Soundgarden
Biography
Soundgarden made a place for heavy metal in alternative rock. Their fellow Seattle rockers Green River may have spearheaded the grunge sound, but they relied on noise rock in the vein of the Stooges. Similarly, Jane's Addiction were too fascinated with prog rock and performance art to appeal to a wide array of metal fans. Soundgarden, however, developed directly out of the grandiose blues-rock of Led Zeppelin and the sludgy, slow riffs of Black Sabbath. Which isn't to say they were a straight-ahead metal band. Soundgarden borrowed the D.I.Y. aesthetics of punk, melding their guitar-driven sound with an intelligence and ironic sense of humor that was indebted to the American underground of the mid-'80s. Furthermore, the band rarely limited itself to simple, pounding riffs, often making detours into psychedelia. But the group's key sonic signatures — the gutsy wail of vocalist Chris Cornell and the winding riffs of guitarist Kim Thayil — were what brought them out of the underground. Not only were they one of the first groups to record for the legendary Seattle indie Sub Pop, but they were the first grunge band to sign to a major label. In fact, most critics expected Soundgarden to be the band that broke down the doors for alternative rock, not Nirvana. However, the group didn't experience an across-the-board success until 1994, when Superunknown became a number one hit.. For a band so heavily identified with the Seattle scene, its ironic that two of its founding members were from the Midwest. Kim Thayil (guitar), Hiro Yamamoto (bass), and Bruce Pavitt were all friends in Illinois who decided to head to Olympia, Washington, to attend college after high-school graduation in 1981. Though none of the three completed college, all of them became involved in the Washington underground music scene. Pavitt was the only one who didn't play — he founded a fanzine that later became the Sub Pop record label. Yamamoto played in several cover bands before forming a band in 1984 with his roommate Chris Cornell (vocals), a Seattle native who had previously played drums in several bands. Thayil soon joined the duo and the group named itself Soundgarden after a local Seattle sculpture. Scott Sundquist originally was the band's drummer, but he was replaced by Matt Cameron in 1986. Over the next two years, Soundgarden gradually built up a devoted cult following through their club performances.
Top Albums |
1. Echo of Mile..
| 2. Superunknown..
| 3. Badmotorfing..
| 4. King Animal ..
| 5. King Animal
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6. Down On the ..
| 7. Telephantasm..
| 8. Louder Than ..
| 9. Superunknown..
| 10. Telephantasm
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11. Live On I-5
| 12. Screaming Li..
| 13. Live On I-5
| 14. Superunknown..
| 15. Live to Rise..
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Top Songs |
| Name | Album | Time | Price | |
1. | Black Hole Sun | Superunknown (20th Annivers.. | 5:18 | $1.29 | |
2. | Fell On Black Days | Superunknown (20th Annivers.. | 4:43 | $1.29 | |
3. | Kristi | Echo of Miles: Scattered Tr.. | 5:32 | $1.29 | |
4. | Blind Dogs | Echo of Miles: Scattered Tr.. | 4:38 | $1.29 | |
5. | Storm | Echo of Miles: Scattered Tr.. | 5:24 | $1.29 | |
6. | Spoonman | Superunknown (20th Annivers.. | 4:06 | $1.29 | |
7. | Burden In My Hand | Down On the Upside | 4:50 | $1.29 | |
8. | Outshined | Badmotorfinger | 5:10 | $1.29 | |
9. | Black Hole Sun | Telephantasm (Deluxe Versio.. | 5:17 | $1.29 | |
10. | Into the Void (Sealth) | Echo of Miles: Scattered Tr.. | 6:36 | $1.29 | |
11. | Cold Bitch | Echo of Miles: Scattered Tr.. | 4:59 | $1.29 | |
12. | Day I Tried to Live | Superunknown (20th Annivers.. | 5:20 | $1.29 | |
13. | Rusty Cage | Badmotorfinger | 4:25 | $1.29 | |
14. | Live to Rise | Avengers Assemble (Music In.. | 4:40 | $1.29 | |
15. | Pretty Noose | Down On the Upside | 4:11 | $1.29 | |
16. | Blow Up the Outside World | Down On the Upside | 5:45 | $1.29 | |
17. | Girl U Want | Echo of Miles: Scattered Tr.. | 3:27 | $1.29 | |
18. | Come Together | Echo of Miles: Scattered Tr.. | 5:51 | $1.29 | |
19. | My Wave | Superunknown (20th Annivers.. | 5:12 | $1.29 | |
20. | Night Surf | Echo of Miles: Scattered Tr.. | 5:23 | $1.29 | |
21. | Stray Cat Blues | Echo of Miles: Scattered Tr.. | 4:39 | $1.29 | |
22. | Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Ag.. | Echo of Miles: Scattered Tr.. | 5:04 | $1.29 | |
23. | Bleed Together | Echo of Miles: Scattered Tr.. | 3:52 | $1.29 | |
24. | Karaoke | Echo of Miles: Scattered Tr.. | 6:00 | $1.29 | |
25. | Twin Tower | Echo of Miles: Scattered Tr.. | 3:21 | $1.29 | |
Top Music Videos |
1. Black Hole Su...
| 2. Black Hole Su...
| 3. Black Rain
| 4. Pretty Noose ...
| 5. Jesus Christ ...
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6. My Wave
| 7. By Crooked St...
| 8. Been Away Too...
| 9. My Wave (Rema...
| 10. Jesus Christ ...
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11. Pretty Noose ...
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