This is the discography of Violent Femmes, a Milwaukee, Wisconsin-based alternative rock group, which consists of 10 studio albums, 19 singles, five live albums and four compilation albums, in addition to a number of miscellaneous appearances on soundtracks and compilations featuring various artists. This list does not include solo material by any of the bands' members.
Violent Femmes was formed in 1980 by vocalist/guitarist Gordon Gano, bassist Brian Ritchie and drummer Victor DeLorenzo, finding immediate success with the release of their self-titled debut album in early 1983. Featuring "Blister in the Sun", "Kiss Off", "Add It Up" and "Gone Daddy Gone", Violent Femmes became the band's biggest-selling album and was eventually certified platinum by the RIAA. Although the sales success of their debut was never matched, The Blind Leading the Naked (1986), 3 (1988), Why Do Birds Sing? (1991) and New Times (1994) all peaked at higher chart positions on the Billboard 200. Throughout their career, Violent Femmes' popularity remained consistent, especially in Australia where four of their albums made the Top 40 and the debut stayed on the charts for seven months. The songs "Nightmares" and "American Music" cracked the top five on the US Modern Rock Tracks chart. In the aftermath of an on-going courtcase the group disbanded. They reformed in 2013, and has since released We Can Do Anything in 2016, and the album Hotel Last Resort (2019).
Albums
Studio albums Year Album details Chart peaks CertificationsAustralian chart peaks: Top 100 (Kent Music Report) peaks to June 19, 1988: N.B. the Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid-1983 and June 19, 1988. Top 50 (ARIA Chart) peaks from June 26, 1988: 3 (ARIA Chart) peak: Top 100 (ARIA Chart) peaks from January 1990 to December 2010: "Tonight" (ARIA Chart) peak: all ARIA 1988 to 2025: N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart. "Nightmares" (ARIA Chart) peak: Canadian albums chart position: The Blind Leading the Naked: Add It Up: New Times: Official German chart positions for albums: Why Do Birds Sing?: New Times: 1983 Violent Femmes Released: April 1983"The Billboard Book of Gold & Platinum Records," 1989 Label: Slash Formats: CD, cassette (CS), LP 171 — 31 — — — — 36 — — RIAA: Platinum ARIA: 2× Platinum 1984 Hallowed Ground Released: June 1984 Label: Slash Formats: CD, CS, LP — — 56 — — — — 39 — — 1986 The Blind Leading the Naked Released: March 1986 Labels: Warner Bros., Slash Formats: CD, CS, LP 84 — 31 — — 77 — 6 27 81 1989 3 Released: January 1989 Labels: Warner Bros., Slash Formats: CD, CS, LP 93 — 64 — — — — — — — 1991 Why Do Birds Sing? Released: April 30, 1991 Labels: Slash, Reprise Formats: CD, CS, LP 141 — 26 — — — 67 31 — —ARIA: Gold 1994 New Times Released: May 17, 1994 Label: Elektra Formats: CD, CS, LP 90 — 60 — — 67 95 — — — 1995 Rock!!!!! Released: 1995 , 2000 Label: Mushroom Format: CD, CS — — 30 — — — — 33 — — 2000 Freak Magnet Released: February 22, 2000 Labels: Beyond Music, BMG Entertainment Format: CD — — — — — — — — — —2016We Can Do Anything Released: March 4, 2016 Label: PIAS America Format: CD, LP, download 184 9 59 153 147 — — — — —2019Hotel Last Resort Released: July 26, 2019 Label: PIAS America Format: CD, LP, download — 29 — — — — — — — — "—" denotes a release that did not chart.
Live albums Year Album details 1999 Viva Wisconsin Released: November 23, 1999 Labels: Beyond Music, BMG Entertainment Format: CD 2005 BBC Live Released: August 2, 2005 Label: Hux Records Format: CD2006 Archive Series No. 1: Live in Iceland Released: July 27, 2006 Label: Add It Up Productions Format: CD Archive Series No. 2: Live in Chicago Q101 Released: September 2006 Label: Add It Up Productions Format: CD2017 2 Mics & the Truth Released: July 7, 2017 Label: PIAS America Format: CD, LP
Compilation albums Year Album details Certifications 1990 Debacle: The First Decade Released: 1990 Label: Liberation Records Formats: CD, CS, LP — 39 — 41 1993 Add It Up (1981–1993) Released: September 14, 1993 Labels: Slash Records, Reprise Records Formats: CD, CS, 2xLP 146 45 58 30 RIAA: Gold ARIA: Gold 2001 Something's Wrong Released: August 2001 Label: eMusic.com Format: Digital download — — — — 2005 Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent Femmes Released: July 12, 2005 Label: Rhino Entertainment Format: CD — — — — "—" denotes a release that did not chart.
EPs Year EP details2015Happy New Year Released April 18, 2015 Label: Add It Up Productions Format: 180-gram clear vinyl EP
Singles
Retail singles Year Single Album1983"Gone Daddy Gone" — —Violent Femmes"Ugly" — —1984"It's Gonna Rain" — —Hallowed Ground1986"Children of the Revolution" — 54 The Blind Leading the Naked"I Held Her in My Arms" — —1989"Nightmares" 4 14631991"American Music" 2 118 Why Do Birds Sing?"Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" — —"Used to Be" — 901993"I Held Her in My Arms" — 111Add It Up (1981–1993)1994"Machine" — —New Times"Breakin' Up"121181995"Tonight" — 62Rock!!!!!2000"All I Want" — — Freak Magnet"Sleepwalkin'" — —2008"Crazy" — —2016"Memory"/"You Move Me" — —We Can Do Anything "—" denotes a release that did not chart.
Promotional singles YearSingleAlbum1994"Don't Start Me on the Liquor"New Times1995"She Went to Germany"Rock!!!!!1997"Blister in the Sun"Grosse Pointe Blank OST
Music videos Year Song Director(s) 1983"Gone Daddy Gone" Douglas Martin Steven Martin 1986 "Children of the Revolution" Mick Haggerty 1989 "Nightmares" Martin Atkins 1991 "American Music" Adam Bernstein "Used to Be" Phil Waters 1993 "I Held Her in My Arms" Mick Haggerty 1994 "Breakin' Up" "Machine" Sean Casey 1995 "Tonight" 1997 "Blister in the Sun" Evan Bernard 2000 "All I Want" Dominic Engel 2015 "Love Love Love Love Love" Jake Brebes "Good For/At Nothing" Harley Hefford2016 "Memory" "Issues" David Gladstein
Video albums Year Title 2005 Permanent Record: Live & Otherwise Released: July 12, 2005 Label: Rhino Entertainment Format: DVD 2006 No, Let's Start Over Released: March 28, 2006 Label: Universal Music Group Format: DVD 2007 Live at the Haçienda Released: December 11, 2007 Label: Cherry Red Format: DVD
Soundtracks and compilations Year Title Track(s) Note(s) 1987 I Was a Teenage Zombie: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "Good Feeling"1991 Triple J's Live At The Wireless 2 "Kiss Off" never mind the mainstream...The Best of MTV's 120 Minutes: Vol. 2"Gone Daddy Gone" 1994 The Crow: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "Color Me Once" Woodstock 94 "Dance, Motherfucker, Dance!/Kiss Off" 1995 Step Right Up: The Songs of Tom Waits "Step Right Up" Saturday Morning: Cartoons' Greatest Hits From The Jetsons.1997Grosse Pointe Blank Soundtrack "Blister in the Sun"Although it appears on the soundtrack, "Blister 2000" does not appear in the actual film. "Blister 2000" 1998 MTV's 120 Minutes Live "Kiss Off" 1999 End Sessions: The End 107.7 "Fat" "I Swear It (I Can Change)" The Femmes' rendition of "I Can Change" does not appear in the actual film. Mystery Men: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "No More Heroes" "Blister in the Sun" From Acoustic Christmas 1993. 2000 Y100 Sonic Sessions: Volume Four "Add It Up" 2002 Discrespective: Big Day Out "Girl Trouble" 2006Rocket Science: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack "Blister in the Sun"Instrumental covers of "Blister in the Sun" and "Add It Up" by Sam Matthews and Houfei Tang also appear in the film. "Kiss Off" 2007 Triple J's Live at the Wireless: From the Vaults "Blister in the Sun" 2023 Okemah Rising "Gotta Get to Peekskill" The band appear on the Dropkick Murphys song from their 2023 studio album.
References