Lee Ranaldo

Biography

Lee Mark Ranaldo (born February 3, 1956) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter, best known as a co-founder of the rock band Sonic Youth. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked Ranaldo at number 33 on its "Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list. In May 2012, Spin published a staff-selected top 100 guitarist list, ranking Ranaldo and his Sonic Youth bandmate Thurston Moore together at number 1.

Personal Facts

Known For

Acting

Gender

male

Known Credits

73

Birth Date

1956-02-03 00:00:00

Birth Place

Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, USA

Known For

• 

  Velvet Suite
• 

  Hello Hello Hello: Lee Ranaldo, Electric Trim
• 

  Sonic Youth: Gila Monster Jamboree
• 

  Record Player: Christian Marclay
• 

  Sonic Youth: Rocknacht - Live In Dusseldorf 1996
• 

  Sonic Youth: Screaming Fields of Sonic Love

Credits

• actors (55 credits)

  • Sonic Youth: Full Set From The Basement

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2026
  • Vinyl: An Unlikely History

    Himself

    actor

    actors
    2026
  • Sonic Youth: Tibetan Freedom Concert 1996

    actor

    actors
    2026
  • Sonic Youth - Gila Monster Jamboree - January 5, 1985

    actor

    actors
    2026
  • Peas and Carrots

    Lee

    actor

    actors
    2025
  • Sonic Youth: Live in 1991

    actor

    actors
    2025
  • Velvet Suite

    himself

    actor

    actors
    2023
  • Fragments of Paradise

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2022
  • Swans: Where Does a Body End?

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2019
  • Sonic Youth: NYC and Beyond

    actor

    actors
    2019
  • SY NYC 12/12/01: The Demonlover Sessions

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2019
  • Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation

    actor

    actors
    2019
  • Desolation Center

    actor

    actors
    2018
  • Hello Hello Hello: Lee Ranaldo, Electric Trim

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2017
  • Omega

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2016
  • Sex and Broadcasting

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2014
  • Sound and Chaos: The Story of BC Studio

    Himself

    actor

    actors
    2014
  • Sonic Youth: Live at SWU Festival 2011

    actor

    actors
    2011
  • Sonic Youth: Maquinaria Festival

    actor

    actors
    2011
  • Daddy Longlegs

    Stepfather

    actor

    actors
    2010
  • From The Basement

    Self - Sonic Youth

    actor

    actors
    2009
  • From the Basement

    Self - Sonic Youth

    actor

    actors
    2009
  • New York Rock at the BBC

    Self - Sonic Youth

    actor

    actors
    2008
  • 365 Day Project

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2007
  • Noise

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2006
  • Sonic Youth: Live at Eurockéennes

    actor

    actors
    2005
  • We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2005
  • (This Is Known as) The Blues Scale

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2004
  • Sonic Youth: Corporate Ghost

    actor

    actors
    2004
  • 12 O'Clock High: Volumes 1 & 2

    actor

    actors
    2004
  • Kill Your Idols

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2004
  • Sonic Youth: Live at Soundstage

    Performer

    actor

    actors
    2003
  • Sonic Youth: Koncertas Stan Brakhage Prisiminimui (April 12, 2003)

    actor

    actors
    2003
  • Sonic Youth: Live in São Paulo 2000

    actor

    actors
    2000
  • Record Player: Christian Marclay

    Himself

    actor

    actors
    2000
  • Silver Rockets Kool Things - 20 Years of Sonic Youth

    Self

    actor

    actors
    2000
  • Free Tibet

    Self - Sonic Youth

    actor

    actors
    1998
  • Sonic Youth: Festival Internacional de Benicàssim

    actor

    actors
    1998
  • Don't Bring A Dog

    Himself

    actor

    actors
    1997
  • Sonic Youth: Rocknacht - Live In Dusseldorf 1996

    actor

    actors
    1996
  • Tibetan Freedom Concert

    Self

    actor

    actors
    1996
  • The State's 43rd Annual All-Star Halloween Special

    Self

    actor

    actors
    1995
  • Sonic Youth: Screaming Fields of Sonic Love

    actor

    actors
    1995
  • Sonic Youth: Blood on the Beach

    Self

    actor

    actors
    1995
  • Sonic Youth: Live at Campo Pequeno Lisboa

    actor

    actors
    1993
  • Late Show with David Letterman

    - Kathy Griffin, Stupid Human Tricks, Sonic Youth, an NBA Finals report by Phoenix Suns' Steve Nash (2009) ... Self - Musical Guest actor actors

    - Robert Duvall, Tommy Tiernan, Sonic Youth (2006) ... Self - Musical Guest actor actors

    - Ellen Barkin, Jeff Altman, Sonic Youth (1998) ... Self - Musical Guest actor actors

    - Show #0454 (1995) ... Self - Musical Guest actor actors

    - Jeff Goldblum, Sonic Youth, James Carville (1994) ... Self - Musical Guest actor actors
    1993
  • 1991: The Year Punk Broke

    Self

    actor

    actors
    1992
  • Skeeno H.C. Rules

    actor

    actors
    1991
  • Goo

    Self

    actor

    actors
    1991
  • Sonic Youth: 930 Club

    actor

    actors
    1988
  • Put More Blood Into the Music

    Himself

    actor

    actors
    1988
  • Sonic Youth: Mississippi Nights, St. Louis

    actor

    actors
    1986
  • Sublapse Video Mag 1

    actor

    actors
    1986
  • Sonic Youth: Gila Monster Jamboree

    actor

    actors
    1985
  • Submit to Me

    actor

    actors
    1985

• sound (12 credits)

  • Peas and Carrots

    songs

    sound
    2025
  • Salt Marsh

    music

    sound
    2025
  • We Still Have the Deep Black Night

    music producer

    sound
    2019
  • The Taxidermist

    original music composer

    sound
    2019
  • Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground

    music

    sound
    2018
  • William S. Burroughs: A Man Within

    music

    sound
    2010
  • DRIFT

    music

    sound
    2005
  • Demonlover

    original music composer

    sound
    2002
  • Things Behind the Sun

    original music composer

    sound
    2001
  • SubUrbia

    musician

    sound
    1997
  • Frisk

    original music composer

    sound
    1996
  • Made in U.S.A.

    original music composer

    sound
    1987

• crew (1 credits)

  • The System

    compositor

    crew
    2025

• camera (2 credits)

  • Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr.

    camera operator

    camera
    2021
  • 1991: The Year Punk Broke

    additional director of photography

    camera
    1992

• directing (2 credits)

  • Sonic Youth: Corporate Ghost (The Videos: 1990-2002)

    director

    directing
    2004
  • Notebook

    director

    directing
    1991

• writing (1 credits)

  • Goo

    writer

    writing
    1991