Editing Soundgarden (section)

===''Down on the Upside'' and breakup (1996–1997)===
Following the worldwide tour in support of ''Superunknown'', the band began working on what would become their last studio album for over 15 years, choosing to produce the record themselves.<ref name=seconds>{{cite book|first=Steven|last=Blush|author-link=Steven Blush|title=Soundgarden interview|date=1996|publisher=[[Seconds (magazine)|Seconds]]|url=http://www.secondsmagazine.com/articles/38-sg.php|access-date=Aug 10, 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141224055534/http://www.secondsmagazine.com/articles/38-sg.php|archive-date=December 24, 2014|df=mdy-all}}</ref> However, tensions within the group reportedly arose during the sessions, with Thayil and Cornell allegedly clashing over Cornell's desire to shift away from the heavy guitar riffing that had become the band's trademark.<ref name="Colopino">Colopino, John. "Soundgarden Split". ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. May 29, 1997.</ref> Cornell said, "By the time we were finished, it felt like it had been kind of hard, like it was a long, hard haul. But there was stuff we were discovering."<ref>Appleford, Steve. "Soundgarden". ''[[Ray Gun (magazine)|Ray Gun]]''. June 1996.</ref> The band's fifth album, ''[[Down on the Upside]]'', was released on May 21, 1996. It was notably less heavy than the group's earlier albums, and marked a further departure from the band's grunge roots. At the time, Soundgarden explained that they wanted to experiment with other sounds,<ref>Turman, Katherine. "Soundgarden: Seattle's Sonic Boom". ''Hypno''. 1996.</ref> including [[Acoustic music|acoustic instrumentation]]. David Browne of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' said, "Few bands since [[Led Zeppelin]] have so crisply mixed instruments both acoustic and electric."<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Browne|first=David|author-link=David Browne (journalist)|url=https://ew.com/article/1996/05/24/down-upside/|title=Down on the Upside|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=May 24, 1996|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091223235831/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,292725,00.html |archive-date=December 23, 2009}}</ref> The overall mood of the album's lyrics is less dark than on previous Soundgarden albums, with Cornell describing some songs as "self-affirming".<ref>[[Everett True|True, Everett]]. "Soundgarden". ''[[Melody Maker]]''. May 25, 1996.</ref> The album spawned several singles, including "[[Pretty Noose]]", "[[Burden in My Hand]]", and "[[Blow Up the Outside World]]". "Pretty Noose" was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1997.<ref name="1997grammynominess">{{cite news| url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9702/grammy/other.categories/rock.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070912125502/http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9702/grammy/other.categories/rock.html | archive-date=September 12, 2007 |title=Grammy Nominees for Other Rock and Alternative Categories |publisher=[[CNN|CNN.com]] |access-date=August 4, 2008}}</ref> The album did not match the sales or critical praise of ''Superunknown''.<ref name="riaa"/>

The band took a slot on the 1996 [[Lollapalooza]] tour with [[Metallica]], who had insisted on Soundgarden's appearance on the tour.<ref>Bell, Max. "Soundgarden – Like Falling Off a Hog." ''Blah Blah Blah''. June 1996.</ref> After Lollapalooza, the band embarked on a world tour,<ref>Waters, Rodney. "Getting Down with Soundgarden". ''[[Hit Parader]]''. October 1996.</ref> and already-existing tensions increased during it. When asked whether the band hated touring, Cornell replied: "We really enjoy it to a point, and then it gets tedious, because it becomes repetitious. You feel like fans have paid their money and they expect you to come out and play them your songs like the first time you ever played them. That's the point where we hate touring."<ref name="questiontime">"Gardener's Question Time". ''[[Kerrang!]]''. March 1, 1997.</ref> At the tour's last stop in [[Honolulu]], Hawaii on February 9, 1997, Shepherd threw his bass into the air in frustration after suffering equipment failure, and then stormed off the stage.<ref>"Nirvana and the Story of Grunge", pg. 100.</ref> The band retreated, with Cornell returning to end the show with a solo encore.<ref>Berger, John. "'Garden' of supersonic delight". ''[[Honolulu Star-Bulletin]]''. February 10, 1997.</ref> On April 9, 1997, the band announced it was disbanding. Thayil said, "It was pretty obvious from everybody's general attitude over the course of the previous half year that there was some dissatisfaction."<ref>Gilbert, Jeff. "Sound of Silence". ''[[Guitar World]]''. February 1998.</ref> Cameron later said that Soundgarden was "eaten up by the business".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/aug/13/pearl-jam |title=Pearl Jam: 'People get that this means something' |access-date=August 13, 2009 |author=Simpson, Dave |newspaper=The Guardian |date=August 13, 2009 |location=London |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130826124701/http://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/aug/13/pearl-jam |archive-date=August 26, 2013 }}</ref> The band released a greatest hits collection entitled ''[[A-Sides (Soundgarden album)|A-Sides]]'' on November 4, 1997, composed of 17 songs, including the previously unreleased "[[Bleed Together]]", which was recorded during the ''Down on the Upside'' recording sessions.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Kim Thayil's A-Sides |journal=[[Metal Hammer]] |date=January 1998|quote=That came from the ''Down on the Upside'' session and originally the record company was interested in it being on the album, but we weren't interested in putting it on the album because we weren't happy with the mix we got for it. Also, we had to concern ourselves with the length of the record and how much time we could fit on one disc, so we never finished it before ''Down on the Upside'' came out.}}</ref>