It is taking longer than expected to fetch the next song to play. The music should be playing soon. If you get tired of waiting, you can try reloading your browser.


Please check our Help page for information about troubleshooting Pandora on your browser.
Your Pandora One subscription will expire shortly.
close
Your Pandora One trial subscription will expire shortly. Upgrade to continue unlimited, ad-free listening.
You've listened to hours of Pandora this month. Consider upgrading to Pandora One.
Close
Hi . Pandora is using Facebook to personalize your experience. Learn MoreNo Thanks
Change Skin

We created Pandora to put the Music Genome Project directly in your hands

It’s a new kind of radio –
stations that play only music you like

 
Create an account for free. Register
Now Playing
Music Feed
My Profile
Create a Station
People who also like this

Elliott Smith

The celebrated folk-punk singer/songwriter Elliott Smith rose from indie obscurity to mainstream success in 1997 on the strength of "Miss Misery," his Academy Award-nominated song from the film Good Will Hunting. A native of Portland, OR, Smith began writing and recording his first songs at age 14, later becoming a fixture of the city's thriving music scene. As a member of the band Heatmiser, he debuted in 1993 with the LP Dead Air, issuing his first solo effort Roman Candle on the tiny Cavity Search label a year later. For his 1995 self-titled album, Smith signed with the noted Kill Rock Stars label. Either/Or followed in 1997, around the same time that filmmaker and longtime fan Gus Van Sant requested permission to use the singer's music in his upcoming Good Will Hunting.

Smith also composed a handful of new songs for the soundtrack, among them "Miss Misery," and when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced its Oscar nominations the following February, the track was a surprise entry in the Best Original Song category. Although he did not win, Smith performed the song live at the televised Oscar broadcast, appearing on-stage alongside superstars Trisha Yearwood and Celine Dion in one of the most notably surreal musical moments in recent memory. Smith's DreamWorks label debut, XO, followed later in 1998. Two years later he delivered Figure 8, which delved further into lush arrangements and orchestrations. For the next two years, Smith labored over what was to be his next album, From a Basement on a Hill. He would not live to see the album's completion, however.

To the shock of friends and fans alike, Smith's body was found on October 21, 2003, with two stab wounds in his chest. To date, the coroner has been unable to determine the cause of death, and the Los Angeles Police Department's investigation remains open. From a Basement on a Hill was released one year later, just two days shy of the first anniversary of his death, and received warm critical nods. In 2007, the Kill Rock Stars label issued a two-disc set of Smith's unreleased work, all of which had been recorded between 1994 and 1997. Entitled New Moon, the 24-track collection contained three songs that had been previously released on hard to find compilations or soundtracks, including an early version of "Miss Misery" and a cover of Big Star's "Thirteen." ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi
full bio

Selected Discography

x

Track List: Division Day (Single)

x

Track List: Happiness (Single)

Comments

Hm luv the music .
Instead of worrying about his death, lets honor his life by listening to his amazing music and lyrics. Truly one of the best musicians to ever grace the face of the earth. Rip Elliott.
overjoyedhea r t
I love every bit of his music..I miss you and love you Elliott..
the songs you wrote got me through a lot just want to tell you that...but its too late -ben folds.
You only live a day, but its brilliant anyway.
The bio is so inaccurate. His body was found?? lol who makes up this stuff? His girlfriend heard him scream when she was in the bathroom and, allegedly, in a panic pulled the knife out of his chest, called EMS,and performed CPR. Elliott died while in surgery to repair the wounds. He had a number of defensive wounds but elliott was known to mutilate himself with cigarettes and blades. But then you would have to question how long those wounds were there. My theory is that Jen Chiba had enough.
Elliott covering Cat. I miss you
he committed suicide and did it by stabbing himself twice in the chest. You don't have to be high to be able to accomplish this. If you ever have been stabbed you would know what I was talking about.
datstankadan k
Stab yourself in the chest, pull it out, repeat. I doubt one would have the strength to follow through with step 3. Elliott wasnt a meth and speed head.
Did anyone else have any reason to kill him?
It is quite possible to stab yourself twice if you are really highly, actively agirated and suicidal
cavelitist
Elliott's death is a mystery. Kill rock stars? You bet..I think someone did. But he did not kill himself. You cannot stab yourself twice.
Folk - Story telling music, containing storytelling elements, narratives of a specific time and space/region , often containing colloquial language and metaphorical imagery...
Punk - Rock and roll genre with a DIY, anti-establi s h m e n t aesthetic...

Elliott Smith was in a punk band called Heatmiser, and he was signed to a punk label called, Kill Rock Stars. His music comes from the folk tradition of Van Zandt, Dylan, Drake and Young. Come on people...lea r n some history. Folk-punk is apt.
danielle_ole s t o n 3
His death is a mystery. It was once considered a suicide but his suicide note spelled his name wrong and he was at home fighting with his girlfriend. I find it to be very difficult to stab yourself, twice.
This bio makes his death sound like a mystery, but he committed suicide.
cavelitist
Xo :)
Such great lyrics on S.O.S. Orders from above..... wow.
A beautiful sadness
it is folk pop because he tells many stories with his songs which is what i consider to be folk. pop because obviously it was popular and written in a somewhat standard iambic of the time. I dont think this constricts what i consider a great artist by defining him, but helps people find him who might not have.
to debunk the fact that so many songs tell stories most of them were driven by his life an played acoustically or with a story tellers voice as in floating over the melody.
I once knew a guy named Elliot Smith, but he wold have been much younger than this guy.
What's good about being depressed?
Nothing. But it's no worse than anything else since life sucks anyhow.
respect ! one of my favorite musicians rip bruh
steveandlaur a 7 1 8 9
this is a really great song
That is a really naive comment... of course art can be categorized. You wouldn't say a Monet and a Gerhard Richter look the same, anymore than you would say a Bizet opera sounds just like Led Zeppelin.
should the category of music really matter that much to anyone?? those who find themselves trying to categorize art don't know it at all.
How is Elliott Smith 'folk-punk'? His music isn't punk influenced at all... I think Pandora is trying a little too hard to make their descriptions sound exotic.
Why did You have die on my birthday; I loved you.. and I will always treasure you,, Seattle is lonely sometimes.I didnt even know that that your muder was on my birthday; till I spent the day listening to your albums and now have read the Bio;Love You Elliot!!!!!! ! ! ! ! ! R a i n y K a y
folk-punk?
Thanks Elliott. For just about everything.
And I feel pretty. Pretty enough for you.
jmoegs
no war
no peace
jmoegs
f**k you you f**king f**ks!!!!!!! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
dancetheblue s
used to work at the high school he went to.. :'(
Everything means nothing to me.
tigrisgirl98 1 1 5

He burned too bright for this world.
wuggynrlpe
Miss him.
Stunning.
his death reaffirm his music's awesome legacy...i am a painter and his music has inspired so many of my works.
I remember hearing about his death in the parking lot after school...so devastated. Every time I hear his music I'm both elated and miserable...
But! I just found him! ...
I felt so ugly before, but now i just feel empty. RIP
I love and miss you so much, Elliott. Rest in peace. XO
Love you elliott.
Such an amazing lyricist, and a awesome guitarist, creditabilit y stamped
I miss you. I miss you. I miss you. I miss you. I miss you.
How many people miss spell there own names on a suicide note? Elliot did.
Got to know Elliot Smith from Good Will Hunting soundtrack - he has a sadness but it is beautiful - no doubt.
Dave: Since then I've given Either/Or a solid listen and agree. I also acquired From A Basement On the Hill and THAT album tells a lot about his last year/s. It is very distorted and you can tell he was under the influence of some heavier drugs towards the end. The whole album is kind of distorted and some songs have a very heroin-y feel to them
a trapped soul who only free threw his own music ....sadly gone but will always be an influence in my life
chimeradave
cerpin47: Either/Or is just as brillant. I heard Figure 8 first so I'm sentimental about it but Either/Or and XO blow it away.
Show more

In order to use Pandora internet radio, please upgrade to a more current browser.

Please check our Help page for more information.

In order to use Pandora internet radio, please upgrade to a more current browser
or install a newer version of Flash (v.10 or later).

In order to use Pandora internet radio, please install Adobe Flash (v.10 or later).

[66, 71, 109, 87, 78, 104, 68, 109, 80, 106, 123, 97, 127, 88, 93, 66, 109, 112, 121, 65, 110, 88, 101, 80, 106, 104, 115, 72, 114, 100, 95, 80, 70, 122, 86, 83, 108, 75, 109, 81, 109, 76, 124, 87, 81, 112, 92, 113, 125, 74, 110, 75, 64, 64, 77, 81, 81, 122, 106, 108, 116, 90, 78, 98, 80, 113, 110, 95, 123, 113, 85, 65, 103, 106, 79, 121, 94, 78, 115, 79, 66, 71, 107, 94, 71, 88, 79, 72, 109, 102, 96, 70, 75, 120, 114, 93, 87, 79, 122, 102, 112, 82, 81, 71, 78, 112, 110, 103, 88, 72, 119, 66, 96, 111, 120, 105, 119, 95, 69, 89, 75, 103, 111, 93, 118, 102, 87, 117, 85, 120, 73, 113, 79, 111, 104, 123, 115, 103, 107, 107, 89, 121, 77, 82, 112, 97, 108, 114, 91, 93, 103, 103, 126, 111, 114, 112, 64, 117, 68, 92, 112, 96, 78, 87, 107, 106, 76, 104, 90, 76, 75, 103, 96, 125, 67, 80, 120, 91, 85, 91, 117, 105, 110, 82, 93, 124, 88, 82, 102, 111, 112, 89, 65, 121, 105, 78, 102, 97, 126, 71, 74, 126, 83, 65, 87, 64, 84, 124, 71, 120, 97, 105, 104, 112, 127, 83, 117, 126, 110, 93, 69, 89, 105, 102, 92, 102, 111, 65, 85, 82, 119, 106, 102, 79, 99, 74, 70, 79, 75, 79, 108, 64, 86, 81, 93, 110, 102, 104, 81, 120, 87, 103, 84, 118, 110, 73, 112, 72, 98, 72, 103, 64, 73, 75, 112, 94, 68, 98, 78, 71, 83, 66, 78, 96, 77, 64, 112, 90, 85, 97, 123, 64, 114, 69, 110, 72, 66, 116, 108, 88, 110, 98, 106, 99, 64, 69, 81, 92, 65, 78, 76, 64, 94, 112, 98, 125, 122, 118, 91, 72, 122, 121, 81, 109, 119, 89, 88, 79, 114, 83, 123, 85, 78, 85, 87, 85, 119, 109, 127, 89, 120, 90, 76, 81, 65, 127, 124, 121, 117, 77, 107, 72, 89, 82, 82, 111, 123, 116, 96, 126, 75, 117, 72, 122, 122, 79, 127, 76, 121, 97, 119, 123, 115, 102, 95, 90, 100, 98, 66, 124, 87, 94, 103, 105, 121, 121, 125, 78, 108, 110, 126, 123, 73, 81, 87, 91, 125, 108, 121, 84, 71, 106, 82, 126, 119, 121, 69, 100, 98, 97, 124, 127, 82, 79, 79, 70, 82, 86, 109, 77, 122, 100, 67, 76, 122, 112, 95, 118, 85, 127, 113, 86, 120, 87, 104, 93, 98, 70, 118, 64, 67, 115, 127, 94, 91, 126, 76, 117, 89, 94, 70, 70, 111, 103, 76, 80, 78, 117, 71, 109, 118, 121, 127, 84, 116, 117, 81, 72, 119, 120, 125, 72, 105, 106, 65, 94, 86, 85, 105, 125, 69, 108, 89, 92, 123, 81, 75, 102, 108, 122, 91, 70, 93, 96, 91, 65, 73, 119, 116, 121, 126, 109, 125, 82, 78, 111, 119, 66, 82, 124, 78, 111, 110, 104, 95, 103, 106, 74, 77, 104, 99, 99]