Lil' Beethoven

Lil' Beethoven is the nineteenth studio album by the American rock duo Sparks, released on October 14, 2002. Written and produced by brothers Ron and Russell Mael, the album marked a radical departure from the predominantly electronic, beat-driven sound that characterised much of their work during the 1980s and 1990s.

On Lil' Beethoven, Sparks largely abandoned conventional rhythm in favour of repetitive, loop-based song structures reminiscent of minimalist music. The arrangements employ piano, layered choral vocals, and orchestral textures, with live drums and percussion used sparingly. Despite the album's title and overt references to classical music, including allusions to composer Ludwig van Beethoven, the duo have stated that they did not intend to create a 'pseudo-classical' record, but rather an exercise in how big and aggressive they could sound with very basic elements.

Upon its release, Lil' Beethoven received critical acclaim in the UK and the US, who praised its challenging and innovative sound, and helped to bring renewed interest in the band internationally. Sparks took an equally idiosyncratic approach to promoting the album live: the first half of the set consisted of the album performed in its entirety, with the band incorporating performance art and screen projections, followed by a more standard greatest hits set in the second half. Only one single, "Suburban Homeboy", was taken from the album. In 2004, a performance at the Södra Teatern in Stockholm, Sweden was filmed and released on DVD as Lil Beethoven - Live in Stockholm.