SEATTLE — The gritty pulse of Seattle’s grunge scene just got a permanent echo in Cleveland. Soundgarden, the band that helped carve out the raw, heavy sound of the ‘90s, is finally getting its due with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for 2025. Announced on April 28, the news marks a long-awaited nod for a group that’s been eligible since 2011 but passed over twice before.
Formed in 1984, Soundgarden—named after a wind-channeled pipe sculpture in Seattle’s Sand Point—blazed a trail with their sludgy, psyche-tinged riffs and the late Chris Cornell’s voice, a banshee wail that could shatter glass or soothe souls. They were pioneers, alongside Nirvana and Pearl Jam, in turning the Pacific Northwest into a rock mecca. Hits like “Black Hole Sun” and “Spoonman” didn’t just climb charts; they rewrote what rock could be, blending metal’s heft with punk’s sneer and a weird, artsy edge that made radio stations nervous but fans rabid.
The band’s core—Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil, bassist Hiro Yamamoto, and later Ben Shepherd, with drummer Matt Cameron—forged a sound that was both brutal and intricate. They dropped their first record, Ultramega OK, in 1988, but it was 1991’s Badmotorfinger and 1994’s Superunknown that cemented their legend, the latter hitting number one on Billboard’s charts. Three platinum albums, two Grammys, and a fanbase that still packs tribute shows later, their influence is undeniable, from nu-metal to prog to whatever your weird cousin blasts in his garage.
This year’s induction, decided by over 1,200 voters—artists, historians, industry pros—puts Soundgarden in the Performer category alongside Bad Company, Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker, Cyndi Lauper, OutKast, and The White Stripes. The ceremony, set for this fall in Los Angeles, will also honor Salt-N-Pepa and Warren Zevon with Musical Influence Awards, plus Philly soul’s Thom Bell, session legend Carol Kaye, keyboardist Nicky Hopkins, and exec Lenny Waronker for Musical Excellence.
Soundgarden’s road to the Hall wasn’t smooth. Nominated in 2020 and 2023, they fell short both times, even trailing in the 2023 fan vote with over 427,000 ballots, behind George Michael and Cyndi Lauper. Rage Against the Machine, whose Tom Morello once played with Cornell in Audioslave, made it that year instead. But on their third nomination, announced February 12, the tide turned. The band joins Seattle peers Nirvana (2014) and Pearl Jam (2017), with Cameron already inducted as Pearl Jam’s drummer.
Cornell’s death in 2017 at 52 cast a shadow, but it also sharpened focus on Soundgarden’s legacy. The band dissolved in 1997, reformed in 2010, and kept pushing until Cornell’s passing. A settled lawsuit with Cornell’s widow in 2023 cleared the way for a potential new album, though no release date’s set. For now, fans can vote online until April 21 to boost their heroes’ profile, with the top five fan picks forming one ballot among the pros’.
The induction news landed hard in Seattle, where Soundgarden’s roots run deep. From smoky Capitol Hill clubs to global stages, they carried the city’s sound—restless, heavy, real. The ceremony’s date and ticket details are pending, but one thing’s clear: when Soundgarden’s name gets etched in the Hall, it’s not just a win for them. It’s a salute to a scene that changed music forever.
The 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall. Soundgarden was formed in 1984 by Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, and Hiro Yamamoto, with Matt Cameron and Ben Shepherd joining later. The band released six studio albums, three of which went platinum, and won two Grammy Awards.