The discography of American alternative rock band Soul Asylum consists of 13 studio albums, two live albums, five compilation albums, two extended plays (EPs), 22 singles, and 17 music videos. Formed in 1981 in Minneapolis, Minnesota using the name Loud Fast Rules, the band's original lineup consisted of vocalist Dave Pirner, guitarist Dan Murphy, bassist Karl Mueller, and drummer Pat Morley. The band changed their name to Soul Asylum prior to the release of Say What You Will... Everything Can Happen in 1984. Later that year, Morley was replaced on drums by Grant Young.
The band released two studio albums for Twin/Tone Records in 1986, Made to Be Broken and While You Were Out, as well as the cassette-only Time's Incinerator, a collection of B-sides, outtakes, and demos. Having a loyal and growing fan base, along with positive reviews from alternative rock critics, Soul Asylum signed with A&M Records in 1988. They recorded the Clam Dip & Other Delights EP for European release, followed by the full-length Hang Time in 1988. Produced by Lenny Kaye and Ed Stasium, Hang Time was well-received on college radio but the follow-up album, And the Horse They Rode in On (1990), was a critical and commercial disappointment, resulting in the band being dropped by A&M.
Soul Asylum signed with Columbia Records and released Grave Dancers Union in 1992. The album's first single, "Somebody to Shove", went to number one on the Modern Rock chart, and "Black Gold" also received significant airplay on radio and MTV. "Runaway Train" crossed over to the pop charts, peaking at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1993 and winning the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. The song's music video, directed by Tony Kaye, features photos of missing children and was adapted for several international markets. "Runaway Train" peaked at number one in Canada and reached the top 10 in the Netherlands, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The song's success helped Grave Dancers Union achieve double-platinum certification by Music Canada and by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in the United States.
The band's seventh album, Let Your Dim Light Shine (1995), peaked at number six in the US and in Canada. It was certified double-platinum in Canada and platinum in the US. Lead single "Misery" charted at number three in Canada and was a top 30 hit in the US, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. In September 1995, Soul Asylum performed at a concert commemorating the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame opening in Cleveland, Ohio. A two-disc compilation of the event released the following year features the band's performances of "Back Door Man" with Iggy Pop and "Sweet Jane" with Lou Reed. Soul Asylum's next studio album, Candy from a Stranger (1998), charted in the US and Canada but it sold fewer copies and received less favorable reviews than its predecessors. After taking a break, the band began recording a new album in 2004. However, sessions were put on hold when bassist Karl Mueller was diagnosed with throat cancer; he died the following year. Guest musicians—including bassist Tommy Stinson, who later joined the group as a permanent member—were brought in to complete the album The Silver Lining (2006). The band's next album, Delayed Reaction (2012), received positive reviews and it entered the US album charts, but founding member Dan Murphy left the group at the end of the year. Soul Asylum released their eleventh album, Change of Fortune, in 2016 and their twelfth album, Hurry Up and Wait, in 2020. Their latest, Slowly but Shirley, was released in 2024.
Albums
Studio albums + List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications Title Album details Peak chart positions Certifications US AUSPeaks of albums in Australia: Grave Dancers Union: Let Your Dim Light Shine: AUTPeak chart positions for albums in Austria, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and Switzerland: Grave Dancers Union: Let Your Dim Light Shine: CANPeak chart positions for albums in Canada: Grave Dancers Union: Let Your Dim Light Shine: Candy from a Stranger: GER NL NZ SWE SWI UK Say What You Will...Released: August 24, 1984 Label: Twin/Tone Format: CS, CD, LP — — — — — — — — — — Made to Be BrokenReleased: January 18, 1986 Label: Twin/Tone Format: CS, CD, LP — — — — — — — — — — While You Were OutReleased: November 25, 1986 Label: Twin/Tone Format: CS, CD, LP — — — — — — — — — — Hang TimeReleased: April 25, 1988 Label: A&M Format: CS, CD, LP — — — — — — — — — — And the Horse They Rode In OnReleased: September 4, 1990 Label: A&M Format: CS, CD, LP — — — — — — — — — — Grave Dancers UnionReleased: October 6, 1992 Label: Columbia Format: CS, CD, LP 11 63 2 10 8 30 7 12 4 27 BPI: Gold BVMI: Gold IFPI AUT: Gold IFPI SWI: Gold MC: 2× Platinum RIAA: 2× Platinum Let Your Dim Light ShineReleased: June 6, 1995 Label: Columbia Format: CS, CD, LP 6 27 21 4 32 73 8 37 23 22 MC: 2× Platinum RIAA: Platinum Candy from a StrangerReleased: May 12, 1998 Label: Columbia Format: CS, CD, LP 121 — — 58 — — — — — — The Silver LiningReleased: July 11, 2006 Label: Legacy Format: CD 155 — — — — — — — — — Delayed ReactionReleased: July 17, 2012 Label: 429 Format: CD, LP 160 — — — — — — — — — Change of FortuneReleased: March 18, 2016 Label: Entertainment One Format: CD, LP — — — — — — — — — — Hurry Up and WaitReleased: April 17, 2020 Label: Blue Élan Records Format: CD, LP, CS — — — — — — — — — — Slowly But ShirleyReleased: September 27, 2024 Label: Blue Élan Records Format: CD, LP — — — — — — — — — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Live albums + List of live albums Title Album details Peak chart positionsAUT Insomniac's DreamReleased: August 19, 1994 Label: Columbia Format: CD 39 After the Flood: Live from the Grand Forks Prom, June 28, 1997Released: October 5, 2004 Labels: Columbia/Legacy Format: CD — Extended VersionsReleased: 2010 Labels: Sony Music Format: CD Recorded at Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL - August 25, 1995 — The Complete Unplugged NYC '93Released: 2023 Labels: Columbia/Legacy Format: Vinyl Recorded live in New York City on MTV Unplugged, April 20, 1993 —
Compilation albums + List of compilation albums Title Album details Time's IncineratorReleased: June 24, 1986 Label: Twin/Tone Format: CS Black Gold: The Best of Soul AsylumReleased: September 26, 2000 Labels: Columbia/Legacy Format: CD Closer to the Stars: Best of the Twin/Tone YearsReleased: April 4, 2006 Label: Rykodisc Format: CD Welcome to the Minority – The A&M Years 1988–1991Released: September 25, 2007 Label: Hip-O Format: 3xCD Playlist: The Very Best of Soul AsylumReleased: January 25, 2011 Labels: Columbia/Legacy Format: CD
Extended plays + List of extended plays Title Album details Clam Dip & Other DelightsReleased: April 14, 1989 Label: Twin/Tone Format: CS, CD, LP No Fun IntendedReleased: July 16, 2013 Label: 429 Format: Digital download Born FreeReleased: October 16, 2020 Label: Blue Élan Records Format: Digital download
Singles + List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications, showing year released and album name Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album US USAlt USMain.Rock AUS N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart.Peak chart positions for singles in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland: "Black Gold": "Runaway Train": "Without a Trace": "Misery": BEL(FL) CANPeak chart positions for singles in Canada: "Black Gold": "Runaway Train": "Without a Trace": "Misery": "Just Like Anyone": "Promises Broken": GER NZ SWE SWI UK "Tied to the Tracks" 1985 — — — — — — — — — — — Made to Be Broken "Sometime to Return" 1988 — — — — — — — — — — — Hang Time "Cartoon" — — — — — — — — — — — "Standing in the Doorway" — — — — — — — — — — — "Spinnin'" 1990 — 15 — — — — — — — — — And the Horse They Rode In On "Easy Street" — 26 — — — — — — — — — "Somebody to Shove" 1992 — 1 9 123 — — — — — — 32 Grave Dancers Union "Black Gold" — 6 4 197 — 58 — 25 — — 26 "Runaway Train" 1993 5 13 3 11 8 1 4 2 2 2 7 ARIA: Gold BVMI: Gold IFPI AUT: Gold IFPI SWE: Gold RIAA: 2× Platinum "Without a Trace" — 27 6 — 32 37 44 — — — — "Summer of Drugs" — 20 — — — — — — — — — Sweet Relief: A Benefit for Victoria Williams "Sexual Healing" — 10 — — — — — — — — — No Alternative "Can't Even Tell" 1994 — 16 24 194 — — — — — — — Clerks: Music from the Motion Picture "Misery" 1995 20 1 2 22 — 3 75 21 — — 30 Let Your Dim Light Shine "Just Like Anyone" — 19 11 114 — 54 — — — — 52 "Promises Broken" 1996 63 — 29 134 — 14 — — — — — "I Will Still Be Laughing" 1998 — 24 23 — — — — — — — — Candy from a Stranger "Close" — — — — — — — — — — — "Stand Up and Be Strong" 2006 — — — — — — — — — — — The Silver Lining "Gravity" 2012 — — — — — — — — — — — Delayed Reaction "Supersonic" 2016 — — — — — — — — — — — Change of Fortune "Doomsday" — — — — — — — — — — — "Dead Letter" 2020 — — — — — — — — — — — Hurry Up And Wait "If I Told You" — — — — — — — — — — — "Got It Pretty Good" — — — — — — — — — — — "Here We Go (acoustic)" 2020 — — — — — — — — — — — Born Free EP "High Road" 2024 — — — — — — — — — — — Slowly But Shirley "Freak Accident" — — — — — — — — — — — "The Only Thing I'm Missing" — — — — — — — — — — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Other appearances Title Year Album Notes "Black and Blue" and "Propaganda" 1982 Barefoot and Pregnant (cassette) Recorded as Loud Fast Rules. Reissued on CD in 1998. "Bad Moon" and "Happy"1982 Kitten Kompilation (cassette) Recorded as Proud Crass Fools. Reissued as Kitten: A Compilation on CD in 1999. "It's Not My Fault" 1988 Free To Be… A Family: Marlo Thomas & Friends Later released on Welcome to the Minority – The A&M Years 1988–1991. "Barstool Blues" 1989 The Bridge: A Tribute to Neil Young Cover of a 1975 Neil Young song. "Baby Baby" 1992 Freedom of Choice: Yesterday's New Wave Hits as Performed by Today's Stars Cover of a 1977 Vibrators song. "The Break" 1993 So I Married an Axe Murderer (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Previously released on the B-side of "Black Gold". "Somebody to Shove" (Live) 1994 The Unplugged Collection, Volume One Live version from an appearance on MTV Unplugged. "Misery" (Live) 1995 Minnesota Modern Rock: The Pachyderm Sessions Acoustic performance for Minnesota radio station 93X. "Miss This" 1996 Twister: Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack Featured in the 1996 film Twister. "When I Ran Off and Left Her" Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation Cover of a 1993 Vic Chesnutt song. "Eyes of a Child" (Live) Modern Rock Live Live version from an appearance on the nationally syndicated radio show Modern Rock Live. "Motel Notell" Honor: A Benefit for the Honor the Earth Campaign Previously released on the B-side of "Promises Broken". "Back Door Man" (Live; with Iggy Pop) The Concert for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Live versions from a 1995 concert to celebrate the opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. "Sweet Jane" (Live; with Lou Reed) "Losin' It" 1997 I Know What You Did Last Summer (The Album) Later released on Candy from a Stranger in Japan, and on the B-side of "I Will Still Be Laughing" in Europe. "School's Out" 1998 The Faculty: Music from the Dimension Motion Picture Cover of a 1972 Alice Cooper song. "Good Morning Good Morning" 2010 Minnesota Beatle Project Vol. 2 Cover of a 1967 Beatles song; later released as a bonus track on Delayed Reaction.
Music videos