Little Earthquakes

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Infobox album | name = Little Earthquakes | type = studio | artist = [[Tori Amos]] | cover = Lecover-big.jpg | border = yes | alt = | released = * January 6, 1992 (UK) * February 25, 1992 (US) | recorded = 1990–1991 | studio = * [[Capitol Studios]] (Los Angeles, CA) * Stag Studios (Witham, UK) | genre =  | length = 57:11 | label = {{hlist|[[Atlantic Records|Atlantic]] (US)|[[East West Records|East West]] (Europe)}} | producer = {{hlist |Tori Amos|[[Eric Rosse]]|[[Davitt Sigerson]]|[[Ian Stanley]]}} | prev_title = [[Y Kant Tori Read (album)|Y Kant Tori Read]] | prev_year = 1988 | next_title = [[Under the Pink]] | next_year = 1994 | misc = {{Singles | name = Little Earthquakes | type = studio | single1 = [[Me and a Gun]] | single1date = October 21, 1991 | single2 = [[Silent All These Years]] | single2date = November 18, 1991 | single3 = [[China (Tori Amos song)|China]] | single3date = January 20, 1992 | single4 = [[Winter (Tori Amos song)|Winter]] | single4date = March 9, 1992 | single5 = [[Crucify (song)|Crucify]] | single5date = May 12, 1992 }} }}

'''''Little Earthquakes''''' is the debut solo album by the American singer-songwriter and pianist [[Tori Amos]], featuring the singles "[[Silent All These Years]]", "[[China (Tori Amos song)|China]]", "[[Winter (Tori Amos song)|Winter]]" and "[[Crucify (song)|Crucify]]". After [[Atlantic Records]] rejected the first version of the album, Amos began working on a second version with her then-boyfriend [[Eric Rosse]]. The album was first released in the UK on January 6, 1992, where it peaked at number 14 in the charts. The US release followed on February 25, 1992.

It was well received by critics and listeners. In the US, the album reached the top 60 of the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]. It is frequently regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time; it was voted number 73 in [[Colin Larkin]]'s ''[[All Time Top 1000 Albums]]'' and ranked number 233 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 greatest albums of all time]].

== Recording == Following the dissolution of her [[synth-pop]] band [[Y Kant Tori Read]], Amos composed 12 songs, recorded them at [[Capitol Studios]] in [[Los Angeles]] with [[Davitt Sigerson]] producing, and in June 1990 submitted them for copyright.<ref name="Timeline 1990-92">{{cite web|title=Tori Amos Timeline at yessaid.com|url=http://www.yessaid.com/timeline7.html|website=www.yessaid.com|access-date=June 29, 2017}}</ref>

Amos approached [[Atlantic Records]] in December 1990 with a 10-track [[Demo (music)|demo]] tape, some being newer songs but mostly ones from June. The track listing consisted of "Russia" (later to become "Take to the Sky"), "Mary", "Crucify", "Happy Phantom", "Leather", "Winter", "Sweet Dreams", "Song for Eric", "Learn to Fly" and "Flying Dutchman".<ref name="Campbell, Paul 1997">{{cite book |last=Campbell |first=Paul |title=Tori Amos Collectibles |publisher=[[Omnibus Press]] |location=London, England |year=1997 |isbn=0-7119-6174-3}}</ref> Atlantic was unhappy with the songs, and in response Amos and her then boyfriend [[Eric Rosse]] recorded some new songs, including "Girl", "Precious Things", "Tear in Your Hand", "Mother" and "Little Earthquakes". The song "Take Me with You" was recorded during these sessions, but not released until 2006 (with re-recorded vocals.) This session was recorded on a limited budget in Rosse's home studio, using his 3M [[24-track]] analog tape machine and a [[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]] CP-80 piano. Amos and Rosse also went to Stag Studios to use a Yamaha grand piano. Satisfied with these recordings, Atlantic determined that the album ''Little Earthquakes'' would have 13 tracks, removing "Learn to Fly" and adding four from the December recording session.<ref name="Timeline 1990-92" />

Amos moved to [[London]] to work with [[Ian Stanley]] (formerly of [[Tears for Fears]]); Atlantic thought Amos would have an easier time of achieving success in the United Kingdom, because of that market's appreciation for eccentric performers. Here she recorded what would become two of her early singles. "[[Me and a Gun]]" was the last song written for the album, while "China" was an early track, originally titled "Distance", that she wrote in 1987.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lost Songs |url=http://www.hereinmyhead.com/collect/lost/a-e.html#d2 |website=hereinmyhead |access-date=June 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130103010100/http://www.hereinmyhead.com/collect/lost/a-e.html%23d2 |archive-date=January 3, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The second final version of the album was accepted by the record company. However, this was still revised before the final release; a 13-track promo cassette shows that the song "Little Earthquakes" was to appear after "Happy Phantom" on side one, with side two closing with "Flying Dutchman".<ref name="Campbell, Paul 1997" /> The latter track was presumably dropped due to the physical restraints of the vinyl LP format.

Atlantic's European counterpart, [[East West Records|East West]], promoted the record extensively. Amos spent much of 1991 performing in small bars and clubs in London and playing for music executives and journalists, often in her own apartment. The ''Me and a Gun'' [[Extended play|EP]] containing four tracks was released in October 1991, receiving considerable critical attention. The single was re-issued the following month with "[[Silent All These Years]]" as the lead composition, and it became her first chart entry in the UK at number 51 following Single of the Week support from [[BBC Radio 1]] and a TV debut on the high-rated chat show of [[Jonathan Ross (television presenter)|Jonathan Ross]] on [[Channel 4]]. The back cover of the album contains pictures of ''[[Phallus impudicus]]'' mushrooms, also known as stinkhorns.

== Release == When the album was finally released in the UK in January 1992, it reached number 14 and remained on the Top 75 charts ([[UK Albums Chart]]) for 23 weeks. A month later, it was released in the United States to breakthrough critical success and also announced itself as a chart mainstay, despite peaking outside the Top 50 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]. The accompanying singles (along with "Me and a Gun" and "Silent All These Years") were "China" (January 1992 UK), "Winter" (March 1992 UK/November 1992 US) and "Crucify" (May 1992 US/June 1992 UK), the US EP version of which featured covers of songs by artists including [[The Rolling Stones]] and [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]].

== Critical reception == {{Music ratings | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="AM">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/little-earthquakes-mw0000678527 |title=''Little Earthquakes'' – Tori Amos |publisher=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=March 30, 2018 |last=Huey |first=Steve}}</ref> | rev2 = ''[[Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s|Christgau's Consumer Guide]]'' | rev2score = C+<ref name="Christgau">{{cite book |chapter=Tori Amos: ''Little Earthquakes'' |chapter-url=https://robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=4026 |access-date=April 16, 2015 |title=Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s |title-link=Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s |last=Christgau |first=Robert |author-link=Robert Christgau |publisher=[[St. Martin's Griffin]] |year=2000 |isbn=0-312-24560-2 |page=5}}</ref> | rev3 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' | rev3score = {{Rating|3|4}}<ref name="LAT">{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-03-01-ca-5382-story.html |title=Tori Amos, 'Little Earthquakes,' Atlantic |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=March 1, 1992 |access-date=November 2, 2015 |last=Rosenbluth |first=Jean}}</ref> | rev4 = ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'' | rev4score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="Mojo">{{cite magazine |title=Tori Amos: ''Little Earthquakes'' |magazine=[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]] |location=London |issue=258 |page=110 |date=May 2015 |last=Bungey |first=John}}</ref> | rev5 = ''[[NME]]'' | rev5score = 7/10<ref name="NME19920111">{{cite magazine |title=The Power and the Tori |magazine=[[NME]] |location=London |page=28 |date=January 11, 1992 |last=Morton |first=Roger}}</ref> | rev6 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' | rev6score = 8.6/10<ref name="Pitchfork">{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20384-little-earthquakes-under-the-pink/ |title=Tori Amos: ''Little Earthquakes'' / ''Under the Pink'' |website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]] |date=April 16, 2015 |access-date=April 16, 2015 |last=Walters |first=Barry}}</ref> | rev7 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' | rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="QFeb92">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.qonline.co.uk/reviews/server.asp?id=8391&ss=Tori%20Amos&cs=artist&st=cn&cp=1 |title=Tori Amos: ''Little Earthquakes'' |magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]] |location=London |issue=65 |page=82 |date=February 1992 |access-date=May 29, 2024 |last=Aizlewood |first=John |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990913130111/http://www.qonline.co.uk/reviews/server.asp?id=8391&ss=Tori%20Amos&cs=artist&st=cn&cp=1 |archive-date=September 13, 1999 |url-status=dead}}</ref> | rev8 = ''[[Record Collector]]'' | rev8score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="RC">{{cite magazine |title=Tori Amos: ''Little Earthquakes'': Deluxe Edition / ''Under the Pink'': Deluxe Edition |magazine=[[Record Collector]] |location=London |issue=440 |page=91 |date=May 2015 |last=Rayner |first=Nicola}}</ref> | rev9 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' | rev9score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="RS19920402">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/little-earthquakes-252815/ |title=''Little Earthquakes'' |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |location=New York |issue=627 |page=46 |date=April 2, 1992 |access-date=February 4, 2015 |last=Woodard |first=Josef}}</ref> | rev10 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' | rev10score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Tori Amos |last=Edmonds |first=Ben |title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide |title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |editor1-last=Brackett |editor1-first=Nathan |editor1-link=Nathan Brackett |editor2-last=Hoard |editor2-first=Christian |editor2-link=Christian Hoard |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]] |edition=4th |year=2004 |isbn=0-7432-0169-8 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/17 17–18]}}</ref> }}

Reviews of ''Little Earthquakes'' were generally positive. ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' critic Jean Rosenbluth praised it as a considerable improvement over Amos's previous work in Y Kant Tori Read, calling the album "a quixotic, compelling record that mixes the smart sensuality of [[Kate Bush]] with the provocative impenetrability of [[Mary Margaret O'Hara]]."<ref name="LAT" /> Josef Woodward of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' wrote that "Amos shares common ground with artfolk songstresses like Kate Bush and [[Jane Siberry]]" and described her "quivery vibrato-laden holler – akin to [[Siouxsie Sioux]]'s".<ref name="RS19920402" /> The song "Leather" was pictured as a "[[Kurt Weill]]-meets-[[Queen (band)|Queen]] cabaret act". He described the album as "an often pretty, subtly progressive song cycle that reflects darkly on sexual alienation and personal struggles", and that by the end of the album "we feel as though we've been through some peculiar therapy session, half-cleansed and half-stirred. That artful paradox is part of what makes ''Little Earthquakes'' a gripping debut."<ref name="RS19920402" /> His original rating of three and a half stars out of five in the 1992 print version of the magazine was later rounded up to four stars out of five on ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s website.

Among negative assessments, [[Stephanie Zacharek]] commented in ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' that Amos's songs "are too self-consciously weird" to be enjoyable,<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/1992/04/24/little-earthquakes-2/ |title=''Little Earthquakes'' |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=April 24, 1992 |access-date=May 4, 2016 |last=Zacharek |first=Stephanie |author-link=Stephanie Zacharek}}</ref> while ''[[The Village Voice]]''{{'}}s [[Robert Christgau]] praised only "Me and a Gun", disregarding the other songs as lesser versions of Kate Bush.<ref name="Christgau" />

In the United Kingdom, where Amos was first promoted, the album was also warmly received. Jon Wilde of ''[[Melody Maker]]'' stated that Amos "possesses a rare ability to explore a multiplicity of emotions and a broad range of perspectives within the same song", describing the album's songs as "cerebral soul music for the kind of people who mean to read [[T. E. Lawrence|TE Lawrence]]'s ''[[Seven Pillars of Wisdom]]'' on their holidays but end up spending all their time exchanging bodily fluids with strangers."<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Vote Tori! |magazine=[[Melody Maker]] |location=London |page=29 |date=January 4, 1992 |last=Wilde |first=Jon}}</ref> In ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'', John Aizlewood wrote that "Guilt, misery and failed relationships thread their way through ''Little Earthquakes'' with occasional detours for childhood traumas transformed into adult inadequacies" and praised Amos's lyrics, concluding: "''Little Earthquakes'' is disturbing, funny and sexy by turns. Amos does all this with the unmistakable stamp of a potentially great songwriter. Where on earth can she go from here?"<ref name="QFeb92" /> Roger Morton of ''[[NME]]'' was more reserved in his praise, summarizing ''Little Earthquakes'' as "a sprawling, confusing journey through the gunk of a woman's soul{{nbsp}}... Sometimes it's magical and sometimes it's sickly and overwrought".<ref name="NME19920111" />

=== Legacy === In 1998, ''Q'' readers voted ''Little Earthquakes'' the 66th greatest album of all time,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=100 Greatest Albums Ever |magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]] |location=London |issue=137 |date=February 1998}}</ref> and in 2002 the same magazine named it the fourth greatest album of all time by a female artist.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=100 Women Who Rock the World |magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]] |location=London |issue=186 |date=January 2002}}</ref> It was also voted number 73 in the third edition of [[Colin Larkin]]'s ''[[All Time Top 1000 Albums]]'' in 2000,<ref>{{cite book |title=All Time Top 1000 Albums |title-link=All Time Top 1000 Albums |last=Larkin |first=Colin |author-link=Colin Larkin |publisher=[[Virgin Books]] |edition=3rd |date=2000 |isbn=0-7535-0493-6 |page=66}}</ref> and was ranked number 233 in the 2020 version of ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]" list.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/tori-amos-little-earthquakes-1063000/ |title=The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=September 22, 2020 |access-date=September 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005212912/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-albums-of-all-time-1062063/tori-amos-little-earthquakes-1063000/ |archive-date=October 5, 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Little Earthquakes'' was included in the book ''[[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die]]''.<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Tori Amos: ''Little Earthquakes'' |last=Lindemann |first=Christoph |title=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |title-link=1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die |editor-last=Dimery |editor-first=Robert |publisher=[[Universe Publishing]] |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7893-1371-3 |page=696}}</ref>

In a retrospective review, [[AllMusic]] critic Steve Huey said that Amos "carved the template for the female singer/songwriter movement of the '90s" with ''Little Earthquakes'', and that while "her subsequent albums were often very strong, Amos would never bare her soul quite so directly (or comprehensibly) as she did here, nor with such consistently focused results."<ref name="AM" /> ''[[Slant Magazine]]''{{'}}s Sal Cinquemani deemed it Amos's most focused and accessible recording, which "almost immediately sparked cult interest in the singer, and has, over time, undoubtedly become a soundtrack (at least in part) to the lives of many anguished teens and adults."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/tori-amos-little-earthquakes/ |title=Review: Tori Amos, ''Little Earthquakes'' |website=[[Slant Magazine]] |date=November 7, 2003 |access-date=December 13, 2011 |last=Cinquemani |first=Sal}}</ref> ''Slant'' also included it on their 2003 list of 50 Essential Pop Albums.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/features/vital-pop-50-essential-pop-albums/ |title=Vital Pop: 50 Essential Pop Albums |work=[[Slant Magazine]] |date=June 30, 2003 |access-date=May 3, 2026 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511153000/https://www.slantmagazine.com/features/vital-pop-50-essential-pop-albums/ |archive-date=May 11, 2020}}</ref>

Reviewing the album's 2015 remastered edition for ''Rolling Stone'', Jessica Machado wrote that "the [[pop chart]]s had never heard a female voice quite like the one on ''Little Earthquakes'', from the sharp mix of desire and frustration in 'Precious Things'{{nbsp}}... to the raw pain in{{nbsp}}... 'Me and a Gun'",<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/little-earthquakes-deluxe-edition-102939/ |title=''Little Earthquakes'': Deluxe Edition |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |location=New York |issue=1233 |date=April 23, 2015 |access-date=May 23, 2015 |last=Machado |first=Jessica}}</ref> while in ''[[Record Collector]]'', Nicola Rayner noted how Amos's piano-based music stood out amid the rise of the guitar-oriented [[grunge]] and [[Britpop]] scenes in the early 1990s.<ref name="RC" /> ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]''{{'}}s John Bungey said that the "remarkable, idiosyncratic" album showcased "a singular creative force from the outset";<ref name="Mojo" /> according to Alex Ramon of ''[[PopMatters]]'', it established the "cryptic exhortations, poetic imagery, surrealist wit and brutal directness" that would define Amos's subsequent work.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.popmatters.com/193292-tori-amos-little-earthquakes-under-the-pink-reissues-2495533069.html |title=Tori Amos: ''Little Earthquakes'' / ''Under the Pink'' (reissues) |website=[[PopMatters]] |date=June 2, 2015 |access-date=June 20, 2015 |last=Ramon |first=Alex}}</ref> Barry Walters remarked on the lasting influence of ''Little Earthquakes'' and its 1994 follow-up ''[[Under the Pink]]'' in his review for ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'', citing various acts who "all wear their sensitivities as strengths as she did."<ref name="Pitchfork" /> "With its lack of standard rock and pop clichés of the day and reliance on acoustic piano and an excellent (if unconventional) voice," wrote J. C. Maçek III of ''Spectrum Culture'', "''Little Earthquakes'' sounds as unique today as it did in 1992."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://spectrumculture.com/2015/04/29/tori-amos-little-earthquakes-deluxe-edition/ |title=Tori Amos: ''Little Earthquakes'' (Deluxe Edition) |website=Spectrum Culture |date=April 29, 2015 |access-date=April 30, 2015 |last=Maçek |first=J. C. III}}</ref>

In a roundtable interview with ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'', singer [[Justin Timberlake]] expressed his immense admiration for ''Little Earthquakes''. Timberlake said, "That album changed my life. So [expletive] good."<ref>{{cite AV media |title=THR Full Oscar Songwriters Roundtable: Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Alicia Keys & More! |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXfbTkBpWRQ |access-date=January 3, 2022 |via=[[YouTube]] |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=February 27, 2017}}</ref>

''Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes'', an official graphic novel celebrating the album's 30th anniversary, was published by [[Z2 Comics]] in 2022 – contributors included Amos, [[Neil Gaiman]], [[Margaret Atwood]], [[Marc Andreyko]], [[Annie Zaleski]], [[Derek McCulloch (comics)|Derek McCulloch]], [[Leah Moore]], [[Kelly Sue DeConnick]], [[Neil Kleid]], [[Lar DeSouza]], [[Colleen Doran]], and [[David W. Mack]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Tori Amos: Little Earthquakes, The Graphic Album |editor-last=Hoseley |editor-first=Rantz |publisher=[[Z2 Comics]] |date=2022 |isbn=978-1954928619}}</ref> The book was edited by Amos's friend Rantz Hoseley, who edited a previous graphic novel inspired by Amos's music, ''[[Comic Book Tattoo]]'' ([[Image Comics]], 2008).<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/apr/18/news.toriamos |title=Tori Amos's comic reinvention |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |date=April 18, 2008 |access-date=August 7, 2008 |last=Michaels |first=Sean |author-link=Sean Michaels (writer)}}</ref>

== Track listing == === Original release (1992) === {{Track listing | headline = ''Little Earthquakes'' track listing | all_writing = [[Tori Amos]] | extra_column = Producer(s)

| title1 = [[Crucify (song)|Crucify]] | length1 = 4:58 | extra1 = [[Davitt Sigerson]]

| title2 = Girl | length2 = 4:06 | extra2 = {{hlist|Amos|[[Eric Rosse]]}}

| title3 = [[Silent All These Years]] | length3 = 4:10 | extra3 = Sigerson

| title4 = Precious Things | length4 = 4:26 | extra4 = {{hlist|Amos|Rosse}}

| title5 = [[Winter (Tori Amos song)|Winter]] | length5 = 5:40 | extra5 = Sigerson

| title6 = Happy Phantom | length6 = 3:12 | extra6 = Sigerson

| title7 = [[China (Tori Amos song)|China]] | length7 = 4:58 | extra7 = [[Ian Stanley]]

| title8 = Leather | length8 = 3:12 | extra8 = Sigerson

| title9 = Mother | length9 = 6:59 | extra9 = Sigerson

| title10 = Tear in Your Hand | length10 = 4:38 | extra10 = {{hlist|Amos|Rosse}}

| title11 = [[Me and a Gun]] | length11 = 3:44 | extra11 = Stanley (recorded by)

| title12 = Little Earthquakes | length12 = 6:51 | extra12 = {{hlist|Amos|Rosse}} | total_length = 57:11 }}

=== Deluxe edition (2015) === The 2015 double-CD reissue of the album included a second disc containing thirteen b-sides and five live performances that had previously been released on the CD singles for the album in 1991 and 1992. This release, however, did not include the covers of "[[Angie (song)|Angie]]" by [[The Rolling Stones]] and "[[Thank You (Led Zeppelin song)|Thank You]]" by [[Led Zeppelin]], which were released as b-sides to "Winter" in the United Kingdom and "Crucify" in the United States. {{Track listing | headline = 2015 deluxe edition disc 2 track listing | all_writing = [[Tori Amos]], except "[[Smells Like Teen Spirit]]" written by [[Kurt Cobain]], [[Krist Novoselic]] and [[Dave Grohl]]. "Humpty Dumpty" is based on the traditional nursery rhyme | extra_column = Producer(s)

| title1 = Upside Down | note1 = B-side to "Me and a Gun" | length1 = 4:22 | extra1 = [[Davitt Sigerson]]

| title2 = Thoughts | note2 = B-side to "Me and a Gun" | length2 = 2:36 | extra2 = {{hlist|Amos|[[Eric Rosse]]}}

| title3 = Ode to the Banana King (Part One) | note3 = B-side to "Silent All These Years" | length3 = 4:06 | extra3 = [[Ian Stanley]]

| title4 = Song for Eric | note4 = B-side to "Silent All These Years" | length4 = 1:50 | extra4 = Stanley

| title5 = The Pool | note5 = B-side to "Winter" | length5 = 2:51 | extra5 = Stanley

| title6 = Take to the Sky | note6 = B-side to "Winter" | length6 = 4:20 | extra6 = Rosse

| title7 = Sweet Dreams | note7 = B-side to "Winter" | length7 = 3:27 | extra7 = Sigerson

| title9 = Sugar | note9 = B-side to "China" | length9 = 4:27 | extra9 = Stanley

| title10 = Flying Dutchman | note10 = B-side to "China" | length10 = 6:31 | extra10 = Sigerson

| title11 = Humpty Dumpty | note11 = B-side to "China" | length11 = 2:52 | extra11 = Stanley

| title12 = [[Smells Like Teen Spirit]] | note12 = B-side to "Crucify" | length12 = 3:17 | extra12 = Stanley

| title13 = Little Earthquakes | note13 = live from Cambridge Corn Exchange, April 5, 1992 | length13 = 6:58 | extra13 = Stanley

| title14 = Crucify | note14 = live from Cambridge Corn Exchange, April 5, 1992 | length14 = 5:19 | extra14 = Stanley

| title15 = Precious Things | note15 = live from Cambridge Corn Exchange, April 5, 1992 | length15 = 5:03 | extra15 = Stanley

| title16 = Mother | note16 = live from Cambridge Corn Exchange, April 5, 1992 | length16 = 6:37 | extra16 = Stanley

| title17 = Happy Phantom | note17 = live from Cambridge Corn Exchange, April 5, 1992 | length17 = 3:33 | extra17 = Stanley

| title18 = Here. In My Head | note18 = B-side to "Crucify" | length18 = 3:53 | extra18 = Stanley }}

== Personnel == {{col div}} *Tori Amos – acoustic piano, keyboard, lead vocals {{small|(all tracks)}}, background vocals {{small|(tracks: 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 12)}}, sampled strings {{small|(tracks: 2, 8)}} *[[Steve Caton]] – guitar {{small|(tracks: 2, 4, 10, 12)}}, bass {{small|(track 2)}}, background vocals {{small|(tracks: 4, 12)}} *John Chamberlain – mandolin {{small|(track 1)}} *[[Paulinho da Costa]] – percussion {{small|(tracks: 1, 6)}} *Jake Freeze – rat pedal {{small|(track 4)}}, saw {{small|(track 12)}} *Stuart Gordon – violin {{small|(track 7)}} *[[Ed Greene]] – drums {{small|(track 1)}} *[[Will Gregory]] – oboe {{small|(track 7)}} *Tina Gullickson – background vocals {{small|(track 1)}} *[[Chris Hughes (musician)|Chris Hughes]] – drums {{small|(track 7)}} *[[David Lord (producer)|David Lord]] – string arrangement {{small|(track 7)}} *Will McGregor – bass {{small|(tracks: 4, 10, 12)}} *Carlo Nuccio – drums {{small|(tracks: 4, 10)}} *Philly – finger cymbal {{small|(track 3)}} *[[David Rhodes (guitarist)|David Rhodes]] – guitar {{small|(track 7)}} *[[Eric Rosse]] – drum and keyboard programming {{small|(tracks: 2, 4, 12)}}, background vocals {{small|(tracks: 4, 12)}}, Irish war drum {{small|(track 5)}} *Jef Scott – bass {{small|(tracks: 1, 8)}} *[[Matthew Seligman]] – bass {{small|(track 7)}} *Nancy Shanks – background vocals {{small|(tracks: 1, 12)}} *[[John Philip Shenale|Phil Shenale]] – keyboard programming {{small|(track 6)}} *Eric Williams – ukulele {{small|(track 1)}}, dulcimer {{small|(track 6)}} *Orchestra arranged and conducted by Nick DeCaro {{small|(tracks: 3, 5)}} {{col div end}}

== Charts == {|class="wikitable sortable" !align="left"|Chart (1992) !align="center"|Peak position |- |{{album chart |Australia |14 |artist=Tori Amos |album=Little Earthquakes}} |- |{{album chart |BillboardCanada |49 |artist=Tori Amos |album=Little Earthquakes}} |- |{{album chart |Germany |id=31788 |65 |artist=Tori Amos |album=Little Earthquakes}} |- |{{album chart |Netherlands |85 |artist=Tori Amos |album=Little Earthquakes}} |- |{{album chart |New Zealand |18 |artist=Tori Amos |album=Little Earthquakes}} |- |{{album chart|Scotland|73|date=19970126}} |- |{{album chart |UK2 |14 |artist=Tori Amos |date=19920119}} |- |{{album chart |Billboard200 |54 |artist=Tori Amos |album=Little Earthquakes}} |- | US ''[[Cash Box]]'' Top 200 Albums<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/90s/1992/CB-1992-06-06.pdf|title=Cash Box Top 100 Albums |work=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cash Box]]|date=June 6, 1992|page=17|access-date=16 July 2024}}</ref> |align="center"| 45 |- |[[European Top 100 Albums|European Albums]] (''[[Music & Media|Eurotipsheet]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1992/MM-1992-02-08.pdf|title=European Hot 100 Albums|magazine=[[Music & Media|Eurotipsheet]]|volume=9|issue=6|date=8 February 1992|page=19|oclc=29800226|via=World Radio History}}</ref> | style="text-align:center;"|26 |}

{|class="wikitable sortable" !align="left"|Chart (2023) !align="center"|Peak position |- |{{album chart |Hungary|13|year=2023|week=2}} |- |}

== Certifications == {{Certification Table Top}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|artist=Tori Amos|title=Little Earthquakes|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=1992|certyear=1994|access-date=15 November 2021}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Belgium|artist=Tori Amos|title=Little Earthquakes|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=1993|certyear=2003}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|artist=Tori Amos|title=Little Earthquakes|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=1992|certyear=1993}} {{Certification Table Entry|region=Netherlands|artist=Tori Amos |title=Little Earthquakes|type=album|award=Gold|relyear=1992 |certyear=2001}} {{Certification Table Entry |region=United Kingdom |artist=Tori Amos|title=Little Earthquakes|type=album|award=Gold |relyear=1992|certyear=1996|id=3879-3036-2}} {{Certification Table Entry |region=United States |artist=Tori Amos|title=Little Earthquakes|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2 |relyear=1992|certyear=1996}} {{Certification Table Bottom }}

== References == {{Reflist|30em}}

[[Category:Atlantic Records albums]] [[Category:Tori Amos albums]] [[Category:1992 debut albums]] [[Category:Albums produced by Eric Rosse]] [[Category:Albums produced by Ian Stanley]] [[Category:Albums recorded at Capitol Studios]]