History Music / Wilco

* DistinctDoubleAlbum: ''Being There''. Rather unusual in that the split was done for artistic reasons rather than space limitations. (Tweedy actually agreed to take a loss on royalties for the album in exchange the for the label agreeing to retail it at a single-album price.)

* ProtestSong: As you might suspect from the Guthrie/Bragg connection, the ''Mermaid Avenue'' albums have a goodly number of these.

* ''Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions'' (2012)

Wilco is alternative rock/alt-country band from [[TheWindyCity Chicago]]. After the band Uncle Tupelo split, Jay Farrar started Son Volt while Jeff Tweedy started Wilco. Originally the band had a heavy [[CountryMusic alternative country]] influence, but shifted in a more ProgressiveRock direction with later releases. In addition to their original work, they also released two albums in collaboration with English folksinger Billy Bragg, in which they [[PosthumousCollaboration took unpublished Woody Guthrie lyrics and set them to music]].

Wilco is alternative rock/alt-country band from [[TheWindyCity Chicago]]. After the band Uncle Tupelo split, Jay Farrar started Son Volt while Jeff Tweedy started Wilco. Originally the band had a heavy [[CountryMusic alternative country]] influence, but shifted in a more ProgressiveRock direction with later releases. In addition to their original work, they also released two albums in collaboration with English folksinger Billy Bragg, in which they took unpublished Woody Guthrie lyrics and set them to music.

* ''Kicking Television Live'' (2005)

->''I am an American aquarium drinker''
->''I assassin down the avenue''

Wilco is alternative rock/alt-country band from [[TheWindyCity Chicago]]. After the band Uncle Tupelo split, Jay Farrar started Son Volt while Jeff Tweedy started Wilco. Originally the band had a heavy [[CountryMusic alternative country]] influence, but shifted in a more ProgressiveRock direction with later releases. In addition to their original work, they also released two [=CDs=] in collaboration with English folksinger Billy Bragg, in which they took unpublished Woody Guthrie lyrics and set them to music.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The story behind ''Yankee Hotel Foxtrot''. The band was signed to Creator/RepriseRecords, and upon the final master of ''Yankee Hotel Foxtrot'' being played to the suits, they claimed that they heard no single on the album and asked the band to record the album again. They refused. After a bit of wrangling, the band was able to leave Reprise with the masters to their album. They put the album's tracks up for streaming on their website while their waited to find a new label. They chose Nonesuch Records, a much more artist-friendly label with a roster full of similar artists. However, Nonesuch was owned by Warner Music, who ''also'' owned Reprise. Jeff Tweedy loves to point out that basically, Warner paid for an album they initially did not want ''twice''.

** There's a bit of a happy ending to this story: The suits at Warner Music and Reprise felt really ashamed after the album's release about how they treated Wilco [[hottip:*: Yes, their feelings ''did'' partially have to do with the fact that the album that they dismissed as "uncommercial" wound up selling more than any other Wilco or Nonesuch Records album up to that point, in addition to being a critical smash]], and they later decreed that other acclaimed but uncommercial alternative bands on their roster, such as TheFlamingLips, would never again feel like they were being unappreciated by Warner.

** There's a bit of a happy ending to this story: The suits at Warner Music and Reprise felt really ashamed after the album's release about how they treated Wilco [[hottip:*: Yes, their feelings ''did'' partially have to do with the fact that the album that they dismissed as "uncommercial" wound up selling more than any other Wilco or Nonesuch Records album up to that point, in addition to being a critical smash]], and they later decreed that other acclaimed but uncommercial alternative bands on their roster, such as Music/TheFlamingLips, would never again feel like they were being unappreciated by Warner.

** There's a bit of a happy ending to this story: The suits at Warner Music and Reprise felt really ashamed after the album's release about how they treated Wilco [[hottip:*: Yes, their feelings ''did'' partially have to do with the fact that the album that they dismissed as "uncommercial" wound up selling more than any other Wilco or Nonesuch Records album up to that point, in addition to being a critical smash]], and they later decreed that other acclaimed but uncommercial alternative bands on their roster, such as TheFlamingLips, would never again feel like they were being unappreciated by Warner.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The story behind ''Yankee Hotel Foxtrot''. The band was signed to RepriseRecords, and upon the final master of ''Yankee Hotel Foxtrot'' being played to the suits, they claimed that they heard no single on the album and asked the band to record the album again. They refused. After a bit of wrangling, the band was able to leave Reprise with the masters to their album. They put the album's tracks up for streaming on their website while their waited to find a new label. They chose Nonesuch Records, a much more artist-friendly label with a roster full of similar artists. However, Nonesuch was owned by Warner Music, who ''also'' owned Reprise. Jeff Tweedy loves to point out that basically, Warner paid for an album they initially did not want ''twice''.

* CoveredUp: The concept behind the the ''Mermaid Avenue'' albums.

* FaceOfTheBand: Jeff Tweedy.

* MorePopularSpinoff: To Uncle Tupelo, in terms of sales.

* TrueArtIsAngsty: ''Yankee Hotel Foxtrot'' was made at a time when Tweedy was addicted to painkillers for his migraines as well as alcohol, in addition to the above-mentioned drama with his label. Since then he's kicked both (as well as quit smoking), enjoying modest commercial success as well as a stable home life. There's a section of the fandom who's reaction to this is TheyChangedItNowItSucks.

* CakeEater: Tweedy's wife is almost exactly ten years older than him.

Wilco is alternative rock/alt-country band from [[TheWindyCity Chicago]]. After the band Uncle Tupelo split, Jay Farrar started Son Volt while Jeff Tweedy started Wilco. Originally the band had a heavy [[CountryMusic alternative country]] influence, but shifted in a more ProgressiveRock direction with later releases. In addition to their original work, they also released two [=CDs=] in collaboration with English folksinger Billy Bragg, in which they took unpublished WoodyGuthrie lyrics and set them to music.

* CoveredUp: The concept behind the the Mermaid Avenue albums.

* ExecutiveMeddling: The story behind Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The band was signed to RepriseRecords, and upon the final master of ''Yankee Hotel Foxtrot'' being played to the suits, they claimed that they heard no single on the album and asked the band to record the album again. They refused. After a bit of wrangling, the band was able to leave Reprise with the masters to their album. They put the album's tracks up for streaming on their website while their waited to find a new label. They chose Nonesuch Records, a much more artist-friendly label with a roster full of similar artists. However, Nonesuch was owned by Warner Music, who ''also'' owned Reprise. Jeff Tweedy loves to point out that basically, Warner paid for an album they initially did not want ''twice''.

Wilco is alternative rock/alt-country band from [[TheWindyCity Chicago]]. After the band Uncle Tupelo split, Jay Farrar started Son Volt while Jeff Tweedy started Wilco. Originally the band had heavy [[CountryMusic alternative country]] influence (AM, Being There, Summerteeth), becoming ProgressiveRock with later releases (A Ghost is Born). In addition to their original work, they also released two [=CDs=] of Woody Guthrie songs with Billy Bragg (Mermaid Avenue).

* Mermaid Avenue (1998)
* Mermaid Avenue Vol. II (2000)

* I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco (2002)
* Ashes of American Flags (2009)

* ExecutiveMeddling: The story behind Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The band was signed to RepriseRecords, and upon the final master of ''Yankee Hotel Foxtrot'' being played to the suits, they claimed that they heard no single on the album and asked the band to record the album again. They refused. After a bit of wrangling, the band was able to leave Reprise with the masters to their album. They put the album's tracks up for streaming on their website while their waited to find a new label. They chose Nonesuch Records, a much more artist friendly label with a roster full of similar artists. However, Nonesuch was owned by Warner Music, who ''also'' owned Reprise. Jeff Tweedy loves to point out that basically, Warner paid for an album they initially did not want ''twice''.

* ShoutOut: Being There to [[BeingThere the film of the same name]].

* ExecutiveMeddling: The story behind Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The band was signed to Reprise Records, and upon the final master of ''Yankee Hotel Foxtrot'' being played to the suits, they claimed that they heard no single on the album and asked the band to record the album again. They refused. After a bit of wrangling, the band was able to leave Reprise with the masters to their album. They put the album's tracks up for streaming on their website while their waited to find a new label. They chose Nonesuch Records, a much more artist friendly label with a roster full of similar artists. However, Nonesuch was owned by Warner Music, who ''also'' owned Reprise. Jeff Tweedy loves to point out that basically, Warner paid for an album they initially did not want ''twice''.