Soundgarden Essentials

Soundgarden made their mark among grunge's founders by internalising the big, heavy dynamics of '70s hard rock. The band's forged a sound with Chris Cornell's multi-octave thunder-cry and Kim Thayil's deep, growling riffs. Early cuts, like 1989's “Loud Love”, are all muscle: heavy, dense and filled with electrifying power. By the mid-‘90s though, Soundgarden landed on mainstream radio with increasingly nuanced songcraft: “Spoonman” comes on like a battering ram and boasts killer hooks, and “Blow Up the Outside World” is hazy psychedelia featuring Beatles-esque fragility and burly power chords.