Guided by Voices

157,440 listeners (4,496,702 plays)

indie, indie rock, lo-fi, rock, alternative… see all

United States (1983 – 2004)

Inspired equally by jangle pop and arty post-punk, Guided by Voices created a series of trebly, hissy indie rock records filled with infectiously brief pop songs that fell somewhere between the British Invasion and prog rock. After recording six self-released albums between 1986 and 1992, the Dayton, Ohio-based band attracted a handful of fans within the American indie rock underground. With the 1994 release of Bee Thousand, the group became an unexpected alternative rock sensation, winning positive reviews throughout the mainstream music press and signing a larger distribution deal with Matador Records. Despite all of the attention, the band never changed their aesthetic, continuing to record their albums on cheap four-track tape decks and thereby limiting their potential audience, yet that devotion to lo-fi indie rock helped Guided by Voices maintain a sizable cult during the late ’90s. Sadly the preceding is not wholly true. (See “Do the Collapse”, “Isolation Drills”.)
Amplified to rock and eager to drink beer,
schoolteacher Robert Pollard formed Guided by Voices in early 1983. Throughout the group’s history, Pollard was at the center, writing the majority of the songs and leading each incarnation of the band. During the ’80s, Pollard was frequently joined by his brother Jim, who continued to write songs for the group even after his departure in the late ’80s. Guided by Voices didn’t become a full-fledged band until guitarist Tobin Sprout and bassist Dan Toohey joined the group in 1985.

1	Hold on Hope full track	952
2	I Am a Scientist	459
3	Tractor Rape Chain	420
4	Echos Myron	399
5	Hot Freaks	390
6	Game of Pricks	373
7	Gold Star for Robot Boy	350
8	The Goldheart Mountaintop Queen Directory	346
9	Buzzards and Dreadful Crows	343
10	A Salty Salute	338
11	Smothered in Hugs	311
12	Teenage FBI	308
13	My Valuable Hunting Knife	297
14	Awful Bliss	292
15	Motor Away	279

Top Albums

Do the Collapse
Guided by Voices
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Bee Thousand
Guided by Voices
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Alien Lanes
Guided by Voices
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Vampire On Titus Propeller
Guided by Voices
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Rudelyy wrote:
Saturday morning

Rudely Interrupted have been invited by the United Nations to perform in the Dag Hammarskjold Auditorium on the 3rd of December 2008 to mark international disability day.

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Polyraclure wrote:
9 days ago

Let's get Weed King on the top, it's their greatest song evaaah !!!

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ConnyG wrote:
10 days ago

Teenage FBI is the shit. I fucking love that song.

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nickvb wrote:
10 days ago

guided by homosexuality.

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vltava11 wrote:
11 days ago

I wish more of their tracks were playlist-compatible, seeing as I'm not a great fan of Hold on Hope. :o/

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phthoggos wrote:
12 days ago

@doki66 "Christian Animation Torch Carriers" is pretty proggy.

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oncassette wrote:
last month

try looking for 'sensational gravity boy (suitcase version)'

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ArcDickAgent wrote:
last month

what about sensational gravity boy? I can't find it anywhere on the list.

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iamtacos wrote:
last month

I don't see Cut Out Witch on this list and Alien Lanes isn't available for download. For Shame.

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Lyrradsemaj wrote:
last month

I will NEVER get tired of Bee Thousand.

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YeahLikeTotally wrote:
last month

First heard them on the soundtrack to Crime and Punishment in Suburbia (Lame movie, cool album). I thought they were awesome and downloaded a bunch of their self-released stuff.

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nicoinfurs wrote:
last month

i never even heard Hold on Hope, oh wait.. scrubs. Damn those shows.

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[deleted-user] wrote:
last month

GBV you should be in a beer commercial .You rock .every album was great.Robert Pollard i will kick you and your brothers ass in basketball.ha ha Play my club when solo tour .I know Martin HAll. http://www.myspace.com/vampedrecord HORRORS OF TOLEDO http://www.myspace.com/horrorsoftoledo are a band in lOs Angeles o the rise and are a young band creating quite a buzz.Original sound like Interpol,murder by death ,The Clash,Mission Of Burma meets Johnny Cash.
Kyles123456789 wrote:
last month

It's sad that hold on hope has been made top :( It should be something from bee thousand or alien lanes :|

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nicoinfurs wrote:
last month

don't ask why just do it

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nicoinfurs wrote:
last month

Bee Thousand

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Botoft wrote:
last month

Oh god.. Where do I start?

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[deleted-user] wrote:
last month

great band whos singer writes in his sleep and while having bowel movements .awesome albums!Bob Pollard for president .The group never to challenge in a basketball game for best place to see live music like this in Los Angeles Silverlake go to http://www.myspace.com/vampedrecord
stumbeleine01 wrote:
last month

You'll need to have 1000's of $$££ mate

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drsaunde wrote:
June 2008

so.... anyone got a Propeller vinyl they wanna sell?

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Recent Activity

tammytkaos, gslowpedal, loislame and 23 other people added Guided by Voices to their libraries. 2 hours ago
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