Editing Soundgarden (section)

==Musical style and influences==
Soundgarden were pioneers of the [[grunge]] music genre,<ref name="pioneer1">{{cite web|last1=Aswad|first1=Jem|title=Chris Cornell's Soundgarden, True Pioneers of the Seattle Scene, Paved the Way for Nirvana and Pearl Jam|url=https://variety.com/2017/music/news/soundgarden-pioneers-seattle-nirvana-pearl-jam-1202434337/|website=Variety|access-date=May 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420063419/http://variety.com/2017/music/news/soundgarden-pioneers-seattle-nirvana-pearl-jam-1202434337/|archive-date=April 20, 2018|date=May 18, 2017}}</ref><ref name="pioneer2">{{cite web|last1=Mervis|first1=Scott|title=Preview: Seattle grunge pioneers Soundgarden back in Pittsburgh|url=http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2013/05/09/Preview-Seattle-grunge-pioneers-Soundgarden-back-in-Pittsburgh/stories/201305090324|website=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|access-date=May 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160503194045/http://www.post-gazette.com/ae/music/2013/05/09/Preview-Seattle-grunge-pioneers-Soundgarden-back-in-Pittsburgh/stories/201305090324|archive-date=May 3, 2016|date=May 9, 2013|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> which mixed elements of [[punk rock]] and [[heavy metal music|metal]] to make a sludgy, murky sound through the use of fuzzy-sounding distortion in the guitars.<ref name="allmusic grunge">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/style/grunge-ma0000002626 |title=Grunge |access-date=August 24, 2012 |website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref><ref>[[WERS]] ''Nasty Habits'', recorded at [[New York City]]'s China Club, August 6, 1992</ref>

Soundgarden cited [[Minutemen (band)|Minutemen]], the [[Meat Puppets]], [[Butthole Surfers]], [[Wire (band)|Wire]], and [[Joy Division]] as key early influences.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Foege |first=Alec |author-link=Alec Foege |date=December 29, 1994 |title=Chris Cornell: The Rolling Stone Interview |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/chris-cornell-the-rolling-stone-interview-79108/3/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240629042634/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/chris-cornell-the-rolling-stone-interview-79108/3/ |archive-date=June 29, 2024 |access-date=July 31, 2024 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref> [[Black Sabbath]] also had a significant impact on the band's sound, especially on the guitar riffs and tunings.<ref>[[Pete Prown]], Harvey P. Newquist, ''Legends of Rock Guitar'', Hal Leonard Corporation, 1997, p.246</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.guitarworld.com/interview-soundgardens-kim-thayil-alternate-tunings-king-animal-and-more |title=Soundgarden's Kim Thayil on Alternate Tunings, 'King Animal' and More |work=Guitar World |publisher=guitarworld.com |date=February 1, 2013 |access-date=August 24, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202235734/http://www.guitarworld.com/interview-soundgardens-kim-thayil-alternate-tunings-king-animal-and-more |archive-date=December 2, 2013 }}</ref> Kim Thayil has described the band's sound as a "Sabbath-influenced punk".<ref name="prato" />

Soundgarden has been frequently compared to [[Led Zeppelin]], their early sound being described as consisting of "gnarled neo-Zeppelinisms".<ref>Azerrad, pg. 436.</ref> Though the band initially denied being inspired by Led Zeppelin, they would eventually embrace this influence, as detailed by guitarist Kim Thayil:<blockquote>[W]e started getting [comparisons to Led Zeppelin] a lot: 'Zeppelin, Zeppelin, Zeppelin,' and we were like, OK, let's check some of this out. We were all very acquainted with it individually, but collectively we weren't sitting around the table listening them. So initially we would deny that influence. Eventually, after practice we'd be like, 'Let’s check out ''[[Led Zeppelin IV]]''.' Let’s listen to ''[[Houses of the Holy]]''.' Like, 'Yeah, I guess I can kind of see that a little bit.' It became very important to us, because of the comparison, so we would listen to it and start referencing it. Ultimately, we started to re-embrace the Zeppelin, [[The Beatles|Beatles]], [[Black Sabbath|Sabbath]] and [[Pink Floyd]]. I think they were always there. At some point, we had to look back and say, 'This has a lot to do with our upbringing.' It's a weird story, but it may explain why, for a few years, we denied the Zeppelin-Sabbath influence.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Grow |first=Kory |date=February 24, 2015 |title=Led Zeppelin's 'Physical Graffiti' at 40: Soundgarden's Kim Thayil Looks Back |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/led-zeppelins-physical-graffiti-at-40-soundgardens-kim-thayil-looks-back-191933/2/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230607155640/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/led-zeppelins-physical-graffiti-at-40-soundgardens-kim-thayil-looks-back-191933/2/ |archive-date=June 7, 2023 |access-date=July 31, 2024 |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]}}</ref></blockquote>

Though the influence of Led Zeppelin was evident, ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' magazine noted that Soundgarden were "in thrall to '70s rock, but contemptuous of the genre's overt [[sexism]] and machismo."<ref>Brannigan, Paul. "Outshined". ''Q: Nirvana and the Story of Grunge''. December 2005. p. 102</ref>

The Butthole Surfers' mix of punk, heavy metal and noise rock was a major influence on the early work of Soundgarden.<ref name="Azerrad439">Azerrad, pg. 439</ref> Soundgarden, like other early grunge bands, were also influenced by British post-punk bands such as [[Gang of Four (band)|Gang of Four]] and [[Bauhaus (band)|Bauhaus]] which were popular in the early 1980s Seattle scene.<ref>[[Clinton Heylin|Heylin, Clinton]]. ''Babylon's Burning: From Punk to Grunge''. Conongate, 2007. {{ISBN|1-84195-879-4}}, p. 600</ref> The band was also influenced by the likes of the [[Ramones]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1996-04-19-9604190132-story.html|title=End of the Road|access-date=February 3, 2021|last=Kot|first=Greg|author-link=Greg Kot|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=April 19, 1996}}</ref> [[Kiss (band)|Kiss]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-06-17-9406170152-story.html|title=Kiss Tribute Puts Band In Its Place|access-date=February 3, 2021|last=Kot|first=Greg|author-link=Greg Kot|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=June 17, 1994}}</ref> [[Accept (band)|Accept]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gbhbl.com/album-review-too-mean-to-die-by-accept-nuclear-blast/|title=Album Review: Too Mean to Die by Accept (Nuclear Blast)|access-date=February 3, 2021|last=Fisher|first=Brendan|work=Games, Brrraaains & A Head-Banging Life|date=January 20, 2021}}</ref> the [[Melvins]],<ref name="GW95">{{cite magazine |title=The Father, the Son and the Holy Grunge |magazine=[[Guitar World]] |date=February 1995}}</ref> and [[Saint Vitus (band)|Saint Vitus]].<ref name="GW95" />

The name of the band, according to Thayil, was supposed to include the many roots of their style: that included "a virtual plethora of cutting edge rock that spans [[Velvet Underground]], Meat Puppets, and [[Killing Joke]]". The band also mentioned "[[Metallica]] [[Gothic rock|Gothicism]] and sublime poetry. The almost ethereal flavour of the name betrays the brutality of the music but never pins Soundgarden in one corner".<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Haughty Culture |magazine=Kerrang! |date=April 8, 1989}}</ref>

Cornell himself said: "When Soundgarden formed we were post-punk – pretty quirky. Then somehow we found this neo-Sabbath psychedelic rock that fitted well with who we were."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/mar/13/chris-cornell-interview-soundgarden-audioslave |title=Just like a rolling stone |work=theguardian.com |date=March 13, 2009 |access-date=November 15, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203090316/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/mar/13/chris-cornell-interview-soundgarden-audioslave |archive-date=December 3, 2013 }}</ref>

Soundgarden broadened its musical range with its later releases. By 1994's ''[[Superunknown]]'', the band began to incorporate more [[psychedelic music|psychedelic]] influences into its music.<ref>{{cite book|last=DeRogatis|first=Jim|author-link=Jim DeRogatis |title=Turn on Your Mind: Four Decades of Great Psychedelic Rock |publisher=Hal Leonard Corporation |year=2003|page=485|isbn=0-634-05548-8}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Huey|first=Steve|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/superunknown-mw0000107152 |title=Superunknown |work=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=July 22, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120603190011/http://www.allmusic.com/album/superunknown-mw0000107152 |archive-date=June 3, 2012}}</ref> Cornell also became known for his wide [[vocal range]] and his dark, [[existentialism|existentialist]] lyrics.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2009-03-23-cornell-scream_N.htm |title=Chris Cornell takes another sonic shift with 'Scream' |work=[[USA Today]] |last=Gundersen |first=Edna |author-link=Edna Gundersen |access-date=April 29, 2009 |date=March 24, 2009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327143114/http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2009-03-23-cornell-scream_N.htm |archive-date=March 27, 2009 }}</ref><ref>Letkemann, Jessica. "Soundgarden: Millions of Records Later and Back 'on the Upside'". ''[[Circus (magazine)|Circus]]''. August 1996.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2008/oct/31/grunge |title=Just 20 years on, grunge seems like ancient history |date=October 31, 2008 |access-date=July 14, 2009 |author=McManus, Darragh |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140913200821/http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2008/oct/31/grunge |archive-date=September 13, 2014 }}</ref>

Soundgarden also used unorthodox [[time signature]]s; "Fell on Black Days" is in 6/4, "Limo Wreck" is played in 15/8, and "The Day I Tried to Live" alternates between 7/8 and 4/4 sections.<ref name="Rotondi" /> The main guitar riff of "Circle of Power" is in 5/4.<ref name="woodard">{{cite web|last=Woodard|first=Josef|url=http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/articles/musician_3-92.shtml|title=How to grow your own twin-guitar attack|work=[[Musician (magazine)|Musician]]|date=March 1992|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080418072239/http://web.stargate.net/soundgarden/articles/musician_3-92.shtml |archive-date=April 18, 2008}}</ref> The E strings of the instruments were at times tuned even lower, such as on "Rusty Cage", where the lower E is tuned down to B.<ref>Woodard, Josef. "Soundgarden's Kim Thayil & Chris Cornell". ''[[Musician (magazine)|Musician]]''. March 1992.</ref> Some songs use more unorthodox tunings: "Been Away Too Long", "My Wave", and "The Day I Tried to Live" are all in a E–E–B–B–B–B tuning and "Burden in My Hand", "Head Down", and "Pretty Noose" in a tuning of C-G-C-G-G-E".<ref name="Rotondi">Rotondi, James. "Alone in the Superunknown". ''[[Guitar Player]]''. June 1994.</ref> Thayil has said Soundgarden usually did not consider the time signature of a song until after the band wrote it, and said the use of odd meters was "a total accident".<ref name="Rotondi" /> He also used the meters as an example of the band's anti-commercial stance, saying that if Soundgarden "were in the business of hit singles, we'd at least write songs in 4/4 so you could dance to them".<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Brambarger|first=Bradley|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rQkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA105|title=The Modern Age|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=June 8, 1996|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160425035624/https://books.google.com/books?id=rQkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA105|archive-date=April 25, 2016}}</ref>