Soundgarden
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Soundgarden is a rock band formed on 1984 in Seattle. They were the group that defined the sound that came to be called grunge.
Contents |
About
Among the early members of the group Soundgarden that was formed on 1984 were Chris Cornell (drums and vocals) and Hiro Yamamoto (bass). Later on, they were joined by Kim Thayil who plays the guitar. When Thayil decided to move from Seattle to Illinois, Yamamoto would join and there they met Scott Sundquist who would free Cornell in playing drums to focus on vocals.
The band recorded two songs together which appeared on a compilation for C/Z Records called Deep Six. After the event, Sundquist decided to leave the band and was soon replaced by Matt Cameron. This time the band called the Soundgarden started. They signed up with Sub Pop Records who was founded by the bands close friend Bruce Pavitt. They released two EPs on 1987 entitled the Screaming Life and Fopp on 1988.
The two EPs proved to be a huge success and soon major record labels were courting them. On 1988, they signed with SST Records and released their debut album Ultramega OK. The album earned them their first Grammy Nomination. While at the peak of their success, Yamamoto decided to leave to pursue college and Ben Shepherd ended up as his replacement.
Though the band was being courted by major labels, in 1988 they signed to SST Records to release their debut album, Ultramega OK, for which they earned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance in 1990. Their first music video, "Flower", was directed by Mark Miremont, and aired regularly on MTV's 120 Minutes. In 1989 the band released their first album for a major label, Louder Than Love, released through A&M Records. After the release of the album Yamamoto left to go back to college. He was briefly replaced by Jason Everman, formerly of Nirvana, who appeared on the Louder Than Live video, but Ben Shepherd ended up in the band as a permanent replacement.
Their biggest challenge came on 1996 when they release their final album Down on the Upside. Caused by tensions within the group, they decided to break up. It was reported that Thayil and Cornell are clashing over Cornell's desire to shift away from the heavy guitar riffing that had become their trademark.
Members
Members
- Chris Cornell
- Kim Thayil
- Matt Cameron
- Ben Shepherd
Former Members
- Hiro Yamamoto
- Scott Sundquist
- Jason Everman
Awards & Certifications
Awards
| Year | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Grammy Award | Nominated for Best Metal Performance for "Ultramega OK" |
| 1991 | Grammy Award | Nominated for Best Metal Performance for "Badmotorfinger" |
| 1995 | Grammy Award | Nominated for Best Rock Album of the Year for Superunknown |
Certifications
| Year | Album | RIAA |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Badmotorfinger | Certified 2x Platinum |
| 1994 | Superunknown | Certified 6x Platinum |
| 1996 | Down on the Upside | Certified Platinum |
Chart Toppers
| Year | Title | Mainstream Rock | Modern Rock | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Bleed Together | 13 | 32 | A-Sides |
| 1996 | Blow Up The Outside World | 1 | 8 | Down on the Upside |
| 1996 | Burden In My Hand | 1 | 2 | Down on the Upside |
| 1996 | Pretty Noose | 4 | 2 | Down on the Upside |
| 1995 | The Day I Tried To Live | 13 | 25 | Superunknown |
| 1994 | Black Hole Sun | 1 | 2 | Superunknown |
| 1994 | Fell On Black Days | 4 | 13 | Superunknown |
| 1994 | My Wave | 11 | 18 | Superunknown |
| 1994 | Spoonman | 3 | 9 | Superunknown |
News
Tours & Concerts
There are no tour and concert schedules for the band.
Discography
Comprehensive list of the recordings made.
Albums
Singles and EP's
| Date | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Hunted Down | Sub Pop Records |
| 1987 | Screaming Life | Sub Pop Records |
| 1988 | Fopp | Sub Pop Records |
| 1989 | Flower | SST Records |
| 1989 | Loud Love | A&M Records |
| 1990 | Hands All Over | A&M Records |
| 1990 | Get On The Snake | A&M Records |
| 1990 | Room a Thousand Years Wide | Sub Pop Records |
| 1990 | Loudest Love | A&M Records |
| 1991 | Jesus Christ Pose | A&M Records |
| 1992 | Outshined | A&M Records |
| 1992 | Rusty Cage | A&M Records |
| 1994 | Spoonman | A&M Records |
| 1994 | The Day I Tried to Live | A&M Records |
| 1994 | Black Hole Sun | A&M Records |
| 1994 | My Wave | A&M Records |
| 1995 | Fell on Black Days | A&M Records |
| 1995 | Songs from the Superunknown | A&M Records |
| 1996 | Pretty Noose | A&M Records |
| 1996 | Burden in My Hand | A&M Records |
| 1996 | Blow Up the Outside World | A&M Records |
| 1997 | Ty Cobb | A&M Records |
| 1997 | Bleed Together | A&M Records |
Other artists
Similar artists
Influences
Contemporaries
Trivia
- Chris Cornell originally played drums, but switched to Vocals and Guitar when Scott Sundquist joined the band in 1985.

