Along with Nirvana’s Nevermind, Pearl Jam’s Ten + VS., and Alice In Chains’ Dirt (just to name a handful), Soundgarden’s Superunknown is one of the most commercially successful albums of the grunge era. Grunge was a pretty big cash cow in the early ’90s, with Nirvana’s success prompting a wave of labels to sign bands who had anything to do with the word flannel. Critically, it satisfied the music critics as well – it is, of course, usually considered one of the best rock and metal albums of the decade. Anchored by some of the most iconic singles of the era like “Fell On Black Days” and “Black Hole Sun”, the album was one of many grunge albums to sell millions of copies.
Soundgarden have also fared well during the streaming era, with younger generations discovering the band through anything from playlists to viral TikTok videos (which is honestly pretty cool). That continued exposure has led Superunknown to a new certification from the RIAA – it’s now sold over 6 million copies. Pretty impressive!
