No One Sings Like You Anymore: Soundgarden

 

The Dossier: The bands that emerged out of Seattle tended to get lumped under the rubric of “grunge,” but they all had their own sound. Nirvana didn’t sound all that much like Pearl Jam, who didn’t sound like Candlebox. Soundgarden emerged from that scene, but they weren’t nearly as melodic or dynamic as Nirvana. What they did have was a powerhouse vocalist and a mercurial guitar sound that separated from their peers. Their third album, Badmotorfinger, put them on the map, then their fourth, Superunknown, ruled 1994. Their next album, Down on the Upside, was almost as big, but it’s forgotten today, and it would mark the end of their run.  

Why I Should Vote for Them: Back when guitar bands were important, Soundgarden was one of the most important. Badmotorfinger was a favorite of the cognoscenti, spawning several MTV hits, then Superunknown catapulted the band into the stratosphere. The album debuted at Number One on the Billboard charts upon its release in March 1994. “Black Hole Sun,” “Spoonman” and “Fell on Black Days” were enduring hits with their own feel and sound, not like much else that was happening on MTV in those days. “Black Hole Sun” won a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance while “Spoonman” won a Grammy for Best Metal Performance, and if you can explain the distinction between those two awards, you’re a better critic than I.

Chris Cornell, who wrote most of the band’s songs, had a voice that was both powerful and supple – he landed at No. 9 on one Rolling Stone Greatest Lead Singers poll. Kim Thayil never seemed content to get the same sound out of his guitar more than once. At their best, Soundgarden was totally on top of their game.

Why I Shouldn’t Vote for Them: Soundgarden’s 1996 followup, Down on the Upside, was almost as big as Superunknown in terms of sales and hit singles, but has been almost wholly forgotten. ("Pretty Noose" and "Burden in My Hand" were the first singles, and I don't remember a thing about them.)   Is it just me, or did this record – double platinum! – disappear in terms of its cultural movement? At any rate, after a frustrating tour, the band broke up in 1997.

So that last record made no lasting impact, and Badmotorfinger was more of a critic’s record than anything else. That leaves their legacy mostly reliant on Superunknown. That album was hugely popular and critically adored, but it’s also not exactly Revolver. If your reputation is based largely on a single album, it helps if it's Revolver.

Some might argue that the various Chris Cornell offshoots – Temple of the Dog before Soundgarden hit big, and Audioslave afterward – should accrue to Soundgarden’s benefit. I might be more inclined to pay attention to that argument, except that it’s not going to move the needle much for me, although I did like Temple of the Dog.

The Verdict: I fully expect Soundgarden to get in, if not this year then sometime soon. I’m not enthusiastic about this, although there are worse bands in. For now, though, I’m not voting for them.