Superunknown

A masterpiece!

Gets an extra star even if it's a bit too meandering and overlong. RIP man, great voice and a proper rock singer who made not one, but two bands great.

Bom rock, vou escutar mais a banda

Now this is what I’m talking about! Very glad to finally expose myself to some more Soundgarden

Cornell's voice is magic and I wish he were still around today. Got the privilege of seeing him live once before he passed, and the sure was incredible. So many classics on this album that was released when I was 10 years old. I remember recording some of these songs from the radio onto a cassette.

I listened to this for my individual project and really dug it. It has a grungy rock kind of crooning feel. I saved two songs, Black Hole Sun and The Day I Tried to Live and i still regularly listen to them cause they're such a good time.

It's probably not a 5 in the cold light of day but I really enjoyed it

One of my favorites of all time

Best of the best of the 90’s. Pure grunge classic

fuck yeah dude

This one isn’t catching me off guard, as I own this album on CD and have listened to it many times. It’s not my favorite Soundgarden album, that would be Badmotorfinger, but it’s probably my second favorite of theirs. I didn’t really dig the grunge movement as a whole because, much like every popular style of music, the record industry floods the market with inferior clones until they destroy said genre. However, I did love Soundgarden and Alice in Chains more than the other grunge acts. Probably because, much like the really good grunge acts, they weren’t grunge. As I’ve said before, Nirvana isn’t Pearl Jam, which isn’t Soundgarden, which isn’t Alice in Chains, yet they’re all classified by ignorance as grunge. Listening to Soundgarden now fills me with not just nostalgia but melancholy, as you are reminded of Chris Cornell’s suicide and the loss of a true talent. Nirvana, AIC, and Soundgarden, none of those bands made it out unscathed. And you might as well include Pearl Jam, as that band wouldn’t have formed if Andy Wood hadn't overdosed. Both Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament were in Mother Love Bone with Wood, and that band was already starting to buzz and build momentum by the time Wood died. It's all just sad. So, after now being fully depressed, Super Unknown was probably the most evolved Soundgarden record as it was heavy, as their previous albums were, but it also showed growth and diversity of styles. It’s 16 songs and an hour and ten minutes long. Remember when you could just sit and listen to an album for that long. And I mean, just sit there and soak it in, no phones, no TV, nothing. I enjoyed reading while listening to music, so I guess I was still multitasking. I really loved studying while listening to Badmotorfinger. It got me A’s on all kinds of tests in college. Track 1 is Let Me Drown and it starts with a great riff. Soundgarden were riff monsters. I always looked at them as the Led Zeppelin of the Seattle scene. Vocals are on point as always. Matt Cameron, who also drummed for Pearl Jam for decades, is such an underrated drummer. His drum sound is incredible. Looking at the five singles from the album, this could end up being a perfect album. I haven’t listened to it in a while, but I remember the singles being huge in 1994. Track 2 is My Wave, and it was one of those singles. This sounds like Zeppelin to me. And like Zeppelin, Soundgarden was known for using weird or off-kilter time signatures. This song isn’t in your normal 4/4 time, it’s 5/4. I love bands that can get you to groove to weird time signatures. Tool are the kings of that. Track 3 is Fell on Black Days, and it’s a sad song and a harbinger of things to come, it would seem. It’s about being on top of the world and then the next minute you fall into black days. Nothing goes right, and everything seems useless. “Whatsoever I've feared has come to life And whatsoever I've fought off became my life Just when everyday seemed to greet me with a smile Sunspots have faded, now I'm doing time Now I'm doing time” Much like Alice in Chains, looking back at the lyrics of Soundgarden can be crushing. The guitars on this song are so good. Kim Thayil was a genius for riffs and weirdness on the guitar. Track 4 is Mailman, and I don’t remember it right off the bat, but it’s HEAVY. Oh, after looking up the lyrics, it seems Cornell wrote this song about an employee who hates his boss, and it pushes him to violence. Yikes. Man, it’s so slow and thick. It’s like molasses. I love this song. Cornell isn’t really getting crazy with the vocals, it’s just straightforward. Thayil again has these guitar squeals that you’d think would be nails on a chalkboard, but they work well with the song. “I know I’m heading for the bottom and I’m riding you all the way.” Track 5 is the title track, Superunknown, and I can hear a Beatles influence in this song. Cornell harmonizing with himself is like angels singing. Thayil plays almost an old-fashioned guitar solo. This is a very psychedelic song. Track 6 is Head Down, and one of my favorite songs on the album. It starts out with some acoustic guitar, and then it’s joined quickly by electric guitars. This song was written by bassist Ben Shepherd, and it’s about life or society trying to make you conform or live as they would have you live. After Soundgarden broke up, Shepherd ended up broke and essentially homeless before they reunited. He had quit the music business and become a carpenter’s assistant. Track 7 is Black Hole Sun. It’s the big hit of this album and the band’s career. The song was on the charts all over the world, and the video was groundbreaking, psychedelic, and creepy as Hades. It seemed MTV played it nonstop. Cornell said he wrote the song in about 15 minutes. The song is about depression and being disillusioned with life, but Cornell also said it was one of those songs where the wordplay in the lyrics was more important than any meaning. It’s brilliant. Track 8 is Spoonman, and this song just rocks. This was the first single off the album, and it charted well as no one had heard any new stuff from the band for a couple of years. The song is about a street artist who played the spoons. The song even includes a breakdown to allow the Spoonman to have a spoon solo. It’s wild. Cornell really shows off his upper register on this song. Cameron’s drumming meshes well with the Spoonman’s percussion. Track 9 is Limo Wreck, and I don’t remember it right off. Okay, now I do. As soon as the guitar came in with that crazy riff with the harmonics, if I’ve even gotten the right term. Then the song slips into this evil, foreboding Black Sabbath-like riff. It sounds like it could have been a riff from Sabbath’s first album. The guitars are on point in this song. I’m finding myself really loving the songs that could never be hit singles. Track 10 is The Day I Tried To Live and this song always kind of filled me with dread. At least the title and the opening before we get into the main riff. This was the second single off the album. Again, the song has a weird time signature, as a measure of 7/4 pops up regularly throughout the song. Now, I don’t know much about music, but I know if the time signature of a song isn’t a normal one, like ¾ or 4/4, it makes it hard to find a groove or to dance to. But for nerds like me, it’s fun because you know something’s off and it’s a puzzle to try to track it down. I digress. The song is about trying to live each day and stay out of your depression and isolation. Kind of a fake it until you make. “Singing, one more time around (Might do it) One more time around (Might make it) One more time around (Might do it) One more time around (I might make it) The day I tried to live, yeah.” One more time, and he might break the depression. It’s more of a hopeful song, really, though it still fills me with dread. Track 11 is Kickstand, and I don’t remember the song just by the title. It’s their short punk song on the record. Barely over a minute and a half long. The song is about how bike riding helped lift Cornell’s spirits after he lost friends due to drug overdoses. What was going on in the Seattle area in the 70s and 80s? I’m sure every big city has its issues, but the bands coming out of there in the late 80s and 90s end up like pro wrestlers in that era, dead at an early age. Maybe it was just that drugs were more readily available? The weather being more cloudy and rainy? Something caused a whole wave of depression in those bands. To further digress, there's a book called Murderland written about the glut of serial killers in the Northwest. The book looks at the area's smelters that were putting out lead, copper, and arsenic into the air through their smokestacks. The author didn't draw a direct correlation, but investigated the matter and provided examples. End of digression. Track 12 is Fresh Tendrils, and the song is about addiction and the shame that comes with it. Cornell had his own issues with drugs. Another great, but sad song. This album is full of impactful music. Track 13 is 4th of July, and you talk about heavy. It reminds me of the Alice in Chains’ song Sludge Factory. It’s thick, slow and heavy. The song is about an LSD trip Cornell had where he thought he was dying. Cornell’s singing on this is excellent. He’s using both his low and high registers. It makes for a great contrast. The guitar solos remind me of Queens of the Stone Age. Another non-single that I love. Track 14 is Half, and the song has a Middle Eastern feel to it. It’s just over two minutes. The song was written and sung by Shepherd. It’s a weird, psychedelic palate cleanser before the last song, a bonus track. Track 15 is Like Suicide, and the song isn’t about suicide. It’s about falling so deeply in love that you begin to kind of lose yourself or your identity. Cornell wrote the song after performing a mercy killing on a robin that flew into a window at his home and was suffering. This is a great song and could have been a big hit, I think. It’s not a riff-heavy song. Cornell sings his ass off. I may need to rethink my favorite Soundgarden album, as this album is perfect. There’s not one bad song, or even a mediocre one. I generally think most 15-song albums that last over an hour are bloated, but there’s no bloat on Superunknown. I think this album is a must-listen. It’s musically and lyrically solid, and while you hear the band’s influences throughout the album, the songs are all Soundgarden’s.

This is one of the easiest fives I’ll ever give. "Superunknown" has everything I love about rock music - heavy, catchy riffs; incredible vocals; incisive lyrics; powerful drumming. But it also throws in Eastern influences, odd time signatures, and unexpected arrangements. I love it. There is a run of songs from "Fell on Black Days" to "The Day I Tried to Live" that is absolutely unmatched. Eight straight bangers. Incredible. It's like a mini-greatest hits in the middle of a regular album. I am so tied to this music, my friends.......The first time I ever kissed a girl, I was very much in love with her, I was 15, and finally, after months of flirting and talking and will-they-won't-they, we kissed, on an hours-long bus ride in the November cold, and it was the best thing that had ever happened to me, but I knew she was going to destroy me emotionally, and the entire time we were making out I had the pre-chorus to "Mailman" in my head - "I know I'm! Headed for the bottom!" She did indeed wreck me emotionally. And I'll always love that song. FIVE STARS

I know they’re not underrated, but they certainly deserve to be at the forefront of Grunge conversations. Chris’ voice is unique and unbelievably powerful, but even without the music is dynamic and raging, melodic and complex.

<3 Chris Cornell

Fantastic album. Soundgarden at the top of their game.

SI señor. Gracias Chris por todo. ME gusta el sonido, el arriesgarse. muy noventoso, oscuro. CLaramente biased de Cornell

One of the best of all time

I love soundgarden

bias but genuinely a 5 very dynamic and great production. I can see an argument for a 4 as sometimes it is a little flat. I think 5 is fair thou.

Amazing

No one sings like you anymore, Chris Cornell.

5000/10

Duh.

Absolute banger. May be the best grunge album ever.

one of the iconic bands of Grunge. love me some Chris Cornell, so of course this is a banger. 1000/5

Great classic grunge

The best non Nirvana grunge album

fucking banger

Favorite track(s): Let Me Drown, Fell on Black Days, Mailman, Superunknown, Black Hole Sun, Spoonman, The Day I Tried to Live, 4th of July, Nirvana and AiC are obviously great, but nothing can beat this. Chris is a beast. Heard before Previous rating: 9/10

Mucha técnica,mucho grunge, mucho Chris Cornell ✨✨✨

Hell yeah!

Heard it before. Ah how I love Soundgarden. I was gonna complain about Badmotorfinger not being on the list but Superunknown is good too and I guess more "mainstream". The album has an amazing sound. Very cohesive but at the same time every song sounds so different. RIP Chris we miss you 5/5

Que álbum bom da porra, só acaba sendo um pouco repetitivo

Top

Already listened to as part of this project.

Amazing album

This is a desert island disc for me. Spoonman is the only kind of miss in my mind, but not going to stop me from listening from top to bottom

Wow great to revisit this album in full! Grunge at its finest strong vocals and gritty guitar. Makes me feel old that it was released over 30 years ago,

Uff what a trip down to memory lane. And what an amazing album this was! Honestly, all the songs are fantastic. Missing that sound and Cornell's voice.

i already know gem

In 1994/1995 had ik nog niet zo'n super ontwikkelde goede muzieksmaak als nu, dus ik heb de hele grunge tijd niet heel actief meegekregen. Wat ik ken van grunge heb ik daarna tijdens m'n tienerjaren een beetje zelf opgepikt en dat was vooral Nirvana en Pearl Jam. Alice in Chains en Soundgarden heb ik toen alsnog een beetje gemist. Inmiddels ken ik ook die twee bands wel, maar meer dan 2 tot 3 nummers kan ik niet van ze noemen. En dat is eigenlijk wel jammer, want zo'n album is als je hem dan verplicht voorgeschoteld krijgt toch wel erg lekker. 'Fell On Black Days' is voor mij het hoogtepunt van het album, maar ook bij de andere nummers vermaak ik me meer dan prima. Ik geef 5 sterren, ondanks de af en toe wat glam-rock-achtige uithalen van ome Chris waar ik niet helemaal kapot van ben.

Perfect for a loooong train journey

Excellent album. No dips and plenty of highs.

Super.

One of my personal favorite albums cant really be objective. A masterpiece of grunge and the album that cemented chris cornell as the best voice out there which lasted until his death.

This was the first album I ever owned, so it will forever hold a place in my heart. There is also something to be said about all the dark undertones of Cornell's lyrics, after seeing how we parted ways with such an incredible soul. Rest in Peace Chris, we know what you wanted to tell us.

The first album I bought on physical media! This is such a highlight from front to back. It really became them coming into their own, and leaving their standard style behind. A lot of experimentation, and a lot of absolute bangers.

This is peak grunge featuring the best singer of a generation

One of the greatest hard rock albums of all time by a band that could do no wrong. Terrific songwriting and, great riffs, and killer performances. It all comes together here.

Epic! I love this album

Despite how good it is, I cant actually pick a favorite song from this album. 5 stars.

YES!

One of the best hard rock stoner albums ever made

Awesome! Kind of like Linkin Park..but more rock

One of the best albums of the 90’s…

Great album. Chris Cornell was an amazing vocalist and a damn good songwriter, and this album especially shines. It has the main hit Black Hole Sun but also my other favorites, Spoonman and Fell on Black Days.

Phenomenal album. Always enjoyed the band, but this made me appreciate them even more

This will change your life.

Superunknown represents the grunge genre's transition from gloomy underground Seattle rock to a mainstream musical style with broad appeal, and while I prefer the unwashed sound of Soundgarden in Badmotorfinger like the sharp bitterness of a Pacific Northwest IPA, this album goes down smooth like a macrobrew pale ale. The progression of the album weaves between upbeat and catchy rhythms like those of My Wave, and dark and brooding guitar riffs that underpin songs like Mailman, illustrating a range of emotions that grunge was thought to lack before it was thrust out of obscurity by this album. Betwixt the singles of wide renown are not filler tracks, but delicacies of the finest grunge, appreciated by fans of the genre who choose to explore the sounds of Soundgarden beyond what is considered to be commercially successful. Such real grunge enjoyers understand the tragedy of the loss of Soundgarden's vocalist, Chris Cornell - one of the greatest vocalists of all time. Every one of his songs reveals new talents and ranges of his voice's broad repertoire, and while a sense of melancholy is felt knowing that his career reached an early end, a happiness can be found in appreciating the great variety of art he has given for us to enjoy.

YESSSSSS YES YESSSSS LOVE ily chrissy cornell

I saw Soundgarden on tour for this album. The venue, Tsongas Arena in Lowell, MA, was hot and sweaty and Chris Cornell was understandably peeved about people throwing their sweaty t-shirts on the stage. But the band was on fire. Chris Cornell was a generational talent who could sing while playing complex guitar riffs. The songs on this album spoke to a darker part of him.

I love Black Hole Sun with all my heart. An all time classic. The rest of the album was rougher than I would usually like, but still incredible.

A spectacular band at the apex of their powers. This album has a bit of everything that makes them great, and all pulled off flawlessly. Favorite track: 4th of July

unreal good - the perfect grunge album. I think even over nevermind

Chris Cornell…what a voice. Best of his genre I reckon. Great songs and musicians at the top of their game. Matt Fucking Cameron producing the magic on the drums….take a bow for Spoonman solo. Stand out track ‘Fell On Black Days’….bit so many great tracks on here. A classic.

*

i LOVE this album 🫶

This is possibly one of the greatest grunge albums. I loved this. Very strong throughout. I love Chris Cornell's powerful voice, but the other members still shine, like the guitarist on Fourth of July. Great instrumental track at the end as well. I loved the drums and riffs; this is right up my alley.

an album among the best grunge albums after Nirvana according to Saundgaden but there is much more desire to change the instrumental part and with more beautiful lyrics counts of death and politicians

fuck this fuckin rules. shit

Excelente álbum, tiene hit tras hit, canciones súper pesadas y además lleva el grunge a tópicos más experimentales, jugando mucho con sonidos y ritmos hindús, se nota que Chris Cornell y compañía querían elevar al grunge a algo más, me encantó.

Možda posljednji veliki grunge album

Out of all of Soundgarden's releases this has to be my favorite. I can close my eyes and still remember the video for Black Hole Sun and Spoonman. I know that my love for this is because I grew up listening to the Grunge era but man was it great while it lasted.

I've got to listen to more soundgarden. This album was great. I have heard a handful of their hits but never really pue together that they have this many songs that I like.

Peak

5/5

>>> the Beatles Black Hole Sun alone, come on. We didn't deserve Chris Cornell

9/10

5 out of 5 Chris Cornell and one of the best Grunge albums out of the 90. Part of the core grunge along with nirvana, stp, and pearl jam.

5/5 peak soundgarden

Have this album, love it.

Excellent album de grunge, c'est un grand oui. Palpitant du début à la fin ! J'en redemande. Tout est bien : la voix, les instrus, la diversité, ... Je recommande vivement de l'écouter si on aime ce style. Note : 5 À réécouter : Oui

Blown away by this album. Monster grudge hits.

Didn't pay much attention to track numbers but was overall very good. Favortie: the day I tried to live Least: My wave

I thought I’d dislike it but this completely won me over, it was a highly enjoyable album with nice grunge and metal sounds. It was quite varied, the song ‘half’ reminded me of led zep a bit. Cornell’s voice is huge.

Always thought I needed to like this record, and that I didn't. But after listening to it for the first time in years, I really enjoyed it! Even caught myself singing along. Also how are black hole sun and spoon man so casually track 7 and 8? I think this is a really great record, glad I listened to it again.

A Masterpiece! Deep, dark, and heavy feeling of hopelessness after reach song...

Really liked this actually. It had a grungy rock kind of crooning feel. Saved two songs. Would probably listen to again.

Amazing 90’s sound!

Me pareció un disco absolutamente puro y claro osea muy bueno en su totalidad, me gustaron mucho las canciones

I forgot how great this album is. I agree that it does feel a little long but I’m not really sure where I’d trim it. Plus it has Sooundgarden’s best song, 4th of July, on it.

This is a perfect grunge album

5 singles from an album usually means the album was good and did well. In this case it also cemented Soundgarden as Grunge royalty.

This is one of those albums where a genre existed but was perfected. Love this one.

Is it their best album? Is it a great album? Yes

Like watching a movie

Really phenomenal album. Soundgarden's ability to toe the line between all out grunge and prog is wildly impressive. And Chris Cornell is, of course, an absolute beast. One of those albums that kind of entraps you and before you know it, it's been over an hour and you could keep listening forever. So many great tracks and no real weak spots. Favorite track: Spoonman

This is one of the first albums I bought as a teenager, and it was surprising how good the album was from front to back, definitely not an album that relied solely on its singles, even though the singles were very strong

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Never owned this album, nor listened all the way through. Can see how they influenced a lot of the music that followed which I did listen to at the time

Already familiar! I rediscover this album about once every year and it becomes the only thing I can listen to for a few days. Amazing album.

Very good

A classic, Soundgarden at the top of their game. Thayil's guitar work on here is iconic. So many amazing songs. Hearing Cornell sing 'Fell on Black Days' was always heavy but hearing it now, jesus. 'Day I Tried to Live' goes so hard. '4th of July' is a freakin' masterpiece.

Me encanta

Seminal grunge album. A real all-timer.

Yeah it's too long but boy does it rock.

Stellar grunge record.

As a 14 year old, this album blew my mind. It was a big step forward from Badmotorfinger, adding a more melodic and psychedelic touch to the muscle and heaviness of the previous album. Chris Cornell’s vocals are excellent and float above the mix without drowning out Matt Cameron’s drumming, Ben Sheherd’s bass, and Kim Thayil’s guitar. I am biased as this is my favorite band, but to me this is one of the last classics of grunge before numetal and post-grunge took over the airwaves.

Best grunge album of all time

Hell yeah. Hell fucking yeah.

This generator is great because it introduces most of us to albums that we have never heard of, and because at least for me it forces me to listen to albums that I am aware of anew or for the first time. I am the perfect age for this album and probably 80% of my friends had it when it came out. Despite that I have never listened to this in its entirety until today some 34 years after its release. I have always written Soundgarden off as the band with "Spoonman" and "Black Hole Sun." I was wrong. This is a fantastic album. Both for the opportuniites where Cornell gets to sing his ass off without being a showoff and for the overall musicianship of the band , and the chances they take on this album. I am going to add Soundgarden to the list (which is growing everyday) of bands that I should have listened to at the time.

Real motherfucker of an album here. Interesting to me in that it's not my favorite, but they found their sound, and every song is memorable and distinct but still of a piece like all the greatest. Some real bangers too, didn't realize spoonman came this late.

Really takes me back

One of my all time favourite bands, their best record and the best rock vocalist of all time. So many great songs on one album. It’s just a shame that this genre is so underrepresented compared to many other artists. 1 album each for Soundgarden (no other Chris Cornell-band: Audioslave, Temple of The Dog, solo), Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains is disapointing when Elvis Costello has 6, Tom Waits has 5 and The Smiths/Morrisey has 7… Favourite songs on Superunknown: Black Hole Sun, Spoonman, The Day I Tried To Live, Like Suicide, Fell On Black Days, My Wave, Drown Me In You and Half.

SUPERGOOD

First Song is banging, second song is a little too much ban nan a y'know overwise good. Songs are really bloody good, very rock punky losery. The type of music you could rob someone to

I had Badmotorfinger and honestly, it was not my favorite album. I liked the releases off of this one, but never bought it but I'm an idiot. I like every track--even Spoonman which is not a good lyric. Another one I'm going 5 off of the first listen!

5 is not enough stars. This might actually be the best 90's grunge album -- Obviously Nevermind is incredible, but this is so underplayed by comparison ... Weird coincidence how nearly all my favorite albums happened to come out when I was in my 20's.

One of the best

Awesome hard rock

A powerhouse of the grunge era. Chris Cornell's voice is unmatched

I'm only halfway through and LOVE ALL OF IT! So much going on and fun to listen to!

ES UN DIS CA ZO, realmente no hay nada que decir. Tiene una musicalidad que hace super disfrutables las canciones más allá de la distorsión y el ruido

Classic

Looking at the titles alone, there were clear signs that Chris Cornell was looking for help.

One of my favourites. Have been a fan since it was released. Arguably the best album they ever made. A huge progression from Badmotorfinger and one of the best rock albums of the decade. It’s so powerful and reveals something new with every listen. Best: My Wave Worst: (no bad songs)

You can get away with a long album when it’s this solid and shows this much technical skill.

Realistically, this is a 4 star album. I'm giving it 5 because it's Chris Cornell's only album here and he is a beast.

whole album is incredible damn near every song a 5

Goated

I thought I liked Soundgarden, but this shows I REALLY like soundgarden. I knew all of the radio singles, but this album flowed really well from front to back. And there's a reason that Chris Cornell is recognized as one of the best vocalists of all time. This album right here.

Is it too long? Not if you don’t want it to stop.

This is a fantastic album that rewards a listener with a good set of headphones. Muti-layered with interesting sounds. There's lots to admire here, both musically and lyrically. The lyrics for Fell on Black Days are poetry. Spoonman is great fun and has an interesting time signature. There are many great songs, like Fresh Tendrils and the title track, that were never released as singles too.

so amazing. i love the vibe, the vocals, etc. every song just gets better and better.

Extraño tanto a Chris Cornell. Superunknown fue el primer disco que compré con mi propio dinero, entonces tiene un lugar muy especial en mi memoria. La voz de Chris tiene que aparecer junto a Mercury, Plant, Delp, Perry y otras habituales dentro de las listas de los mejores vocalistas. Matt Cameron y Ben Shepherd forman una sección rítmica brillante. Kim Thayil no falla con su guitarra. Pasa de lo heavy a lo psicodélico, al metal y hasta diría un poco punk con una facilidad tremenda. Sin olvidar sus riffs y solos, claro. Y luego tenemos a Chris Cornell. No sólo poseía una voz insuperable, sino también sabía componer canciones memorables. El álbum es algo largo y por lo mismo no todas las canciones son fantásticas, pero tiene 'Black Hole Sun', 'Spoonman', 'Fell on Black Days', 'Let Me Drown' y 'Like Suicide', las cuales bastan para un 5.

Quality. Long time since listening to it too

This is,a,definite 5 star album. Every song is great except one.

Yesterday I said I needed interesting lyrics and a great vocalist for repeat listens and today the generator was a kind and benevolent god, providing me one of the greatest vocalists of my lifetime. Chris Cornell made singing sound effortless. His voice was perfect - emotive, amazing range and one of the best rock "screamy" vocals ever. I never got into grunge despite being about the right age during it's heyday, but Black Hole Sun was such an important song to me as a kid. When we got MTV I remember becoming obsessed with the music video, which was so trippy. Despite that (and liking Spoonman, which I really don't think I appreciated enough in my early teens), I never bought an album and really haven't ever subsequently sat down to listen to any Soundgarden album, just heard bits and bobs over the years. I was so excited to finally listen to this album from start to end. This is really, really great for the most part. The vocals yes, just perfect, but the instrumentals too. The guitar in tracks like Superunknown is just so, so catchy. Away from the most famous songs, I really loved Mailman. For my personal tastes it's a little too long, as I definitely prefer sub-60 minute albums (preferably 45ish minutes), but it's definitely accomplished. It's sort of annoying I have first listened to all of Superunknown in my mid 40s. Even with my quibble over the length, giving this less than a 5 seems massively unfair due to the overall quality and the fact Chris Cornell's voice makes my stomach do flips, so: 5/5

This just kept getting better as it went on. What an incredible voice

Loved it then - love it even more now ❤️

Killer vocals, great riffs, overall fantastic album that encapsulates the grunge era perfectly. RIP Chris Cornell

Okay, it turns out I might like grunge more than I thought - this was excellent! That being said, I don't know if I'll be written off for this but i definitely think Black Hole Sun is one of the weaker songs here - I can see it as the vaguely accessible single to draw people in, but it's when three band goes full rock that it all works best. Spoonman and the title track are absolute bangers, and I'm definitely coming back to this album later :)

Still an amazing album

Cornell’s voice combined with the sludge of the rhythm section and the technicality of the guitars put this album on another level. Perfect album, and a great intro to anyone looking to get into grunge

I listened to this album many times when it first came out, but it's been awhile. Of course, I hear the songs that were big hits still from time to time. But listening to the album front to back again today reminded me of how good it is. It really shows off the diversity of Soundgarden, and that they could do things outside of their "typical" sound and still be so good. Definitely one of my top albums from that time period and still stands up today.

Yksi kaikkien aikojen levyistä. 7/5.

There was a time I'd listen to this almost every day. So what spoke to me? Chris Cornell is a great vocalist, capturing in his lyrics not just teenage angst but the essence of what it means to live with depressive thoughts, apathy, loneliness, anger and sublimates it to a major dose of kickass. Musically the songs are layered, complex and filled with delightful quirks. From the non standard tunings om my wave, like suicide and the day I tried to live to the effects. Black hole sun is that one song the guitarists want a leslie speaker for. All the instruments on it are also tuned to a slightly higher pitch than standard so as to sound eerie. Spoonman has a goddamn spoon solo on it. Soundgarden always had prog influences but without losing itself in it. But it's not quite metal either (the grammy's disagreed on that). It makes for a varied record, a rollercoaster ride of loud. Go give badmotorfinger and down on the upside a listen too if you haven't yet. They are not on this list, which in my mind is a damn shame.

Es un album oscuro para disfrutar. Me gusta su sonido fuerte y reflexivo. Entre mis canciones favoritas estan Fell on Black Days,Superunknown y obvieamente Black hole sun.

190/1001 :: Soundgarden - Superunknown Heard before? ✅ Would I revisit? ✅ Rating: 10 Listen before you die: Yes Frankly it’s hard to imagine my life without this album. Being a teenager in the 90s has shaped a lot of who I am. And with it, I’ve come to put that decade (and specifically grunge) on a pedestal as far as music goes. And for me this album has always sat at the top of it all. I could argue other albums are maybe just as good but this is a masterpiece. I remember buying it the day it came out and was just blown away by the growth from Badmotor. But there’s something about taking the foot off the gas just a touch to get to something just as heavy but also deeper. To deliver on a pop rock masterpiece like Black Hole Sun and the drudge of 4th of July and have them beautifully hang together. And while singles like Day I Tried To Live, Fells on Black Days etc were great…I love the deeper cuts like Limo Wreck and Mailman. Mailman has slowly become a Top 5 Soundgarden song for me. I saw some people trashing this album in the reviews. If you can’t love this album, I genuinely feel bad for you. Frankly you’ve missed the plot.

Yks kovimmista levyistä koskaan

Ysärillä tää oli aika kovassa kuuntelussa, ja edelleenkin monta biisiä on omalla soittolistalla, helppo vitska.

Ihanaa!

Pour ce bon vieux Chris ça sera un 5, la voix de fou qu'il avait

absolutely awesome nye pick. listened to while i cleaned my room. heard a lot of the songs before, but always fun to listen to an album in its entirety.

Great Album

Listened while travelling so couldn’t do usual review. Pretty perfect 90s rock album, absolutely enthralled by the vocals, lyrics, instrumentals and as a whole the general vibe of the album. The hits really hit such as spoonman and black hole but even the lesser known songs like let me drown are pretty flawless. 9/10

Ngl quite cathartic listening to this on my period

I really loved this album. I am a long-time fan of Soundgarden. Many of the tracks were familiar, but some were new to me. I liked the different moods of the songs - some hard, some sad, some just chill. Iconic songs for my generation! 5 stars.

Sorry gang I didn't listen in full and idk how to escape it it's not forcing me to rate

Have loved this album for over 30 years now

Nice

Great grunge/alt rock album.

Excellent

What a fantastic album. It holds up well after all these years. It's really impressive how much depth it has. The album is best known for the hits (Black Hole Sun and Spoonman) but for me there are a dozen other equally good songs.

The only faults this album has is 1) being one of too few entries in Chris Cornell's canon, and 2) being a bit too long. But even with those faults, this holds up insanely well. The hits (but for Spoonman, which I never liked) still resonate - even Black Hole Sun, which I solidly thought I'd hate after hearing it overplayed on MTV for most of my junior year of high school. But the deep cuts are often also great (Limo Wreck, Head Down) with only the last 5 or so tracks feeling like filler. That said, even the filler isn't painful and skip-inducing - it just kind of fades into a grungy melange that doesn't stand out as amazingly as much of the rest of the album. Minor critiques for a classic 90s album.

Some unreal riffage on here. Chris Cornell is sorely missed. What a talent. A little long perhaps with a bit of filler but to be honest the vast majority of songs on here get it scoring pretty highly. Spoooonnmaaaan!!

If there's a place or time that "perfected" this sound (grunge) for the mainstream, this is surely it. They retained the heaviness of earlier records while clearly displaying diverse influences and styles. It debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 to be the band's true commercial and critical breakthrough. Suddenly, everyone wanted to hear them play their song.

Heard it

Soundgarden and this album specifically give grunge a smoothness thanks to the warm guitar and Chris Cornell's legendary voice. Maybe it's because it was the first of many albums I stole from my dad in what would be a decades long war he started by stealing my Bad Religion CD, but this album has a special place in my heart. Although I haven't listed to it in a few years and my taste in music has considerably drifted, it's still earns what only my favorite albums do, five stars. P.s. Deluxe edition is 5 stars as well.

Really good album put almost every song from the Playlist with very few exceptions the album has alot of energy songs you can really bang your head to or lift them heavy weights all around a good album my style

I knew I’d love it!

really good, makes me want to listen to more soundgarden albums in full since this was my first, especially their earlier albums to see how their sound evolved before the 90s grunge scene really took off

"We looked deep down inside the very core of our souls and there was a little Ringo sitting there. Oh sure, we like telling people it's John Lennon or George Harrison, but when you really look deep inside of Soundgarden, there's a little Ringo wanting to get out." -Kim Thayil

I love everything Chris Cornell. I had one wonderful live experience with Soundgarden back in 1991. Yes, 1991. Since that time, my appreciation for his music, his voice and lyrics have only grown to the point I have to say he one of my all time favorites. I miss that man. This album hits me on some many levels I not sure I could explain without writing a short story. I remember my young son using My Wave as his model about writing a story about life and how life defines who he is and has become. Definitely one of my favorites. Superunknow is a banger I can listen to without ever tiring. And while I think Black Hole Sun, Spoonman (real person, look up the story) and Fell on Black days are very good, radio overplayed and kinda killed the feeling of how good the songs were when they came out. Let Me Drown, Head Down, Limo Wreck and 4th of July deserved as much, if not more attention. This is just a great album. The Day I Tried to Live.....I willed that song into my wife. Let me bring you home. I did. Toughest woman out there who went through shit no person should have to. My Wave, the bass at the end, I think of my favorite bass player of all time. He's hanging out with Chris. Love you both but damn you and damn Like Suicide. A great album that will always be very special to me. My son bought me a photo of Chris's last show in Detroit. Sometimes I still cry just looking at it. Tough write up for this listener but I can't give this album anything but 5. 5

not so fan - quite flat for me but i really understand we can love it.

It maybe could use to be a little shorter but there was no way I was giving this album any other rating, it's too goddamn good. Soundgarden's absolute peak.

SPOOOOONMAAAAAAN

FORMATIVE - I Love this album so much. The Day I tried to live is my top track and the music video for Black Hole Sun is my favorite of all time. Love limo wreck. The best songs weren't the ones that got radio play.

One of my favorites of all time.

320/1089 - What Nirvana does with harmony, Soundgarden does with rhythm. Super inventive and so many great songs on this one. Truly the best grunge album.

Obra maestra del grunge sin paliativos. El bueno de Chris Cornell, siempre a la sombra del mediático Kurt Cobain, encuentra la llave maestra para elevar el género a categoría suprema. Riffs y baterías contundentes, fuerza melódica y energía vocal, todo puesto a la disposición de los “angry young men and women” de los 90. Y además con hitazos como “Black Hole Sun”, “Spoonman” o “My Wave”. Imprescindible.

Love this album, but also think Spoonman is one of the worst songs, and never have understood why it has had such longevity.

As a fan of 90s alternative, there isn’t any better than Soundgarden. The vocals are absolutely incredible. Pair that with the guitar prowess and poetic lyrics, and you have an incredible album!

Takes me back to high school, but in a good way. This album is still great.

Kanskje favoritt Soundgarden album. Dette smeller og var dødsnice gjenhør! alt for lenge siden sist!

A seminal grunge album, and perhaps Soundgarden's best (although I do prefer Badmotorfinger). Powerful riffs, lots of energy and creativity, and probably the best singing voice of the era in Chris Cornell. I love this era of music so much that it's difficult for me to be objective on these albums, but it's my rating and I don't care. I've sat and listened to more crap than I ever thought I would; this album is great and is better than most of the rest in my ears, so it's getting the nod as my ninth 5/5

Excellent

Take, if you want a slice If you want a piece If it feels alright Break, if you like the sound If it gets you up If it brings you down Share, if it makes you sleep If it sets you free If it helps to breath Don't come over here Piss on my gate Save it just keep it off my wave Cry, if you want to cry If it helps you see If it clears your eyes Hate, if you want to hate If it keeps you safe If it makes you brave Pray, if you want to pray If you like to kneel If you like to lay Don't come over here Piss on my gate Save it just keep it off my wave

A classic masterpiece, i love this album so much

I see Superunknown I vote 5.

FUCK YEAH! The video clip for Black Hole Sun blew my 12-year old brain. Immediately bought the CD single with pocket money. My sister received the album on cassette for Christmas. Tape is harder to skip around, so I’ve listened to this album in full more times than I can count. 5/5 RIP Chris Cornell.

The consistency throughout this is so impressive, I didn't want it to end. It's a rare feat that an album with over an hour of runtime has no real dull moments, and this is it. It's so immersive, with perfect balance between chaos and control. It's dark, heavy, often psychedelic and never one-dimensional. The worst songs on this aren’t even proper songs, more like small interludes. Chris Cornell's vocal performance is immaculate, the range of his voice and the different techniques he uses really sets him apart from most rock vocalists. Best song is impossible to choose, gonna just list my top 5 in no order: Let Me Drown / Fell On Black Days / Black Hole Sun / Fresh Tendrils / 4th Of July Worst song: Kickstand Cover check: Fits perfect, it's abstract and disorienting

Love me some SoundGarden

Love the sound. Five might be generous but I could listen to this on any day at any time.

Amazing slice of fried golden grunge!

99% bangers

Absolute cinema

Excelente álbum. Soundgarden logró producir un álbum que combina elementos del grunge con aspectos más experimentales y progresivos (compases poco comunes, efectos en las guitarras, experimentación en la grabación) sin ser pretencioso ni aburrido. El álbum dura más de 1 hora, pero no es una duración que perjudique, en tanto que no solo la calidad de la música es consistente de principio a fin, sino que además tiene inercia y diversas atmósferas y elementos que sorprenden en cada tema. La voz de Cornell es muy buena, y menos intensa que en los álbumes de Audioslave, donde el registro tiende a ser más agudo y el timbre más rasposo. En este caso hay momentos en los que no parece el mismo cantante de Audioslave de hecho. Tiene mucha más versatilidad y experimentación. Un álbum que seguramente vuelva a escuchar reiteradas veces.

This album captures the vibe of a 16 year old boy enjoying his weekend break from school. One of the popular boys at school is throwing a house party and everyone is invited. Except for this guy, and a couple of the nerds who wouldn't want to go anyway. The boy is bitter. He would have loved to have gone to the party, and had been excited to get involved in this youth drinking culture that the news is always raving about. Plus he had heard rumours about a lot of girls being invited to this party too, and he was pretty keen to try and hook up. But fuck those posers, if they don't want him there, that is fine. He'll have his own fun. That means watching the rugby with his dad, then staying up late playing computer games. He's got himself a 1.5 litre bottle of Sparkling Duet and a big back of Rashuns. Time to lock in to some Diablo 2. He just found a pretty strong axe that does added cold damage, and this should make him strong enough to take on Mephisto. He's gonna enjoy it, but also on Monday at school he'll lie to his classmates about how he went to a party at someone else's house anyway so he doesn't even care that he wasn't invited to the party.

A classic. Such an amazing voice and great musicianship.

Love this album, absolutely insane vocals in front of some extremely catchy grunge rhythms. No complaints (except maybe it goes on too long)

Listens: 4 Standout Tracks: Mailman Superunknown, Black Hole Sun, Spoonman Very familiar with Black Hole Sun, but that was about it going into this album. I am acutely aware of Soundgarden, but never got into them for some reason, despite liking a lot of difference shades of Grunge- and by "shades" I guess I mean, grunge bands that are able to cover the range of qualities of singing from straight up screaming to the more melodic tuned in singing qualities found in, for example, Black Hole Sun. I've enjoyed Nirvana, and the Smashing Pumpkins, but found MudHoney to be a little too raw. That's basically what I mean when I say "shades of grunge". Anyways, Chris Cornell has that range. He can get really screamo on the track and then go and belt out a proper singing with Black Hole Sun, or dare I say the Casino Royale title song "You Know My Name". This range elevates the band from run of the mill garage grunge rock to superstar pioneer grunge rock. Not to mention he went on to help form Audioslave, which was a stellar supergroup. There's a diversity of the style of songs across the album and I am onboard with it.

A massive sound

One of my all time favourite albums and a large part of my youth as I can remember the exact moment I heard it on the radio (unlike almost all the music I currently listen to)... Easily the best grunge album in my opinion.

The whole Nirvana vs Pearl Jam debate really annoys me for two reasons: Nirvana are obviously better and it's not even close, but also that Soundgarden are a far better comparison, both in terms of the quality of the music, and the band's history. I do overall give the edge to Nirvana still, but there's absolutely no denying that this and even Badmotorfinger are some of the greatest grunge albums ever made.

There is a very real sense in which the entire grunge project was an exercise in attempting to rescue the legacy of Sabbath and Zep from the hair-metal bozos - to return to the deep-in-the-cold-dark-ground *heaviness* those bands exemplified. Chris Cornell (on whom the Mandate of Heaven fell in the form of his Plant-ian vocal aptitude) and his bandmates come the closest of anybody to realizing that ambition here. It all works - suitably gentle-rough production courtesy of Michael Beinhorn, grooves that frequently lurch in odd meters but never in ways that feel unnatural, Kim Thayil's riffs moving at the exact speed they should move. Even the impressionistic lyrics work for them better than they'd work for pretty much anyone else, because Cornell's voice is operatic in the communicative sense - the notes he sings and how he sings them are more important than the words per se. I don't need to know what he's saying to *know what he's saying*. I miss him.

This is one of my favourite albums, it blends perfectly the dark and heavy metal-ish sound of previous Soundgarden albums with more melodic songwritting and production, psychedellic elements and the godlike voice of Chris Cornell in the peak of his amazing talent, perfect album.

FFFFUCKKKYEAHHHHHBLAAACKKHHOOLLLEEESUNNNNNNNNN

I wrote a long piece trying to explain what this album means to me, but I’m giving up on that. It’s a much more ambitious record than it first seems, and way harder to grasp than most of its peers’ earlier releases. Coming off an uneven beginning in the 80s, the music here feels heavier, more mature, grounded, and thoughtfully put together… and I just love it, flaws and all.

Ach, Grunge das war schon eine tolle Zeit, musikalisch sehr prägend und sooo lange her inzwischen. c

Legendary album by Soundgarden, this album brought a different composition of songs, being slower and heavier, but still bringing the level of brilliance in song writing. Black Hole Sun and Spoonman are the standouts, but it has many more gems like Superunknown and Kickstand. Essential listening.

Great album with cool melodies and heavy riffing. I always liked how Soundgarden leaned into a more stoner/doom sound than other grunge bands and that element is still here even as they sound more "commercial". 4.5/5.0: Excellent

R.I.P. Chris Cornell. i'd never heard this full album but was familiar with half the songs already so i had high expectations and they did not disappoint

Soundgarden delivered a record with the raw energy of their roots, but had also matured as songwriters and musicians.

Strong album. I had forgotten how much I enjoy the tracks (particularly the singles) off of this one. It's a pure hit of grunge nostalgia for me all the way through.

Know and love this album. Absolutely perfect album.

Goddamn I love this album, the guitar tones, Chris Cornell vocals are incredible, the productions, peak grunge. All timer.

I was a 15yo in an Austrian hotel room when I first knowingly heard Soundgarden and it was the video for _Black Hole Sun_ which, along with _Basket Case_, I watched several times a day on MTV. I hated that holiday, I didn’t want to be there and so I barely left my room. Sad in retrospect but at least I got _Dookie_ and ***Superunknown*** out of it! And I was obsessed with Soundgarden for many years after, and I still am! The dark brooding nature that underpins the muscular riffs and beautiful melodics is probably what ultimately lead to Cornell’s early demise but it makes for an utterly compelling record and one that never feels anywhere near its well over an hour of length. Although he becomes the focus, It’s not just the Cornell show. Kim Thayil’s melodies and solos are unmistakable. Ben Shepherds aggressive, expressive and melodic bass and Matt Cameron’s precision, power and groove behind the drums. Their chemistry as a 4 piece just works. Along with _Badmotorfinger_ this is up there with my fave albums of all time. Easiest 5 stars yet!

90s grunge is a genre where my enjoyment of swings overtime, but this album today has got to be 5 stars.

Pretty kick ass album. It has few flaws and no weak moments, and rocks the 90’s era west coast sound with the best. Cornell can bring the pipes, and while I never saw these guys live, i was lucky to catch his excellent solo set in Austin about 11 years ago. Miss him. This is top notch grunge, and as a dude born in Seattle before it went Tech-Bro shitty, I approve!

As close to a 5 as you can get.

Only decided to listen to this after the news of Chris Cornell’s death. Should have listened sooner. Amazing riffs and incredible vocals throughout. Soundgarden’s magnum opus and one of the defining albums of the grunge era.

One of my favorites!

Shocked to see the hate for this one, but I shouldn't be surprised. Soundgarden were massive in the 90s, and rightly so. Musically great and Chris' vocals are top. This is a great album with some classics.

This is simply my favorite album of all time. Out of all the of the grunge bands, it was Soundgarden that really took hold of me when I was younger and I think this is their real peak, though I like all of their work. Soundgarden have always been the most talented of the big time 90's grunge bands, musically anyway. You can hear it in the odd time signatures this album starts with; My Way alone is already in 5/4 with odd breaks in between, Fell On Black Days is in 7/4, and later on you get to the really wacky shit like Limo Wreck being in 15/8. That's not even mentioning the tuning. If I remember right, 4th Of July is in CGDG or something equally low and strange. To someone who really enjoys the technicalities of music, all this stuff just makes for a wonderful listening experience, and it's not so obtuse that it's "math metal" and becomes unlistenable to most people. The performances or up to the task as well. Chris Cornell was always one of the rock singers with the most range and he has it all over this album. His voice is not only vocally wide ranging but the emotion he conveys with it is all over. From anger (obviously) to despair, to just a good time, he can hit it all. Thayil, Shepard, and Cameron are all immensely talented in their own rights and they write some really spectacular parts. I don't think the bass work on this album is quite as good is it is on the follow up, Down on the Upside, but the guitar solos and drums on this album are the best Soundgarden ever did. Thayil's solos in particular always make me smile. The production is excellent, the mastering is excellent, the artwork is excellent, etc, etc. It's just so good. Bury me with this album.

Heavily nostalgia tinted but Soundgarden was ALWAYS around. Blackhole sun is one of the first music video's I remember. Chris Cornell has one of my favorite voices of all time, (rest in peace funky spiderman). And the album is hit after hit after hit. In the early 90's battles between Pearl Jam and Nirvana, Sound Garden will always come out on top to me.

This album came on and immediately I thought WOW - now this is a well produced album with tight songs and Chris Cornell’s AMAZING voice! I rocked out to this while wandering around London Drugs having a fabulous time which continued as I partied all the way home. GREAT album!

I'm a fan of Soundgarden and the grungy sound of the '90s. Love the atmosphere, the guitars, the voice, the lyrics. Not much to add. This is a 9.3 out of 10 for me.

Making psychedelic grunge metal as poppy as possible, this album is a favorite of my mid-twenties, and I still love it today.

Another 5 star classic, and one of the Mount Rushmore of grunge albums. Admittedly, I spent more time with Pearl Jam and Nirvana through my teens but there’s no denying the quality here. Chris Cornell’s vocals can’t be praised enough. I never saw Soundgarden live but I was fortunate enough to see Audioslave.

Iconic

RIP Chris Cornell, one of the four major grunge kings

Klasika meho dospivani

What a wonderful album. Quintessential grunge. The overall feel of the album is fantastic. It's got such a dark tone, musically speaking, but the roundness of the tone knocks the edge off it, prevents it from sounding harsh.

Frickin awesome!

Solid and interesting

Arguably one of the greatest voices of grunge, if not the greatest. Absolutely loved "Fell on Black Days". 9/10

Soundgarden are in my top ten favorite bands. It’s raw, loud, emotional, heavy. Pure rock and roll that would put hair on your chest

THIS IS PEAK

One of my all time faves, and arguably the best grunge album (fight me). I was always a bigger Pearl Jam fan, but these days I always find myself revisiting Superunknown more than any PJ or Nirvana album. I just love the heavy, sludgy, psychedelic guitar sound, mingled with Chris Cornell's incredible voice. He was one of the best ever, such a sad loss for humanity. I can see the argument that it's maybe a bit too long, but that's just the way with 90s albums isn't it? There's only 2 or 3 tracks I could see dropping...maybe Limo Wreck, Kickstand and Half. Everything thing else on here is essential though IMO.

Solid rock album. Should be on the Top 100 of all time.

As a teenager of the 90s I was hugely influenced by the Seattle Sound! I never got the chance to see Chris Cornell live, for me he is the greatest alternative/grunge vocalist!

🗯 My ears began to change in 1991. By 1994, they were ready for this grunge masterpiece. Superunknown is where Chris Cornell became a vox god and Matt Cameron proved himself one of the all-time drum heroes. It’s not just heavy — it’s strange, ambitious, and sprawling, the record that lifted Soundgarden above the pack and cemented their place as one of the era’s true giants. I first met it through ‘Black Hole Sun’ on rage — weird, unsettling, and strangely alluring to a young Benny. That song became inescapable, but it still glows as the centrepiece here: a pop single wrapped in a dreamlike, psychedelic shadow. And the rest of the album? Just as strong. Spoonman is jagged and muscular, Fell on Black Days is pure existential ache, The Day I Tried to Live is stadium doubt disguised as defiance, and 4th of July is molten doom psychedelia. Cornell’s voice could do it all — banshee wails, soulful croons, whispers that still cut. Cameron’s drumming is restless and precise, jazz brain powering thunder. Together they made a record that feels alive, urgent, and 30 years later, untouchable. Verdict: Essential (a crown jewel of grunge that transcends the tag) For fans of: Alice in Chains, Led Zeppelin, Queens of the Stone Age, screaming into the cosmos with a wah pedal

For me, one of the best Rock albums ever recorded. As simple as that

A lock as one of my desert island albums.

Perfect blend of grunge, psychedelia and metal.

Awesome music.

Reminds me of dad

Grunge classic

Classic. Songs that stick in the head.

5-

Brilliant album from start to finish with its odd guitar tunings, blending of grunge/psychedelics, and above all Chris Cornell's vocals.

There aren’t 1001 albums you need to hear before you die, not really, but this is one of the few that actually lives up to the claim that you need to hear it before you die.

Listened in October 2024. Much better than I remembered. I would cut out a few songs from the second half, but this is much more vital and energised than I recognised on a first listen. One of the peaks of grunge.

CERTIFIED ALL-TIME FACEMELTER!!🔥🔥🔥

It's an obvious 5 but these days I can't help but gravitate toward the deeper cuts like Head Down and 4th of July, probably my 2 favorite Soundgarden songs. Wild stuff going on, even in just the vocals.

chris cornell I love and miss you so much. this is such a quintessential album to understanding the human condition. not to be gauche but soundgarden (along with nirvana, alice in chains, and pearl jam) gave individuals an outlet to feel all emotions. it is beautiful to me!!!!!!

I have some very heavy nostalgia for this album. Despite some songs being massively overplayed, it’s still damn near perfect to me. So I give it a very biased 5.

oh i really like this one. for those of you fans of grunge music, this album will be right up your alley. overwhelming and amazing rock music that isn't afraid to get a little strange and complex. chris cornell is an AMAZING vocalist. he's up there with kurt cobain in terms of how iconic his presence on the album is. and best believe me i'm not about to dismiss the synergy the other band members have. it's grimy and... well, grungy, but it's mighty sophisticated too. one of the greatest in the genre.

Awesome!!

10000/10🔥🔥🔥

A fine release of a new wave of music coming out. One of the better singers in rock and roll

Grunge royalty. So. So. So good. This was Soundgarden turing on their pop sensibilities and leaning into some serious hooks.

What a great album and great performances from all the band members. Chris Cornell is of course expectionally great singer. And it's great that all the band member have contributed in the song writing. Some of the energy, that earlier records had, is lost, but on other hand, music is more diverse. I find the album a bit overlengthly. Maybe some of the songs should have been dropped out. I don't especially like neither of the Shephard songs (Head down and Half). Overall, one of the best albums of the Seattle-era.

I listened to this quite a bit when I visited Seattle for my journalism trip. It's a great, moody album. It's sort of dark and a little scary and downbeat and I like that. This is one of the better rock vocalists, I think. He has a really nice style but he's also lowkey just a good singer. I never thought of myself as much of a Soundgarden girl, but I was surprised to find that I knew how a lot of these songs went. "Black Hole Sun" is obviously their big hit, but I've also listened to "The Day I Tried to Live" plenty of times. It reminds me of Alice in Chains with the vocals and I guess they're both grunge bands so it makes sense. Let Me Drown: I remember this song, I guess from my time starting this whole album in Seattle. It's definitely a lively start to the album. A little repetitive but it's alright. My Wave: I really like Chris Cornell's vocals. So powerful but clean but not too clean. It's nice. It's very strong but then it becomes almost relaxed in the chorus. Also a nice song. Fell On Black Days: Gloomy, brooding. It's still engaging, though, still splashy and I really like this wobbly guitar stuff going on. Mailman: I really like this falsetto he's doing. Sorta catchy! I really like it. Superunknown: Kinda classic rock riff at the beginning here. Kinda reminds me of, like, ZZ Top for some reason. Or Amyl and the Sniffers. Obviously not similar to either but great sound. The little bit of echo on his voice makes it sound like he's yelling in a canyon or something. Lots of layers of instrumentation here and I love it! He does more melodic or vocally beautiful screaming than other rock bands. Definitely a good title track. Head Down: More intricate sort of beginning here. The clapping(?) almost reminds me of flamenco or something. Sort of hazy and exotic and his voice is much shyer here. Cool, atmospheric track. I don't love the ending. Black Hole Sun: Hit alert! There's a reason why this song is so popular. It's because it's awesome. It's acceptance, it's waking up in the morning knowing the day's gonna suck, it's bittersweet, it's beautiful but it's lethargic and it's just a great song. Spoonman: Funny name. Don't know what it's about. But it still rocks! Limo Wreck: Calmer, almost prayer-like. It's a good change of pace from hard rock. Oh, we're back! This record is a little monotonous but then again, so are most. It's still very enjoyable. A little long, though -- 15 tracks! Gee! The Day I Tried To Live: I don't know why, but I've always just liked this song. That high pitched guitar and his screaming, such a desperate plea for life. It's really awesome to listen to. Kickstand: Quick! Very rock n roll. Short n sweet. Reminds me of QOTSA's Six Shooter. Just this little tune, harsher than the rest of the album. It's driving music. Fresh Tendrils: Really good. Toxic. Got a nice, grand sound. Aggressive but also has a nice electric riff at the end. 4th of July: It's somber, it's slow, it's tired, it's jaded. I heard it in the wind, I saw it in the sky, I thought it was the end, I thought it was the 4th of July --maybe it's about false hope? disappointment? It's sort of haunting. The end is cool. Half: Plucky! Almost folksy! Definitely different from the rest thus far. Exotic and kinda global? Sounds like a whole different band made it. Very dream-like at the end, like seeing an oasis in the desert or staring up at the beating sun through closed eyelids. Like Suicide: Continuing with the sound from Half with sort of tribal drums. This is just so good. It's smooth and kinda sexy and his vocals stay awesome. Great end to a great album. I think this is a strong 4 light 5. Like, really awesome now that I've listened to the full thing.

agony served via soundtrack. how I miss Chris Cornell

Masterpiece love Chris so much every song is amazing

Repeat listen

One of the best albums I’ve ever listened too

Great rock album. Previously had only heard spoonman and black hole sun but am glad I've listened to the rest of this album now

yes

Classic grunge

God, what a album Has some classic has some gems but all together it’s amazing, one of the greatest of all time

Liking Soundgarden is the 90s version of liking Nickleback. But here we are.

Absolutely killer & essential grunge record. RIP Chris Cornell you beautiful bastard, you had one hell of a voice.

I don't even need to listen to this album. I've listened to it hundreds of times. Classic! 9/10

I recall purchasing this album when I was 14 years old and absolutely loving it. I did think the album was a bit long and a few songs could have been trimmed. I still feel this way. As anyone who reads album reviews knows, I tend to prefer albums that cut out fat and don't overstay their welcome, even if the songs are all pretty good. Just because you are a good shot doesn't mean you need to shoot all of your bullets. It's hard to complain too much about having too much material to listen to on an album, yet it does make it very difficult for me to sit down and listen to this entire album in one sitting. There are just so many great songs on here though, so this is an absolute must-listen album in my opinion. Even if you don't like Black Hole Sun (which everyone has heard 1001 times), there are plenty of other songs that you can enjoy. A loaded album that could potentially be more impactful if 3-4 of the tracks were trimmed. Still, that's why God made CDs in the Year of Our Lord 1994 when this album was released. So many bands have tried to ape this sound and Chris Cornell's voice. Only the original can do though, no matter how many times The Calling's "Wherever You Will Go" is played on the radio.

Chris Cornell power vocals-need I say more!

Love this entire album

Obvious five stars for this one. That said, Badmotorfinger will have to get a 5+ if if comes up on this list. Potentially the best album of 1994 with strong nods to AIC and Nirvana. This album is dark and brooding, and sometimes heavy (almost Melvins level on 4th of July) as one would expect from Soundgarden. It is also experimental, poppy, and polished in a new way, that shows the signs of growth from band with time and space to execute their vision. The layered vocals are superb and I am not sure anyone in the era did it as well as Cornell. I feel this album picks up steam as it goes on dropping the gloss and pop for dig into some darker weirder content ala BMF, which I love.

This album was pretty fantastic. I consider this album to be like, the crown jewel of dad rock albums. They are easily the most powerful and tasteful of all the dad rock bands. Cornell is an absolute vocal powerhouse. There's a lot of Buckley influence too, and it makes sense after learning they were incredibly close. Like listening to this album at times I was just like, "oh hey, Jeff". Blues-rock actually describes this album pretty good when the instrumentation is more nuanced. When it explodes, as it often does, I find that there's a shoegaze element to the bass and distortion on the guitars that adds to the heaviness of the riffs. It certainly gets pretty damn sludgy at times, particularly the longer it goes on towards it seems, like near the end of the album. 4th of July is fuckin SLUDGY. I do think this is the gold standard for many, many dad rock bands, and Chris's vocals are just mind blowing. And come on man Black Hole Sun is peak 90s alt.

This was a banger. Chris Cornell had such a fantastic voice and the songs let his voice and the music mesh wonderfully. Not sure why I haven't listened to this in it's entirety before, but I'll definitely revisit this one. 5/5

Sometimes, an album just fuckin' rips, you know?

Overall not the strongest album, but still a great listen. Great instrumentals and vocal work. 'Black Hole Sun' takes the cake for my fave, but 'Spoonman' is a very close 2nd.

Grunge is such a bullshit title for any band. This one especially. This rocks. It's different and fucking awesome. It's a little long, but I'm not sure what they could have cut.

RIP CHRIS CORNELL

Anything with Chris Cornell's voice in it is 5 stars.

Amazing, timeless, classic, brilliant and every other adjective that means great belongs to this album. Every song is just beautifully made and the album contains not a single miss. One of if not the greatest vocalist of the grunge era. "Heaven send Hell away No one sings like you anymore" Rest easy Chris Cornell.

amazing

Perfect album. De vocals die door merg en been gaan, de drumpartijen die tientallen vellen en stokken moeten hebben gekost, gruizige gitaren die klinken alsof het signaal door een cementmixer is geleid en toffe maatsoorten. Kan hier oneindig naar blijven luisteren. Enige negatieve gevoel dat ik hierbij heb is dat ik van mezelf baal dat ik ze te laat heb leren waarderen om live te kunnen zien :'(

My God, Chris Cornell couldn't half belt out a vocal could he!? What a voice! One of the greats of rock music, for sure. He's absolutely the MVP of the record. Another great thing about this album is that it has the hooks, melodies and catchiness of a pop album without having to sacrifice any of the heaviness. That guitar sound is really fantastic and pretty heavy which I obviously love. Honestly, pick any track and you'll be able to pick out a riff or vocal line that'll get stuck in your head for ages. It's honestly Black Sabbath-esque at times. It can get so heavy and sludgy (see '4th Of July) and it can also get psychedelic and dreamy ('Black Hole Sun' is still fantastic). It's like this really cool mixture as if Soundgarden are their own genre. A really solid and surprisingly consistent album with plenty to love and not a lot to dislike. I preferred this over 'Dirt' and 'In Utero' by Alice In Chains and Nirvana respectively. Over to you, Pearl Jam.

Hell yeah, still one of my favourites.

I’ve loved this album since it came out in 1994. It is very heavy and full of energy. The production is great and the lyrics touch on multiple subjects. I like all the songs and wish I still had my original 1994 clear vinyl LP that I sold off at some point around 2009.

Grungy, really strong record with great songs and amazing vocal delivery. I am impressed

Phenomenal vocals and guitar tones on this one. Very sludgy vibe that fits alt rock really nicely. A bit bloated but really fantastic

Great riffs, songs, vocals. Somehow an underrated album. One of my favorites

RIP Chris Cornell, this album is a masterpiece.

Definitely deserving of the list. Soundgarden is full of talented musicians, but Chris Cornell was a generational talent. Unmistakable greatness.

love this album and always have. the biggest hits are not the songs that move me though

One of my favourite albums of all time! Fav: Fell on black days