Rotting Piñata

2025-09-08T18:16:50Z

2600:8800:84:3400:8CB1:1CE6:2C53:C61F: Trivia section falls out of Wiki article standards. Kept the info and moved it to more appropriate areas integrated into the article.

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Rotting Piñata
| type = studio
| artist = [[Sponge (band)|Sponge]]
| cover = Sponge-Rotting Piñata.jpg
| alt =
| released = August 2, 1994
| recorded = 1993–1994
| studio = The Loft (Saline, Michigan)
| genre = {{flatlist|
*[[Alternative rock]]
*[[grunge]]
*[[post-grunge]]
*[[hard rock]]
}}
| length = 53:47 34:06 (Live at [[Rock am Ring and Rock im Park|Rock am Ring]])
| label = *[[Work Group]]
| producer = Tim Patalan and Sponge
| prev_title =
| prev_year =
| next_title = [[Wax Ecstatic]]
| next_year = 1996
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Rotting Piñata
| type = studio
| single1 = Neenah Menasha
| single1date = 1994
| single2 = [[Plowed (song)|Plowed]]
| single2date = 1994
| single3 = [[Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain)]]
| single3date = 1995
| single4 = [[Rainin']]
| single4date = 1995
}}
}}

'''''Rotting Piñata''''' is the debut studio album by the American [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Sponge (band)|Sponge]], released on August 2, 1994, through [[Work Group]]. Hit singles from this album, such as "[[Plowed (song)|Plowed]]" and
"[[Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain)]]", helped launch the band's career and the album was certified gold by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]] in July 1995.

==Background==
The title of the album (and song of the same name) came from a conversation the band had regarding controversial [[punk rock]] singer [[GG Allin]], who infamously promised for years that he would die by [[suicide]] on stage during one of his concerts (Allin instead died from an accidental [[drug overdose]]). The band wondered if Allin would want a posthumous tour instead, where his corpse would be present at the shows and fans would be able to hit or take a whack at it. The band's soundman Chris remarked that if that happened, the corpse would be like a rotting [[piñata]].

"[[Plowed (song)|Plowed]]" would become the most successful single from the album. Lead vocalist [[Vinnie Dombroski]] came up with the lyrics while shoveling snow in his hometown of [[Detroit]].<ref>{{cite web |date=July 24, 2013 |title=Vinnie Dombroski Interview |url=https://www.pollstar.com/article/qa-with-vinnie-from-sponge-28261 |work=Pollstar}}</ref> Following the song's success, "[[Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain)]]" followed as a single. The vocals (originally titled simply [[Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain)|"Molly"]]) were re-recorded for the single release. The song was partly inspired by a story the band had heard about a 16-year-old girl who fell in love with one of her teachers and attempted suicide after he rejected her advances.

"[[Neenah, Wisconsin|Neenah]] [[Menasha, Wisconsin|Menasha]]" refers to the two cities in [[Wisconsin]]. "Miles" includes the last two lines of [[Robert Frost]]'s poem "[[Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening]]" ("And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep").

==Release==
''Rotting Piñata'' is Sponge's best selling album, having sold more than 500,000 copies. Although released in August 1994, the album did not enter the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] until February 1995, following the success of its second single [[Plowed (song)|"Plowed"]]. ''Rotting Piñata'' peaked at number 58 and remained on the chart for 40 weeks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1995-11-11|title=Billboard 200 Chart, November 1995|date=November 11, 1995|access-date=November 12, 2020}}</ref>

==Critical reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r209251}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Martin Popoff|Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal]]''
| rev2score = 7/10<ref>{{cite book |last1=Popoff |first1=Martin |author-link1=Martin Popoff |title=The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties |publisher=[[Collector's Guide Publishing]] |year=2007 |location=[[Burlington, Ontario]], [[Canada]] |isbn=978-1-894959-62-9 |page=421}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[The Encyclopedia of Popular Music]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="EOPM">{{cite book|editor-last=Larkin|editor-first=Colin|editor-link=Colin Larkin|title=Encyclopedia of Popular Music|year=2006|publisher=[[MUZE]] |volume=7 |edition=4th|isbn=978-0-19-531373-4|title-link=Encyclopedia of Popular Music |pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofpo0007unse/page/672 672–673] |chapter=Sponge}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Kerrang!]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Shiels |first=Liam |date=September 2, 1995 |title=Albumz |magazine=[[Kerrang!]] |publisher=[[EMAP]] |issue=561|page=44}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[MusicHound|MusicHound Rock]]''
| rev5score = {{Rating|2.5|5}}<ref name="MH">{{cite book |last=Fuoco |first=Christina |title=MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide |date=1999 |publisher=Visible Ink Press |page=[https://archive.org/details/musichoundrockes0000unse_j0b4/page/1072 1072] |isbn=1-57859-061-2 |chapter=Sponge}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[The Village Voice]]''
| rev6score = {{Rating-Christgau|dud}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |date=January 23, 1996 |title=Consumer Guide |url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv196-96.php |access-date=2024-03-28 |website=[[The Village Voice]] |via=robertchristgau.com}}</ref>
| noprose = yes
}}
''Rotting Piñata'' received mostly positive reviews. However, [[AllMusic]] staff writer [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] said that the album was derivative of [[Pearl Jam]] or [[Stone Temple Pilots]], with a few good songs but otherwise featuring "half-finished ideas".<ref name="allmusic"/> ''[[Trouser Press]]'' was more positive about the album, noting "[[Plowed (song)|Plowed]]" and [[Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain)|"Molly"]] as having "catchy hooks and hummable choruses" while also being "colored by murky sonic structures that layer a bit of lead around their listener-friendly cores." They also wrote "Elsewhere on ''Rotting Piñata'', Sponge shows an affinity for density and drone— particularly in 'Pennywheels' and the metallic chug of 'Neenah Menasha'— while 'Giants' explores tense instrumental dynamics."<ref name="TP">{{cite web |title=Sponge |url=https://trouserpress.com/reviews/sponge/ |website=Trouser Press |access-date=January 19, 2021}}</ref>

==Track listing==
All songs written by [[Sponge (band)|Sponge]] ([[Vinnie Dombroski]], [[Joey Mazzola]], Mike Cross, Tim Cross, Jimmy Paluzzi) and produced by Tim Patalan and Sponge.{{Track listing
| total_length = 53:47
| title1 = Pennywheels
| length1 = 4:36
| title2 = Rotting Piñata
| length2 = 4:00
| title3 = Giants
| length3 = 5:20
| title4 = Neenah Menasha
| length4 = 6:03
| title5 = Miles
| length5 = 4:11
| title6 = [[Plowed (song)|Plowed]]
| length6 = 3:17
| title7 = Drownin{{'-}}
| length7 = 4:40
| title8 = [[Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain)|Molly]]
| length8 = 3:35
| title9 = Fields
| length9 = 4:55
| title10 = [[Rainin'|Rainin{{'-}}]]
| note10 = "Candy Corn" is a [[hidden track]] in the gap between tracks 10 and 11. When listening to the CD, it appears as part of track 10 and begins at the 7:03 mark.
| length10 = 12:57
| title11 = Untitled
| length11 = 0:03
}}

A special edition included a bonus CD featuring Sponge live at [[Rock am Ring]] [[Nürburgring]] on June 2, 1995.

All songs written by Sponge except where noted.

{{Track listing
| headline = Live at Rock am Ring
| total_length = 34:06
| title1 = Neenah Menasha
| length1 = 4:42
| title2 = Rotting Piñata
| length2 = 4:15
| title3 = I Hate Myself
| note3 = Introduced as "I Hate Myself When I'm With You"
| length3 = 5:43
| title4 = Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain)
| length4 = 3:41
| title5 = Rainin{{'-}}
| length5 = 5:29
| title6 = Plowed
| length6 = 3:26
| title7 = Fields
| length7 = 4:02
| title8 = Big Girl
| note8 = Introduced as "I'm a Big Girl"
| writer8 = 27 Mauve
| length8 = 2:48
}}

==Personnel==
===Sponge===
* [[Vinnie Dombroski]] - vocals
* Mike Cross - guitar, backing vocals
* Tim Cross - bass
* [[Joey Mazzola]] - guitar, backing vocals
* Jimmy Paluzzi - drums, backing vocals

===Additional personnel===
* [[Andy Patalan]] - production assistant
* [[Tim Palmer (record producer)|Tim Palmer]] - [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing]]
* Mark O'Donoughue & Brandon Harris - mixing assistants
* Tim Patalan - mixing on "Rotting Piñata", "Neenah Menasha", "Miles" and "[[Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain)|Molly]]"
* Pablo Mathiason - [[A&R]]
* [[Howie Weinberg]] - [[Audio mastering|mastering]]
* David Coleman - art direction
* Michael Halsband - photography

==Charts==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1995)
! scope="col"| Peak position
|-
! scope="row"| US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref>{{cite web | url = https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Music/Billboard-Index/IDX/1995/1995-05-06-Billboard-Page-0100.pdf#search=%22rotting%20pinata%22 | work = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | publisher = Billboard | access-date = November 5, 2021 | page = 88 | title =Billboard 200 - May 6, 1995 | date= May 6, 1995}}</ref>
| 58
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col"| Chart (1995)
! scope="col"| Position
|-
! scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1995/top-billboard-200-albums|title=Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995|work=Billboard|access-date=February 18, 2022|archive-date=January 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123044853/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1995/the-billboard-200|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| 139
|}
{{col-end}}

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!US [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]]
!US [[Modern Rock Tracks chart|Modern Rock]]
!US [[Mainstream Rock Tracks chart|Mainstream Rock]]
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1994
| Neenah Menasha
|align="center"| -
|align="center"| -
|align="center"| -
|-
| [[Plowed (song)|Plowed]]
|align="center"| 41
|align="center"| 5
|align="center"| 9
|-
|rowspan="3"| 1995
| [[Molly (16 Candles Down the Drain)]]
|align="center"| 55
|align="center"| 3
|align="center"| 11
|-
| [[Rainin']]
|align="center"| -
|align="center"| 34
|align="center"| 18
|}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|type=album|artist=Sponge|title=Rotting Pinata|award=Gold|relyear=1995|certyear=1995|access-date=November 5, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}

==See also==
[[1994 in music]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Sponge}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rotting Pinata}}
[[Category:1994 debut albums]]
[[Category:Sponge (band) albums]]

Vero - Wikipedia - User contributions [en]

Rotting Piñata