Complete List Of Elliot Smith Albums And Songs

Feature Photo: llaurens, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Elliott Smith was born on August 6, 1969, in Omaha, Nebraska, and was raised primarily in Texas before moving to Portland, Oregon, where he began his professional music career. Smith first gained prominence as a member of the alternative rock band Heatmiser before embarking on a solo career. During his lifetime, he released five solo studio albums: Roman Candle (1994), Elliott Smith (1995), Either/Or (1997), XO (1998), and Figure 8 (2000). Following his death in 2003, his sixth and final studio album, From a Basement on the Hill, was released posthumously in 2004.

Smith’s music was known for its intensely introspective lyrics and its movement between intimate acoustic recordings and increasingly elaborate electric arrangements. XO peaked at number 104 on the Billboard 200, while Figure 8 reached number 99. Either/Or did not chart on the Billboard 200 when originally released but became one of the most acclaimed albums of Smith’s career. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Miss Misery,” written for the film Good Will Hunting.

Smith’s posthumous catalog includes the 2007 archival compilation New Moon, the 2010 career-spanning collection An Introduction to… Elliott Smith, and the 2016 Heaven Adores You soundtrack, which gathered demos, live performances, alternate recordings, and previously unreleased material. Smith was a gifted multi-instrumentalist who frequently layered his own guitars, keyboards, bass, drums, and vocals, leaving behind a body of work that has continued to influence generations of singer-songwriters and indie-rock musicians.

ELLIOTT SMITH STUDIO ALBUMS

Roman Candle (1994)

Released July 14, 1994

Roman Candle marked Elliott Smith’s debut as a solo artist. Written, recorded, and performed almost entirely by Smith on four-track equipment, the album introduced the intimate guitar playing, layered vocals, and emotionally direct songwriting that would define his early solo work. Originally released by Cavity Search Records, Roman Candle was later reissued by Kill Rock Stars.

CD Track Listings:

“Roman Candle” – 3:37
“Condor Ave” – 3:34
“No Name #1” – 3:03
“No Name #2” – 3:34
“No Name #3” – 3:13
“Drive All Over Town” – 2:36
“No Name #4” – 2:30
“Last Call” – 4:38
“Kiwi Maddog 20/20” – 3:40

Elliott Smith (1995)

Released July 21, 1995

Elliott Smith, his second studio album, was released by Kill Rock Stars and continued the stripped-down sound of Roman Candle while sharpening Smith’s intricate guitar work and close-miked vocal style. Songs such as “Needle in the Hay,” “Christian Brothers,” “Coming Up Roses,” and “The Biggest Lie” became central pieces of his early catalog and helped establish his reputation beyond the Portland music scene.

CD Track Listings:

“Needle in the Hay” – 4:16
“Christian Brothers” – 4:30
“Clementine” – 2:46
“Southern Belle” – 3:06
“Single File” – 2:26
“Coming Up Roses” – 3:10
“Satellite” – 2:25
“Alphabet Town” – 4:11
“St. Ides Heaven” – 3:00
“Good to Go” – 2:21
“The White Lady Loves You More” – 2:24
“The Biggest Lie” – 2:39

Either/Or (1997)

Released February 25, 1997

Either/Or was Elliott Smith’s third studio album and his final full-length release for Kill Rock Stars during his lifetime. The record broadened his arrangements without losing the intimacy of his first two albums and included enduring songs such as “Between the Bars,” “Angeles,” “Ballad of Big Nothing,” and “Say Yes.” Although Either/Or did not initially chart on the Billboard 200, its reputation grew dramatically after several Smith songs were featured in Good Will Hunting.

CD Track Listings:

“Speed Trials” – 3:01
“Alameda” – 3:43
“Ballad of Big Nothing” – 2:48
“Between the Bars” – 2:21
“Pictures of Me” – 3:46
“No Name No. 5” – 3:43
“Rose Parade” – 3:28
“Punch and Judy” – 2:25
“Angeles” – 2:55
“Cupid’s Trick” – 3:05
“2:45 AM” – 3:18
“Say Yes” – 2:19

XO (1998)

Released August 25, 1998

XO marked Elliott Smith’s major-label debut on DreamWorks Records and represented a major expansion of his sound. Produced, recorded, and mixed by Smith with Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf, the album added strings, piano, horns, fuller rhythm arrangements, and layered studio production without abandoning Smith’s melodic and lyrical style. XO peaked at number 104 on the Billboard 200 and became the best-selling album of his career.

CD Track Listings:

“Sweet Adeline” – 3:15
“Tomorrow Tomorrow” – 3:07
“Waltz #2 (XO)” – 4:40
“Baby Britain” – 3:13
“Pitseleh” – 3:22
“Independence Day” – 3:04
“Bled White” – 3:22
“Waltz #1” – 3:22
“Amity” – 2:19
“Oh Well, Okay” – 2:32
“Bottle Up and Explode!” – 2:58
“A Question Mark” – 2:41
“Everybody Cares, Everybody Understands” – 4:25
“I Didn’t Understand” – 2:17

Figure 8 (2000)

Released April 18, 2000

Figure 8 was Elliott Smith’s fifth studio album and his second for DreamWorks. Produced by Smith with Tom Rothrock and Rob Schnapf, the album continued the more elaborate studio approach of XO with dense guitar arrangements, keyboards, orchestration, and full-band performances. Figure 8 debuted at number 99 on the Billboard 200, making it Smith’s highest-charting album during his lifetime.

CD Track Listings:

“Son of Sam” – 3:04
“Somebody That I Used to Know” – 2:09
“Junk Bond Trader” – 3:50
“Everything Reminds Me of Her” – 2:38
“Everything Means Nothing to Me” – 2:24
“L.A.” – 3:14
“In the Lost and Found (Honky Bach) / The Roost” – 4:33
“Stupidity Tries” – 4:24
“Easy Way Out” – 2:44
“Wouldn’t Mama Be Proud?” – 3:26
“Color Bars” – 2:20
“Happiness / The Gondola Man” – 5:04
“Pretty Mary K” – 2:36
“I Better Be Quiet Now” – 3:35
“Can’t Make a Sound” – 4:19
“Bye” – 1:53

From a Basement on the Hill (2004)

Released October 19, 2004

From a Basement on the Hill was Elliott Smith’s sixth and final studio album, released posthumously one year after his death. Smith had envisioned the project as a larger, possibly double-album statement, and the final 15-track edition was assembled from the extensive recordings he left behind. The album expanded on the psychedelic and electric textures he had been exploring in his final years and became his highest-charting U.S. release, reaching number 19 on the Billboard 200.

CD Track Listings:

“Coast to Coast” – 5:32
“Let’s Get Lost” – 2:26
“Pretty (Ugly Before)” – 4:44
“Don’t Go Down” – 4:33
“Strung Out Again” – 3:11
“A Fond Farewell” – 3:57
“King’s Crossing” – 4:57
“Ostrich & Chirping” – 0:33
“Twilight” – 4:28
“A Passing Feeling” – 3:31
“The Last Hour” – 3:27
“Shooting Star” – 6:00
“Memory Lane” – 2:30
“Little One” – 3:14
“A Distorted Reality Is Now a Necessity to Be Free” – 4:32

ELLIOTT SMITH COMPILATION ALBUMS

New Moon (2007)

Released May 8, 2007

New Moon is a two-disc archival compilation containing 24 previously unreleased recordings made between 1994 and 1997, primarily during the periods surrounding Elliott Smith and Either/Or. Released by Kill Rock Stars and assembled by archivist Larry Crane, the collection includes alternate recordings, outtakes, covers, and previously unheard songs. New Moon reached number 24 on the Billboard 200.

CD Track Listings:

“Angel in the Snow” – 2:36
“Talking to Mary” – 3:41
“High Times” – 3:10
“New Monkey” – 3:12
“Looking Over My Shoulder” – 3:38
“Going Nowhere” – 3:50
“Riot Coming” – 3:43
“All Cleaned Out” – 2:57
“First Timer” – 2:40
“Go By” – 3:44
“Miss Misery” (Early Version) – 2:54
“Thirteen” – 2:40
“Georgia, Georgia” – 1:44
“Whatever (Folk Song in C)” – 2:16
“Big Decision” – 1:58
“Placeholder” – 2:29
“New Disaster” – 4:09
“Seen How Things Are Hard” – 3:20
“Fear City” – 3:29
“Either/Or” – 2:27
“Pretty Mary K” (Other Version) – 3:23
“Almost Over” – 2:10
“See You Later” – 2:54
“Half Right” – 3:49

An Introduction to… Elliott Smith (2010)

Released November 1, 2010

An Introduction to… Elliott Smith is a 14-track career-spanning compilation released by Kill Rock Stars. The collection draws from Smith’s studio albums and posthumous material, combining widely known songs such as “Waltz #2 (XO),” “Between the Bars,” and “Needle in the Hay” with selections including “Twilight,” “Angel in the Snow,” and the early version of “Miss Misery.”

CD Track Listings:

“Ballad of Big Nothing” – 2:47
“Waltz #2 (XO)” – 4:38
“Pictures of Me” – 3:47
“The Biggest Lie” – 2:41
“Alameda” – 3:44
“Between the Bars” – 2:22
“Needle in the Hay” – 4:19
“Last Call” – 4:38
“Angeles” – 2:56
“Twilight” – 4:25
“Pretty (Ugly Before)” – 4:45
“Angel in the Snow” – 2:38
“Miss Misery” (Early Version) – 2:55
“Happiness” (Single Version) – 5:15

ELLIOTT SMITH SOUNDTRACK ALBUMS

Heaven Adores You Soundtrack (2016)

Released February 5, 2016

Heaven Adores You Soundtrack accompanied the documentary about Elliott Smith and brought together 20 recordings spanning his teenage years through his final period. The collection includes demos, Heatmiser material, live performances, alternate versions, instrumentals, and previously unreleased songs such as “True Love” and “I Love My Room,” giving listeners another archival view of Smith’s development as a songwriter and recording artist.