No one would argue that the Smashing Pumpkins’ song “Cherub Rock” was a hit. But, for frontman, Billy Corgan, it took a passing comment on the set of SNL to convince the band their 1993 single was a success.
In a July 2025 interview, Corgan recalled the encounter, a moment that assured him he’d written a great song. “I remember getting this great compliment the first time we played Saturday Night Live in 93,” he began. “I can’t remember the gentleman’s name, but he was the music director for SNL.”
Corgan was likely speaking with G.E. Smith. He’s a legendary guitarist who was the Saturday Night Live musical director and band leader from 1985 until 1995.
“He watched us do ‘Cherub Rock’ in sound check,” Corgan continued. “He came over, and he goes, ‘Whatever you’re doing with that weird cycle of fifths…I don’t know how you do it,
but I keep getting this sense of release [that] it shouldn’t be there, but it is.’”
As a budding rock star, this was a major moment for Corgan. “I was very young, so I took it as a big compliment because the guy knew music,” he said. “It’s that sense that even in an aggressive dynamic, you can create a kind of constant tension and release via melody and chord.”
While it wasn’t their first single, “Cherub Rock” was the Smashing Pumpkins’ first big hit. It was their debut single from their second album, Siamese Dream, and reached the top spot on multiple global music charts.
Billy Corgan once confessed that “Cherub Rock” was the Smashing Pumpkins doing their best Rush Impression
Interestingly, the story behind “Cherub Rock” is really interesting. In a 2022 interview, Corgan confessed that, musically, the song was inspired by a legendary rock band. “That’s basically us doing Rush,” Corgan admitted. “Basically, the beginning of ‘Cherub Rock’ is ripped off from ‘By-Tor and the Snow Dog’ by Rush. It’s a straight rip-off of Rush.”
Regarding the meaning behind the songs, Corgan revealed that it has deep personal relevance to his teen years. “I was suicidal, and I’d been plotting my own death for about two months,” he previously told NME (via WGRD). “And if you’ve ever read anything about the warning signs of suicide, one of them is you give away all your stuff, and I’d given away all my stuff, I gave away all my records, I started giving away my guitars.”
He went on to say, “I started thinking what my funeral would be like and what music would be played; I was at that level of insanity.”
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