So much so that it is almost embarrassing. Even allowing for a hypothetical game in which the ubiquitous likes of Black Hole Sun, Fell On Black Days and Spoooooooooonman (read: Spoonman) were removed from the tracklisting, there is still an abundance of classic songs. It is, indeed, entirely possible to argue that. Superunknown is Soundgarden’s biggest-selling album, certainly their most iconic, and, for a great swathe of people out there, their definitive statement as a band.

The finest moment comes courtesy of Tighter & Tighter: an all-too unheralded psychedelic (and mesmeric) gem in Soundgarden’s discography. As an album, though, it’s often at its most impressive the quieter it gets, with the sublime mood music of Applebite being but one example. Down On The Upside contains some of the most breath-taking and progressive songs of their catalogue: the frenetic race through Ty Cobb, the glorious disenchantment of Blow Up The Outside World, and the ragged haze of Pretty Noose. Its reputation as something of a quiet disappointment is totally undeserved. Was it the fact that it wasn’t Superunknown Part Two (and certainly not as successful as that album), or was it the fact that, for a long, long time, its legacy stood as the album that precipitated Soundgarden’s implosion? While the latter was largely scrubbed from memory upon their reunion, the fact that it wasn’t met with the same commercial or critical acclaim as Superunknown has proven a blight. Historically speaking, it is hard to tell which prevailing factor eclipsed the music of Down On The Upside more.

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