Album
Electric
Electric is the third album by the British band the Cult, released in April 1987 on Sire Records. It followed Love, the record that had brought them their commercial breakthrough, and it matched that album's peak by reaching number four in the UK. It outlasted its predecessor on the chart, though, spending 27 weeks there, the longest run of any Cult album.
What makes it worth hearing is the change of direction. The band moved away from their gothic rock beginnings towards a more traditional hard rock sound, with Rick Rubin brought in as producer to remake them at a time when hard rock, glam metal and heavy metal were all riding high. It earned a place in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. In 2013 it was reissued as a double CD, Electric Peace, pairing the album with the whole of Peace, recorded during the Manor Sessions.
Electric: tracklist, credits and charts
11 tracks · 38:50Tracklist
- 1Wild FlowerBilly Duffy and Ian Astbury3:37
- 2Peace DogBilly Duffy and Ian Astbury3:35
- 3Lil’ DevilBilly Duffy and Ian Astbury2:44
- 4Aphrodisiac JacketBilly Duffy and Ian Astbury4:12
- 5Electric OceanBilly Duffy and Ian Astbury2:49
- 6Bad FunBilly Duffy and Ian Astbury3:34
- 7King Contrary ManBilly Duffy and Ian Astbury3:12
- 8Love Removal MachineBilly Duffy and Ian Astbury4:18
- 9Born to Be WildMars Bonfire3:55
- 10OutlawBilly Duffy and Ian Astbury2:52
- 11Memphis Hip ShakeBilly Duffy and Ian Astbury4:01
- Produced by
- Rick Rubin
- Mixed by
- Andy Wallace
- Engineered by
- Bruce Buchalter, Andy Wallace
- Recorded
- December 1986
- Labels
- Sire Records, Beggars Banquet, Sire
- Length
- 38:50
Line-up
- Ian Astbury · tambourine, vocals
- Billy Duffy · guitar
- Jamie Stewart · bass guitar
- Les Warner · drums (drum set)
Singles
- “Love Removal Machine” · 16 February 1987
- “Lil' Devil” · 20 April 1987
- “Wild Flower” · 27 July 1987
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| UK Albums Chart · 1987 | 4 |
| US Billboard 200 · 1987 | 38 |
| Canadian Albums (RPM) · 1987 | 3 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums · 2023 | 7 |
| Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts) · 1987 | 12 |
| Dutch Albums · 1987 | 15 |
| New Zealand Albums · 1987 | 16 |
| UK Independent Albums · 2023 | 19 |
| Swiss Albums · 1987 | 22 |
| Swedish Albums · 1987 | 24 |
All 12 charts
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1987 | 34 |
| Scottish Albums · 2023 | 58 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Canada · 1989 | 2× Platinum |
| United Kingdom · 1987 | Gold |
| United States · 1997 | Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
73.6
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
2.7k
ListenBrainz listeners
69k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
9.4k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Released the same week
Also released on 6 April
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More from The Cult
Full discography →
Dreamtime
1984
Dreamtime: Live at the Lyceum
1985
Love
1985
Revolution E.P.
1985
The Manor Sessions
1988
Sonic Temple
1989
Rain / Revolution
1991
Wild Hearted Son
1991
Singles Collection 1984-1990
1991
Spiritwalker / Go West
1991
Resurrection Joe / She Sells Sanctuary
1991
Love Removal Machine / Lil’ Devil
1991
Wildflower / Live 1986-1987
1991
Fire Woman / Edie (Ciao Baby) / Sun King
1991
Sweet Soul Sister / Live 1987-1989
1991
Ceremony
1991
Heart of Soul
1992
The Witch
1993
Live Marquee London MCMXCI
1993
Pure Cult: For Rockers, Ravers, Lovers and Sinners
1993
The Cult
1994
The | Southern | Death | Cult
1996
High Octane Cult: The Ultimate Collection 1984-1995
1996
The White EP
1997
Pure Cult: The Singles 1984–1995
2000
Beyond Good and Evil
2001
Born Into This
2007
The Cult Capsule 1 2010
Capsule 1
2010
Embers / Until The Light Takes Us | Capsule II
2010
Choice of Weapon
2012
Hidden City
2016
Under the Midnight Sun
2022
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia 1987-04-06 vs 1987-05-21 (musicbrainz)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 21 May 1987 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 6 April 1987 | |
| Wikidata | 1987 | |
| US release | 1987 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 1987 | earliest UK or European date |
15 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | XW | Beggars Banquet | 607618008000 | other |
| — | XE | Virgin | 077778685722 | other |
| 1987 | US | Sire Records | 075992555524 | other |
| 1987 | US | Beggars Banquet | 07599255551 | other |
| 1987 | CA | Beggars Banquet | 042283091627 | other |
| 1987 | DE | Virgin Schallplatten GmbH | other | |
| 1987 | XE | Beggars Banquet | other | |
| 1987 | BR | BMG Music International | other | |
| 1987 | DE | Virgin Schallplatten GmbH | other | |
| 1987 | GB | Beggars Banquet | 5012093008028 | other |
| 1987 | GB | Beggars Banquet | 5012093008011 | other |
| 1987 | US | Sire Records | 075992555524 | other |
| 1993 | BR | Beggars Banquet | other | |
| 1997 | GB | Beggars Banquet | 607618008024 | other |
| 2003 | RU | — | other |
Cover art sources
deezer · native: native 1800x1800
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| deezer ✓ | 1800×1800 | native: native 1800x1800 |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |
| coverartarchive | 300×299 | upscaled |