Thu Jan 14 2021
5
Chris Cornell had such a voice.
This is a Random Album Generator.
One album a day.
From the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
Superunknown
Soundgarden
1994
- Album Summary
Superunknown is the fourth studio album by American rock band Soundgarden, released on March 8, 1994, through A&M Records. It is the band's second album with bassist Ben Shepherd, and features new producer Michael Beinhorn. Soundgarden began work on the album after touring in support of its previous album, Badmotorfinger (1991). Superunknown captured the heaviness of the band's earlier releases while displaying a more diverse range of influences. Superunknown was a critical and commercial success and became the band's breakthrough album. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, selling 310,000 copies in its opening week. The album also topped the Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand charts. Five singles were released from the album: "The Day I Tried to Live", "My Wave", "Fell on Black Days", "Spoonman", and "Black Hole Sun", the latter two of which won Grammy Awards and helped Soundgarden reach mainstream popularity. In 1995, the album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album. The album has been certified six times platinum by the RIAA in the United States. In April 2019, Superunknown was ranked No. 9 on Rolling Stone's "50 Greatest Grunge Albums" list.
Reviews
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Date
Thu Dec 09 2021
2
This is what straight men listen to, huh?
Wed Mar 31 2021
5
Some albums are great because they meant a lot at a specific point in your life. Some albums are just great. This one is both.
Mon Nov 08 2021
5
Disclaimer: Can't be objective about this one. This is literally the first record I ever purchased. I just finished the new Chris Cornell biography Total Fucking Godhead... I'm a bit of a fan of this band. What a classic album! Love the sort of dark, evil psychadelia of this record. Huge riffs, Matt "Fucking" Cameron on drums with bizarre time signatures, and one of the all-time greatest rock voices... it just doesn't get much better. On my all time favorites.
Fri Jan 15 2021
5
Chris Cornell is one of the greatest rock singers ever. This album has some of the best riffs of all time (Spoonman, Fell on Black Days). It's filled with metaphors about loneliness and depression (Black Hole Sun, Day I Tried to Live, Like Suicide). The album is filled with great, memorable choruses that have the staying power and melody of pop, without sacrificing the heaviness of the subject matter and genre of grunge. In my opinion, it's a top 4 grunge album with Nevermind, Dirt, and Ten.
Wed Mar 31 2021
5
Soundgarden was my favorite of the grunge bands because of Chris Cornell (RIP) and his ridiculous vocals. Hits hard all around. Love it.
Sat Oct 30 2021
5
Absolutely essential grunge album. It will rock the fuck out of your soul from the first track to the last. Chris Cornell was an unparalleled talent and killer vocalist, a tremendous credit to the genre. This album is a stone cold masterpiece.
Thu Feb 11 2021
5
top tier grunge album
Mon Feb 01 2021
5
Nothing but bangers, a lot of distortion, reminding me of the roots of what rock is today.
Sat Apr 24 2021
5
Just phenomenal. Still so very good. R.I.P. Chris Cornell.
Thu Jan 14 2021
5
Initial Critique - Chris Cornell is a vocal god. A masterclass in 90's rock. Despite listening to many of the songs on the album as singles, had never listened to it as an album.
Wed Aug 04 2021
5
Psych and prog infused grunge; this album was so formative to my musical tastes when I first discovered it back in freshman year of high school. I may not go back to Soundgarden as often as I did back in those days, and there is definitely some valid criticism here (particularly about it being a long and exhausting listen for one sitting) but this album could never be anything but a 5 for me.
Wed Sep 23 2020
5
love this album, have listened to it countless times
Mon Jun 07 2021
5
There's been a weird influx of latinx music in the past week after not getting any previous to that. Overall it was pretty cool, though I really hated the parade song (perhaps because I don't really enjoy actual parades either). Some of the other songs were a bit cloying as well. This works really good as a kids album, but I don't think that's how it was intended. It's fine, but I don't ever see myself coming back to it 3/5
Sat Feb 13 2021
5
Like the Pumpkins' album I saw earlier, this one was a staple for anyone in school when I was. It's a classic, and the songs are amazing. Kim Thayil's guitar sound is unique, and Chris Cornell's voice is unmistakable.
Wed Jan 13 2021
5
Several solid songs. RIP Chris Cornell
Thu Apr 29 2021
5
I really dig this. I like how it was heavy, but also clear what they wanted to get across and not overcrowded. Great songs, black hole sun is a classic obvi
Sun Jun 13 2021
5
This album is full of jams. Sometimes I think I like Badmotorfinger better, but goddamn, this album fucking rules
Thu Jul 01 2021
5
Okay, this is badass. Grimy and heavy and with a distinctive feel. This is great workout or writing music.
Thu Aug 12 2021
5
Well, I’m guessing there’s no way now we’re getting Loud Love or (still my personal fave) Badmotorfinger, but I fuckin’ love this band. Great voice over an even better rhythm section. I could probably listen to an entire record of just Kim farting around with a wah wah pedal and be a happy camper. So I’m a little biased over here. This album though has always felt like a bit of a weird mix of tunes, (even when you just compare the singles) but I think it was the first thing I ever bought on CD and I really, really love the production. This shit sings through headphones. Soundgarden was at their best, imo, when they were trudging through the chugs and then just randomly would shift into some weird tinkly melody that somehow made the whole tune come together. This record has a bunch of those moments: “Mailman,” “Head Down,” “4th of July,” etc. But yeah… at the end of the day, it’s the “Black Hole Sun” record. There are worse legacies.
Tue Aug 31 2021
5
What a bomb album. Chris Cornell is the main star here with his incredible vocal performances, but the rest of the band does a commendable job creating that heavy, grunge-y sound throughout. Everyone knows 'Black Hole Sun' and 'Spoonman', but there's so much here to enjoy - 'Head Down', 'Superunknown', 'Fell on Black Days', 'Let Me Drown'. Yeah, really terrific. I would give it 4.5, but I'll round up to 5.
Thu Nov 11 2021
5
Having relistened to this album after having last listened to it over 20 years ago, it's incredible how current it still sounds. I remembered how heavy it felt back then, and I was afraid it would lose its magic in the current landscape of today's music. This is not the case.
Sat Oct 01 2022
4
☝️☝️☝️ ⚠️Whiteboy on the mic⚠️ Exciting rethinking of rock ideas of both their past and present with inspired playing (particularly the drumming). Could’ve been shorter though
Mon Jan 18 2021
5
что-то среднее между Nirvana и Alice in Chains, класс!
Fri Jul 09 2021
5
Superunknown
Wed Apr 14 2021
5
Verguizima.
Fri Jan 29 2021
5
Este disco es más que un disco para mí, es parte una época. Desde el "Let me drown" pasando por las guitarras del "Head Down" y las míticas "Black Hole Sun", "Spoonman", "The day I try to live", "Kickstand" o "Like suicide". Puros noventa, puro sonido grunge.
Wed Mar 24 2021
5
I love Soundgarden and this is the album I love the most.
Tue May 04 2021
5
Super underrated grunge album, one of the trendsetters of it's time. Plus Chris Cornell's voice is in another level
Wed Mar 24 2021
5
Super from beginning to end. This would have been a double album only a few years earlier. It certainly is on vinyl.
Mon Jun 07 2021
5
Beetje oneerlijke competitie want dit is wel een van de hoekstenen van de ontwikkeling van mijn muziekale voorkeuren. Geen slecht nummer op dit album!
Sat Jun 05 2021
5
One of my top ten albums!
Sun Feb 21 2021
5
Now I know where Foo Fighters got their sound from ;)
Wed Mar 31 2021
5
Awwww yeeeeeeeeaaaaaaah!
Mon Apr 05 2021
5
Love this band. Great album. I remember when it came out.
Tue Jul 06 2021
5
One of the best albums ever.
Mon May 24 2021
5
Very relaxing
Thu May 27 2021
5
Great album, already listened to audioslave but never Soundgarden. Will give this another listen
Wed Jul 28 2021
5
god damn fantastic, so grim and evil at times but triumphant at others
Fri Aug 13 2021
5
Classic. RIP to a legend
Fri Aug 13 2021
5
RIP to a legend. What a classic album
Mon Aug 16 2021
5
Meilenstein!
Tue Aug 24 2021
5
Een van mijn All time favorieten
Tue Aug 24 2021
5
5 out of 5 skulls
Thu Sep 09 2021
5
Great!
Wed Sep 15 2021
5
Rip Chris Cornell Fantastic
Fri Sep 24 2021
5
RIP Chris Cornell - in his softer moments sounds a lot like Josh Homme, whose voice I adore. "Mailman" could be QOTSA song. Soundgarden have such a distinctive sound, different from what was going on in the 90s, it's not metal it's not grunge, it's not stoner rock. Really enjoy "Head Down" - sweet singing Obvs "Black Hold Sun" is an absolute classic. "Spoonman" driving rhythm is so great High 4 / 5
Wed Oct 06 2021
5
Love this album so hard
Thu Oct 07 2021
5
Timeless classic.
Sat Oct 09 2021
5
Wasn't expecting it to be as good as Badmotorfinger but it definitely is
Tue Oct 12 2021
5
Awesome!
Tue Nov 02 2021
5
Possibly the second or third best grunge album of all time, depending on how I'm feeling about In Utero that day. Haters will say it's too long, and yeah they probably could have cut the song Half, but this is the rare hour-plus album I'll actively choose to listen to.
Tue Nov 09 2021
5
A sprawling, expansive grunge/stoner masterpiece. So much variety and depth with amazing song and riffs coming one after the other. Great singing and musicianship. Like a lot of long albums I can't help but feel it would have been better if it were shorter, I'm just not sure what I would cut.
Wed Nov 17 2021
5
Really enjoy this album when I'm in the mood for some moody, grungy rock. Super unknown is a great song as well as black hole sun.
Sat Nov 20 2021
5
One of my faves from grunge. R.I.P. Chris Cornell
Tue Nov 23 2021
5
Hell yeah!
Tue Dec 21 2021
5
Great opening track
Tue Dec 21 2021
5
5, razvaliiii
Tue Jan 04 2022
5
cool
Thu Jan 13 2022
5
Incredible album. Great variety, strong tracks, amazing guitar work. RIP Cornell.
Sat Jan 15 2022
5
Cut my teeth on this.
Sat Jan 22 2022
5
My haiku: My Wave, Spoonman best, Day I Tried To Live best too, How good is grunge rock.
Sat Jan 22 2022
5
Blackholesome
Sat Jan 22 2022
5
Excellent!!
Mon Jan 31 2022
5
Chris Cornell is probably my favorite rock singer after Freddie Mercury, so talented and so much range. I just happened to listen to his collection this weekend, not knowing this album was upcoming (I was behind and stuck trying to decide on Sonic Youth so turned to Cornell). I know most call this album their magnum opus but I always wondered if it was really that good...despite the fact that Spoonman, My Wave, and The Day I Tried to Live are some of my all-time favorite alternative songs (the chords & guitar progressions & drumwork on all three...brilliant). I really got into music in college, mostly listened to radio and didn't own many albums in high school so I didn't own this. Even now I don't own it, even though I profess to be a late Soundgarden fan. I saw Jeremy's review and I feel the exact same way about Black Hole Sun. Maybe that's why I have these hesitations, like some of it is overplayed and overhyped. Nah. I have listened to it a fair number of times since college, but finally listening to it really intently here, it's awesome. Like my favorites, the other songs have awesome guitar work, humming basslines, solid percussion, Cornell's vocals (of course), and profound lyrics. Even the non-hits are great (e.g., Let Me Drown, Mailman, Fresh Tendrils, 4th of July). Shame on me for ever thinking this was less than amazing.
Mon Jan 31 2022
5
Superunknown was the first Soundgarden album I picked up. I had read an early review that said that it was going to be an amazing album, groundbreaking even. I was into Pearl Jam & Nirvana, they had broken right around college. But somehow Soundgarden had slipped me by when I was in college. When I did hear it back in March of 1994, my mind was blown. Listen to the original, not the remastered version (they boosted the volume too much, gah.). I go back and forth between my favorites on this album. Sure "Black Hole Sun" is overplayed, but there's a reason for that: it's a damn good song. I don't skip it when I listen to the whole album, but I don't listen to it by itself. They play songs with odd time signatures so flawlessly, it doesn't sound as clumsy as in other bands. I would steer clear from the Super Deluxe Edition version, only because the Demo & Rehearsal versions... like, how many times can you hear the songs in one sitting? I know fans of the band frown on this album, thinking of it as the "sell out," but honestly I think of it as a progression from their previous album. "Down On The Upside" is a fantastic album as well. Highly recommended.
Fri Feb 04 2022
5
Teenage hormonal grunge throwback.
Sat Feb 05 2022
5
GRUNGE. YEEEEEEEEEEEEEES. In seriousness, I grew up refusing to believe the grunge era ever ended. Soundgarden are a foundation of this genre. Rest in Peace, Chris Cornell.
Sat Feb 05 2022
5
Easy, easy 5. Up there with some of my most listened to albums of all time and a shining example of top tier grunge. Love it
Thu Feb 10 2022
5
плотный саунд, риффы просто жир
Wed Feb 16 2022
5
Beautiful
Sat Feb 19 2022
5
Is this really a 5 or am I giving it that rating because of nostalgia and it's really a 4? Who cares, this album is great. More polished and mainstream than Badmotorfinger and, thus, not my favorite but still really solid.
Tue Mar 01 2022
5
Love soundgarden
Fri Mar 04 2022
5
Brilliant
Thu Mar 10 2022
5
What an album! 9/10.
Thu Mar 24 2022
5
My favourite band, my favourite voice, I can't score this anything but top marks. I'd double it if I could. I saw Soundgarden a few times, including once a few days after this album release, a VIP show in London. It's still one of the best days of my life. The first track they played was Let Me Drown and I was in a state of awe from the first note. This is all perfect, everything about it. I am very biased, but music doesn't come much better.
Thu Mar 31 2022
5
This is probably the grunge masterpiece; the heavy metal White Album of the 90s. The song-writing is sophisticated, tuneful, heavy, and insightful. I know some critics (Christgau, for example) finds their lyrics asinine, but, by the measure of heavy metal lyrics, they are not stupid. Cornell's voice was rarely better, Thayill's playing inventive but less reliant on pure noise than on previous records, and Matt Cameron's drumming is best in class. His ability to make even a weird time signature sound like a straight four (until you listen closely) is masterful. Dynamic, tuneful, with classic rock influences that are not mere pastiche, I really think this is Soundgarden's masterwork (even if I have nostalgic preference for some o their other records). The best metal album of the decade, and certainly top 3 for the entire grunge oeuvre.
Fri Apr 08 2022
5
Goddamn I miss when rock and roll had some emotion to it. There’s equal parts emotion and power to everything happening. Cornell’s voice is next level and the production makes this an absolute favorite.
Wed Apr 13 2022
5
I love this record. It’s the peak of Soundgarden. The songs are their strongest and they really found themselves here.
Tue Apr 26 2022
5
RIP Chris Cornell
Thu May 05 2022
5
SPOONMAN
Sat May 14 2022
5
Soundtrack to my adolescence. Chris could do no wrong on the 90s. What a voice!
Wed May 18 2022
5
One of the best ever
Tue May 24 2022
5
What a way to start a 1001 albums to listen to before you die! It feels like such a long album - but in all the best ways. Albums quite often have 3, maybe 4 great tracks but this is one that just keeps on giving - Spoonman, Fell on Black Days, Superunknown, The Day I Tried to Live, Black Hole Sun, 4th of July... Listening to this on Spotify I kept going back and thinking I'd maybe finished the album and it had started a 'best of' track listing. This is an album released in the MTV heyday, and I distinctly remember the videos accompanying the tracks being of equal quality - Black Hole Sun and Spoonman in particular. Chris Cornell was special, nobody does sing like him anymore. If you're looking for the perfect introduction to Soundgarden, there is arguably no better place to start than this album.
Thu Jun 02 2022
5
Great album! Heavier than I expected which is a big plus for me!
Sat Jun 04 2022
5
It’s hard for me to be objective about ‘Superunknown, an album I listened to religiously as a teenager. Personal bias aside though, it’s honestly great, and despite its 70-minute length, it’s strangely concise, probably owing to the deliberately polished production that still manages to retain the bands trademark heavy rock sound, without sacrificing their raw edge and grim, despairing outlook on life. There are genuinely few weak spots to be found, and it’s one of those records that gets better the longer it goes. It’s up there with the best of the 90s grunge era albums, and a genuine counterpoint to the likes of Nirvana and Pearl Jam, in that this a band gunning for mainstream popularity, not deliberately trying to shun it like those two.
Fri Jun 10 2022
5
Soundgarden <3
Fri Jun 17 2022
5
Is it perfect? Nah. Does it have Black Hole Sun and Spoonman on it? Yesh. Five stars. SPOOOOONMAAAANNNN
Fri Jun 24 2022
5
Rock n roll at its finest
Wed Jul 13 2022
5
Not only is this Soundgarden’s best album, I would say it would have the genre’s tour de force if it wasn’t for Nevermind that simply got there first. Regardless, the album is loaded with original and creative tracks that have become the signature music of the era (and still do very well today, thank you very much). When I fall on black days, this album knows how to pick me up. I will also note my favourite tracks are not your Black Hole Suns, but rather the songs at the album's end (4th of July, Half, Like Suicide). It is as if, by that stage of the album, Soundgarden stopped caring about the hit factor and was just producing groovy (if melancholy) music. P.S. Chris Cornell: what a voice! Probably one of the best modern male singers of recent times.
Wed Jul 20 2022
5
Excellent grunge. Thought I'd like it based on the tracks I knew but the whole album exceeded my expectations. Not sure why I never really took the time to listen to more Soundgarden before. I'm giving it 4.5 stars, but heck, I'll round up as a 'pleasantly surprised' bonus. SPOONMAN!
Sat Jul 23 2022
5
Soundgarden's best album, and defines an entire decade of music. Every single track is solid - 5/5
Sat Jul 23 2022
5
Classic innit
Sat Jul 30 2022
5
Honestly thought I would hate this album, mostly based on the cover art. Being uninitiated with Soundgarden, I thought it was going to just be bad screaming and obnoxiously loud instrumentals, but wow, did I wind up loving this. Great, great vocals on this album, and the entire thing was just what I needed this morning: some fantastic grunge rock and roll. Even though it was over an hour, I never got tired, as the quieter moments intertwined nicely with the louder sections. Great variety that shows these guys know how to make a comprehensive album.
Thu Aug 04 2022
5
Гранж и гранж
Thu Aug 04 2022
5
Perfect
Fri Aug 05 2022
5
One of the Mount Rushmores of grunge. Especially chilling final track given Chris Cornell’s passing a few years ago. RIP.
Fri Aug 12 2022
5
Dijk van een Album! Fell on Black Days, Spoonman maar vooral Black Hole Sun. manmanman. Episch RIP cornell
Mon Aug 22 2022
5
Incredible sonic voyage from start to finish. This album was a massive paradigm shift for Soundgarden and forever cemented their place in rock history.
Wed Aug 24 2022
5
It's a great album, heard it plenty of times.