Thurston Moore

Biography

Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958) is an American musician best known as a singer, songwriter and guitarist of Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside of Sonic Youth, as well as running the Ecstatic Peace! record label. Moore was ranked 34th in Rolling Stone's 2004 edition of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." In May 2012, Spin published a staff-selected top 100 ranking Moore and his Sonic Youth bandmate Lee Ranaldo together on number 1.

Known For

Gilmore Girls

Late Show with David Letterman

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Late Night with Conan O'Brien

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Space Ghost Coast to Coast

Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Classic Albums

All Movies (108)

• The Last Critic2026
• The Best Summer2026 · as Self
• Broken English2026 · as Self
• The Wizard of the Kremlin2026 · as Synthesizer Player
• Sonic Youth: Live in 19912025
• Pavements2025 · as Self (uncredited)
• Butthole Surfers: The Hole Truth and Nothing Butt2025 · as Self
• The Road to Ruane2024 · as Self
• Uncropped2024 · as Self
• Born Innocent: The Redd Kross Story2024
• Scala!!!2024 · as Self
• Louder Than You Think2023 · as Self (archive footage)
• Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr.2021 · as himself
• The Sparks Brothers2021 · as Self
• Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché2021 · as Self
• Thick Air2020 · as Himself
• Swans: Where Does a Body End?2019 · as Self
• Sonic Youth: NYC and Beyond2019
• Lydia Lunch: The War Is Never Over2019 · as Self
• SY NYC 12/12/01: The Demonlover Sessions2019 · as Self
• Creem: America's Only Rock 'n' Roll Magazine2019 · as Self - Sonic Youth
• Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation2019
• Desolation Center2018
• Teenage Superstars2017 · as Self
• The Public Image Is Rotten2017 · as Himself
• Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape2016 · as Himself
• Salad Days: A Decade of Punk in Washington, DC (1980-90)2015 · as Self
• Station to Station2014
• It's Not Repetition, It's Discipline2014 · as Himself
• Lou Reed - Remembered2013
• I'm Now: The Story of Mudhoney2013
• Ben Lee: Catch My Disease2012 · as Self
• The Hardcore Collection2012 · as (archive footage)
• Sonic Youth: Live at SWU Festival 20112011
• Sonic Youth: Maquinaria Festival2011
• Autoluminescent: Rowland S. Howard2011 · as Self
• Blank City2011 · as Self
• Sonic Youth & The Black Keys: Live at Austin City Limits 20112010
• Ecstatic Peace Archives2010
• Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child2010 · as Self
• No Wave - Underground '80: Berlin - New York2009 · as Self
• Burning Down the House: The Story of CBGB2009 · as Self
• From the Basement2009 · as Self - Sonic Youth
• New York Rock at the BBC2008 · as Self - Sonic Youth
• I Need That Record!2008 · as Himself
• 365 Day Project2007 · as Self
• Welcome to My Castle!2007 · as Self
• Llik Your Idols2007 · as Himself
• You're Gonna Miss Me: A Film About Roky Erickson2007 · as Self
• Dinosaur Jr: Live in the Middle East2007 · as Himself
• Cut Shorts2006
• Kill Your Idols: More.2006 · as Self
• Noise2006 · as Self
• The Devil and Daniel Johnston2006 · as Self
• Punk: Attitude2005 · as Himself
• Sonic Youth: Live at Eurockéennes2005
• Classic Albums: Nirvana - Nevermind2005 · as Self
• We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen2005 · as Self
• Day Trip Maryanne2005
• Cecil Taylor: All The Notes2005 · as Himself
• Sun Ra: Brother From Another Planet2005 · as Self
• (This Is Known as) The Blues Scale2004 · as Self
• Sonic Youth: Corporate Ghost2004
• Kill Your Idols2004 · as Self
• Sonic Youth: Live at Soundstage2003 · as Performer
• Sonic Youth: Koncertas Stan Brakhage Prisiminimui (April 12, 2003)2003
• Pavement: Slow Century2002 · as Self
• Sonic Youth: Rockpalast 20022002
• 25 Years of Punk2001 · as Self
• Money for Nothing: Behind the Business of Pop Music2001 · as Self - Narrator (voice)
• Sonic Youth: Live in São Paulo 20002000
• Record Player: Christian Marclay2000 · as Himself
• The Hardcore Collection2000
• Silver Rockets Kool Things - 20 Years of Sonic Youth2000 · as Self
• David S. Ware1999 · as Himself
• Turn of the Century1999 · as Himself
• Free Tibet1998 · as Self - Sonic Youth
• Sonic Youth: Festival Internacional de Benicàssim1998
• Sonic Youth: Rockpalast 19981998
• Don't Bring A Dog1997 · as Himself
• Sonic Youth: Rocknacht - Live In Dusseldorf 19961996
• Tibetan Freedom Concert1996 · as Self
• An Introduction to Harmolodics1995
• The State's 43rd Annual All-Star Halloween Special1995 · as Self
• Brian Wilson: I Just Wasn't Made for These Times1995 · as Self
• Sonic Youth: Screaming Fields of Sonic Love1995
• Sonic Youth: Blood on the Beach1995 · as Self
• Nirvana: Live! Tonight! Sold Out!!1994
• Freaks, Nerds & Weirdos1994 · as Self
• Changing Fashions1993
• Sonic Youth: Live at Campo Pequeno Lisboa1993
• Grunge Pedal1993
• 1991: The Year Punk Broke1992 · as Self
• Skeeno H.C. Rules1991
• Goo1991 · as Self
• Rap Damage1991
• Notebook1991
• Weatherman '691989 · as Jeff Jones
• Sonic Youth: 930 Club1988
• Put More Blood Into the Music1988 · as Himself
• Lou Believers1988 · as Himself
• Sonic Youth: Mississippi Nights, St. Louis1986
• Sublapse Video Mag 11986
• Submit to Me1986
• Sonic Youth: Gila Monster Jamboree1985
• Sonic Youth - Gila Monster Jamboree - January 5, 1985—
• Sonic Youth: Tibetan Freedom Concert 1996—
• Sonic Youth Full Set From The Basement— · as Self

All TV Shows (11)

• Watch the Sound with Mark Ronson2021 · as Self
• Punk2019 · as Self
• Late Night with Jimmy Fallon2009 · as Self - Musical Guest
• Jimmy Kimmel Live!2003 · as Self - Musical Guest
• Gilmore Girls2000 · as Cool Dad Troubadour
• Classic Albums1997 · as Self
• Hi Octane1994 · as Self (Host)
• Space Ghost Coast to Coast1994 · as Fred Cracklin
• Late Night with Conan O'Brien1993 · as Self - Musical Guest
• Late Show with David Letterman1993 · as Self - Musical Guest
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno1992 · as Self - Musical Guest