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From the Vaults of Superfans: 9 Little Known Facts About Soundgarden's "Superunknown"

Seattle-based rock band Soundgarden released their fourth studio album, Superunknown, on March 8, 1994, which went on to become one of the defining albums of the grunge era. The album, which was produced by Michael Beinhorn, featured hit singles like “Spoonman,” “Black Hole Sun,” and “Fell on Black Days,” and received critical acclaim upon its release. To celebrate the album’s 27th anniversary, here are some interesting facts about Superunknown that you may not have known:

  1. The album’s title came from a play on words of “super unknown,” which refers to the band’s desire to experiment with new sounds and ideas.
  2. Chris Cornell, Soundgarden’s lead vocalist, wrote the lyrics for the album in a cabin in the woods, where he found inspiration from the isolation and solitude.
  3. The album’s cover art features a blurred photograph of a Seattle-based sculpture called “Sound Garden,” which the band took their name from.
  4. The album’s opening track, “Let Me Drown,” features a guitar riff that was originally written by Cornell for the band Temple of the Dog, which he formed as a tribute to his late friend Andrew Wood.
  5. The album was recorded at Bad Animals Studio in Seattle, which was owned by Ann and Nancy Wilson of the band Heart.
  6. The song “Spoonman” was inspired by Artis the Spoonman, a street performer in Seattle who played the spoons.
  7. The album’s final track, “Like Suicide,” was inspired by Cornell’s experience of finding a dead bird outside his window, and was written as a metaphor for his feelings of despair and hopelessness.
  8. Superunknown debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart, and has since been certified five times platinum in the United States.
  9. Soundgarden disbanded in 1997, but reunited in 2010 and released their final album, King Animal, in 2012.

Cornell passed away in 2017, leaving a lasting legacy as one of the most influential and talented vocalists in rock history.

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