Sonic Youth discography

The discography of American rock band Sonic Youth comprises 15 studio albums, seven extended plays, three compilation albums, seven video releases, 21 singles, 46 music videos, ten releases in the Sonic Youth Recordings series, eight official bootlegs, and contributions to 16 soundtracks and other compilations.
In 1981, Sonic Youth signed with Neutral Records, and released its eponymous debut EP Sonic Youth the next year. The band's first full-length album was Confusion is Sex, released in 1983. Kill Yr Idols was released the same year under the German label Zensor Records. Bad Moon Rising was released two years later on Blast First, a label created specifically for Sonic Youth releases. In 1986, Sonic Youth signed to SST Records and released Evol later the same year. The album gained the band increasing critical acclaim and exposure, and the group released Sister and the double LP Daydream Nation in 1987 and 1988, respectively, the latter on Enigma Records.
In 1990, the band signed to major label DGC Records, and released Goo the same year. The band's 1991 tour with the then little-known band Nirvana was documented in the film 1991: The Year Punk Broke. In 1992, Sonic Youth released Dirty. Two years later, the group released Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star, and Washing Machine the following year.
Forced to start from scratch after its instruments and equipment were stolen, the band released NYC Ghosts & Flowers in 2000. Sonic Youth released Murray Street in the summer of 2002, followed in 2004 by Sonic Nurse. Rather Ripped and The Destroyed Room: B-sides and Rarities were released in 2006, the latter featuring tracks previously available only on vinyl, limited-release compilations, B-sides to international singles, and other previously unreleased material. The Eternal was released three years later in 2009.

Compilations

Sonic Youth Recordings (SYR) series

Sonic Youth have released a number of mostly experimental and instrumental releases under their own label Sonic Youth Recordings. The SYR series has established a tradition where each album is released in a different language. SYR1 has song titles and album sleeve artwork all in French, SYR2 is in Dutch, SYR3 is in Esperanto, SYR4 is in English, SYR5 is in Japanese, SYR6 is in Lithuanian, SYR7 is in Arpitan, SYR8 is in Danish, SYR9 is in French, and AUG5 is in English.

Year	Album details	Notes
1997	SYR1: Anagrama Released: June 10, 1997
1997	SYR2: Slaapkamers met slagroom Released: September 2, 1997
1998	SYR3: Invito al ĉielo Released: February 24, 1998	Sonic Youth's first collaboration with Jim O'Rourke.
1999	SYR4: Goodbye 20th Century Released: November 16, 1999	Double-album featuring covers of avant-garde compositions. Collaboration between Sonic Youth and William Winant, Jim O'Rourke, Takehisa Kosugi, Christian Wolff, Coco Hayley Gordon Moore, Christian Marclay, and Wharton Tiers.
2000	SYR5: ミュージカルパ一スペクティブ Released: August 29, 2000	Collaboration between Kim Gordon, DJ Olive, and Ikue Mori.
2005	SYR6: Koncertas Stan Brakhage prisiminimui Released: December 6, 2005	Live recording of an Anthology Film Archives benefit show, played to silent films of Stan Brakhage. Featuring Tim Barnes. It is a CD-only release.
2008	SYR7: J'Accuse Ted Hughes Released: April 22, 2008	It is a vinyl-only release.
2008	SYR8: Andre Sider Af Sonic Youth Released: July 28, 2008	It is a CD-only release. Live recording of the 2005 Roskilde Festival in Denmark. Featuring Jim O'Rourke, Mats Gustafsson, and Merzbow.
2011	SYR9: Simon Werner a disparu Released: February 15, 2011	Soundtrack to the film Simon Werner a disparu.
2020	AUG5: Perspectives Musicales – Live at Cat's Cradle 2000 Released: 2020	Digital-only release from Sonic Youth's Bandcamp page. Live recording At Cat's Cradle 2000.