Cocteau Twins discography

Summary

Cocteau Twins were a Scottish gothic rock and dream pop group whose discography contains nine studio albums, seven compilations, and numerous EPs and singles. The band have had several UK top 40 albums, with four of their studio albums also reaching the Billboard 200 albums chart in the United States.

Cocteau Twins discography
Cocteau Twins in 1986, from L-R: Simon Raymonde, Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie,
Studio albums9
Live albums1
Compilation albums8
Music videos22
EPs11
Singles19

Commercially, their most successful studio album, Heaven or Las Vegas was released in 1990 and reached number seven in the United Kingdom and number ninety-nine in the United States. Heaven or Las Vegas was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry. It eventually sold 235,000 copies by 1996, according to Billboard.[1] The album was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die,[2] and was voted number 218 in the third edition of Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[3] In 2020, Rolling Stone listed it at No. 245 in its list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[4] The band have had four of their studio albums reach number one on the UK Indie Chart.

The band have had six of their singles chart within the top 100 in the United Kingdom. Three of their singles were heavily played on the U.S. alternative radio stations and they charted within the top 10 of the US Alternative Songs Chart. Their 1984 single "Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops" reached number one on the UK Indie Chart.

In 1986, they released a collaboration album The Moon and the Melodies with Harold Budd. Over the course of their musical career, the Cocteau Twins have released several compilation albums.

Albums edit

Studio albums edit

Title Album details Peak chart position Certifications
(sales thresholds)
UK
[5]
SCO
[5]
UK Indie
AUS
[6]
BEL
[7]
CAN
[8]
NZ
[9]
SWE
[10]
US
[11]
Garlands 4
Head over Heels
  • Released: 24 October 1983
  • Format: Vinyl, cassette
  • Label: 4AD (CAD313)
51 1
Treasure
  • Released: 1 November 1984
  • Format: Vinyl, cassette
  • Label: 4AD (CAD412)
29 2 34 32
Victorialand
  • Released: April 1986
  • Format: Vinyl, cassette, CD
  • Label: 4AD (CAD602)
10 1
Blue Bell Knoll
  • Released: 19 September 1988
  • Format: Vinyl, cassette, CD
  • Label: 4AD (CAD807)
15 1 109
Heaven or Las Vegas
  • Released: 17 September 1990
  • Format: Vinyl, cassette, CD
  • Label: 4AD (00102)
7 99
Four-Calendar Café
  • Released: 18 October 1993
  • Format: Vinyl, cassette, CD
  • Label: Fontana (518 259-2)
    Capitol (US)
13 22 78
Milk & Kisses
  • Released: 15 March 1996
  • Format: Vinyl, cassette, CD
  • Label: Fontana (514 501-2)
17 24 64 48 53 99

Collaborative albums edit

Title Album details Peak chart position
UK
[5]
UK Indie
The Moon and the Melodies (with Harold Budd)
  • Released: November 1986
  • Format: Vinyl, cassette
  • Label: 4AD
46 1

Compilation albums edit

Title Album details Certifications Additional information
Tiny Dynamine/Echoes in a Shallow Bay
  • Released: 1985
  • Format: CD, cassette
  • Label: 4AD
compilation album, combined release of two EPs.
The Pink Opaque compilation album, joint release by 4AD (UK) and Relativity Records (US)
The Box Set
  • Released: 4 November 1991
  • Format: Vinyl, cassette
  • Label: 4AD
ten-disc box set consisting of all EPs up to that point and one disc of bonus material
BBC Sessions compilation album of 8 BBC sessions recorded between 1982 and 1996
Stars and Topsoil
  • Released: 16 October 2000
  • Format: Vinyl, cassette, CD
  • Label: 4AD
compilation album (1982–1990)
Lullabies to Violaine: Singles and Extended Plays 1982–1996 limited edition (10,000 units worldwide), four-disc box set of single and EP tracks
Lullabies to Violaine, Volume 1: Singles and Extended Plays 1982–1990
  • Released: 20 March 2006
  • Format: CD, digital download
  • Label: 4AD
first two of the four discs in box set shown above
Lullabies to Violaine, Volume 2: Singles and Extended Plays 1993–1996
  • Released: 20 March 2006
  • Format: CD, digital download
  • Label: 4AD
last two of the four discs in box set shown above
Treasure Hiding: The Fontana Years
  • Released: 19 October 2018
  • Format: CD, digital download
  • Label: Fontana
four-disc box set that includes Four-Calendar Café, Milk & Kisses, EPs, B-sides, and more[13]

Extended plays edit

Title EP details Peak chart position
UK
[5]
SCO
[5]
UK Indie
NZ
[14]
Lullabies
  • Released: October 1982
  • Label: 4AD
11
Peppermint Pig
  • Released: April 1983
  • Label: 4AD
2
Sunburst and Snowblind
  • Released: 7 November 1983
  • Label: 4AD
86 2
The Spangle Maker
  • Released: 2 April 1984
  • Label: 4AD (BAD405)
29 2
Aikea-Guinea
  • Released: 4 March 1985
  • Label: 4AD (BAD501)
41 1 38
Tiny Dynamine
  • Released: 15 November 1985
  • Label: 4AD (BAD510)
52 1
Echoes in a Shallow Bay
  • Released: 29 November 1985
  • Label: 4AD (BAD511)
65 1 48
Love's Easy Tears
  • Released: October 1986
  • Label: 4AD (BAD610)
53 1
Snow
  • Released: December 1993
  • Label: Fontana
58
Twinlights
  • Released: September 1995
  • Label: Fontana
59 57
Otherness
  • Released: October 1995
  • Label: Fontana
59 55

Singles edit

Title Year Peak chart positions Album
UK
[5]
SCO
[15]
UK Indie
POR
[16]
IRE
[17]
US Alt
[18]
"Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops"[A] 1984 29 1 The Spangle Maker
"Carolyn's Fingers" 1988 2 Blue Bell Knoll
"Iceblink Luck" 1990 38 22 4 Heaven or Las Vegas
"Heaven or Las Vegas" 9
"Evangeline" 1993 34 4 Four-Calendar Café
"Bluebeard" 1994 33 77[19]
"Tishbite" 1996 34 29[20] Milk & Kisses
"Violaine" 56 66[21]

Notes

  1. ^ "Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops" has the same charting position as The Spangle Maker EP.

Music videos edit

Title[22] Year Director(s)
"Wax and Wane"[22] 1983
"Sugar Hiccup" 1984
"Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops"

[23]

Nigel Grierson
"Song to the Siren"

(released as This Mortal Coil)[22]

Ivo Watts-Russell
"Pandora (for Cindy)" (unreleased)[24]
"Aikea-Guinea" 1985 John Scarlett-Davis
"Pink Orange Red" Gavin Taylor
"Love's Easy Tears" 1986
"How to Bring a Blush to the Snow"[25] Carl Theodor Dreyer and Peter Fowler
"Crushed" 1987 Nico Beyer
"Carolyn's Fingers" 1988 Walter Stern
"Blue Bell Knoll" (live)
"Cico Buff"
"Iceblink Luck" 1990 Howard Greenhalgh
"Heaven or Las Vegas"
"Evangeline" 1993 Nico Beyer
"Bluebeard" Paul Donnellon
"Rilkean Heart" (version 1) 1995
"Rilkean Heart" (Rilkean Dreams interlude)
"Half-Gifts"
"Tishbite" 1996 Dave Shum
"Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops"

(higher resolution cut edit)[26]

2005 Nigel Grierson

References edit

  1. ^ Bambarger, Bradley (6 April 1996). "Radio Climate Could Boost Capitol's Cocteau Twins". Billboard. Vol. 104, no. 14. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. p. 14. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 4 August 2017.
  2. ^ Morton, Rob (2006). Dimery, Robert (ed.). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. New York: Universe. pp. 634. ISBN 0789320746.
  3. ^ Colin Larkin, ed. (2000). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 105. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
  4. ^ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 2020-09-22. Retrieved 2020-09-22.
  5. ^ a b c d e f "Cocteau Twins - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  6. ^ Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988–2010 (pdf ed.). Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
  7. ^ "Belgium – Album positions". ultratop.be. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
  8. ^ "Canada – Album positions". RPM. Archived from the original on 18 March 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
  9. ^ "NZ – Album positions". charts.nz. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  10. ^ "Sweden – Album positions". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
  11. ^ "Cocteau Twins Chart History: Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved 5 October 2020.
  12. ^ a b c d e "British certifications – Cocteau Twins". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 3, 2022. Type Cocteau Twins in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.
  13. ^ Bonner, Michael (23 August 2018). "Cocteau Twins announce new 4-CD set, Treasure Hiding – The Fontana Years". Uncut.co.uk. Uncut. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  14. ^ "NZ – Singles positions". charts.nz. Retrieved 18 July 2010.
  15. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100 | Official Charts Company". Official Charts.
  16. ^ "Music & Media" (PDF). Americanradiohistory.com. 6 November 1993.
  17. ^ "Ireland – Singles positions". irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
  18. ^ "Cocteau Twins Chart History: Alternative Airplay". Billboard. Retrieved 7 June 2021.
  19. ^ https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/19940313/41/
  20. ^ https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/19960324/41/
  21. ^ https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/scottish-singles-chart/19960714/41/
  22. ^ a b c "Cocteau Twins: Audio & Video". cocteautwins.com.
  23. ^ "Cocteau Twins - Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops (Video)". YouTube.
  24. ^ "The Making of Treasure". Archived from the original on 2019-08-30. Retrieved 2022-02-18.
  25. ^ "How To Bring A Blush To The Snow (Video)". YouTube.
  26. ^ "Cocteau Twins - Pearly Dewdrops' Drops (Official Video)". YouTube.