Superunknown

This is what straight men listen to, huh?

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.

Chris Cornell had such a voice.

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.

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.

S U P E R O V E R R A T E D

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.

Lol, I don't know why everybody likes this album so much

I went into this thinking I liked Soundgarden more than I actually do. Quite boring to be honest. 3.33 average per track,

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.

Soundgarden was my favorite of the grunge bands because of Chris Cornell (RIP) and his ridiculous vocals. Hits hard all around. Love it.

Just phenomenal. Still so very good. R.I.P. Chris Cornell.

Knew the band name, couldn't have named a song they had made which is how I learnt they made Blackhole Sun. Otherwise, my standard complaint of this being way too fucking long. Could have cut 30 minutes from this and made a solid album since it gets really boring after a while.

Okay, this is badass. Grimy and heavy and with a distinctive feel. This is great workout or writing music.

This album is full of jams. Sometimes I think I like Badmotorfinger better, but goddamn, this album fucking rules

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.

Nothing but bangers, a lot of distortion, reminding me of the roots of what rock is today.

top tier grunge album

Before listening: If anyone asked me whether I like Soundgarden I would say yes. If they asked me how many songs I actually know, I would say, "Um, Blackhole Sun?". I think out of all the big 90s alt bands, I know Soundgarden and Alice in Chains the least. I was much more of an Audioslave fan in the early 00s than I ever was of Soundgarden. I'm looking forward to this album, although I must say that at the time of writing, I'm not really in a 90s mood. Nevertheless, here we go! After listening: I liked it, there was a lot of good songs here. But oh my God, so much filler. Songs were too long and there were too many of them. Chris Cornell's voice though ... There's a reason people rank him as one of the best vocalists of the era. Overall, still very good.

Some good tunes on this album. However, I think a lot of the songs sound the same.

After Chris Cornell passed, my mom bought every Soundgarden, Audioslave, and Temple of the Dog cd and it was the only music she would listen to, in the car and at home, for like two years. I moved out during that time

I love Spoonman and Black Hole Sun, but otherwise this album is another example of mostly bland 90's mainstream rock. I just hate the 90's aesthetic, the chugga chugga guitars, the stereotypical singing style. That isn't to say it is bad, it just isn't something I want to listen to.

The album in which the Grunge took so much of a presence that some consider this to not even be Alt-Metal & Grunge but only Grunge even when a huge majority of the songs show to be some sort of Alt-Metal. Still, Grunge is the main genre of the album and should therefore be the main focus point. Soundgarden had easily the best studio Grunge album. Sadly, or luckily (depending on how you view it), Nirvana had their legendary MTV Unplugged album released the same year. But the achievements that this album brought to the table make this an essential album even 30 years later. The album opens on 'Let Me Drown', a perfect example of the heavy and Stoner Rock inspired metal sound the band is so good at creating. It starts with loud and catchy layered guitar riffs and an incredible vocal delivery. The song just makes you want to headbang. It's an energetic and sonically perfect intro into the album. The next song 'My Wave' is much less Metal, even if it's still a very heavy song. Interestingly is this a much more psychedelic sound and I think the guitar pedal effects that is sometimes sprinkled throughout makes this really interesting. The chorus also works really well, it's just that I think that the song streches a bit too much near the end. It should've been cut to 4 minutes max as the last minute doesn't really add more to the song. 'Fell on Black Days' is one of the best known songs here and it most resembles the Grunge sound most people are familiar with through Nirvana. It's a really good songs but it doesn't really reach the edge that I loved so much with the opener. Compared to most of the album, this seems much more conventional and basic and I personally am not greatly interested with most of what the song does. With 'Mailman' they get back to the heavier sound and there is a lot of heavy and "sludgey" guitar on here. In return the song comes out much more interesting and formed than its predecessor but unlike that, this is feels a little stretched towards the end of it and there isn't much of a catchy "something" that makes the song stick. The title track 'Superunknown' follows with a very Hard Rock and Blues Rock inspired instrumentation that really drives the song and works much better as a point of focus. The vocals are killer and the chorus is simply epic. I absolutely see why this was chosen as the song to name the album after as it does summarize the album pretty neatly. 'Head Down' removes a lot of the heaviness and replaces it with a more psychedelic approach that works within the context of the time. The dreamy vocals and the washy guitars make this a noisy and dense but lovely and dreamy song that flows within itself. Even if I mainly prefer the more metal sounding songs on the album, this is easily one of the best they ever put out. The song that everyone knows, 'Black Hole Sun', shows an even more Neo-Psychdelia rooted sound than before and like before it works perfectly. It starts with the legendary and dreamy guitars and the melodic and surprisingly clear vocals that seamlessly blend into the chorus that is even better. Even if it's a basic opinion, this is the best song on the album or at least in the Top 3. The whole song works and feels much less streched than most songs here. I absolutely adore every second from the guitar solo, the slightly changed chorus in the second half, the background vocals and the general structure. The albums second half starts with 'Spoonman', a song that is much more complex in comparison to most of stuff you find on here. It has multiple, seemingly random, additions thrown in that make this together with the abstract lyrics a very weird but great listen. 'Limo Wreck' sounds like a very early Doom Metal song with the thick, slow and atmospheric guitar riff that goes the whole way through the song. It's dark, unsetteling and really feels like something Black Sabbath could've cooked up if they had Grunge back then. But the song suffers a little bit from a lack of focus near the end. With 'The Day I Tried to Live' was the albums lead single and is therefore another pretty well known song. And although I prefer it over 'Fell on Black Days', I have similar criticisms towards it. It doesn't interest me for the most part and feels too basic and average. Of course it has some great moments but they are not worthy. It's a good song but just nothing more. The short and not even 2 minute long 'Kickstand' is one of the few instances of a Punk sound that gets through. And although Punk isn't what they are used to do, it is a very solid song and is actually really interesting and does not feel like an Interlude at all. 'Fresh Tendrils' keeps a small amount of the Punk energy from before but turns it into a more Metal sounding track again. And unlike before, this doesn't work really well. It is still a good song but it feels very unfocused and unsure about itself. To my ears the song is either uninteresting or a little bit annoying. A really underrated song is '4th of July'. It is easily the most Doom Metal the album gets. It is heavy and dark and the slight hints of Psychedelia make this an even more atmospheric and anxious listen. A perfect blend of all genres they are capable of using. The short 'Half' that is another left-turn with the introduction of Raga-Rock (Indian Classical music inspired Rock) and hints of experimental parts. And although that might sound like it would derail the whole album, I think it works pretty good right before closing the album. And the album closes with the dark and depressive 'Like Suicide'. The title pretty much says what the song is about and it gets the anxious and suicidal feeling very intensely across and closes the album with another perfect song even if it is the longest one but this time it definitely needed that length. favourites: Black Hole Sun, Head Down, Like Suicide, Let Me Drown, Superunknown, 4th of July least favourites: Fresh Tendrils, Mailman, Fell on Black Days, The Day I Tried to Live Rating: light 9 https://rateyourmusic.com/~Emil_ph for more ratings, reviews and takes

Chris Cornell = Automatic 5. It's fair to say that seeing Temple of the Dog play at the kickoff show November 4th, 2016 in Phila. not many months before his tragic and untimely death was probably the best show I've ever seen-- and I've seen some good f******g shows. What a damned legend. This album rocks. Watch the Phila. show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OJAhB5Cark

My review of Grace by Jeff Buckley referenced how 1994 was the most incredible year for music (Portishead, Weezer, Beck, Jeff Buckley, Beastie Boys, Green Day, Live, Tori Amos, Cranberries, the list goes on) and Superunknown is part of what made 1994 incredible. Chris Cornell is one of the best male rock vocalists of all time, his range is ridiculous, and his voice is just raw power. Soundgarden may not be my favorite of the projects of Chris Cornell since I prefer Audioslave to the more heavy metal sound of Soundgarden, but his voice is nothing short of 5 stars every time.

Not sure how to describe this album and ive known it for most of my life. Very human of an album. Its a perfect mix of the grunge sound, hard rock ballads, psych sludge sound, heavy stoner riffs, and really catchy choruses. Chris Cornells voice is unreal with how talented it is.

Is it perfect? Nah. Does it have Black Hole Sun and Spoonman on it? Yesh. Five stars. SPOOOOONMAAAANNNN

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

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.

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.

Timeless classic.

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

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.

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.

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

Several solid songs. RIP Chris Cornell

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.

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

love this album, have listened to it countless times

I wasnt into it at first but from Head Down and onwards it was amazing. It made me think of how well this album would go together with the joining together of hands, not in marriage, but solely for the purpose of sating the fleshly desires of the soul. Indulging in lustful hedonism for no purpose other than to drown in pleasure for but a few moments, together. tldr: I want to fuck to this album

☝️☝️☝️ ⚠️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

I would say I definitely liked this more than anything else I have heard labelled as grunge by this list. Either the genre is growing on me, I'm getting more of an ear for it, or this album is just better. I'm still not in love with the sound though. Certain songs will strike me (in this case "Let me Drown", "Fell on Black Days", "Black Hole Sun", and "Spoonman") but I seem to not like whole albums so far. I would even say I would prefer to not listen to all the songs I really liked in a row. Part of a bigger playlist with other styles on it put on shuffle, I think each of those would be a refreshing change of pace. However as a whole this definitely felt like a 3* to me.

No. 213/1001 Let Me Drown 3/5 My Wave 4/5 Fell On Black Days 4/5 Mailman 2/5 Superunknown 3/5 Head Down 3/5 Black Hole Sun 4/5 Spoonman 3/5 Limo Wreck 3/5 The Day I Tried To Live 3/5 Kickstand 3/5 Fresh Tendrils 3/5 4th Of July 3/5 Half 3/5 Like Suicide 4/5 Average: 3,27 Pretty good grunge record.

drags on too long

A couple solid tracks and overall I like this group but after a while I'm like "when will it end?"

The production feels kind of compressed. The influence of Led Zeppelin is here, which in turn goes back to some delta blues sound. Black Hole Sun stands out from the rest of the songs. The album as a whole feels a bit underwhelming. The potential was there, just needed better producing.

Mid

It's taken me a while to revisit all this 90's grunge and give it a proper listen, because growing up in the 90's these songs were all over the radio and I was so sick of hearing Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice In Chains, etc. that I actively avoided them for two decades. I'm glad to finally spend time with this Soundgarden record. I liked a lot about it, from Chris Cornell's vocals to Kim Thayil's guitar work. This album is considered a cornerstone of the grunge movement for obvious reasons. Two main complaints: 1) It's way too long of an album. With so little variety in the tracklist until towards the end, it feels bloated and a few of the songs blend together. There's no reason this thing should be over an hour long. 2) (And this is a deep dark secret I've harbored since I was a kid hearing this band all over the radio in the 90s) "Black Hole Sun" is such a boring ass song. It's tedious, it's repetitive, it's plodding...I think "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" has more lyrics. I hated hearing it on the radio when I was 10 and I hated hearing it as an adult. That being said, good album, worth a listen.

There are things I enjoy about this record. But it became a monotonous chore to get through. At 30 minutes, I would probably like it quite a bit more.

Right, here we go, day 1! Solid start to the journey, avoiding some of the more controversial albums on the list that will go down better once I’m settled into the routine. Having heard a few individual songs from this record before, I was relieved when I saw it as album 1 and dived in with a fair amount of anticipation. And for the most part was not disappointed. The highs here are high, “Black Hole Sun” and “Let Me Drown” being in my top 2. I just feel that it went on a bit too long with a run time of 70 minutes, maybe cutting a few of the tracks would have been beneficial. That being said, I can see why it’s regarded as one of the defining albums of its genre and would be one I’d like to return to in the future. Overall, I’ll go with 3.5, but that might increase over time. Looking forward to what the next 3 and a bit years will bring!

The best song on this album is definitely “Black Hole Sun” and they knew it while recording this. 5/10

Overlong and mediocre. The style wasn’t terrible, but it got repetitive and a little grating. Not something I’d listen to in its entirety again. 2.5 rounded up.

HEY DUDES, DO YOU LIKE HARD MUSIC THAT ALSO MAKES YOU GET HARD Wikipedia lists this as Grunge but this is 100% Butt Rock for me. I only know "Black Hole Sun" which was everywhere at the time and still has a lasting legacy but... overall this is the music of my middle/high school days. Feels like I'm way past this. But, it's competent at what it's doing and I don't begrudge anyone who likes it. I think it's mostly down the vocals, just too monotone.

Glorified singles band 2

There were some songs that I didn't hate.

I’m loving it

No one sings like you anymore.

juicy

Love this NIN vibe

Superunknown might be the most diverse album of the grunge. Black Hole Sun is the mega hit but it’s not indicative of the album. There are so much bizarre timing, it’s crazy how radio friendly it is, for lack of a better way. Forgot the singles, The Day I Tried to Live, Like Suicide, the title track are what makes Superknown it is 9.1/10

Classic

Hadn't listened to this album in absolute ages and was prepared to be a bit disappointed. I wasn't. At all. Such a confident statement and so many great tracks.

Fav song: Superunknown What a band. One of the most important bands in the 90’s with a sound so unique that you can EASILY point out when you’re listening to Sound Garden even when you’ve never heard the song before. RIP Chris Cornell, one of the greats of his generation.

A masterpiece! Chris Cornell’s powerful voice is sorely missed.

Wow, really enjoyed this one. Heavy but still tuneful. Interesting time signatures and arrangements yet still catchy. Need to listen a few more times!

Fantastic album. One that was part of my regular rotation for many years. So many memories are attached to these songs. This, Ten, Core, Nevermind and Dirt are the big five of the grunge era imo.

This was my first time listening to Soundgarden, and I was pleasantly surprised. While I dabble in grunge, I wouldn’t call myself a huge fan, but Superunknown really caught me off guard in the best way. Soundgarden’s versatility stands out compared to bands like Nirvana or Pearl Jam.The vocals are captivating, and the guitar solos are absolutely on point—they draw you in and don’t let go. This album has earned its spot in my regular rotation

I have this album but hadn't listened to it in ages. Was I wrong! It is brilliant. It is grunge I suppose, it refers to metal and post punk, and it is really well made. I like Chris Cornell's (RIP) vocals and the musicianship is good throughout, helped by alternative time signatures (My Wave in 5/4 time signature, Fell on Black Days in 6/4). Very good if you want something a bit heavier/ punchier without resorting to often very simple (but in many cases also excellent) stuff like some early metal or punk. It is a 4 or a 5? Can't find anything wrong with it, and Chris Cornell (and this album) was influential, so...

One of my favorites from the Grunge era

Delicious timbre, my ears drank it like tawny port, yum yum yum. My only question is: are you allowed to "enjoy" grunge?

This was great! Totally rocking grooves with fantastic vocals. Must add this CD to my collection!

Easy 5 The first 3 CD's I ever bought were this, Vitalogy, and Get a Grip. Haven't gone back to listen to this in a long time. Putting it back into rotation

This album stole my mind and soul. I could feel the rhythm in my hands.

Maybe my favourite album of the whole grunge scene, this is just a great rock record.

I mean, 'Black Hole Sun' by itself makes this an easy 5 stars, but if it were missing, the rest of the album ('Fell On Black Days' in particular) is strong enough to warrant equal praise as well.

Soundgarden är ett av mina favoritband om inte mitt favoritband. Jag lyssnar faktiskt fortfarande på hela skivor (till och med mer än Pearl Jam). Min stora sorg är att jag aldrig såg bandet live. Tittade, för bara någon månad sen, på live-framträdanden på Youtube. Så sjukt onödigt att han tog livet av sig själv. Och att de inte gjorde fler album över lag. Soundgarden kan allt. Hårt, melodiskt, rytmiskt, vackert, intensivt. Chris Cornell är en favoritsångare. Och Matt Cameron är en favorittrummis. Här kan man jämföra med Slayers trummor, som är helt hopplösa, där det bara bankas i väldigt snabb takt utan "känsla". Matt spelar på trummorna som ett instrument samtidigt som rytmen läggs. Det här är en underbar skiva, med stor variation. Skivan innehåller en av mina absoluta favoritlåtar någonsin i alla kategorier, Like Suicide. En perfekt och episk rocklåt. Like Suicide börjar med härligt trumintro och basgång, som är melodiskt i sig. Sen kommer en skön slinga på gitarr som vaggar en fram till att Chris börjar sjunga. Lugnt, stämningsfullt och melodiskt. Gitarren (som jag normalt inte är besatt av) ligger i bakgrunden som en bomullsmadrass åt Chris. Just kombinationen gitarr/sång är en av Soundgardens styrka. Det märks speciellt mot slutet av sången. Eller när Chirs sjunger "When my last ditch, sas my last brick", så gifter sig gitarren och sången så sjukt bra (men som sagt, det sker typ hela tiden). Vid ca 2 minuter går Chris upp en oktav (eller nåt). Man känner hur intensiteten ökar. Trummorna och gitarren ledsagar Chris änglastämma framåt, vid ”I wield a ton of rage” brukar jag känna rysningar i kroppen. Vid 3.30 ökar även musiken i intensitet. Trummorna blir mer aggressiva och tunga (älskar rytmen och hur de spelas - de blir plötsligt så "stora"). Vid 4.30 får gitarrens sköna riff (underbart i sig) sippra fram tillsammans med Chris sång i perfekt harmoni. Hans röst blir verkligen ett instrument. Det tar oss till texterna för dessa har jag i princip aldrig brytt mig om (just denna låt ”handlar” iaf om en fågel som flög in i Chris fönster, som han tyckte synd om och slog ihjäl med en ”brick” – men som vanligt i grungetexter kan man tolka in vad man vill – jag har som sagt aldrig riktigt brytt mig om texterna). Albumet i övrigt börjar med två stabila låtar. Sen höjs nivån på tredje låten. Fell on black days. Dippar en smula (å då menar jag från högsta nivå) med mailman men höjs till samma höga nivå på titelsången. Fortsätter sen på hög nivå. Och med black hole sun exploderar nivån (6 av 5). Det är ju ett mästerverk (jag tror alla är eniga). Skivan fortsätter stark med spoonman. Även limo wreck. Sen ytterligare en kanonlåt, the day I tried to live. Sen en kort palate cleanser med kickstand. Följt av en kanonlåt. Sen en möjlig dipp på två låtar för att avslutas med en av världens bästa låtar (se ovan). Given femma. Å då tycker jag nog Badmotorfinger (albumet innan) är ännu bättre (som helhet).

Oh man, one of my all-time favorites. I'm from the Seattle area, so these guys were already heroes of mine when this was released while I was in high school. I know Nirvana gets all the attention, but I preferred this album to Nevermind back then, and still do. I was lucky enough to see them at a small venue in Seattle (The Showbox). They were an incredible live band. Still sad to think about Chris all these years later.

I remember buying this album when it came out in '94. There are some great tracks on here, Black Hole Sun and Fell on Black Days being my favorites.

This is one of my very favorites, and the crown jewel of the entire 90s grunge period. It is a fucking powerhouse, could not be described accurately without that profanity. Soundgarden's ace is Chris Cornell's vocals. He isn't the most technically gifted singer ever, but he's quite good, and he just gets every ounce out of what he's got. They get it going early - his scream at about 2:30 of the lead track ("Let Me Drown") leading into the solo is the sort of moment other hard rock bands just dream about. The coda of that song shows off what a versatile weapon he is. Cornell uses double-tracks to harmonize and fill with himself in multiple parts of his register and with multiple different timbres, namely his gentler melodic timbre with his unique, one-of-a-kind scream. That diversity in vocal sound just creates an incredibly lush and textured sound palette, even while otherwise using a standard power-trio instrumentation. The lead track is a good example, but it's not the best on this CD, or his best performance. The title track and "Limo Wreck" are two of the very best vocal performances in all of recorded rock music. His vocal solo on the title track, or the final chorus on "Limo Wreck", those moments just send chills down my spine. And this CD is full of them - Cornell puts on a fucking show, repeatedly - on "Fell On Black Days", on "The Day I Tried to Live", he's simply incredible. Soundgarden are a good band, and this CD has other strong aspects, in the end it's quite a cohesive product. But simply put, Cornell is the superstar. In the hands of an average-quality singer giving an average-quality performance, this CD would not be special, it'd be maybe a 3 out of 5. That in and of itself is part of the mystique, because it's so difficult to cover that it remains forever and indelibly Soundgarden's material. So what to say about the other three guys in the band, or about the CD as a whole? They're pretty good - even without Cornell this would be one of the better CDs of that era. Soundgarden was always the heaviest and proggiest of their cohort, and it shows here. Even when they're not good, they're definitely unique, and they show a willingness to experiment with all kinds of weird stuff - odd time signatures on "Limo Wreck", "Spoonman", "Black Hole Sun" and "4th of July", and funny open tunings pretty much everywhere (notably on the title track). They stay really tight on the odd signatures, a sign of a strong rhythm section, and I really like Thayil's guitar style, he's got a very unique (although quite dissonant) sound. His solos on "Fell on Black Days" and the title track are fantastic and truly their own thing, and he does a nice job of mixing subtle evolution into his licks (as on "Fell on Black Days"). This CD is a touch the long side, but that's largely a consequence of being absolutely stacked. In the final analysis, it just has a ton of really great songs on it.

What a great listen! This was one of the albums that defined Grunge.

Dear 11 year old Ben, great news, this album still fucking rocks

This was a mega hit album full of guitar blasting hard rifs and gritty lyrics.

Great!

Hands up if you forgot just how rocking this album is? Holy moly

I was really surprised at how many songs I know and like on this album. I guess I don't listen to Soundgarden enough.

I'm just going to ignore the last three songs (especially that last one) and call this a five star album. I used to own this CD, but listening again I'm impressed by some of the lesser known songs like Superunknown and Head Down and how inventive and rhythmic they were. And ... Chris Cornell's vocals... five stars alone for that.

4th of July is one of the best songs ever made.

5 stars

Probably my favorite Soundgarden album. It feels like the best produced. Not as hard-edged as their earlier albums but much more mature and with more universal appeal. It’s no wonder that they became superstars after this release. Favorite songs are Fell on Black Days, Spoonman and The Day I Tried to Live. least favorites are Half, Kickstand and Limo Wreck.

Ugh.. one of my favorite albums of all time. An easy 5 stars

wILD AND SHIIIIIIIIIIII

I love Soundgarden

There's no voice out there like Chris Cornell's. That alone makes this album fantastic.

One of my favorite Soundgarden albums. Cornell had such a recognizable and great voice.

Such a legendary band, and I forgot that some of their best songs were on there. Definitely, they were influential in the grunge era

I don't care if you don't like grunge, you have to admire Chris Cornell's voice. He had one of the best voices in music, one of the absolute best to ever do it, may he rest in peace. This album is just fantastic. It has everything that is key to grunge, the angst, the pounding guitar, hammering bass line, driving drums, fiery guitar solos, and of course a superb frontman. Album has solid variety, love how vulnerable Chris is on some of the songs with the lyrics. Just a fantastic album from start to finish, absolutely bulletproof in my opinion. "The Day I Tried to Live" is one of my all time favorite songs.

Superunknown is the fourth studio album from Soundgarden, and is their most successful work, critically and commercially. Their third album, Badmotorfinger, did well, and was very well received critically, but not as well as expected. Chris Cornell's and Matt Cameron's involvement in tribute project Temple of the Dog added to their notoriety, and help to build the anticipation for Superunknown. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 The success of the album helped make he band's metal version of alt-rock part of the sound of the 90s. The album produced five charting singles, include what may be their best-known, "Black Hole Sun." Chris Cornell's wailing vocals helped define the band's sound, and Kim Thayil's driven guitar adds effects to create their grandiose, heavy sound.

Superunknown is a timeless classic that cemented Soundgarden's legacy as one of the most influential bands of the 90s. From the iconic opening riff of "Limo Wreck" to the haunting melody of "Black Hole Sun," Superunknown is packed with memorable tracks that showcase the band's prowess. Chris Cornell's power vocals, combined with the intricate guitar work of Kim Thayil, the driving rhythm section of Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd, create a unique and captivating listening experience.

Look, I love Nevermind and Ten as much as the next guy, but…this night just be the best grunge album ever recorded. Monster hooks, cutting lyrics, and a generational talent in the late Chris Cornell.

Chris Cornell is hands down one of the most talented musicians in rock. With his bands, Temple of the Dog, Soundgarden, and Audioslave, as well as a large catalog of his own solo works, the dude had a hell of a career! His voice is so recognizable, and powerful! Black Hole Sun and Spoonman are such awesome songs!! An absolute treat of an album today. Easy 5. Phenomenal! Favourite songs: Black Hole Sun, Spoonman, Mailman, The Day I Tried to Live, Superunknown, Let Me Drown, Kickstand, Fell on Black Days, My Wave Least favourite songs: Half, Head Down 5/5