Album
System of a Down
System of a Down is the self-titled debut from the American band, released on 30 June 1998 on American Recordings. It arrived three years before Toxicity and opens the run of five studio albums that would define the group's career. The genre tags run from alternative metal to avant-garde metal, which gives a fair idea of how hard it is to pin down.
It took a while to find its audience. The record was certified Gold in the US in February 2000, and once Toxicity had made the band a much bigger name, it went platinum and later double platinum. Its standing has held up: in 2022 Revolver picked "Suite-Pee" among the heaviest nu-metal songs ever, and in 2025 Loudwire placed the album third in its list of the top 50 nu-metal albums. It's a good place to hear where the band began.
System of a Down: tracklist, credits and charts
13 tracks · 40:42Tracklist
- 1Suite‐PeeDaron Malakian and Serj Tankian2:32
- 2KnowMalakian, Odadjian, Tankian2:57
- 3SugarMalakian, Odadjian, Tankian2:34
- 4SuggestionsDaron Malakian and Serj Tankian2:45
- 5SpidersDaron Malakian and Serj Tankian3:35
- 6DDevilMalakian, Odadjian, Tankian1:43
- 7SoilDaron Malakian and Serj Tankian3:26
- 8War?Daron Malakian and Serj Tankian2:41
- 9MindMalakian, Odadjian, Tankian6:16
- 10PeepholeDaron Malakian and Serj Tankian4:04
- 11CUBErtDaron Malakian and Serj Tankian1:49
- 12DartsDaron Malakian and Serj Tankian2:43
- 13P.L.U.C.K.Daron Malakian and Serj Tankian3:38
- Produced by
- Rick Rubin, System of a Down
- Recorded at
- Sound City (Van Nuys), The Mansion (Hollywood)
- Mixed by
- David Sardy
- Engineered by
- Sylvia Massy
- Labels
- American Recordings, American, Columbia
- Length
- 40:42
Line-up
- John Dolmayan · drums (drum set)
- Daron Malakian · guitar, background vocals
- Shavo Odadjian · bass guitar
- Rick Rubin · piano
- Serj Tankian · keyboard, sampler, vocals
Singles
- “Sugar” · 24 May 1998
- “Spiders” · 10 February 1999
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1998 | 103 |
| US Billboard 200 · 2002–2026 | 113 |
| US Top Heatseekers (Billboard) · 1998 | 1 |
| US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard) · 2002–2026 | 7 |
| US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard) · 2002–2026 | 9 |
| US Top Rock Albums (Billboard) · 2002–2026 | 17 |
| US Tastemaker Albums (Billboard) · 2002–2026 | 19 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1998 | 48 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) · 1998 | 68 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Brazil · 2012 | Platinum |
| Canada · 2002 | Gold |
| Italy · 2019 | Gold |
| United Kingdom · 2025 | Platinum |
| United States · 2022 | 2× Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
92.9
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
12k
ListenBrainz listeners
179k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
49k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 30 June
Every year →
More from System of a Down
Full discography →
The best of 1998
All of 1998 →
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Alanis Morissette · 1998
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More on American Recordings
The label →
Toxicity
System of a Down · 2001
Hypnotize
System of a Down · 2005
Mezmerize
System of a Down · 2005
God Hates Us All
Slayer · 2001
Christ Illusion
Slayer · 2006
Diabolus in Musica
Slayer · 1998
World Painted Blood
Slayer · 2009
Divine Intervention
Slayer · 1994
Undisputed Attitude
Slayer · 1996
La futura
ZZ Top · 2012
The Southern Harmony and Musical Companion
The Black Crowes · 1992
Soundtrack to the Apocalypse
Slayer · 2003
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz + wikidata
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 30 June 1998 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 30 June 1998 | |
| Wikidata | 30 June 1998 | |
| US release | 30 June 1998 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 12 October 1998 | earliest UK or European date |
20 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | XW | American Recordings | 074646211625 | other |
| — | XW | Epic | 7509906892427 | other |
| 1998 | XE | American Recordings | 5099749120921 | other |
| 1998 | — | — | other | |
| 30 June 1998 | US | American Recordings | 074646892428 | original |
| 30 June 1998 | US | American Recordings | original | |
| 30 June 1998 | CA | American Recordings | 074646892428 | original |
| October 1998 | AU | American Recordings | 9399700058789 | other |
| 1 October 1998 | JP | American Recordings | 4988009875798 | other |
| 12 October 1998 | GB | American Recordings | 5099749120921 | other |
| 1999 | XE | American Recordings | 5099749686526 | other |
| 29 June 1999 | US | American Recordings | 074646366127 | other |
| 2000 | US | American Recordings | 074646211625 | other |
| 13 August 2001 | XE | American Recordings | 5099749120921 | other |
| 2003 | MX | American Recordings | 7509906892427 | other |
| 2005 | AU | American Recordings | 5099749120952 | other |
| 2 July 2013 | XW | American Recordings | 074646366127 | other |
| 12 October 2018 | US | American Recordings | 190758655819 | other |
| 12 October 2018 | XE | American Recordings | 190758655819 | other |
| 27 April 2025 | XW | American Recordings | 196873115832 | deluxe |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · cropped: cropped from 2840x2816 to 2816x2816
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 2840×2816 | cropped: cropped from 2840x2816 to 2816x2816 |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |