Which Soundgarden album became the band's first major-label release in 1989?

Soundgarden's first major-label release in 1989 was Louder Than Love.

The album was released on May 5, 1989, by A&M Records. It followed Soundgarden's early independent work and marked the band's move into a larger recording and distribution system while it remained rooted in Seattle's alternative scene.

Louder Than Love was Soundgarden's second full-length studio album. Its songs included “Loud Love” and “Hands All Over,” and the record featured Chris Cornell, Kim Thayil, Hiro Yamamoto, and drummer Matt Cameron.

The album is often confused with Badmotorfinger or Superunknown because those later records became more commercially prominent. Badmotorfinger arrived in 1991, while Superunknown followed in 1994 and brought the band its greatest mainstream success. Louder Than Love is the key transition between Soundgarden's independent beginnings and its later major-label career.