Black Hole Sun

Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox song "Black Hole Sun" is a song by American rock band Soundgarden. Written by frontman Chris Cornell, the song was released in May 1994 by A&M Records as the third single from the band's fourth studio album, Superunknown (1994). Considered to be the band's signature song, it topped the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart, where it spent a total of seven weeks at number one. Despite peaking at number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart, "Black Hole Sun" finished as the number-one track of 1994 for that listing. Worldwide, the single reached the top 10 in Australia, Canada, France, and Ireland, while in Iceland, it reached number one. The accompanying music video was directed by Howard Greenhalgh and received the award for Best Metal/Hard Rock Video at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards.

"Black Hole Sun" was included on Soundgarden's 1997 greatest hits album A-Sides; it also appeared on the 2010 compilation album Telephantasm. In 2021, Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song number 368 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Origin and recording

"Black Hole Sun" was written by frontman Chris Cornell. In 1994, Cornell explained the song's origins to Uncut Magazine:

I wrote it in my head driving home from Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, a 35–40 minute drive from Seattle. It sparked from something a news anchor said on TV and I heard wrong. I heard 'blah blah blah black hole sun blah blah blah'. I thought that would make an amazing song title, but what would it sound like? It all came together, pretty much the whole arrangement including the guitar solo that's played beneath the riff.

I spent a lot of time spinning those melodies in my head so I wouldn't forget them. I got home and whistled it into a Dictaphone. The next day I brought it into the real world, assigning a couple of key changes in the verse to make the melodies more interesting. Then I wrote the lyrics and that was similar, a stream of consciousness based on the feeling I got from the chorus and title.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>{{#if:|

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Cornell said that he wrote the song in about 15 minutes.<ref name="gardener">"Gardener's Question Time" Template:Webarchive. Kerrang!. March 1, 1997.</ref> He used a Gretsch guitar to write the song, and commented, "I wrote the song thinking the band wouldn't like it—then it became the biggest hit of the summer."<ref>"Chris Cornell – Cornell Gets Prized Guitars Back From Ex-wife" Template:Webarchive. Contactmusic.com. March 30, 2009.</ref> Cornell came up with the song while using a Leslie speaker. Guitarist Kim Thayil said that the Leslie model 16 speaker was perfect for the song as "it's very Beatlesque and has a distinctive sound. It ended up changing the song completely."<ref>Gilbert, Jeff. "Sleepless in Seattle". Guitar World. May 1994.</ref> Thayil said that the song "wasn't safe as milk, but it wasn't glass in someone's eye either. It was the spoonful of sugar that helps the medicine go down. Now it's the 'Dream On' of our set."<ref>Brambarger, Bradley. "The Modern Age", Billboard. June 8, 1996</ref> The song was performed in a slightly sharp drop D tuning, similar to the tuning used on the band's first single, "Hunted Down". Drummer Matt Cameron called the song "a huge departure". Credit is due to Michael Beinhorn and Brendan O'Brien, producer and recording engineer, respectively.

Appearing on The Pods & Sods Network in July 2017, Beinhorn detailed the process of recording Superunknown and shared his reaction to first hearing "Black Hole Sun": "I think for the rest of my entire life, until I draw my last breath, I'll never ever forget how I felt when they started playing that song. From the very first few notes, I felt like I'd been hit by a thunderbolt. I was just absolutely stunned. What in the world is this? I get goosebumps thinking about it now."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Composition

Template:Listen Musically, "Black Hole Sun" has been described as grunge,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> psychedelic rock,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> alternative rock,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> hard rock,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and stoner rock.<ref name= "Stanley 2013">Template:Cite book</ref> Regarding the song's lyrics, Cornell stated, "It's just sort of a surreal dreamscape, a weird, play-with-the-title kind of song."<ref>"Soundgarden: The Badass Seed". RIP. April 1994.</ref> He also said that "lyrically it's probably the closest to me just playing with words for words' sake, of anything I've written. I guess it worked for a lot of people who heard it, but I have no idea how you'd begin to take that one literally."<ref>Crisafulli, Chuck. "Rogues Gallery". Request. June 1996.</ref> In another interview he elaborated further, stating, "It's funny because hits are usually sort of congruent, sort of an identifiable lyric idea, and that song pretty much had none. The chorus lyric is kind of beautiful and easy to remember. Other than that, I sure didn't have an understanding of it after I wrote it. I was just sucked in by the music and I was painting a picture with the lyrics. There was no real idea to get across."<ref name="painting">Clay, Jennifer. "Soundgarden: Painting Beautiful Pictures" Template:Webarchive. RIP. June 1996.</ref> Commenting upon how the song was misinterpreted as being positive, Cornell said, "No one seems to get this, but 'Black Hole Sun' is sad. But because the melody is really pretty, everyone thinks it's almost chipper, which is ridiculous."<ref>True, Everett. "Journey into the Superunknown" Template:Webarchive. Melody Maker. March 19, 1994.</ref> When asked about the line, "Times are gone for honest men", Cornell said:

It's really difficult for a person to create their own life and their own freedom. It's going to become more and more difficult, and it's going to create more and more disillusioned people who become dishonest and angry and are willing to fuck the next guy to get what they want. There's so much stepping on the backs of other people in our profession. We've been so lucky that we've never had to do that. Part of it was because of our own tenacity, and part of it was because we were lucky.<ref>Rolling Stone. January 12, 1995.</ref>

Reception

Commercial performance

"Black Hole Sun" was released as a single in mid-1994. It became the most successful song from Superunknown on American rock charts, and became the band's best-known song overall.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It appeared on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 Airplay chart, reaching the top 30. The following week it debuted on the Top 40 Mainstream, where it peaked at number nine in its eighth week and remained on the chart until its 20th week. The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart where the song spent a total of seven weeks at number one. The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and was the number one track for the year of 1994, the only song to not peak at number one to be named the number one song of the year on this chart to date. At the 1995 Grammy Awards, "Black Hole Sun" received the award for Best Hard Rock Performance and received a nomination for Best Rock Song.<ref name="1995 Grammys">Template:Cite web</ref>

Outside the United States, the single was released in Australia, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom. In Canada, the song reached the top 10 on the RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart. It remained in the top 10 for three weeks and became the band's highest-charting song in Canada. "Black Hole Sun" reached the UK top 20 and was the last single from the album that charted in the UK top 20; it remains the band's highest-charting single in the UK. "Black Hole Sun" debuted at number 10 in Australia but quickly descended the chart; however, widespread airplay and a promotional visit to Australia stimulated a resurgence of interest in Superunknown. "Black Hole Sun" would peak at number six on the Australian Singles Chart. "Black Hole Sun" reached the top 30 in Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, and was a top-10 success in France and Ireland. It topped the Icelandic Singles Chart for a week and was a moderate top-20 success in Sweden. The single has sold over three million copies worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Critical reception

Greg Prato of AllMusic called the song "one of the few bright spots" of mid-1994, when "the world was still reeling from Nirvana leader Kurt Cobain's suicide the previous April". He said, "The song had a psychedelic edge to it (especially evident in the verse's guitar part), as the composition shifted between sedate melodicism and gargantuan guitar riffs. The lyrics were classic Chris Cornell—lines didn't exactly make sense on paper but did within the song."<ref>Prato, Greg. [[[:Template:AllMusic]] "Black Hole Sun > Review"]. AllMusic. Retrieved on May 19, 2008.</ref> Larry Flick from Billboard magazine praised it as "a magnificent pop single", noting that "track's resonant production highlights its moving, Beatlesque quality without sacrificing band's visceral punch."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Ann Powers of Blender proclaimed that "Cornell's fixation with the Beatles pays off with the hit single 'Black Hole Sun' ".<ref>Powers, Ann. "Soundgarden: Superunknown". Blender.</ref> In his weekly UK chart commentary, James Masterton wrote, "Easily the most commercial single the US band have released to date".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Alan Jones from Music Week gave it four out of five and named it Pick of the Week, adding, "Heavily plugged by MTV, this single has a fat, full sound, with some psychedclic edges invading the band's usual grungey sound. lt is a light, disciplined and melodic hit."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Jon Pareles of The New York Times said, "The Beatles' techniques—fuzz-toned low chords, legato lead-guitar hooks and lumpy Ringo Starr-style drumming...are linked to Lennon-style melody in 'Black Hole Sun'."<ref>Pareles, Jon. "RECORDINGS VIEW; Lightening Up On the Gloom In Grunge". The New York Times. March 6, 1994. Retrieved on March 23, 2008.</ref> Roger Morton from NME named it "the best moment" from their album, "a melodramatic downer ballad, whose bleakness is offsett by some curious psychedelic guitar figures."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> J.D. Considine of Rolling Stone stated, "With its yearning, Lennonesque melody and watery, Harrison-style guitar, 'Black Hole Sun' is a wonderful exercise in Beatleisms; trouble is, it's not a very good song, offering more in the way of mood and atmosphere than melodic direction."<ref>Considine, J.D. "Soundgarden: Superunknown" Template:Webarchive. Rolling Stone. July 31, 1997.</ref> Roy Wilkinson from Select noted "the descending corkscrew melody" of the song.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

The solo for "Black Hole Sun", performed by Thayil, was ranked number 63 on Guitar WorldTemplate:'s list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Solos",<ref name="100greatest">"100 Greatest Guitar Solos" Template:Webarchive. Guitar World. 2007.</ref> and number 56 on Total Guitar's list of the "100 Hottest Guitar Solos".<ref name="100hottest">"100 Hottest Guitar Solos". Total Guitar. May 2006.</ref> The song was included on VH1's countdown of the "100 Greatest Songs of the '90s" at number 25.<ref name="greatest90s">Template:Cite web</ref> It was also included on VH1's countdown of the "100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs" at number 77.<ref name="VH1hardrock">"100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs". VH1.</ref> According to Nielsen Music's year-end report for 2019, "Black Hole Sun" was the ninth most-played song of the decade on mainstream rock radio with 125,000 spins. All of the songs in the top 10 were from the 1990s.<ref name="MainstreamRockDecade2010-2019">Template:Cite web</ref> In 2017, Billboard ranked the song number four on their list of the 15 greatest Soundgarden songs,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and in 2021, Kerrang ranked the song number one on their list of the 20 greatest Soundgarden songs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Music video

The surreal and apocalyptic music video for "Black Hole Sun" was directed by British video director Howard Greenhalgh,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> produced by Megan Hollister for Why Not Films (London, England), shot by Ivan Bartos, and features post-production work by 525 Post Production (Hollywood, California) and Soho 601 Effects (London). The video follows a suburban neighborhood and its vain inhabitants with grotesquely exaggerated grins, which are eventually swallowed up when the Sun suddenly turns into a black hole, while the band performs the song somewhere in an open field. In the video, Cornell is wearing a fork necklace given to him by Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon.<ref name="gardener"/> In an online chat, the band stated that the video "was entirely the director's idea", and added, "Our take on it was that at that point in making videos, we just wanted to pretend to play and not look that excited about it."<ref>"Interview With Chris Cornell and Kim Thayil of Soundgarden". Spin Online. November 15, 1995.</ref> They said that the video was one of the few Soundgarden videos the band was satisfied with.<ref>Maloof, Rich. "Kim Thayil of Soundgarden: Down on the Upbeat" Template:Webarchive. Guitar Magazine. July 1996.</ref>

The video premiered on MTV's late-night alternative rock program 120 Minutes on June 12, 1994.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After several weeks of airplay on MTV, a second version of the video was substituted containing more elaborate visual effects than the original, including the addition of a computer-generated black hole. "Black Hole Sun" became a hit on MTV and received the award for Best Metal/Hard Rock Video at the 1994 MTV Video Music Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Same year, it was nominated for Best Clip of the Year in the category for Alternative/Modern Rock at the 1994 Billboard Music Video Awards.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> In 1995, it received the Clio Award for Alternative Music Video.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The video is available on the CD-ROM Alive in the Superunknown.

Accolades

Publication	Country	Accolade	Year	Rank
Guitar World	United States	"100 Greatest Guitar Solos"<ref name="100greatest"/>	2007	63
VH1	United States	"100 Greatest Songs of the '90s"<ref name="greatest90s"/>	2007	25
VH1	United States	"100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs"<ref name="VH1hardrock"/>	2008	77
Robert Dimery	United States	1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	2010	*
Rolling Stone	United States	"500 Greatest Songs of All Time"<ref name="500GSOAT">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	2021	368
Kerrang!	United Kingdom	"100 Greatest Singles of All Time"Template:CN	2002	49
Q	United Kingdom	"The 1001 Best Songs Ever"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	2003	543
Total Guitar	United Kingdom	"100 Hottest Guitar Solos"<ref name="100hottest"/>	2006	56
The Movement	New Zealand	"The 100 (+300) Greatest Songs of All Time"Template:CN	2004	80
The Movement	New Zealand	"The 77 Best Singles of the 90s"Template:CN	2004	32
Pure Pop	Mexico	"The 100 Best Singles of All Time"Template:CN	2003	100
Spex	Germany	"Singles of the Year"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	1994	15
Rock & Pop	Chile	"Rock&Pop 20 Años 200 Canciones"<ref>Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun Rock & Pop Chile</ref>	2013	174

* denotes an unordered list.

Track listing

All songs were written by Chris Cornell except where noted.

CD (Europe and Germany)

1. "Black Hole Sun"  – 5:18
2. "Like Suicide" (acoustic)  – 6:11
3. "Kickstand" (live) (Cornell, Kim Thayil)  – 1:58
   • Recorded live on August 20, 1993, at Jones Beach Amphitheater in Wantagh, New York

CD (Europe)

1. "Black Hole Sun"  – 5:18
2. "Jesus Christ Pose" (live) (Matt Cameron, Cornell, Ben Shepherd, Thayil)  – 7:19
   • Recorded live on August 11, 1993, at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, South Dakota
3. "My Wave" (live) (Cornell, Thayil)  – 4:34
   • Recorded live on August 20, 1993, at Jones Beach Amphitheater in Wantagh, New York
4. "Spoonman" (Steve Fisk remix)  – 6:55

Box set (UK)

1. "Black Hole Sun"  – 5:18
2. "Beyond the Wheel" (live)  – 5:56
   • Recorded live on August 18, 1993, at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, Canada
3. "Fell on Black Days" (live)  – 4:45
   • Recorded live on August 16, 1993, at Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan
4. "Birth Ritual" (demo) (Cornell, Cameron, Thayil)  – 5:50

CD (Australia and Germany)

1. "Black Hole Sun"  – 5:18
2. "Jesus Christ Pose" (live) (Cameron, Cornell, Shepherd, Thayil)  – 7:19
3. "Beyond the Wheel" (live)  – 5:54
   • Recorded live on August 18, 1993, at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

7-inch vinyl (UK) and cassette (UK)

1. "Black Hole Sun"  – 5:18
2. "My Wave" (live) (Cornell, Thayil)  – 4:34
   • Recorded live on August 20, 1993, at Jones Beach Amphitheater in Wantagh, New York
3. "Beyond the Wheel" (live)  – 5:54
   • Recorded live on August 18, 1993, at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

7-inch vinyl (US)

1. "Black Hole Sun"  – 5:18
2. "Spoonman"  – 4:06

Personnel

Personnel are taken from the liner notes of Superunknown.<ref>Template:Citation</ref>

Soundgarden

• Chris Cornell – vocals, rhythm guitar
• Ben Shepherd – bass
• Matt Cameron – drums, backing vocals
• Kim Thayil – lead guitar

Charts

Weekly charts

Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chartTemplate:Single chart

1994 weekly chart performance for "Black Hole Sun"

Chart (1994)	Peak position
Australia Alternative (ARIA)<ref> Template:Cite magazine Template:Cite magazine Template:Cite magazine Template:Cite magazine Template:Cite magazine Template:Cite magazine Template:Cite magazine Template:Cite magazine Template:Cite magazine</ref>	1
Benelux Airplay (Music & Media)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	17
Denmark (Hitlisten)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	16
European Hot 100 Singles (Music & Media)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	24
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)<ref name="Book">Template:Cite book</ref>	13
Iberia Airplay (Music & Media)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	7
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	1
Mexico International (Notitas Musicales)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	3
Quebec Airplay (ADISQ)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	8
UK Singles (MRIB)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	12
UK Network Singles (Music Week)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	29
US Cash Box Top 100<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	25

Template:Single chartTemplate:Single chart

2017 weekly chart performance for "Black Hole Sun"

Chart (2017)	Peak position

Year-end charts

1994 year-end chart performance for "Black Hole Sun"

Chart (1994)	Position
Australia (ARIA)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	62
Canada Top Singles (RPM)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	48
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	8
Latvia (Latvijas Top 40)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	22
Netherlands (Single Top 100)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	92
Sweden (Topplistan)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	83
UK Singles (OCC)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	144
US Album Rock Tracks (Billboard)<ref name="usrockye">Template:Cite magazine</ref>	2
US Modern Rock Tracks (Billboard)<ref name="usrockye"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>	1

2017 year-end chart performance for "Black Hole Sun"

Chart (2017)	Position
US Hot Rock Songs (Billboard)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	53

Decade-end charts

Decade-end chart performance for "Black Hole Sun"

Chart (2010–2019)	Position
US Mainstream Rock (Nielsen Music)<ref name="MainstreamRockDecade2010-2019"/>	9

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Black Hole Sun"

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Template:Abbr
United States	May 13, 1994	Template:N/a	A&M	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Australia	July 4, 1994	Template:Hlist	Template:Hlist	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
United Kingdom	August 8, 1994	Template:Hlist	A&M	<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Japan	August 10, 1994	CD		<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In popular culture

"Black Hole Sun" is on the base set list for the original Rock Band game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock features the song in its downloadable content library, and it is a playable track in the TV mode of Guitar Hero Live.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Steve and Eydie recorded a lounge version for the album Lounge-A-Palooza (1997).

During Chapter 5 Season 1 of Fortnite, you were able to obtain the song through the Fortnite Festival Season 2 Pass for 1800 V-Bucks, and it was released in the item shop on August 2nd, 2024.

External links

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