Soundgarden

Artist Image: Soundgarden
Attribution
Image Credit: David Lee (Flickr: Soundgarden), CC BY-SA 2.0

Biography

Soundgarden is an American grunge band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Matt Cameron became the band's full time drummer in 1986, while bassist Ben Shepherd became a permanent replacement for Yamamoto in 1990. Soundgarden was one of the seminal bands in the creation of grunge, a style of alternative rock that developed in Seattle, and was one of a number of grunge bands signed to the record label Sub Pop. Soundgarden was the first grunge band to sign to a major label (A&M Records, in 1988), though the band did not achieve commercial success until they popularized "grunge" in the early 1990s with Seattle contemporaries Nirvana, Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam. Soundgarden achieved its biggest success with the 1994 album Superunknown, which debuted at number one on the Billboard charts and yielded the Grammy Award-winning singles "Black Hole Sun" and "Spoonman". In 1997, the band broke up due to internal strife over its creative direction. After several years working on projects and other bands, Soundgarden reunited in 2010 and is currently working on a new album, which is slated for release in October 2012. As of 2010, Soundgarden had sold over 10 million records in the United States, and an estimated 21 million worldwide.

Details

Item Name Item Details
Year Formed 1984
Number of Albums 22
Record Label
Website soundgardenworld.com
Wikipedia Soundgarden on Wikipedia
Social Networks

Trivia

Soundgarden popularized metal within what subculture?

alternative rock

...ternative rock. Nevertheless, Soundgarden popularized metal within alternative rock , even obliterated the line separating the two subcultures. Their m...
Soundgarden was eclipsed by what band?

Nirvana

... turn out to be the case. They were eclipsed by the meteoric success of Nirvana , a fellow Sub Pop alumni whose Nevermind became a blockbuster while So...
What hit single was a standard of its era?

Black Hole Sun

...heir 1994 album, became an international smash, with its hit single Black Hole Sun becoming a standard of its era. The group didn't weather success we...
What was the name of the cover band Soundgarden traces its origins to?

The Shemps

...years: 19841986 Soundgarden traces its origins to a cover band called The Shemps that performed around Seattle, Washington in the early 1980s. The She...
Who was the drummer and vocalist in The Hermps?<extra_id_51> What was Kim Thayil's job title?

guitarist

...ll. Following Yamamoto's departure from The Shemps, the band recruited guitarist Kim Thayil as its new bassist. Thayil had moved to Seattle from Park ...
Where did Thayil move to from?

Park Forest, Illinois

... Kim Thayil as its new bassist. Thayil had moved to Seattle from Park Forest, Illinois with Yamamoto and Bruce Pavitt, who would later start the indep...
What was the name of the windchanneling pipe sculpture?

A Sound Garden

...). The band named themselves after a windchanneling pipe sculpture, A Sound Garden , located on NOAA property next to Magnuson Park, Seattle, Washingto...
What instrument did Cornell originally play while singing?

drums

...ty next to Magnuson Park, Seattle, Washington. Cornell originally played drums while singing, but in 1985 the band enlisted Scott Sundquist to allow C...
Who did Cornell enlist to allow them to concentrate on vocals?

Scott Sundquist

...riginally played drums while singing, but in 1985 the band enlisted Scott Sundquist to allow Cornell to concentrate on vocals. The band traveled aroun...
What was the name of the compilation album that the band's first recordings appeared on?

Deep Six

...h this lineup for about a year. The band's first recordings were three songs that appeared on a 1986 compilation album for CZ Records called Deep Six ....
In what city was Soundgarden formed?

Seattle

...Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle , Washington, in 1984 by singer and rhythm guitarist Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil (...
Who replaced Hiro Yamamoto in Soundgarden?

Ben Shepherd

...tt Cameron became the band's fulltime drummer in 1986, while bassist Ben Shepherd became a permanent replacement for Yamamoto in 1990. The band dissol...
When did Matt Cameron become the band's fulltime drummer?

1986

...assist Hiro Yamamoto. Matt Cameron became the band's fulltime drummer in 1986 , while bassist Ben Shepherd became a permanent replacement for Yamamoto ...
What was the name of the style of alternative rock that developed in Seattle?

grunge

...dissolved in 1997 and reformed in 2010. Soundgarden are associated with grunge , a style of alternative rock that developed in Seattle. After releasing...
In what year did the band dissolve?

1997

...came a permanent replacement for Yamamoto in 1990. The band dissolved in 1997 and reformed in 2010. Soundgarden are associated with grunge, a style of...
When was Ultramega OK released on SST Records?

1989

... OK was released on the Californiabased independent label SST Records in 1989 . They recorded their second album, Louder Than Love, independently but h...
How many Billboard 200 albums did the album Peaked at?

108

...their debut, which had failed to chart, Louder Than Love peaked at number 108 on the Billboard 200 album chart. Soundgarden was one of the seminal cre...
Soundgarden was one of the first grunge bands to sign to what record label?

Sub Pop

...d was the first of a number of grunge bands to sign to the record label Sub Pop . Soundgarden achieved its biggest success with the 1994 album Superunk...
What was Soundgarde's biggest success with the 1994 album?

Superunknown

...ub Pop. Soundgarden achieved its biggest success with the 1994 album Superunknown , which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and yielded the Gr...
On what chart did the album Superunknown reach number one?

Billboard 200

...with the 1994 album Superunknown, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and yielded the Grammy Awardwinning singles Spoonman and Black Hole...
Down on the Upside debuted at what number on the Billboard 200?

2

...xtures on their followup album Down on the Upside, which debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned several hit singles of its own, includin...
What was the name of the followup album released by the band?

Louder Than Love

...ndent label SST Records in 1989. They recorded their second album, Louder Than Love , independently but had signed with major label A&M Records in the ...
Which two hit singles were included on the album?

Burden in My Hand and Blow Up the Outside World

... which debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned several hit singles of its own, including Burden in My Hand and Blow Up the Outside World ....
When did the band re-form?

2010

...e than a decade of working on projects and other bands, they reunited in 2010 , and Republic Records released their sixth and final studio album, King ...
Along with Pearl Jam and Nirvana, what Seattle band was a member of in the 1980s?

Alice in Chains

...Northwest in the mid1980s, alongside such Seattle contemporaries as Alice in Chains , Pearl Jam, and Nirvana. They were the first of a number of grunge...
What year did Down on the Upside debut?

1996

...um Down on the Upside, which debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 in 1996 and spawned several hit singles of its own, including Burden in My Hand ...
What was the name of the follow-up album?

Down on the Upside

...band experimented with new sonic textures on their followup album Down on the Upside , which debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 in 1996 and spawn...
Who introduces the two eventual founders of the Sub Pop label and encourages them to start a label?

Kim Thayil

...19871988 Kim Thayil introduces the two eventual founders of the Sub Pop label and encourages them to start a label. Scott Sundquist is replaced by Mat...
Who replaces Scott Sundquist?

Matt Cameron

...and encourages them to start a label. Scott Sundquist is replaced by Matt Cameron and the band signs to Sub Pop, releasing the Screaming Life EP in 19...
When did Sub Pop release the Screaming Life EP?

1987

...ameron and the band signs to Sub Pop, releasing the Screaming Life EP in 1987 , and the Fopp EP in 1988. A combination of the two is later issued as Sc...
In what year was the Fopp EP released?

1988

... to Sub Pop, releasing the Screaming Life EP in 1987, and the Fopp EP in 1988 . A combination of the two is later issued as Screaming LifeFopp in 1990....
Who plays bass on the bands cover of The Beatles Come Together?

Jason Everman

...Fopp in 1990. Bassist Yamamoto leaves the band to return to college. Jason Everman , formerly of Nirvana, joins the band briefly. He plays bass on the ...
What group did The Beatles tour with to support their album?

Guns N Roses

...sic video, Flower, is directed by Mark Miremont. The band tours with Guns N Roses to support the album, and later releases the video compilation Motor...
When did Soundgarden appear in the Cameron Crowe movie Singles?

1992

...d later releases the video compilation Motorvision, filmed on that tour. 1992 Soundgarden appears in the Cameron Crowe movie Singles performing Birth ...
What is the name of Chris Cornell's solo song?

Seasons

...Crowe movie Singles performing Birth Ritual and Chris Cornell solo song Seasons is also included on the soundtrack. From July, the band joins the Loll...
When was Hiro Yamamoto born?

13 April 1961

...Former members: Scott Sundquist, drums; Hiro Yamamoto, bass (born 13 April 1961 ). With a sound that combined the sludgy riffs of Black Sabbath with th...
What was the genre descended into by the late 1980's?

irrelevance

... metal back to earth: by the late 1980s, the genre had descended into irrelevance with the proliferation of bubbleheaded glamrock outfits. Soundgarden...
Soundgarden added a dose of what to the punk genre?

psychedelia

...bbleheaded glamrock outfits. Soundgarden's later work added a dose of psychedelia to the punk metal sound, resulting in a vivid and visceral series of...
What year did Soundgarden form?

1984

... bottom of this page on how to submit Soundgarden lyrics. Band formed in 1984 in Seattle, Washington. Moved to SST label, 1988, and released album Ult...
Where was the band formed in 1984?

Seattle, Washington

... page on how to submit Soundgarden lyrics. Band formed in 1984 in Seattle, Washington . Moved to SST label, 1988, and released album Ultramega OK. Soun...
What was the name of the album released by the band in 1988?

Ultramega OK

...in Seattle, Washington. Moved to SST label, 1988, and released album Ultramega OK . Soundgarden is one of several new heavy metal acts to emerge from t...
What is the name of a Houston Post contributor?

John Voland

...anages to avoid the usual metalband bombast. Houston Post contributor John Voland observed that the group manages to steer its sledgehammer intensity ...
Where is the soundgarden roots located?

Chicago

...s, like ambiguous sexuality, depersonalization and even ... the environment. Soundgarden was founded in Seattle in 1984, but its roots lie in Chicago ....