Seattle rock band Soundgarden was formed in 1984.
The group was founded in Seattle by vocalist and drummer Chris Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto. Cornell initially handled both vocals and drums. In 1985, Scott Sundquist joined as drummer, allowing Cornell to concentrate on singing; Matt Cameron later became the band's permanent drummer.
Soundgarden took its name from A Sound Garden, a wind-responsive public sculpture near Seattle's Magnuson Park. The band became one of the central acts in the Seattle alternative-rock movement, although its music also drew heavily on heavy metal and punk.
Soundgarden's early recordings included songs on the 1986 compilation Deep Six. The band released the Screaming Life EP through Sub Pop in 1987 and its debut album, Ultramega OK, on SST Records in 1988. Mainstream success followed with albums such as Badmotorfinger and Superunknown. The band later split in 1997, reunited in 2010, and remained active until Cornell's death in 2017.