Pick a Day

Kim Thayil (lead guitarist for Soundgarden) is born in Seattle, Washington. He would be raised near Chicago in Park Forest, Illinois.

Hiro Yamamoto (original bass player for Soundgarden) is born in Park Forest, Illinois.

Matt Cameron (drummer for Pearl Jam, Soundgarden) is born in San Diego, California.

Chris Cornell (lead singer of Soundgarden, Audioslave) is born Christopher John Boyle in Seattle, Washington.

Ben Shepherd (bass player for Soundgarden) is born Hunter Benedict Shepherd in Okinawa, Japan, but would be raised in Bainbridge Island, Washington.

Sub Pop Records issues Soundgarden's first single, "Hunted Down"/"Nothing to Say."

Soundgarden release their first EP, Screaming Life, on Sub Pop Records. Recorded in 1986 at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, Washington, the six-song release is co-produced by Jack Endino.More

Soundgarden play Capitol Lake Park in Olympia, Washington as part of Capitol Lake Jam. Also on the bill: Nirvana.

Soundgarden release their second EP, Fopp, on Sub Pop Records. Its title comes from the name of an Ohio Players song, which they cover on the set.

Soundgarden issue their full-length debut album, Ultramega OK, on SST Records.

Soundgarden release Louder Than Love, the first grunge album on a major label (A&M).

Soundgarden become the first grunge band to make the Billboard albums chart when Louder Than Love shows up at #168 (Phil Collins is at #1 with ...But Seriously). It peaks at #108 in March.

Bassist Jason Everman plays his last show with Soundgarden, at Subterrania in London.

At Lake City Concert Hall, in Seattle, Washington, bassist Ben Shepherd plays his first show with Soundgarden.

The band Mookie Blaylock, soon be known as Pearl Jam, make their stage debut at The Off Ramp in Seattle. In the audience are members of Soundgarden and Seattle Mariners pitcher Randy Johnson.

Soundgarden perform at the Gathering of the Tribes festival in Costa Mesa, California. In the crowd is Eddie Vedder, who the next day flies to Seattle and meets his Pearl Jam bandmates for the first time. Vedder and Chris Cornell of Soundgarden end up recording vocals together that day for the song "Hunger Strike" as part of the Temple of the Dog project.

Soundgarden, Iggy Pop, Ice T, The Cramps, Joan Baez and Public Enemy are among the artists to perform at Shoreline Amphitheatre in California, as part of A Gathering of Tribes, which is organized by The Cult's Ian Astbury. The festival is a forebear to Lollapalooza, which launches a year later.

At the Off Ramp in Seattle, Temple of the Dog play their only show. Comprised of members of Soundgarden and what would become Pearl Jam, the group was formed as a tribute to Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood, who died of a heroin overdose.

The Temple of the Dog album is released. The one-off project is a tribute to Andrew Wood, the Mother Love Bone lead singer who died in 1990. Temple of the Dog is comprised of Soundgarden members Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron, along with Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam.More

The Day on the Green Festival takes place at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California. Headlined by Metallica, the lineup also includes Queensrÿche, Faith No More and Soundgarden.

Soundgarden's second album for A&M Records, Badmotorfinger, is released. Its arrival neatly coincides with the uprising of grunge (Nirvana's Nevermind was released two weeks earlier, and Pearl Jam's Ten was issued on August 27) and serves as the group's commercial breakthrough.More

In Worcester, Massachusetts, Soundgarden begin opening a string of arena shows in North America for Guns N' Roses, who are supporting their Use Your Illusion albums. The tour also includes a three-night stand at Madison Square Garden, the only time Soundgarden play the venue.

Soundgarden play the first of two nights at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle, Washington. Both nights are filmed, and several songs turn up in November as part of the Motorvision home video, with additional tracks eventually turning up as part of the 25th Anniversary edition of Badmotorfinger in 2016.

Soundgarden release the third and final single off Badmotorfinger, "Rusty Cage." B-sides differ depending on the territory - among them are covers of Devo's "Girl U Want" and the Rolling Stones' "Stray Cat Blues."

The second edition of Lollapalooza is launched at Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View, California. The traveling festival features such main stage attractions as the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam.

Cameron Crowe's film Singles hits theaters in the US. While at first glance, the movie could be seen as an epilogue to all those teen angst films of the '80s with the cast of offbeat and quirky rebels and outcasts moving through early adulthood with no less angst than before, it quickly proves to be much more than a post-adolescent coming-of-age flick. Pearl Jam and Soundgarden appear.More

Soundgarden play the Civic Auditorium in Rapid City, South Dakota, their first show on an 8-date trek with headliner Neil Young and opener Blind Melon. These dates end up being Soundgarden's only live performances of the year.

Modern rock rules as Soundgarden's Superunknown is the #1 album in America, with Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral at #2. Those looking for something less intense can find it at #3, with the Ace of Base album The Sign.

Two seminal albums from the '90s are released: Soundgarden's Superunknown and Nine Inch Nails' The Downward Spiral. They enter the albums chart at #1 and #2, respectively.More

"Black Hole Sun" is released as the second single off Soundgarden's album Superunknown.