by Olivia McGuin
While 2026 has already been a huge year for new music releases and various projects, it’s also a significant year for looking back at old releases. This year holds anniversaries for various grunge, rock, and metal albums, but one that specifically comes to mind is Stone Temple Pilots’ 3rd album, Tiny Music…Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop. This 1996 album will be celebrating its 30th anniversary on March 26.
I’m a huge fan of this album; I remember listening to it for the first time during my sophomore year of high school. Compared to the group’s first two albums, Core and Purple, Tiny Music is significantly mellower. Tracks such as “Adhesive” and “Lady Picture Show” resemble a softer side of the group. This is likely due to Scott Weiland’s personal life at the time. In his memoir, Not Dead & Not for Sale, Scott expresses his struggles of going through a divorce and how he expressed that romantic loss in his music. I always appreciate it when an artist’s music reflects how they’re feeling within their personal life. It makes me feel like I can understand what they’re going through and almost relate to them in certain ways.
In my opinion, Tiny Music was the album that transitioned Stone Temple Pilots from a 90s grunge band to a rock band. I find it impressive how they were able to shift their sound to reflect current music trends going on at the time. So far, the band hasn’t made any announcements reflecting any re-releases or exclusive merchandise for the album’s anniversary. This is likely due to the 25th anniversary re-release of the album in 2021.
I actually purchased the 25th anniversary album when it launched, and I find myself reaching for it quite frequently. The CD version features two discs, with the first being a remastered version of the original album, and the second has various demos and instrumentals of the album’s tracks. My favorite track of the album is “Art School Girl.” I think there’s a lot of humor in the lyrics and I appreciate hearing the progression of the song as it was developed by the band.
Despite the band not releasing any new merchandise this year, they did announce an upcoming summer tour alongside Godsmack and Dorothy. Stone Temple Pilots have been performing with their new lead singer, Jeff Gutt, since 2017. I haven’t seen the band perform with him yet, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about him. While nobody can replace Scott Weiland, I appreciate how the band is still actively performing in the former frontman’s honor.
