Down On The Upside

Description

Down on the Upside, Soundgardens fifth full-length studio album, released in May 1996, debuted at #2 on the Billboard 200 and represented a significant stylistic departure away from alternative metal into a more experimental sound with an emphasis on vocals, melody and more diverse instrumentation.

At the time Chris Cornell described several of the songs as self-affirming and autobiographical while the singles, Pretty Noose, Burden in My Hand and Blow Up the Outside World, all scored high on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart, the latter two going #1, with Pretty Noose nominated for a Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance.

All three singles also scored on the Modern Rock chart, with Pretty Noose and Burden in My Hand peaking at #2 and Blow Up the Outside World at #8. Down on the Upside was certified platinum by the RIAA and would be the last new Soundgarden album for 16 years until 2012s comeback King Animal.