Album

Operation: Mindcrime

by Queensrÿche

Released3 May 1988

LabelEMI Manhattan

Popularity59.9

Also cited2 May 1988

progressive metal heavy metal metal rock hard rock

Wikipedia ↗MusicBrainz ↗Deezer ↗Podcast cover

Operation: Mindcrime is the third studio album by Queensrÿche, the American progressive metal band, released on 3 May 1988 through EMI Manhattan. It follows The Warning and Rage for Order, and it is a full concept album and rock opera. The story centres on Nikki, a drug addict who grows disillusioned with a corrupt society and, reluctantly, becomes an assassin of political leaders for a revolutionary group.

It was the record that broke the band through. It reached number 50 on the Billboard 200, and "Eyes of a Stranger" and "I Don't Believe in Love" became their first charting hits in the United States. Gold certification came in early 1989, with platinum two years later. Kerrang! placed it at number 34 in its list of the 100 greatest heavy metal albums in January 1989. A sequel, Operation: Mindcrime II, followed in 2006.

Operation: Mindcrime on Riffology

riffology.co →

Podcast · Episode 29 · 1 h 24 min

Queensrÿche – Operation: Mindcrime

0:00 / 1:23:46

Album deep dive

Operation: Mindcrime – Queensrÿche’s Revolutionary Rock…

15 December 2024

Operation: Mindcrime: tracklist, credits and charts

15 tracks · 59:04

Tracklist

1I Remember NowDeGarmo, Tate, Wilton1:17
2Anarchy-XDeGarmo, Tate, Wilton1:27
3Revolution CallingGeoff Tate and Michael Wilton4:42
4Operation: MindcrimeDeGarmo, Tate, Wilton4:43
5SpeakGeoff Tate and Michael Wilton3:42
6Spreading the DiseaseGeoff Tate and Michael Wilton4:07
7The MissionChris DeGarmo5:46
8Suite Sister MaryChris DeGarmo and Geoff Tate10:41
9The Needle LiesGeoff Tate and Michael Wilton3:08
10Electric RequiemScott Rockenfield and Geoff Tate1:22
11Breaking the SilenceChris DeGarmo and Geoff Tate4:34
12I Don’t Believe in LoveChris DeGarmo and Geoff Tate4:23
13Waiting for 22Chris DeGarmo1:05
14My Empty RoomGeoff Tate and Michael Wilton1:28
15Eyes of a StrangerChris DeGarmo and Geoff Tate6:39

Produced by: Peter Collins
Recorded at: Kajem/Victory Studios, Le Studio, Kajem/Victory Studios, Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, Le Studio, Morin Heights, Quebec, Canada
Recorded: 1987–1988
Mixed by: James “Jimbo” Barton
Mixed at: Wisseloord Studios
Engineered by: James “Jimbo” Barton, Paul Northfield
Label: EMI Manhattan
Length: 59:04

Line-up

Chris DeGarmo · 12 string guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Eddie Jackson · bass guitar
Michael Kamen · cello
Scott Rockenfield · percussion, drums (drum set), keyboard
Geoff Tate · keyboard, vocals, lead vocals
Michael Wilton · 12 string guitar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
Mike Snyder · spoken vocals · guest
The Moronic Monks of Morin Heights · choir vocals
Debbie Wheeler · spoken vocals · guest
Anthony Valentine · spoken vocals
Scott Mateer · spoken vocals · guest
Pamela Moore · lead vocals, spoken vocals · guest

Singles

“Breaking the Silence” · 1988
“Revolution Calling” · October 1988
“Eyes of a Stranger” · April 1989
“I Don't Believe in Love” · July 1989

Peak chart positions

Chart	Peak
US Billboard 200 · 1988	50
UK Albums Chart · 1988	58
Finland (The Official Finnish Charts) · 1988	13
Hungarian Albums · 2006	20
Swiss Albums · 1988	21
Swedish Albums · 1988	25
Dutch Albums · 1988	29
German Albums · 1988	40
Japanese Albums (Oricon) · 1988	64
Canadian Albums (RPM) · 1988	75

All 11 charts

Belgian Albums (Wallonia) · 2021

111

Certifications

Region	Certification
United States · 1991	Platinum

From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.

59.9

Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)

2.9k

ListenBrainz listeners

134k

Wikipedia views, last 12 months

17k

Deezer fans (all editions)

Also released on 3 May

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Nine Inch Nails · 2005

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No Rest for the Wicked

Releases and pressings

How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata; also seen: 1988-05-02 (musicbrainz)

Source	Date	Note
MusicBrainz	2 May 1988
Wikipedia infobox	3 May 1988
Wikidata	3 May 1988
US release	3 May 1988	earliest US date
UK / Europe release	2 May 1988	earliest UK or European date

26 editions

Date	Country	Label	Barcode	Kind
—	US	EMI Manhattan		other
—	XE	EMI Manhattan	077774864022	other
1988	US	EMI Manhattan	077774864015	other
1988	US	EMI Manhattan		other
1988	US	EMI Manhattan	077774864022	other
1988	US	EMI	077774864046	other
May 1988	GB	EMI Manhattan	077774864015	other
2 May 1988	GB	EMI Manhattan	077774864022	original
3 May 1988	XE	EMI Manhattan	077774864015	other
3 May 1988	US	EMI Manhattan		other
5 June 1988	JP	EMI Manhattan	4988006622944	other
19 October 1994	JP	EMI	4988006701786	other
2003	XE	Capitol Records	724358106824	other
6 May 2003	XW	EMI	00724358106855	remaster
6 May 2003	US	Capitol Records	724358106824	other
2006	GB	Capitol Records	094636052328	other
2006	GB	—	094636039220	deluxe
20 June 2006	US	Capitol Records	094636012827	other
20 June 2006	AF	Capitol Records	094636012858	deluxe
5 November 2006	JP	Capitol Records	4988006848610	other
29 October 2008	JP	EMI Manhattan	4988006867550	other
20 May 2015	JP	Capitol Records	4988005885654	other
25 June 2021	XE	Virgin EMI Records	602577140372	other
25 June 2021	—	Capitol Records	602577140396	other
25 June 2021	US	Capitol Records	602577118531	deluxe
2024	US	EMI Records USA		remaster

Cover art sources

coverartarchive · cropped: cropped from 2843x2841 to 2841x2841

Source	Size	Verdict
coverartarchive ✓	2843×2841	cropped: cropped from 2843x2841 to 2841x2841
deezer	1200×1200	upscaled
fanarttv	1000×1000	upscaled