What’s the best way to keep the spirit of rock music alive? Evidently, Billy Corgan believes it’s by cosigning the new stars still celebrating the classics. During The Smashing Pumpkins’ first-ever headlining set at Lollapalooza, the Chicago-made band brought out Olivia Rodrigo to sing “Thirty-Three” from their classic double album Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness. Adorned in red light, Corgan played acoustic guitar while the pop singer cooed to the audience.
Additionally, Yungblud came out to sing “Luna” from their big breakthrough album Siamese Dream. A lover of the classics, the British rockstar expressed how grateful he was to share the stage with such legends. “This is a f**king dream come true,” Yungblud eagerly told the audience.
Lollapalooza 2026 marked the first time Billy Corgan and The Smashing Pumpkins played the festival in over 30 years. Back in 1994, the band was on the lineup alongside fellow legends Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest and Green Day.
This isn’t the only time Corgan has worked with unexpected pop stars in recent memory. In the spirit of working with artists who are deeply influenced by 90s rock, he joined one of pop’s new breakout stars, sombr, during his performance at Coachella in April 2026. For the “back to friends” superstar, he told Audacy how much he deeply adored The Smashing Pumpkins growing up. Moreover, he detailed how they were immediately on board to join him.
Billy Corgan Spotlights the New Generation of Rock-Influenced Stars at Lollapalooza
“I’ve been a fan of Billy and The Smashing Pumpkins since I was a kid,” sombr shared. “I reached out to Billy because I was a huge fan and I wanted him to do something with him and he was cool about it. He was instantly down, and it was just so perfect and we really aligned and I’m so grateful. Nicest dude ever. It’s insane.”
Unfortunately, Coachella saw some hiccups in their joint performance. But Billy Corgan didn’t let a faulty mic stop the show. Instead, he waited for the right mic from stagehands. According to sombr, it made the performance even better in the end.
“It’s rock and roll. It’s a part of live music. Something like that’s always going to happen,” sombr said. “I tried to give Billy my mic, but I don’t know. I think he did the right thing. He’s like, ‘Nah, we’re waiting for my mic.’ So he was actually supposed to be singing when I was singing at the start, so I just sang it and then he came in on the chorus and I thought it made it more special.”
(Photo by Ryan Bakerink/Getty Images)
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