Sonic Youth: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

Sonic Youth grew directly out of Manhattan's post-no-wave composer underground — alternate tunings, prepared guitars and screwdriver-jammed strings borrowed from Glenn Branca's orchestras and Rhys Chatham's minimalist guitar massing — then welded that noise to Stooges riffs and pop songcraft. This mix traces the downtown lineage behind them, the visual-art world Kim Gordon brought in from her own practice as an artist and critic, and the indie generation they midwifed.

The Kynda mix for Sonic Youth

• Key Influence · The Ascension by Glenn Branca (1981). Moore and Ranaldo both played in Branca's massed-guitar ensembles, and Branca released Sonic Youth's 1982 debut EP on his Neutral label. The Ascension's stacked, alternately tuned electric guitars generating overtone clouds is the structural blueprint for the band's drone passages — the harmonic storms of Bad Moon Rising and the long instrumental build of 'Expressway to Yr. Skull' come straight out of this ensemble logic.
• Influencia Obscura · Guitar Trio by Rhys Chatham (1977). Chatham, the Kitchen's first music director, built pieces from multiple electric guitars hammering one note until overtones bloom into melody. Moore and Ranaldo moved through the same loft-concert circuit, and Ranaldo later performed in Chatham's large guitar ensembles. This is the minimalist engine — La Monte Young's drone theory plugged into Marshall amps — that Sonic Youth smuggled into indie rock.
• Local Roots · Filth by Swans (1983). Michael Gira's Swans shared Lower East Side bills, rehearsal economics and audiences with Sonic Youth in the early eighties; drummer Jim Sclavunos passed through both bands. Filth's punishing slow repetition represents the other pole of post-no-wave New York — weight instead of shimmer — and the two groups defined the scene's extremes together as the loft era gave way to hardcore-adjacent clubs.
• Beyond the Medium · Rock My Religion by Dan Graham (1984). Graham's video essay links Shaker ecstatic dance to rock performance, and he was a genuine participant in the same downtown art world Kim Gordon wrote criticism for in Artforum. Sonic Youth's self-understanding as conceptual artists using a rock band as medium — Gordon's writing on performance, boys watching boys play — runs parallel to Graham's thinking about audience, ritual and the spectacle of the stage.
• Peer · You're Living All Over Me by Dinosaur Jr. (1987). J Mascis's band toured with Sonic Youth through the SST years and shared their fusion of hardcore velocity with guitar abstraction and melody. Both groups were central to the late-eighties American underground network of fanzines, college radio and van tours that made an independent circuit viable, and Sonic Youth were vocal advocates for Dinosaur Jr. as the scene's other great guitar band.
• From the Canon · Daydream Nation by Sonic Youth (1988). The double album where every strand converges: Branca-derived tunings, no wave abstraction and genuine songwriting across seventy minutes, from 'Teen Age Riot' to the 'Trilogy' suite. Added to the Library of Congress National Recording Registry, it marks the moment American underground rock proved it could sustain an epic statement, and it directly precipitated the band's move to a major label.
• Key Collaborator · Bad Timing by Jim O'Rourke (1997). O'Rourke mixed and produced for Sonic Youth before joining as a full member from 1999 to 2005, playing bass and guitar on NYC Ghosts & Flowers and Murray Street. Bad Timing, his American Primitive-influenced instrumental suite of fingerpicked guitar and slow-building brass, reveals the compositional patience and studio ear he brought to the band's most spacious, least abrasive period.
• Legacy · Fake Can Be Just as Good by Blonde Redhead (1995). Steve Shelley discovered Blonde Redhead in New York, released their early records on his Smells Like Records label and produced their work, and the band's dissonant interlocking guitars and alternating male-female vocals are openly indebted to Sonic Youth's architecture. The lineage here is literal as well as stylistic — a successor signed and recorded by a founding member.

What influenced Sonic Youth

• The Velvet Underground by The Velvet Underground. The article names the Velvet Underground as a major influence on Sonic Youth. (also via Daydream Nation, White Light/White Heat) “Sonic Youth's major influences included the Velvet Underground , [ 93 ] the Stooges , MC5 , [ 94 ] Glenn Branca , Rhys Chatham” (Wikipedia)
• Glenn Branca (1948). The article names Glenn Branca as a major influence on Sonic Youth. (also via The Ascension) “Sonic Youth's major influences included the Velvet Underground , [ 93 ] the Stooges , MC5 , [ 94 ] Glenn Branca , Rhys Chatham” (Wikipedia)
• Brigitte Fontaine. Ranaldo identifies Brigitte Fontaine as an influence with whom Sonic Youth collaborated. “You know, we were lucky enough to collaborate with a lot of different people that influenced us, like working with Neil Young for a period of time on tour or Yoko or Iggy, you know, and Brigitte was one of those.” (Wikipedia)
• Patti Smith. The article names Patti Smith among Sonic Youth’s major influences. “Neil Young , Yoko Ono , Brigitte Fontaine , [ 96 ] Patti Smith , Wire , [ 97 ] and Public Image Ltd .” (Wikipedia)
• Rhys Chatham. The article names Rhys Chatham as a major influence on Sonic Youth. (also via Guitar Trio) “Sonic Youth's major influences included the Velvet Underground , [ 93 ] the Stooges , MC5 , [ 94 ] Glenn Branca , Rhys Chatham” (Wikipedia)
• John Cage. Goodbye 20th Century (Sonic Youth) — legacy for John Cage (via Goodbye 20th Century, Number Pieces) “Cage's influence was also acknowledged by rock acts such as Sonic Youth (who performed some of the Number Pieces) and Stereolab (who named their song "John Cage Bubblegum" after him), composer and rock and jazz guitarist Frank Zappa, and…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Ascension by Glenn Branca (1981). The Ascension (Glenn Branca) — titan for Sonic Youth “Gordon later recalled that "as soon as Thurston came up with the name Sonic Youth, a certain sound that was more of what we wanted to do came about." The band played Noise Fest in June 1981 at New York's White Columns gallery, where Lee …” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Fun House by The Stooges (1970). Fun House (The Stooges) — titan for Sonic Youth “[...] The pair's viewpoint on their instruments was fresh, vivid and untethered to all established norms." Sonic Youth's major influences included the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, MC5, Glenn Branca, Rhys Chatham, Ornette Coleman, Joh…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• White Light/White Heat by The Velvet Underground. White Light/White Heat (The Velvet Underground) — titan for Sonic Youth “[...] The pair's viewpoint on their instruments was fresh, vivid and untethered to all established norms." Sonic Youth's major influences included the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, MC5, Glenn Branca, Rhys Chatham, Ornette Coleman, Joh…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Kerze by Gerhard Richter (1982). Kerze (Gerhard Richter) — culture for Sonic Youth “Sonic Youth used a painting of his for the cover art for their album Daydream Nation in 1988.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• The Stooges by The Stooges. The article names the Stooges as a major influence on Sonic Youth. “Sonic Youth's major influences included the Velvet Underground , [ 93 ] the Stooges , MC5 , [ 94 ] Glenn Branca , Rhys Chatham” (Wikipedia)
• MC5. The article names MC5 as a major influence on Sonic Youth. “Sonic Youth's major influences included the Velvet Underground , [ 93 ] the Stooges , MC5 , [ 94 ] Glenn Branca , Rhys Chatham” (Wikipedia)
• Ornette Coleman (1930). The article names Ornette Coleman among Sonic Youth’s major influences. “Rhys Chatham , Ornette Coleman , John Coltrane , La Monte Young , [ 95 ] Neil Young , Yoko Ono , Brigitte Fontaine” (Wikipedia)
• John Coltrane. The article names John Coltrane among Sonic Youth’s major influences. “Rhys Chatham , Ornette Coleman , John Coltrane , La Monte Young , [ 95 ] Neil Young , Yoko Ono , Brigitte Fontaine” (Wikipedia)
• La Monte Young. The article names La Monte Young among Sonic Youth’s major influences. “Rhys Chatham , Ornette Coleman , John Coltrane , La Monte Young , [ 95 ] Neil Young , Yoko Ono , Brigitte Fontaine” (Wikipedia)
• Neil Young. Ranaldo says Sonic Youth worked with Neil Young, one of the people who influenced them. “You know, we were lucky enough to collaborate with a lot of different people that influenced us, like working with Neil Young for a period of time on tour or Yoko or Iggy, you know, and Brigitte was one of those.” (Wikipedia)
• Yoko Ono. Ranaldo includes Yoko Ono among people Sonic Youth worked with who influenced the band. “You know, we were lucky enough to collaborate with a lot of different people that influenced us, like working with Neil Young for a period of time on tour or Yoko or Iggy, you know, and Brigitte was one of those.” (Wikipedia)
• Wire. The article names Wire among Sonic Youth’s major influences. “Neil Young , Yoko Ono , Brigitte Fontaine , [ 96 ] Patti Smith , Wire , [ 97 ] and Public Image Ltd .” (Wikipedia)
• Public Image Ltd. The article names Public Image Ltd among Sonic Youth’s major influences. “Neil Young , Yoko Ono , Brigitte Fontaine , [ 96 ] Patti Smith , Wire , [ 97 ] and Public Image Ltd .” (Wikipedia)
• Steve Reich. Sonic Youth is listed among groups influenced by Reich. “Reich's style of composition has influenced many other composers and musical groups, including John Adams , Michael Nyman , Aphex Twin , Björk , Sonic Youth , Brian Eno” (Wikipedia)
• Guitar Trio by Rhys Chatham (1977). Guitar Trio (Rhys Chatham) — ghost for Sonic Youth “[...] The pair's viewpoint on their instruments was fresh, vivid and untethered to all established norms." Sonic Youth's major influences included the Velvet Underground, the Stooges, MC5, Glenn Branca, Rhys Chatham, Ornette Coleman, Joh…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• 78 by Mars (1986). 78 (Mars) — ghost for Sonic Youth (musicbrainz.org)
• A Taste of DNA by DNA (1981). A Taste of DNA (DNA) — ghost for Sonic Youth (musicbrainz.org)
• Rock My Religion by Dan Graham (1984). Rock My Religion (Dan Graham) — culture for Sonic Youth (wikidata.org)
• Ahh...Youth! by Mike Kelley (1991). Ahh...Youth! (Mike Kelley) — culture for Sonic Youth “The album features artwork by Los Angeles–based artist Mike Kelley.” (en.wikipedia.org)

Peers and kindred spirits

• Pixies. Daydream Nation (Sonic Youth) — peer for Pixies (via Daydream Nation, Surfer Rosa) “The band was slated to perform in the 2004 Lollapalooza tour along with acts such as the Pixies and the Flaming Lips, but the tour was canceled due to lackluster ticket sales.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Mike Watt. Sonic Youth collaborated with Watt as Ciccone Youth. (also via Ball-Hog or Tugboat?) “Around the same time, the band collaborated with former Minutemen bassist Mike Watt under the alias Ciccone Youth, which was a play on the names Sonic Youth and Ciccone, the surname of Madonna .” (Wikipedia)
• Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Sonic Youth's music was used in the company's repertory. “Its repertory included works by musicians ranging from Cage and Gordon Mumma to Gavin Bryars , as well as popular bands like Radiohead , Sigur Rós and Sonic Youth .” (Wikipedia)
• Nearly Ninety. Nearly Ninety used music by Sonic Youth. “2009 Nearly Ninety John Paul Jones , Takehisa Kosugi , Sonic Youth” (Wikipedia)
• Electricity by Captain Beefheart. Sonic Youth covered Beefheart's Electricity. “Sonic Youth , who included a cover of Beefheart's "Electricity" which would later be re-released on their 1988 album Daydream Nation .” (Wikipedia)
• Number Pieces by John Cage. Sonic Youth performed some of Cage's Number Pieces. “Cage's influence was also acknowledged by rock acts such as Sonic Youth (who performed some of the Number Pieces [ 142 ] )” (Wikipedia)
• Filth by Swans (1983). Filth (Swans) — geography for Sonic Youth “During their early days, Sonic Youth formed a friendship with fellow New York noise rock band Swans.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Queen of Siam by Lydia Lunch (1980). Queen of Siam (Lydia Lunch) — geography for Sonic Youth “Bad Moon Rising featured an appearance by Lydia Lunch on "Death Valley '69", which was inspired by the Manson Family.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Surfer Rosa by Pixies (1988). Surfer Rosa (Pixies) — peer for Sonic Youth “The band was slated to perform in the 2004 Lollapalooza tour along with acts such as the Pixies and the Flaming Lips, but the tour was canceled due to lackluster ticket sales.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Bleach by Nirvana (1989). Bleach (Nirvana) — peer for Sonic Youth “Their inventive use of alternate tunings, dissonance, and feedback, which they combined with the intensity of hardcore punk and the performance art aesthetic of New York's avant-garde, created a new sonic landscape with an impact that la…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Bad Timing by Jim O'Rourke. Bad Timing (Jim O'Rourke) — collaborator for Sonic Youth “Jim O'Rourke (bass, guitar, keyboards) was also a member from 1999 to 2005; Mark Ibold of Pavement (bass, guitar) joined in 2006 and remained in the band until their 2011 split.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Nevermind by Nirvana (1991). Nevermind (Nirvana) — collaborator for Sonic Youth “Their inventive use of alternate tunings, dissonance, and feedback, which they combined with the intensity of hardcore punk and the performance art aesthetic of New York's avant-garde, created a new sonic landscape with an impact that la…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Superstar. Sonic Youth released a cover of the Carpenters’ hit. “In 1994, the band released a cover of the Carpenters ' 1971 hit " Superstar " for the tribute album If I Were a Carpenter .” (Wikipedia)
• John Paul Jones. Sonic Youth and Jones collaborated on a dance-performance soundtrack. “During this period they collaborated with John Paul Jones on the soundtrack for a performance by the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in honor of Cunningham, who had recently passed.” (Wikipedia)
• Sofia Coppola (1971). Coppola appeared in Sonic Youth’s music video. “Coppola also appeared in several 1990s music videos: the Black Crowes ' "Sometimes Salvation"; Sonic Youth 's "Mildred Pierce"; Madonna 's " Deeper and Deeper "; the Chemical Brothers ' " Elektrobank ", which was directed by her then-hus…” (Wikipedia)
• Suicide by Suicide (1977). Suicide (Suicide) — geography for Sonic Youth (musicbrainz.org)
• You're Living All Over Me by Dinosaur Jr. (1987). You're Living All Over Me (Dinosaur Jr.) — peer for Sonic Youth “Black Emperor, Shane Embury of Napalm Death, Slowdive, Dinosaur Jr., Teenage Fanclub, Mogwai, Placebo frontman Brian Molko, Quicksand and Rival Schools frontman Walter Schreifels, Ride, the Notwist, Jawbreaker, ...And You Will Know Us by…” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Ball-Hog or Tugboat? by Mike Watt (1995). Ball-Hog or Tugboat? (Mike Watt) — collaborator for Sonic Youth “Around the same time, the band collaborated with former Minutemen bassist Mike Watt under the alias Ciccone Youth, which was a play on the names Sonic Youth and Ciccone, the surname of Madonna.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• the Strokes. Daydream Nation (Sonic Youth) — geography for The Strokes (via Daydream Nation) (musicbrainz.org)

Who Sonic Youth influenced

• Nirvana. The article attributes Nirvana’s musical and label decisions in part to Sonic Youth’s influence. (also via Goo, Bleach, Nevermind) “Sonic Youth greatly influenced the grunge band Nirvana , both in their musical style and their decision to sign with DGC Records for the release of Nevermind ; bassist Krist Novoselic once said the band's goal was "to do as good as Sonic…” (Wikipedia)
• Polvo by Polvo. A quoted member of Polvo credits Sonic Youth with influencing the band’s two-guitar interplay. “We definitely thought of Sonic Youth as a huge influence, in many facets. One facet especially was learning how two guitars can fill spaces and interplay and that's something we took from Sonic Youth.” (Wikipedia)
• Dinosaur Jr. by Dinosaur Jr.. Barlow includes Sonic Youth in his account of Dinosaur Jr.’s influences. (also via You're Living All Over Me) “There was stuff like the Birthday Party , Scratch Acid and Sonic Youth.” (Wikipedia)
• Brian Molko by Brian Molko. Molko calls Sonic Youth possibly his biggest influence. “Sonic Youth remain possibly my biggest influence to this day. They're the greatest rock'n'roll band of all time.” (Wikipedia)
• Pavement (1989). Band explicitly lists Sonic Youth as an influence. “The band has also listed Sonic Youth , Echo & the Bunnymen , and R.E.M. as direct influences.” (Wikipedia)
• Loveless by My Bloody Valentine (1991). Loveless (My Bloody Valentine) — legacy for Sonic Youth “and Sonic Youth, as well as the experimental dream pop of British group A.R.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Stephen Malkmus. Malkmus credits Sonic Youth as a source of his guitar technique. “I could always play pretty fast from the Pavement days. There was a lot of that inhereted from Sonic Youth, the tension that comes from playing two strings on the same note really fast.” (Wikipedia)
• Sleater-Kinney. Tucker calls Sonic Youth a major influence on Sleater-Kinney. “Also, 'Small Finds' definitely has a Sonic Youth vibe. They're another major influence on us.” (Wikipedia)
• Swervedriver. Franklin names Sonic Youth among the inspirations for Swervedriver. “Our first album after getting back together 2015's I Wasn't Born to Lose You tapped into the music and culture that first inspired the band when we were just begun – Sonic Youth, Love & Rockets comic , JG Ballard 's Crash and all that.” (Wikipedia)
• Walter Schreifels. Schreifels explicitly credits Sonic Youth as an influence on his guitar sounds. “I definitely took a lot of influence from bands like Fugazi , My Bloody Valentine and Sonic Youth, where you're creating guitar sounds that aren't necessarily about technique.” (Wikipedia)
• The Notwist. A quoted member of the Notwist names Sonic Youth among the band’s enduring influences. “And then we started to listen to '90s independent music a lot. Stereolab , My Bloody Valentine , the Pastels , Broadcast , Sonic Youth … always huge influences on everything we do.” (Wikipedia)
• Jawbreaker. Schwarzenbach says Jawbreaker tried to incorporate passages reminiscent of Sonic Youth. “So, those cinematic passages that [Sonic Youth] have, I mean I think you can hear in some parts of Jawbreaker, we would sometimes try to have a languid Sonic Youth part, we'd be like, 'we just need one good breakdown.'” (Wikipedia)
• ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The quoted band member names Sonic Youth among the group’s influences. “We were always influenced by our heroes, whether it's Kate Bush or Public Enemy or Sonic Youth...” (Wikipedia)
• Jawbox. A quoted member of Jawbox includes Sonic Youth among the artists that shaped the band’s sound. “They're all because we were listening to Sonic Youth or Peter Gabriel or whatever it was and it's just the particular stew that we made out of all those ingredients.” (Wikipedia)
• Teenage Fanclub. Blake names EVOL as an influence on Teenage Fanclub’s first album. (via EVOL) “So when we started the band, (...) the main influences on that first Teenage Fanclub album would've been Sonic Youth's Evol and Daydream Nation , those records.” (Wikipedia)
• Fake Can Be Just as Good by Blonde Redhead (1995). Fake Can Be Just as Good (Blonde Redhead) — legacy for Sonic Youth (musicbrainz.org)
• Microcastle by Deerhunter (2008). Microcastle (Deerhunter) — legacy for Sonic Youth “The New York Times concert review mentioned "the Breeders, Stereolab, disco rhythm, krautrock, Sonic Youth’s noise breakdowns, girl-group pop, the picked eighth-note bass lines of 1980s indie rock", as influences.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Radiohead (1985). Sonic Youth is listed among Radiohead's earliest influences.