Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan infamously ripped Radiohead in a 2012 Antiquiet interview: “I can’t think of any people outside of Weird Al Yankovic who have both embraced and pissed on rock more than I have. Obviously there’s a level of reverence, but there’s also a level of intelligence to even know what to piss on.”
He then went on: “Because I’m not pissing on Rainbow. I’m not pissing on Deep Purple. But I’ll piss on fucking Radiohead, because of all this pomposity. This value system that says Jonny Greenwood is more valuable than Ritchie Blackmore. Not in the world I grew up in.”
He added: “So I find myself defending things. Is Ritchie Blackmore a better guitar player than me and Jonny Greenwood? Yes. Have we all made contributions? Yes. I’m not attacking that. I’m attacking the pomposity that says this is more valuable than that. I’m sick of that. I’m so fucking sick of it, and nobody seems to tire of it.”
According to a new Instagram fan Q&A, Corgan likes Radiohead now, and thinks they are ‘great.’ Below are excerpts from the fan Q&A.
Do you like Radiohead?
Very much so. Great band.
Where were you when you wrote songs for Gish?
Mostly in an apartment at the corner of Janssen and Irving Park in Chicago. Or above the Music Box theater.
Any reason you don’t play ‘Perfect’ anymore?
We just couldn’t get it perfect in rehearsal, so…
How does one come to terms with the fact that they will never be happy?
To think so is a LIE.
