Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1984 around Chris Cornell's four-octave voice and Kim Thayil's drop-D guitar — one of grunge's foundational acts alongside Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains. Superunknown (1994) hit number one and took home two Grammys; start there, then work back to Badmotorfinger. Browse Soundgarden vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Soundgarden formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 around Chris Cornell (born July 20, 1964; died May 18, 2017), Kim Thayil (born September 4, 1960), and Hiro Yamamoto (born April 13, 1961). Matt Cameron joined as drummer in 1986. They are widely cited as one of the foundational acts of grunge alongside Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains - the Seattle grunge movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s. They signed with Sub Pop Records in 1987 (inaugural Sub Pop signing) and released their Screaming Life EP. Their 1994 album Superunknown - featuring the international singles Black Hole Sun and Spoonman - debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, sold over 5 million copies, and won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1995 (Black Hole Sun) and Best Metal Performance in 1995 (Spoonman). The band dissolved in 1997 amid creative tensions and exhaustion. Chris Cornell pursued solo work (Euphoria Morning 1999) and Audioslave (with Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk, 2001-2007). Matt Cameron joined Pearl Jam as drummer in 1998. The band reformed in 2010 and released King Animal (2012). Chris Cornell died by suicide on May 18, 2017 at age 52 in Detroit. The remaining members dissolved the band shortly after. Their foundational influence on grunge and broader contemporary heavy rock is widely cited.
Soundgarden's sound is foundational to grunge as a recognized genre - combining grunge, alternative rock, heavy metal, hard rock, alternative metal, and psychedelic rock with Chris Cornell's distinctive vocal delivery (four-octave range and use of dramatic phrasing), Kim Thayil's signature guitar work (use of drop-D tuning and unconventional time signatures), and varied compositional approaches drawing on classic 1970s hard rock alongside contemporary alternative rock influences.
Original Sub Pop, SST, and A&M Records pressings of the Soundgarden catalog are foundational items in grunge and alternative rock collecting, with collector premiums on rare pressings.
Listeners new to Soundgarden typically start with Superunknown (1994) or Badmotorfinger (1991).
