Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by lead singer and drummer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Matt Cameron became the band's permanent drummer in 1986 and bassist Ben Shepherd replaced Yamamoto permanently in 1990. Soundgarden released its debut album, Ultramega OK, in 1988 through SST Records. The album earned the band its first major award nomination, a Grammy Award, in 1990. In 1989, the band released its first album for a major label, Louder Than Love. The band's third studio album, Badmotorfinger, released in 1991, was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1992.
Soundgarden released its follow-up and breakthrough album, Superunknown, in 1994. The album was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rock Album in 1995. Two singles from Superunknown, "Black Hole Sun" and "Spoonman", won Grammy Awards, and the music video for "Black Hole Sun" won a MTV Video Music Award and a Clio Award. Superunknown was ranked number 336 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, and "Black Hole Sun" was ranked number 25 on VH1's list of the 100 greatest songs of the '90s. The band released its fifth and final studio album, Down on the Upside, in 1996. In 1997, Soundgarden received another Grammy nomination, for the lead single "Pretty Noose". Soundgarden officially broke up in 1997. The band was placed at number 14 on VH1's list of the 100 greatest artists of hard rock.