Smashing Pumpkins Bring The Aeroplane Flies High Back on Five LPs

The Smashing Pumpkins will reissue The Aeroplane Flies High on December 18, 2026, through UMe. The 30th-anniversary release brings the 1996 collection back on five LPs, with standard and limited-edition colored-vinyl versions announced.

The October 2 announcement describes it as the set’s first vinyl release since 2013. The label’s store lists 33 tracks on 180-gram vinyl and says the package recreates that earlier five-LP edition.

Beyond the Mellon Collie singles

The Aeroplane Flies High gathers expanded releases of five singles from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness: “Bullet With Butterfly Wings,” “1979,” “Zero,” “Tonight, Tonight” and “Thirty-Three.” Each provides a route into the B-sides and other material surrounding the 1995 double album.

The announced selection includes “Set the Ray to Jerry,” “Cherry” and “The Boy,” alongside the title track, “The Last Song” and “Tribute to Johnny.” Covers also feature, including the Cars’ “You’re All I’ve Got Tonight,” the Cure’s “A Night Like This” and Blondie’s “Dreaming.”

A detail collectors should check

The official store’s tracklist specifically identifies “Pastichio Medley” as the early-fade version. That is worth knowing before choosing this pressing: the track title on a vinyl listing does not guarantee the same duration as another edition.

For guitar-minded listeners, the appeal is following the familiar singles into the wider writing from this period. It also offers a clear way to revisit the collection one single at a time. Pre-orders for both vinyl editions are open ahead of the December release.

For more on Billy Corgan’s guitar work, read our Billy Corgan guitars and gear guide.