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The second single from the second album Siamese Dream, "Today" was the Smashing Pumpkins' breakthrough single. Despite only reaching 44 in the US mainstream chart and 28 in the UK, constant airplay and repeated rotation on MTV has made it one of the most recognisable songs of the 90s.
"Today" was released in September 1993 as the second single from the band's second album and major label debut, Siamese Dream. Although Corgan opted for "Cherub Rock", the lead single from the album, to be the opening track, "Today" and its follow-up "Disarm" are credited in AllMusic for popularizing the band and "sending (Siamese Dream) into the stratosphere". "Today" has been generally well received by critics; a Blender article described it as having "achieved a remarkable status as one of the defining songs of its generation, perfectly mirroring the fractured alienation of American youth in the 1990s".
Underneath the melody and seemingly carefree lyrics is a darker tale of Corgan's struggle with depression during the recording of 'Siamese Dream'. As he told Rolling Stone in October, 1993, "I didn't want to go outside. I was eating like a pig and I was gaining weight. I couldn't write songs. I definitely couldn't play with the band without losing my temper. I just lost whatever it is that keeps you sane everyday… I was really suicidal… I just thought it was funny to write a song that said today is the greatest day of your life because it can't get any worse."
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