed better commercially than Drunken Butterfly.

To support the album, Sonic Youth went on the Pretty Fucking Dirty tour, which spanned 1992 and 1993. The tour included performances across North America, New Zealand, and Australia, and featured most of the tracks from Dirty. In late 1992, they released the Whores Moaning EP, which included many of the B-sides from Sugar Kane.