Rock and Roll music has been a staple of pop culture for many years now. They’ve pumped out bands like Metallica, Pearl Jam, and Foo Fighters. However, one man stands out due to his unique voice and ability to make a sensation every time he touches a microphone: Chris Cornell, lead singer of Soundgarden, Audioslave, and more.
Soundgarden
The band Soundgarden is still enormous even today. Their debut album in 1988, Ultramega OK, with more success than most debut albums. Their first album got them a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance after they went on tour for their album.
Fast forward to 1991, and the band released Badmotorfinger. This album was a transitional period more than anything, releasing hits like “Outshined” and “Rusty Cage.” This album showed the progression in the band from Ultramega OK, into what made them as famous as they are today.
A few years later in 1994, they released their most iconic album, “Superunknown.” While their Grammy nomination was nothing to scoff at, this album shot them into worldwide fame. Their album went number one in the Billboard Top 200. This album created recognizable hits such as “Black Hole Sun” and “Spoonman.” This album went on to win two Grammy Awards and five Platinum status in the US.
A couple of years later, in 1996, Soundgarden released “Down on the Upside.” Another iconic album with songs like “Blow Up the Outside World” and “Burden in my Hand.” This album topped charts in Australia and New Zealand, while peaking at number two in the US. This was their last album, which let Chris Cornell move on from this band briefly.
Temple of the Dog
This band was a brief vacation from Soundgarden for Chris Cornell. Temple of the Dog only produced one album, and it has been a staple of rock since. This band consisted of two lead singers, Chris Cornell, and Pearl Jam’s Ed Vedder. This band made a deep bond between Ed and Chris. The best song to come out of this album was “Hunger Strike.” This song shows off both of the singers range, and their unique differences in how they perform to make a perfect rock song.
Audioslave
Audioslave was Chris’ third band. This band produced three albums before breaking up and Chris returned to Soundgarden. Chris combined with another band for Audioslave, taking his rhythm guitarist from Soundgarden, and taking the guitarist, bassist, and drummer from Rage Against the Machine.
Their first album, in 2002, was Audioslave, undoubtedly their most popular album with over 4 million sales. This album spawned hits like “Show Me How to Live” and “Like a Stone.” This album kicked off the band, however it was all downhill from there.
Their last two albums, “Out of Exile” and “Revelations,” got some traction but not nearly as much as their first album. “Out of Exile” got 1 million sales, a fourth of “Audioslave” (the album), and “Revelations” didn’t break 1 million. “Out of Exile” made hits like “Don’t Remind Me” and “Be Yourself.” The most popular song to come out of Revelations was “Wide Awake.”
Chris Cornell
Chris was a talented man. Not only one of talent, but one of broken pieces. He battled mental illness, and some of his songs’ darker themes reflected that. Songs like “Fell on Black Days” made it aware of the dark thoughts he was having. In 2017, after a show in Detroit, Cornell overdosed in his hotel room.
What happened to him was a tragedy. A man overwhelmed with mental illness took his life, leaving behind children and millions of adoring fans. Ed Vedder, Cornell’s co-singer in Temple of the Dog, was very heartbroken and angry at what happened. His feelings were not those of rarity. Cornell was loved and cherished by many and will continue to be so until the end of time.
