POLL: What’s the Best Soundgarden Album? – VOTE NOW
That voice! Their power! There was nobody quite like Soundgarden. From being grunge pioneers in the '80s to reaching their full potential in the '90s and staging a comeback in the 2010s, the group has quite the musical legacy. But which of their albums is the best? That's what we want to hear from you in this week's Loudwire Nights Album of the Week poll.
You'll have until Friday at 12N ET to cast your votes. We’ll then play the three tracks from the album with the most votes during Loudwire Nights' Album of the Week block to start the following Monday's show!
The band arrived on the scene in 1988, still figuring out their sound in something that blended the aggression of punk with the heavy riffage of '70s heroes Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath into something almost primordial. The result was Ultramega OK, a record that showed their promise through "Flower," "Smokestack Lightning" and more, earning a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance along the way. Louder Than Love followed just a year later in 1989, taking a major step forward on such songs as "Loud Love" and "Hands All Over."
Before their 1991 effort, the band made the switch to bassist Ben Shepherd, solidifying their lineup through the hit-making years. This started with '91's Badmotorfinger, which after stirring up backlash with "Jesus Chris Pose," eventually found its momentum with "Outshined" and "Rusty Cage."
The group saw their commercial peak with 1994's Superunknown, dropping five big singles including "Spoonman," "The Day I Tried to Live" and "Black Hole Sun." Tensions started to get to the band by 1996, but it didn't stop them from releasing one stellar final record in Down on the Upside, featuring "Burden in My Hand," "Pretty Noose" and "Blow Up the Outside World."
A full 16 years would pass before Soundgarden returned, ready to end their split and reunite for new music. The result was 2012's King Animal album, that saw success with the singles "Been Away Too Long" and " By Crooked Steps."
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But which of these albums is their best work? You've got a chance to rate each of the records below, helping us to determine which one is the best. Then tune into Loudwire Nights next Monday at 7PM ET to find out which record prevailed. During tonight's show, you'll get to find out which Volbeat album was voted the best, and hear three songs from our recent poll.
Loudwire Nights with Chuck Armstrong airs nightly starting at 7PM ET. You can tune in anytime, from anywhere right here or by downloading the Loudwire app.
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Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner, Loudwire