Editing Soundgarden (section)

{{Short description|American rock band}}
{{Redirect|Sound Garden|the art installation|A Sound Garden{{!}}''A Sound Garden''}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{Use American English|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name              = Soundgarden
| background        = group_or_band
| image             = Soundgarden at Paramount Theatre.jpg
| image_size        = 
| landscape         = yes
| alt               = 
| caption           = Soundgarden performing in February 2013. From left to right: [[Kim Thayil]], [[Matt Cameron]], [[Chris Cornell]] and [[Ben Shepherd]].
| origin            = [[Seattle|Seattle, Washington]], U.S.
| genre             = <!-- Do not add, remove or change genres without discussing on the talk page first. -->{{flatlist|
* [[Grunge]]
* [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]]
* [[alternative metal]]
* {{nowrap|[[alternative rock]]}}
}}
| discography       = [[Soundgarden discography]]
| years_active      = {{flatlist|
* 1984–1997
* 2010–2017 (one-off reunion: 2019)
}}
| label             = {{flatlist|
* [[Sub Pop]]
* [[SST Records|SST]]
* [[A&M Records|A&M]]
* [[Interscope Records|Interscope]]
* Seven Four
* [[Republic Records|Republic]]
* [[Vertigo Records|Vertigo]]
}}
| spinoffs          = {{flatlist|
* [[Audioslave]]
* [[Hater (band)|Hater]]
* [[Temple of the Dog]]
* [[Wellwater Conspiracy]]
}}
| module            = {{Infobox
| child             = yes
| title             = '''Logo'''
| headerstyle       = background:#b0c4de
| data2             = [[File:Soundgarden-logo.svg|200px]]
}}
| past_members      = * [[Chris Cornell]]
* [[Kim Thayil]]
* [[Matt Cameron]]
* [[Ben Shepherd]]
* [[Hiro Yamamoto]]
* [[Scott Sundquist]]
* [[Jason Everman]]
| website           = {{URL|soundgardenworld.com}}
| alias             = Nudedragons (2010, 2024)
}}

'''Soundgarden''' was an American [[Rock music|rock]] band formed in [[Seattle|Seattle, Washington]], in 1984 by singer and drummer [[Chris Cornell]], lead guitarist [[Kim Thayil]], and bassist [[Hiro Yamamoto]]. Cornell switched to rhythm guitar in 1985, replaced on drums initially by Scott Sundquist, and later by [[Matt Cameron]] in 1986. Yamamoto left in 1989 and was replaced initially by [[Jason Everman]] and shortly thereafter by [[Ben Shepherd]]. Soundgarden disbanded in 1997 and reformed in 2010. Following Cornell's death in 2017, Thayil declared in October 2018 that Soundgarden had disbanded a second time. The surviving members of the band have continued to occasionally work together since then, including reuniting for a one-off concert in tribute to Cornell in January 2019,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.93x.com/2019/01/22/watch-soundgardens-complete-chris-cornell-tribute-set/|title=Watch Soundgarden's Complete Chris Cornell Tribute Set|website=[[KXXR|93X]]|date=January 22, 2019|access-date=July 19, 2022}}</ref> and again in December 2024 for a benefit concert in Seattle with Shaina Shepherd on vocals under the [[anagram]] '''Nudedragons'''.<ref name="nudedragons24">{{Cite magazine |url=https://www.revolvermag.com/events/soundgarden-members-to-reunite-for-benefit-show-with-shaina-shepherd-on-vocals/ |title=SOUNDGARDEN members to reunite for benefit show with SHAINA SHEPHERD on vocals |date=December 4, 2024 |magazine=[[Revolver (magazine)|Revolver]]}}</ref>

Soundgarden was one of the pioneers of [[grunge]] music, a style of [[alternative rock]] that developed in the American [[Pacific Northwest]] in the mid-1980s, and helped to popularize it in the early 1990s, alongside such Seattle contemporaries as [[Alice in Chains]], [[Pearl Jam]], and [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]]. They were the first of a number of grunge bands to sign to the Seattle-based record label [[Sub Pop]], through which they released two [[Extended play|EP]]s: ''[[Screaming Life]]'' (1987) and ''[[Fopp (EP)|Fopp]]'' (1988). Soundgarden's debut album, ''[[Ultramega OK]]'', was also released in 1988 by the [[Los Angeles]]-based independent label [[SST Records]]; although the album did not sell well nationally, it garnered critical acclaim and the band's first [[Grammy Awards|Grammy Award]] nomination. Soundgarden was the first grunge band to be signed to a major label when they signed to [[A&M Records]] shortly after the release of ''Ultramega OK''. The release of their second album, ''[[Louder Than Love]]'' (1989), was the band's first album to enter the [[Billboard|''Billboard'' 200]] chart, peaking at number 108, and spawned two radio hits: "[[Hands All Over (Soundgarden song)|Hands All Over]]" and "[[Loud Love]]".

Soundgarden's third album ''[[Badmotorfinger]]'' (1991) helped usher in the mainstream success of grunge. The album was buoyed by the success of the singles "[[Jesus Christ Pose]]", "[[Outshined]]", and "[[Rusty Cage]]", reached number 39 on the ''Billboard'' 200 and has been certified [[RIAA certification|double-platinum]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA). The band's fourth album, ''[[Superunknown]]'' (1994), expanded their popularity; it debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 and yielded the Grammy Award-winning singles "[[Spoonman]]" and "[[Black Hole Sun]]". Soundgarden experimented with new sonic textures on their follow-up album ''[[Down on the Upside]]'' (1996), which debuted at number two on the ''Billboard'' 200 and spawned several hit singles of its own, including "[[Pretty Noose]]", "[[Burden in My Hand]]", and "[[Blow Up the Outside World]]". In 1997, the band broke up due to internal strife over its creative direction and exhaustion from touring. After more than a decade of working on projects and other bands, they reunited in 2010. [[Republic Records]] released their sixth and final studio album, ''[[King Animal]]'', in 2012.

By 2019, Soundgarden had sold more than 14 million records in the United States<ref name="riaa">{{cite web|url=http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Soundgarden&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120526210337/http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?resultpage=1&table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Soundgarden&startMonth=1&endMonth=1&startYear=1958&endYear=2008&sort=Artist&perPage=25 |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 26, 2012 |title=Gold and Platinum Database Search  |work=[[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]]  |access-date=February 12, 2007}}</ref> and an estimated 30 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/502068/09251998/soundgarden.jhtml |title=Ex-Soundgarden Singer Chris Cornell Plows Ahead With Solo Debut |date=September 25, 1998 |access-date=January 19, 2008 |author=Kaufman, Gil |publisher=[[VH1|VH1.com]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090905000455/http://www.vh1.com/artists/news/502068/09251998/soundgarden.jhtml |archive-date=September 5, 2009 }}</ref> [[VH1]] ranked them at number 14 in their special, ''100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock'' list.<ref name="vh1 greatest"/> The band was selected for induction into the [[Rock and Roll Hall of Fame]] in 2025.<ref name="rr25">{{cite web |title=The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation unveils electrifying class of 2025 inductees |url=https://rockhall.com/press-release/the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame-foundation-unveils-electrifying-class-of-2025-inductees/ |website=Rock & Roll Hall of Fame |access-date=28 April 2025}}</ref>