Complete List Of Chris Cornell Bands

Feature Photo: Brian Patterson Photos / Shutterstock.com

Chris Cornell carried Seattle in his voice long before the rest of the world understood how much music was being made in that city. Born Christopher John Boyle on July 20, 1964, in Seattle, Washington, he was raised in the same city that would later become central to his career. He began with piano and guitar lessons as a child, later turned to drums, and found early musical direction through The Beatles, Little Richard, and the rock records that became part of his private world as a young listener. Before fame, he worked as a busboy, dishwasher, fishmonger, and sous-chef at Ray’s Boathouse in Seattle. His first major steps in music came through the Seattle cover band the Shemps, where he played with bassist Hiro Yamamoto, a connection that eventually helped lead to Soundgarden.

Soundgarden formed in 1984 with Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil, and Yamamoto, with Cornell initially handling both drums and vocals. Scott Sundquist later came in on drums, allowing Cornell to focus on singing, and Matt Cameron became the band’s permanent drummer in 1986. Soundgarden released Screaming Life in 1987 and Fopp in 1988 before issuing the full-length album Ultramega OK in 1988, which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance. The band then moved to A&M Records, becoming the first grunge band to sign with a major label, and released Louder Than Love in 1989. Ben Shepherd joined on bass before Badmotorfinger arrived in 1991, bringing wider exposure through “Jesus Christ Pose,” “Outshined,” and “Rusty Cage.”

Soundgarden’s breakthrough came with Superunknown in 1994, an album that debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and became the band’s defining commercial moment. “Black Hole Sun” and “Spoonman” became two of the biggest singles of Cornell’s career, with both songs winning Grammy Awards. The album also earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album and reached quintuple platinum status in the United States. Soundgarden followed with Down on the Upside in 1996, which produced “Pretty Noose,” “Burden in My Hand,” and “Blow Up the Outside World.” After the band’s first breakup in 1997, Cornell continued building a career that moved between solo songwriting, film music, and new band projects without losing the force that made his voice instantly recognizable.

Cornell’s solo career produced four studio albums, Euphoria Morning in 1999, Carry On in 2007, Scream in 2009, and Higher Truth in 2015. His solo catalog also included the live album Songbook in 2011 and the posthumous compilation Chris Cornell in 2018. “Can’t Change Me,” “You Know My Name,” “No Such Thing,” “Scream,” “Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart,” and “The Promise” became important entries in that solo discography. “You Know My Name,” co-written and performed for the 2006 James Bond film Casino Royale, won a Satellite Award and a World Soundtrack Award, and later earned a Grammy nomination. “The Keeper,” written for the 2011 film Machine Gun Preacher, earned a Golden Globe nomination.

Cornell also stood at the center of two major band projects outside Soundgarden. Temple of the Dog began as a tribute to his late friend and former roommate Andrew Wood, with Cornell joined by musicians who would become central to Pearl Jam. The group’s 1991 album Temple of the Dog eventually sold more than one million copies, helped by “Say Hello 2 Heaven” and “Hunger Strike,” the latter featuring Eddie Vedder in his first professional recording. In 2001, Cornell joined Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine to form Audioslave. The band released three studio albums, Audioslave in 2002, Out of Exile in 2005, and Revelations in 2006. “Like a Stone,” “Cochise,” “Show Me How to Live,” “Be Yourself,” and “Doesn’t Remind Me” became defining songs from that chapter of his career.

Cornell’s full recording career included six studio albums with Soundgarden, one with Temple of the Dog, three with Audioslave, and four solo studio albums, along with live releases, soundtrack work, collaborations, and posthumous collections. His awards history includes 18 Grammy nominations and three Grammy wins. In 2025, he was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Soundgarden. His reputation rested on more than vocal power; he wrote songs that could be heavy, wounded, melodic, strange, direct, and deeply human. That range explains why fans loved him across several audiences, from Soundgarden’s heavy rock base to Audioslave’s arena-sized hard rock following to listeners who connected with the stripped-down emotional weight of his solo performances.

Away from the stage, Cornell and his wife, Vicky Karayiannis, created the Chris and Vicky Cornell Foundation in 2012 to help homeless, poor, abused, and neglected children. He also supported the MusiCares MAP Fund, receiving the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award in 2007 for his dedication to the organization and his support of addiction recovery. In 2011, “The Keeper” was released through a “Donate to Download” campaign connected to Sam Childers’ Angels of East Africa children’s charity. Cornell also turned a poem by fan Rory Dela Rosa into the song “I Promise It’s Not Goodbye,” after Dela Rosa contacted him about his daughter Ainslee, who had died from glioblastoma, and his own diagnosis with the same brain cancer. Cornell died in Detroit, Michigan, on May 18, 2017, after performing with Soundgarden at the Fox Theatre. His music continued through tributes, the 2018 Chris Cornell compilation, and the Seattle Center bronze statue that honored his place in the city’s musical history.

Albums With Soundgarden

Ultramega OK (1988)

Louder Than Love (1989)

Badmotorfinger (1991)

Superunknown (1994)

Down on the Upside (1996)

King Animal (2012)

Album With Temple Of The Dog

Temple of the Dog (1991)

Albums With Audioslave

Audioslave (2002)

Out of Exile (2005)

Revelations (2006)

Solo Albums

Euphoria Morning (1999)

Carry On (2007)

Scream (2009)

Higher Truth (2015)

No One Sings Like You Anymore, Vol. 1 (2020)

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