 
System Of A Down is made up of Serj Tankian on lead
vocals and keyboards, Daron Malakian on vocals and
guitar, Shavo Odadjian on bass, and John Dolmayan on
drums and formed in 1994 in California. The band
began with Malakian and Tankian forming a band called
'Soil' with drummer Domingo Laranio and bassist Dave
Hakopyan. Soon, Laranio and Hakopyan left the band.
After not getting anywhere as 'Soil', the band
reformed as System Of A Down with Odadjian joining as
the bassist (after working with Malakian and Tankian
as their manager and promoter). After hiring Dolmayan
as their drummer and impressing producer Rick Rubin,
System Of A Down was eventually signed to Columbia
Records. System Of A Down were summed up by a Rolling
Stone reviewer as "...an absurdist blast of
political rage, silly theater and shattered math
metal."
System Of A Down released their debut LP System
Of A Down
(available for download at iTunes). The tracks "Sugar" and
"Spiders" hit the Mainstream Rock and
Modern Rock charts.
System
Of A Down
was certified gold.
The track "Spiders" from the group's first
LP appeared on the Scream
3
soundtrack.
System Of A Down could be heard on the compilation Nativity
In Black, Vol. 2: A Tribute To Black Sabbath on the track
"Snowblind."
System Of A Down released Toxicity (available for download at iTunes and Amazon-mp3). The LP was critically
praised and consider the best LP of the year by Spin
magazine. The tracks "Chop Suey,"
"Toxicity," and "Aerials" hit the
Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts.
System Of A Down topped the Billboard 200 LP chart
for a week with Toxicity.
System Of A Down topped the Canadian LP charts with Toxicity. The LP also hit the Top 10 in
Australia and New Zealand, and the Top 20 in the UK.
 Toxicity was certified platinum.
System Of A Down were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance ("Chop Suey").
System
Of A Down
was certified platinum.
 Toxicity was certified 2x platinum.
System Of A Down could be found on The
Osbourne Family Album compilation with "Snowblind."
The video for "Chop Suey" was nominated for
2 MTV Video Music Awards including Best
Rock Video and
Best Editing.
System Of A Down topped the Billboard
Mainstream Rock Tracks chart for a week with
"Aerials."
System Of A Down topped the Billboard Modern Rock
Tracks chart for 3 weeks with "Aerials."
System Of A Down released Steal
This Album! (available for download at iTunes and Amazon-mp3). The LP consisted mostly of
tracks that were leaked onto the Internet after the
success of Toxicity. The track
"Innervision" hit the Mainstream Rock and
Modern Rock charts. A video for the track
"Boom!" was directed by Michael Moore to
protest George Bush's war in Iraq.
Toxicity was certified 3x platinum.
 Billboard Year-End Charts
Steal
This Album! was certified gold.
System Of A Down were nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite
Alternative Artist.
System Of A Down were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance ("Aerials").
Steal
This Album! was certified platinum.
System Of A Down released Mezmerize (available for download at iTunes and Amazon-mp3). The tracks
"B.Y.O.B." and "Question!" hit
the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts.
System Of A Down topped the Billboard 200 LP chart
for a week with Mezmerize. System Of A Down became only
the 5th act to have 2 studio LPs debut at #1 within
the same year.
System Of A Down topped the LP charts in Australia,
Canada, and New Zealand with Mezmerize - and #2 in the UK.
 Mezmerize was certified platinum.
The video for "B.Y.O.B." was nominated for
a MTV Video Music Award for Best
Art Direction.
System Of A Down released Hypnotize (available for download at iTunes and Amazon-mp3). The tracks
"Hypnotize," "Lonely Day," and
"Kill Rock 'N Roll" hit the Mainstream Rock
and Modern Rock charts.
System Of A Down were nominated for an American Music Award for Favorite
Alternative Artist.
System Of A Down topped the Billboard 200 LP chart
with Hypnotize. The LP sold over 320,000
copies its first week of released in the US.
System Of A Down topped the LP charts in Canada and
New Zealand and hit the Top 3 in Australia, and Top
20 in the UK with Hypnotize.
Hypnotize was certified platinum.
System Of A Down topped the Billboard Modern Rock
Track chart for a week with "Hypnotize."
System Of A Down won a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance ("B.Y.O.B.").
It was announced that System Of A Down would be going
on hiatus for at least 3 years.
After extensive touring since the release of their
debut LP, System Of A Down's last performance
together before their hiatus occurred in Florida
mid-month.
System Of A Down were nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance ("Lonely Day").
Entertainment Weekly: 100 Best
Albums of the Last 25 Years included Toxicity at # 90.
While on hiatus, Malakian formed Scars On
Broadway (along with Dolmayan) and released Scars
On Broadway.
Rolling Stone: '100
Best Albums of the Decade (2000-2009)' included Toxicity at # 44.
Tankian released the solo LP Harakiri.
 |
System
Of A Down
Released: June, 1998
US: 2x Platinum
Billboard peak: # 124
Tracks: "Suite-Pee" -
"Know" - "Sugar" -
"Suggestions" - "Spiders" -
"DDevil" - "Soil" -
"War?" - "Mind" -
"Peephole" - "CUBErt" -
"Darts" - "P.L.U.C.K." -- Limited
Edition Bonus CD also includes: "Sugar" (live)
- "War?" (live) - "Suite-Pee"
(live) - "Know" (live) -- Import
Edition alse includes: "Marmalade" -
"Storaged" |
 |
Toxicity
Released: September, 2001
US: 6x Platinum
Billboard peak: # 1 (for 1 week)
Rolling Stone:  - Entertainment
Weekly: B-
Tracks: "Prison Song" -
"Needles" - "Deer Dance" -
"Jet Pilot" - "X" -
"Chop Suey" - "Bounce" -
"Forest" - "ATWA" -
"Science" - "Shimmy" -
"Toxicity" - "Psycho" -
"Aerials" - "Arto" -- Special
Edition bonus CD includes: "Johnny" -
"Sugar" (live) - "War?"
(live) - "Suite-Pee" (live) -
"Know" (live) |
|
Steal
This Album!
Released: November, 2002
US: Platinum
Billboard peak: # 15
Rolling Stone:  - Entertainment
Weekly: B+
Tracks: "Chic 'n' Stu" -
"Innervision" - "Bubbles" -
"Boom!" - "Nuguns" -
"A.D.D. (American Dream Denial)" -
"Mr. Jack" - "I-E-A-I-A-I-O"
- "36" - "Pictures" -
"Highway Song" - "F*** The
System" - "Ego Brain" -
"Thetawaves" - "Roulette" -
"Streamline" |
|
Mezmerize
Released: May, 2005
US: Platinum
Billboard peak: # 1 (for 1 week)
Rolling Stone: - Entertainment
Weekly: A-
Tracks: "Soldier Side Intro" -
"B.Y.O.B." - "Revenga" -
"Cigaro" - "Radio/Video" -
"This Cocaine Makes Me Feel Like I'm On This
Song" - "Violent Pornography" -
"Question!" - "Sad Statue" -
"Old School Hollywood" - "Lost In
Hollywood" |
|
Hypnotize
Released: November, 2005
US: Platinum
Billboard peak: # 1 (for 1 week)
Rolling Stone: - Entertainment
Weekly: B+
Tracks: "Attack" -
"Dreaming" - "Kill Rock 'N
Roll" - "Hypnotize" -
"Stealing Society" -
"Tentative" - "U-Fig" -
"Holy Mountains" - "Vicinity Of
Obscenity" - "She's Like Heroin" -
"Lonely Day" - "Soldier Side"
|
| Note: Song title and position
links lead you to the song's Top 40 chart run
(from the ARC Weekly Top 40) and LP links take you to Amazon.com for that LP (often
including track listings and sound samples). |
|
|
