“Black Hole Sun” is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. It was released on May 13, 1994, as the third single from their fourth studio album, Superunknown (1994). Considered to be the band’s signature song, it topped the Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, where it spent a total of seven weeks at number one. Despite peaking at number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, “Black Hole Sun” finished as the number-one track of 1994 for that listing. Worldwide, the single reached the top 10 in Australia, Canada, France, and Ireland, while in Iceland, it reached number one.
The song was included on VH1’s countdown of the “100 Greatest Songs of the ’90s” at number 25. It was also included on VH1’s countdown of the “100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs” at number 77. According to Nielsen Music’s year-end report for 2019, “Black Hole Sun” was the ninth most-played song of the decade on mainstream rock radio with 125,000 spins. All of the songs in the top 10 were from the 1990s. In 2017, Billboard ranked the song number four on their list of the 15 greatest Soundgarden songs, and in 2021, Kerrang ranked the song number one on their list of the 20 greatest Soundgarden songs.
The Story:
“Black Hole Sun” was written by Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell. The song was inspired by a dream that Cornell had, in which he saw a young boy with “black veins” running through his skin. Cornell has said that the song is about “the loss of innocence and the fear of the unknown.”
The song’s music was created by Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil. Thayil has said that he wanted to create a sound that was “both beautiful and disturbing.” He used a variety of effects pedals to create the song’s unique sound, including a wah-wah pedal, a fuzz pedal, and a distortion pedal.
The Music Video:
The music video for “Black Hole Sun” was directed by Howard Greenhalgh. The video features a young boy who is slowly being consumed by a black hole. The video is both disturbing and beautiful, and it perfectly captures the song’s dark and surreal atmosphere.
The Legacy:
“Black Hole Sun” is one of the most iconic rock songs of all time. It is a powerful and moving song that has resonated with fans for over 25 years. The song’s unique sound and disturbing lyrics have made it a staple of rock radio, and it continues to be enjoyed by fans around the world.
Fun Fact
The song “Black Hole Sun” was originally titled “Black Hole Sun (Spoonman)” and was written by Soundgarden’s frontman Chris Cornell as an acoustic song, but later he decided to make it a full-band production and invited Artis the Spoonman, a local street performer who played the spoons, to contribute to the song.
About the Band
Soundgarden was an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984. The band consisted of Chris Cornell (vocals, guitar), Kim Thayil (guitar), Ben Shepherd (bass), and Matt Cameron (drums). They were pioneers of the grunge movement, along with bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam.
Soundgarden’s music blended heavy metal with elements of punk, psychedelia, and classic rock, creating a unique sound that influenced many bands to come. They released six studio albums before disbanding in 1997, but reunited in 2010 and released a final album in 2012 before Cornell’s tragic death in 2017.
