The discography of Cocteau Twins, a Scottish gothic rock and dream pop band, includes nine studio albums, seven compilation albums, eleven extended plays and seven singles. Their debut album Garlands was released via the 4AD record label, reached number four on the UK Independent Albums Charts and was certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Two extended play releases preceded the release of their second album – Lullabies (1982) and Peppermint Pig (1983), both of which charted within the UK Independent Albums Charts.
Their second album, Head over Heels (1983) marked their debut appearance on the official UK Albums Chart, debuting at number fifty one. Moderate commercial success ensued with the release of the EPs Sunburst and Snowblind (1983) and The Spangle Maker (1984), the latter of which spawned the commercially successful single "Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops" which reached number twenty-nine on the UK Singles Charts and number one on the UK Independent Singles Charts. Their third album, Treasure was released at the end of 1984 and became the bands first top thirty album in the United Kingdom, debuting at number twenty-nine on the UK Albums Charts. It was subsequently certified Silver by the BPI.
In April 1986, they released the first of two albums which would be released that year; Victorialand, which debuted at number ten in the United Kingdom, their first top ten appearance on the albums charts there. In November, they collaborated with American composer Harold Budd on the album The Moon and the Melodies, which was released under the bands own names – Elizabeth Fraser, Robin Guthrie and Simon Raymonde, and not Cocteau Twins. Blue Bell Knoll, their fifth album, followed in 1988: it gave the band their first appearance on the US Billboard 200 albums chart with Blue Bell Knoll where it reached number 109.
At the end of August 1990, they released "Iceblink Luck" as the lead single from their forthcoming sixth album, Heaven or Las Vegas (1990). The single achieved commercial success, reaching the top forty in the United Kingdom and in Ireland. The single also peaked at number 91 in the European Hot 100 Singles. The release of Heaven or Las Vegas would become their most commercially successful album in the United Kingdom to date, reaching the top ten and being certified Silver by the BPI. In the United States, it reached ninety-nine on the Billboard 200 and stayed nineteen weeks in that chart. The song "Cherry-Coloured Funk" from the album, despite not being released as a single, was later certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
By the release of their seventh album, Four-Calendar Café (1993), Cocteau Twins had left their record label 4AD and signed with Fontana. The album became their highest charting in the United States, peaking at number seventy-eight on the Billboard 200 while staying in the chart for three weeks. The supporting singles from the album – "Evangeline" and "Bluebeard" both reached the UK Top 40, with the latter giving the band their debut appearance on their native singles charts in Scotland, reaching number seventy-seven. Their eighth and final album, Milk & Kisses, was released in 1996, supported by the singles "Tishbite" and "Violaine". Cocteau Twins disbanded in 1997, citing "irreconcilable differences". Since, a number of compilation albums have been released, notably Stars and Topsoil (2000), which was certified Silver in the United Kingdom.
Albums Studio albums TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionCertifications(sales thresholds) UK SCO UK Indie AUS N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart. BEL CAN NZ SWE USGarlands Released: 10 July 1982 Format: Vinyl, cassette Label: 4AD (CAD211)——4—————— BPI: SilverHead over Heels Released: 24 October 1983 Format: Vinyl, cassette Label: 4AD (CAD313)51—1—————— BPI: SilverTreasure Released: 12 November 1984 Format: Vinyl, cassette Label: 4AD (CAD412)29—2———3432— BPI: SilverVictorialand Released: April 1986 Format: Vinyl, cassette, CD Label: 4AD (CAD602)10—1——————Blue Bell Knoll Released: 19 September 1988 Format: Vinyl, cassette, CD, DAT Label: 4AD (CAD807) Capitol (US only)15—1119————109Heaven or Las Vegas Released: 17 September 1990 Format: Vinyl, cassette, CD Label: 4AD (00102) Capitol (US only)7——130————99 BPI: GoldFour-Calendar Café Released: 18 October 1993 Format: Vinyl, cassette, CD Label: Fontana (518 259-2) Capitol (US only)13——111——22—78Milk & Kisses Released: 15 April 1996 Format: Vinyl, cassette, CD Label: Fontana (514 501-2)1724—644853——99
Collaborative albums TitleAlbum detailsPeak chart positionUKUK IndieThe Moon and the Melodies (with Harold Budd) Released: November 1986 Format: Vinyl, cassette Label: 4AD461
Compilation albums TitleAlbum detailsCertificationsAdditional informationTiny Dynamine/Echoes in a Shallow Bay Released: 1985 Format: CD, cassette Label: 4ADcompilation album, combined release of two EPs.The Pink Opaque Released: 30 December 1985 Format: Vinyl, cassette, CD Label: 4AD, Relativity Recordscompilation album, joint release by 4AD (UK) and Relativity Records (US)The Box Set Released: 4 November 1991 Format: Vinyl, cassette Label: 4ADten-disc box set consisting of all EPs up to that point and one disc of bonus materialBBC Sessions Released: 27 September 1999 Format: Vinyl, cassette, CD Label: Bella Union, Rykodisccompilation album of 8 BBC sessions recorded between 1982 and 1996Stars and Topsoil Released: 16 October 2000 Format: Vinyl, cassette, CD Label: 4AD BPI: Silvercompilation album (1982–1990)Lullabies to Violaine: Singles and Extended Plays 1982–1996 Released: 21 November 2005 Format: CD, digital download Label: 4ADlimited edition (10,000 units worldwide), four-disc box set of single and EP tracksLullabies to Violaine, Volume 1: Singles and Extended Plays 1982–1990 Released: 20 March 2006 Format: CD, digital download Label: 4ADfirst two of the four discs in box set shown aboveLullabies to Violaine, Volume 2: Singles and Extended Plays 1993–1996 Released: 20 March 2006 Format: CD, digital download Label: 4ADlast two of the four discs in box set shown aboveTreasure Hiding: The Fontana Years Released: 19 October 2018 Format: CD, digital download Label: Fontanafour-disc box set that includes Four-Calendar Café, Milk & Kisses, EPs, B-sides, and more
Extended plays TitleEP details Peak chart position UK SCO UK Indie NZLullabies Released: October 1982 Label: 4AD——11—Peppermint Pig Released: 4 April 1983 Label: 4AD——2—Sunburst and Snowblind Released: 18 November 1983 Label: 4AD86—2—The Spangle Maker Released: 2 April 1984 Label: 4AD (BAD405)29—2—Aikea-Guinea Released: 18 March 1985 Label: 4AD (BAD501)41—138Tiny Dynamine Released: 15 November 1985 Label: 4AD (BAD510)52—1—Echoes in a Shallow Bay Released: 29 November 1985 Label: 4AD (BAD511)65—148Love's Easy Tears Released: 1 September 1986 Label: 4AD (BAD610)53—1—Twinlights Released: September 1995 Label: Fontana5957——Otherness Released: October 1995 Label: Fontana5955——
Singles Title Year Peak chart positions Album UK SCO UK Indie AUS POR IRE US Alt"Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops"198429—1————The Spangle Maker"Iceblink Luck"199038————224 Heaven or Las Vegas"Evangeline"199334——1354——Four-Calendar Café"Snow"58—————— "Bluebeard"19943377—————Four-Calendar Café"Tishbite"19963429—168———Milk & Kisses"Violaine"5666————— Notes
Promotional singles Title Year Peak chart positions Album Modern Rock Tracks"Carolyn's Fingers" 1988 2 Blue Bell Knoll"Heaven or Las Vegas" 1990 9Heaven or Las Vegas
Other certified songs + List of other certified songs, showing year released and album name Title Year Certifications Album "Cherry-Coloured Funk" 1990 ARIA: Gold RIAA: Gold BPI: Silver Heaven or Las Vegas
Music videos
TitleYearDirector(s)"Wax and Wane"1983"Sugar Hiccup"1984"Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops" Nigel Grierson"Song to the Siren" (released as This Mortal Coil) Ivo Watts-Russell"Pandora (for Cindy)" (unreleased)"Aikea-Guinea"1985 John Scarlett-Davis"Pink Orange Red"Gavin Taylor"Love's Easy Tears"1986"How to Bring a Blush to the Snow" Carl Theodor Dreyer and Peter Fowler"Crushed"1987Nico Beyer"Carolyn's Fingers"1988Walter Stern"Blue Bell Knoll" (live)"Cico Buff""Iceblink Luck" 1990 Howard Greenhalgh"Heaven or Las Vegas""Evangeline" 1993Nico Beyer"Bluebeard"Paul Donnellon"Rilkean Heart" (version 1) 1995"Rilkean Heart" (Rilkean Dreams interlude)"Half-Gifts""Tishbite"1996Dave Shum"Pearly-Dewdrops' Drops" (higher resolution cut edit)2005Nigel Grierson
References