THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

614-Soundgarden-Black Hole Sun.

1994-Number 12 single.

Best Bit-At 2.28. Any amateur astronomers reading this, don’t panic, you haven’t got it wrong.There is a black hole, and there is a sun, but there is no black hole sun.

‘Black Hole Sun’ was something that the songs writer Chris Cornell had misheard. He was watching the news on television, and thought he heard the newsreader say ‘black hole sun,’ but he was really saying something else. Cornell so liked the phrase, and thought it would make a good title for a song.Cornell has said,’I wrote it in my head, driving home from Bear Creek Studio in Woodinville, a 35-40 minute drive from Seattle. The songs lyrics are a mixture of Cornell’s thoughts at that time,written in an experimental manner, with more than one potential meaning.Personally I see the song as Cornell telling us that life is tough, but if we are strong, we can work our way through.

Soundgarden were formed in 1984 in Seattle, Washington, United States by Chris Cornell (1964-2017,) (vocals and guitar,) Kim Thayil (lead guitar,) and Hiro Yamamoto (bass,) the bands drummer Matt Cameron joined full time in 1986. They were active until 1997, but did reform in 2010, until retiring the band in 2019. They named themselves after a wind-channelling pipe sculpture titled ‘A Sound Garden,’ which is to be found in the ‘National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration property, next to Magnuson Park, in Seattle.

Soundgarden were one of the originators of the musical genre ‘Grunge,’ which came out of Washington in the early 1990’s, along with their contemporaries Nirvana (see also best songs 788 and 9,) and Pearl Jam (see also best songs 458.)The bands co-founder, lead singer, and writer of this song, Chris Cornell was said to have struggled with depression for most of his life.He was found dead on May 18th, 2017, in a Detroit hotel room, shortly after performing a concert with Soundgarden at the Fox Theatre, his death was ruled a suicide by hanging.

‘In my eyes, indisposed, in disguises no one knows.Hides the face, lies the snake, the sun in my disgrace.’