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(1984-1986) Formation and first years Soundgarden was formed in 1984 by Chris Cornell (drums & vocals) and Hiro Yamamoto (bass), and was later joined by Kim Thayil (guitar). Thayil had moved to Seattle from Park Forest, Illinois[1] with Yamamoto and Bruce Pavitt, who would later start Sub Pop Records. The band named themselves after an outdoor phonic art installation called "The Sound Garden" located on NOAA property near Seattle's Magnuson Park, which makes eerie sounds when the wind blows.Cornell originally played drums while singing, but the band enlisted Scott Sundquist to allow Cornell to concentrate on vocals. The band's first recordings were three songs that appeared on a compilation for C/Z Records called Deep Six. It also featured songs by fellow grunge pioneers Green River, Skin Yard, Malfunkshun, The U-Men and Melvins.In 1986 Sundquist left the band, to be replaced by Matt Cameron, who was the drummer in Skin Yard.(1987-1990) First releases The band signed to Sub Pop, releasing the Screaming Life EP in 1987, and the Fopp EP in 1988. A combination of the two was issued as Screaming Life/Fopp in 1990.Though the band was being courted by major labels, in 1988 they signed to SST Records to release their debut album, Ultramega OK, for which they earned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance in 1990. Their first music video "Flower", was directed by Mark Miremont, and aired regularly on MTV's 120 Minutes. In 1989, the band released their first album for a major label, Louder Than Love, through A&M Records. After the release of the album, Yamamoto left to go back to college. He was briefly replaced by Jason Everman, formerly of Nirvana, who appeared on the Louder Than Live video. Ben Shepherd was soon recruited as a permanent replacement.(1991-1994) Popular acclaim The new line up recorded Badmotorfinger in 1991. Though successful, the album was overshadowed by the sudden popularity of Nirvana's Nevermind. At the same time, the focus of attention brought by Nevermind to the Seattle scene brought the band wider attention, allowing "Outshined" and "Rusty Cage" to find an audience at alternative radio and MTV. The band toured with Guns N' Roses to support the album, and later released the video Motorvision which was filmed on that tour. The band also took a slot on the 1992 Lollapalooza tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, and Ministry, among others.The band made an appearance in the movie Singles playing "Birth Ritual". The song appeared on the soundtrack album, as did a Chris Cornell solo song, "Seasons". The movie also featured the demo version of "Spoonman", a song from the band's 1994 album, Superunknown.Superunknown was the band's breakout album, driven by the singles "Black Hole Sun", "Spoonman", "The Day I Tried to Live", and "Fell on Black Days". The songs on Superunknown captured the creativity & heaviness of their earlier works, while showcasing the more radio-friendly aspects of the group. Lyrically, the album was quite dark and mysterious, as much of it is often interpreted to be dealing with substance abuse, suicide, and depression. Some songs had a Middle-Eastern or Indian flavor, such as "Head Down" and "Half".(1995-1997) Down on the Upside and break-up Soundgarden in 1996.The band's final album was 1996's self-produced Down on the Upside. The album was notably less heavy than the group's preceding albums, and marked a further departure from their grunge roots. This album spawned several singles, including "Pretty Noose", "Blow Up the Outside World", and "Burden in My Hand". Soundgarden explained at the time that they wanted to branch out and explore other sounds. However, tensions within the group arose during the sessions, with Thayil and Cornell reportedly clashing over Cornell's desire to shift away from the heavy guitar riffing that had become their trademark.[2] Despite strong reviews, the album did not top its predecessor's sales.Tensions continued to increase during the band's ensuing tour in support of the album. At the tour's final stop in Honolulu, Hawaii in February of 1997, Shepherd threw his bass into the air in frustration after suffering equipment failure, and subsequently stormed off the stage. The band retreated, with Cornell returning to conclude the show with a solo encore. [3] On April 9, 1997, the band announced its disbanding. Soundgarden's final release, a greatest-hits compilation titled A-Sides, was released the following fall.Prepred by : BEN HARLEM