The discography of Soundgarden, an American rock band, consists of six studio albums, two live albums, six compilation albums, eight extended plays, 24 singles and 23 music videos.
| Soundgarden discography | |
|---|---|
 Soundgarden performing at Lollapalooza in Chicago, 2010; L-R: Chris Cornell, Matt Cameron, and Ben Shepherd. Not pictured: Kim Thayil. | |
| Studio albums | 6 |
| Live albums | 2 |
| Compilation albums | 6 |
| Video albums | 3 |
| Music videos | 23 |
| EPs | 8 |
| Singles | 24 |
Soundgarden was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by vocalist Chris Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. The drummer position was originally filled by Cornell until 1986 when Matt Cameron became the band's permanent drummer. The band signed with the independent label Sub Pop and released the Screaming Life EP in 1987 and the Fopp EP in 1988. In 1988, the band signed with legendary punk record label SST Records and released its debut full-length album, Ultramega OK. The band subsequently signed with A&M Records, becoming the first grunge band to sign with a major label. In 1989, the band released its first album for a major label, Louder Than Love.
In 1990, the band was joined by a new bassist, Ben Shepherd. The new line-up released Badmotorfinger in 1991. The album brought the band to a new level of commercial success, and Soundgarden found itself amidst the sudden popularity and attention given to the Seattle music scene. The band's next album was to be its breakthrough. Superunknown, released in 1994, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and launched several successful singles, including "Spoonman" and "Black Hole Sun".[1] In 1996, the band released its fifth studio album, Down on the Upside; while successful, the album could not emulate the precedent set by Superunknown. In 1997, the band broke up due to internal strife over its creative direction. Soundgarden has sold 14 million records in the US,[2] and an estimated 30 worldwide.[3] Cornell announced Soundgarden's reunion on January 1, 2010,[4] The band's first studio album in 16 years, King Animal, was released on November 13, 2012.[5] It debuted and peaked at number five on the Billboard 200.[1]
Albums
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1] | AUS [6] | AUT [7] | CAN [8] | GER [9] | NLD [10] | NOR [11] | NZ [12] | SWE [13] | UK [14] | |||||
| Ultramega OK[15] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| Louder Than Love |
| 108 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Badmotorfinger |
| 39 | 27 | — | 50 | — | — | — | 16 | — | 39 | |||
| Superunknown |
| 1 | 1 | 19 | 1 | 13 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||
| Down on the Upside |
| 2 | 1 | 12 | 2 | 15 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 7 | |||
| King Animal |
| 5 | 6 | 19 | 6 | 10 | 24 | 13 | 4 | 25 | 21 | |||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Live albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1] | BEL (FL) [23] | BEL (WA) [24] | SWI [25] | UK [14] | ||
| Live on I-5 |
| 47 | — | — | — | 130 |
| Live from the Artists Den |
| — | 87 | 77 | 32 | — |
Compilation albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | Certifications | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [1] | AUS [6] | BEL (FL) [23] | BEL (WA) [24] | CAN [8] | GER [9] | NLD [10] | NOR [11] | NZ [12] | UK [14] | |||||
| Screaming Life/Fopp[27] |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| A-Sides |
| 63 | 39 | — | — | 51 | — | — | — | 6 | 90 |
| ||
| Telephantasm |
| 24 | 20 | 96 | 76 | 15 | 73 | 97 | 35 | 12 | 83 |
| ||
| The Classic Album Selection |
| — | — | 149 | 193 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Echo of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across the Path |
| — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||
| Essentials |
| |||||||||||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | ||||||||||||||
Video albums
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Louder Than Live[28] |
|
| Motorvision[29] |
|
| Live from the Artists Den |
Extended plays
| Title | EP details |
|---|---|
| Screaming Life[30] |
|
| Fopp[31] |
|
| Loudest Love |
|
| Satanoscillatemymetallicsonatas (SOMMS)[32] |
|
| Songs from the Superunknown[33] |
|
| Before the Doors: Live on I-5 Soundcheck[34] |
|
| King Animal Demos[35] |
|
Singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [36] | US Alt. [37] | US Main. Rock [38] | AUS [6] | CAN [39] | GER [40] | NLD [10] | NZ [12] | SWE [13] | UK [41] | ||||||
| "Hunted Down"[42] | 1987 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Screaming Life | |||
| "Flower"[43] | 1989 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Ultramega OK | |||
| "Loud Love" | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 87 | Louder Than Love | ||||
| "Hands All Over" | 1990 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 82 | ||||
| "Room a Thousand Years Wide"[44] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Non-album single (later re-recorded for Badmotorfinger) | ||||
| "Jesus Christ Pose" | 1991 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 30 | Badmotorfinger | |||
| "Outshined" | — | —[A] | 45 | 76 | — | — | — | — | — | 50 | |||||
| "Rusty Cage" | 1992 | — | — | — | 80 | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | ||||
| "Spoonman" | 1994 | — | 9 | 3 | 23 | 12 | — | 37 | 10 | 37 | 20 | Superunknown | |||
| "The Day I Tried to Live" | — | 25 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 42 | |||||
| "Black Hole Sun" | —[B] | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 26 | 25 | 22 | 19 | 12 | |||||
| "My Wave" | — | 18 | 11 | 50 | 66 | — | — | 46 | — | — | |||||
| "Fell on Black Days" | —[C] | 13 | 4 | 52 | 66 | — | 45 | — | — | 24 | |||||
| "Pretty Noose" | 1996 | —[D] | 2 | 4 | 22 | 43 | — | — | 18 | 42 | 14 | Down on the Upside | |||
| "Burden in My Hand" | —[E] | 2 | 1 | 57 | 9 | — | — | — | — | 33 | |||||
| "Blow Up the Outside World" | —[F] | 8 | 1 | 76 | 89 | — | — | — | — | 40 | |||||
| "Ty Cobb"[48] | 1997 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "Bleed Together" | — | 32 | 13 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | A-Sides | ||||
| "Black Rain" | 2010 | 96 | 20 | 10 | 90 | 44 | — | — | — | — | 109 | Telephantasm | |||
| "The Telephantasm"[49] | —[G] | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||
| "Live to Rise" | 2012 | —[H] | 12 | 1 | — | 69 | — | — | — | — | — | Avengers Assemble | |||
| "Been Away Too Long" | — | 16 | 1 | — | 93 | — | — | — | — | — | King Animal | ||||
| "By Crooked Steps" | 2013 | — | — | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
| "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory. | |||||||||||||||
Notes
Promotional singles
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| US Main. Rock [52] | |||
| "Get on the Snake" | 1989 | — | Louder Than Love |
| "Rhinosaur" | 1997 | 19 | Down on the Upside |
| "Halfway There" | 2013 | 12 | King Animal |
Music videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) | Album |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Flower" | 1988 | Mark Miremont[53] | Ultramega OK |
| "Loud Love" | 1989 | Kevin Kerslake[54] | Louder Than Love |
| "Hands All Over" | 1990 | ||
| "Jesus Christ Pose" | 1991 | Eric Zimmerman[55] | Badmotorfinger |
| "Outshined" (version 1) | Matt Mahurin[56] | ||
| "Outshined" (version 2) | Kevin Kerslake | ||
| "Rusty Cage" | 1992 | Eric Zimmerman[57] | |
| "Spoonman" | 1994 | Jeffrey Plansker[58] | Superunknown |
| "The Day I Tried to Live" | Matt Mahurin[59] | ||
| "Black Hole Sun" | Howard Greenhalgh[60] | ||
| "My Wave" | Henry Shepherd[61] | ||
| "Fell on Black Days" | Jake Scott[62] | ||
| "Superunknown" | 1995 | Numillennia | |
| "Pretty Noose" (version 1) | 1996 | Frank Kozik[63] | Down On The Upside |
| "Pretty Noose" (version 2) | Henry Shepherd[64] | ||
| "Burden in My Hand" | Jake Scott[61] | ||
| "Blow Up the Outside World" | Gerald Casale[65] | ||
| "Get on the Snake" (Live) | 2010 | — | Telephantasm |
| "Black Rain" | Brendon Small[66][67] | ||
| "Live to Rise" | 2012 | Robert Hales[68] | Avengers Assemble |
| "Been Away Too Long" | Josh Graham[69] | King Animal | |
| "By Crooked Steps" | 2013 | Dave Grohl[70] | |
| "Halfway There" | Josh Graham |
Other appearances
| Year | Song | Album | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | "Heretic" | Deep Six | C/Z |
| 1988 | "Sub Pop Rock City" | Sub Pop 200 | Sub Pop |
| 1990 | "Ugly Truth" (live) | New Music Awards | College Media, Inc. |
"Fresh Deadly Roses" | Pave the Earth | A&M | |
| 1992 | Singles: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | Epic | |
| 1993 | "Show Me" | No Alternative | Arista |
"HIV Baby" | Born to Choose | Rykodisc | |
| 1994 | "New Damage" (with Brian May) | Alternative NRG | Hollywood |
| 1995 | "Blind Dogs" | The Basketball Diaries soundtrack | Island |
| 1996 | "Kyle Petty, Son of Richard" | Home Alive: The Art of Self-Defense | Epic |
| 2012 | "Live to Rise"[71] | Avengers Assemble | Hollywood, Marvel Music |