Sufjan Stevens » Illinois

Illinois by Sufjan Stevens

15,595,458 plays (467,997 listeners)


Buy at Amazon MP3 (Search) Buy
Add to my Library

Popular tags: , , , ,  See more

Shouts: 185 shouts

Share this album:

Tracklist

    Track     Duration Listeners
1 Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, IL 2:08 58,739
2 The Black Hawk War, or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good… 2:14 75,535
2 The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts 6:15 230,429
3 Come On! Feel the Illinoise! - Part 1: The World's Columbian Exposition, Part 2:… 6:45 4,060
3 The Seer's Tower 3:54 210,536
4 John Wayne Gacy, Jr. 3:20 254,681
4 Out of Egypt, Into the Great Laugh of Mankind, and I Shake the Dirt From My Sandals… 4:21 136,968
5 Jacksonville 5:25 299,592
6 A Short Reprise for Mary Todd, Who Went Insane, But for Very Good Reasons 0:47 184,154
6 They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!!… 5:08 42,701
7 Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Step Mother! 3:03 49,099
7 Riffs and Variations on a Single Note for Jelly Roll, Earl Hines, Louis Armstrong,… 0:46 122,658
8 One Last "Woo-Hoo!" for the Pullman 0:06 2,141
9 Chicago 6:05 372,356
10 Casimir Pulaski Day 5:52 306,588
10 The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders - Part 1: The Great Frontier, Part 2: Come… 7:03 3,638
11 To the Workers of the Rockford River Valley Region, I Have an Idea Concerning Your… 1:40 12,876
11 In This Temple, as in the Hearts of Man, for Whom He Saved the Earth 0:35 37,661
12 Prairie Fire That Wanders About 2:11 195,690
13 Let's Hear That String Part Again, Because I Don't Think They Heard It All the Way… 0:40 139,408
14 A Conjunction of Drones Simulating the Way in Which Sufjan Stevens Has an… 0:19 10,274
15 The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us! 5:23 183,374
Play Sufjan Stevens Radio

With: DM Stith, The Welcome Wagon, St. Vincent, Andrew Bird and more…

About this album

Asthmatic Kitty 22 tracks (74:00)
Illinois (styled Sufjan Stevens Invites You To: Come On Feel the Illinoise on the cover; sometimes written as Illinoise) is a 2005 concept album by American indie folk songwriter Sufjan Stevens. His fifth studio album, Illinois features songs referencing places, events, and persons related to the U.S. state of Illinois. The album is Stevens’ second based on a U.S. state—part of a planned series of fifty that began with the 2003 album Michigan and that Stevens has since acknowledged was a gag.

The artwork and lyrics explore the history, culture, art, and geography of the state—Stevens developed them after analyzing criminal, literary, and historical documents. Following a July 4, 2005, release date, Stevens promoted Illinois with a world tour.

Critics praised the album for its well-written lyrics and complex orchestrations; in particular, reviewers noted Stevens’ progress as a songwriter since the release of Michigan. Illinois was named the best-reviewed album of 2005 by review aggregator Metacritic, and was included on several reviewers’ “best of the decade” lists—including those of Paste, National Public Radio, and Rolling Stone. The album amounted to Stevens’ greatest public success to date: it was his first to place on the Billboard 200, and it topped the Billboard list of “Heatseekers Albums”. The varied instrumentation and experimental songwriting on the album invoked comparisons to work by Steve Reich, Neil Young, and The Cure. Besides numerous references to Illinois history, geography, and attractions, Stevens continued a theme of his songwriting career by including multiple references to his Christian faith.
Read more… Edit wiki

Other releases from this artist

  • Seven Swans
    Sufjan Stevens
    Buy
  • The Avalanche
    Sufjan Stevens Play
    Buy
  • Come On Feel The Illinoise!
    Sufjan Stevens Play
    Buy
  • Songs For Christmas
    Sufjan Stevens
    Buy

Shouts

Leave a comment. Log in to Last.fm or sign up (it’s free).

  • NanneTolsma

    One does not simply tag Illinois

    18 days ago

  • mikronezja

    happy sadjan. odd.

    19 days ago

  • wanderlustatul

    Tagging Nightmare [3]

    last month

  • houghster27

    It's not a suprise that my only loved tracks off this tracklist are the shorter song titles. Tagging Nightmare [2]

    March 2012

  • matt1337c

    This album makes me kind of want to visit Illinois.

    March 2012

  • houghster27

    I'm so adicted to this album now. It's not even funny.

    March 2012

  • QuackyG

    This album. Wow. I am hoping to move to Illinois sooner or later. This is what I will play almost non-stop on my long drive from Cali to Chitown when that happy day comes. Pure beauty in music, lyric, and concept. <3

    February 2012

  • yinxianghecheng

    Probably in my top 5 favourite albums.

    February 2012

  • matt_white

    masterpiece.

    February 2012

  • thiago__garcia

    This album for me is in that 3 albuns that changes something inside you, just like Tori Amos' Boys for Pele

    February 2012

  • norzi

    Is there a way to fix this?

    January 2012

  • Harry_01

    Tagging nightmare indeed.

    January 2012

  • matt_white

    tagging nightmare

    December 2011

  • diesalher

    Fantastic album, the best of Sufjan

    November 2011

  • Antonionii

    One of the seminal work of art created in the 2000s, Stevens is a genuis. Majestic.

    October 2011

  • andover

    So glad I have this on vinyl. It's a journey from start to finish.

    September 2011

  • mapoot

    That tracklist is messed up! How does one edit an album's tracklist?

    August 2011

  • LeLarsch

    Still as amazing as six years ago.

    August 2011

  • MJ13MJ

    the greatest album of all time for me

    August 2011

  • SCRAND3R

    dat .gif

    August 2011
See all 185 shouts

Listening Now

Top Listeners

See more

Recent Activity

Related Journals

See more