Hailing from Chicago, Illinois, alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins were formed in 1988 byfrontman Billy Corgan (lead vocals, lead guitar) and James Iha (rhythm guitar). The band has included Jimmy Chamberlin (drums), D'arcyWretzky (bass guitar), Melissa Auf derMaur (bass guitar), and currently includes Mike Byrne (drums), Nicole Fiorentino (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Jeff Schroeder (rhythm guitar) among its membership. Disavowing the punk rock roots of many of their alt-rock contemporaries, the Pumpkins have a diverse, densely layered, and guitar-heavy sound, containing elements of gothic rock, heavy metal, dream pop, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, shoe-gazing style production, and, in later recordings…electronica. Corgan is the group's primary songwriter. His grand musical ambitions and cathartic lyrics have shaped the band's albums and songs, which have been described as "anguished, bruised reports from Billy Corgan's nightmare-land". With 18.75 million albums sold in the United States, The Smashing Pumpkins were one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands of the 1990s. However, internal fighting, drug use, and diminishing record sales led to a break-up in 2000.