Lee Ranaldo
Acting · Sound · Camera · Crew · Directing
Born February 3, 1956, Glen Cove, Long Island, New York, USA
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.
Filmography
- 2026About Space and Depth — Music
- 2026She Put Away Her Heart in the Fridge — Original Music Composer
- 2025Peas and Carrots — Lee, Songs
- 2025Salt Marsh — Music
- 2025Sonic Youth: Live in 1991
- 2025The System — Compositor
- 2021Freakscene: The Story of Dinosaur Jr. — Camera Operator
- 2019Sonic Youth: Daydream Nation
- 2019Sonic Youth: NYC and Beyond
- 2019The Taxidermist — Original Music Composer
- 2019We Still Have the Deep Black Night — Music Producer
- 2018Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground — Music
- 2018Desolation Center
- 2012The Hardcore Collection — (archive footage)
- 2011Sonic Youth: Live at SWU Festival 2011
- 2011Sonic Youth: Maquinaria Festival
- 2010Daddy Longlegs — Stepfather
- 2010William S. Burroughs: A Man Within — Music
- 2005DRIFT — Music
- 2005Sonic Youth: Live at Eurockéennes
- 200412 O'Clock High: Volumes 1 & 2
- 2004Sonic Youth: Corporate Ghost
- 2003Sonic Youth: Koncertas Stan Brakhage Prisiminimui (April 12, 2003)
- 2003Sonic Youth: Live at Soundstage — Performer
- 2002Demonlover — Original Music Composer
- 2001Things Behind the Sun — Original Music Composer
- 2000Sonic Youth: Live in São Paulo 2000
- 1998Sonic Youth: Festival Internacional de Benicàssim
- 1997SubUrbia — Musician
- 1996Frisk — Original Music Composer
- 1996Sonic Youth: Rocknacht - Live In Dusseldorf 1996
- 1995Sonic Youth: Screaming Fields of Sonic Love
- 1993Sonic Youth: Live at Campo Pequeno Lisboa
- 19921991: The Year Punk Broke — Self, Additional Director of Photography
- 1991Goo — Self, Writer
- 1991Notebook — Director
- 1991Skeeno H.C. Rules
- 1988Sonic Youth: 930 Club
- 1987Made in U.S.A. — Original Music Composer
- 1986Sonic Youth: Mississippi Nights, St. Louis
- 1986Sublapse Video Mag 1
- 1985Sonic Youth: Gila Monster Jamboree
- 1985Submit to Me
- Sonic Youth - Gila Monster Jamboree - January 5, 1985
- Sonic Youth: Tibetan Freedom Concert 1996
Appearances as themselves (31)
- 2023Velvet Suite — himself
- 2022Fragments of Paradise — Self
- 2019SY NYC 12/12/01: The Demonlover Sessions — Self
- 2019Swans: Where Does a Body End? — Self
- 2017Hello Hello Hello: Lee Ranaldo, Electric Trim — Self
- 2016Omega — Self
- 2014Sex and Broadcasting — Self
- 2014Sound and Chaos: The Story of BC Studio — Himself
- 2009From The Basement — Self - Sonic Youth
- 2009From the Basement — Self - Sonic Youth
- Late Night with Jimmy Fallon — Self - Musical Guest
- 2008New York Rock at the BBC — Self - Sonic Youth
- 2007365 Day Project — Self
- 2006Noise — Self
- 2005We Jam Econo: The Story of the Minutemen — Self
- 2004(This Is Known as) The Blues Scale — Self
- 2004Kill Your Idols — Self
- Jimmy Kimmel Live! — Self - Musical Guest
- 2000Record Player: Christian Marclay — Himself
- 2000Silver Rockets Kool Things - 20 Years of Sonic Youth — Self
- 1998Free Tibet — Self - Sonic Youth
- 1997Don't Bring A Dog — Himself
- 1996Tibetan Freedom Concert — Self
- 1995Sonic Youth: Blood on the Beach — Self
- 1995The State's 43rd Annual All-Star Halloween Special — Self
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien — Self - Musical Guest
- Late Show with David Letterman — Self - Musical Guest
- The Tonight Show with Jay Leno — Self - Musical Guest
- 1988Put More Blood Into the Music — Himself
- Sonic Youth: Full Set From The Basement — Self
- Vinyl: An Unlikely History — Himself