Soundgarden‘s Kim Thayil said that it was Chris Cornell who changed his bandmates’ minds about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The band was just announced as one of the Hall’s 2025 inductees alongside Bad Company, Joe Cocker, The White Stripes, Cyndi Lauper, Chubby Checker and Outkast. Soundgarden were first nominated for the Hall in 2020, and are finally getting in after being nominated two more times.
In an interview with Billboard about the induction, Thayil explained that Cornell changed his perspective about the organization after the singer inducted fellow Seattle natives Heart into the Hall in 2013. Plus, two of Soundgarden’s contemporaries, Nirvana and Pearl Jam, were inducted in 2014 and 2017, respectively.
“I kinda came from a subculture of rock that didn’t quite get what all the fuss is about,” Thayil admitted. “Back in the ’80s, ’90s, when the Hall started, I probably was not alone in being part of a punk rock or indie metal scene that had an aversion to the idea. It was kind of hard to wrap my head around both a qualitative appraisal and a quantitative assessment.”
However, Cornell’s experience inducting Heart into the Hall showed him how important of an accomplishment it was to fans. It changed drummer Matt Cameron‘s perspective of the accolade as well, who was inducted with Pearl Jam in 2017.
“In so many ways the fans got some kind of validation by having a band that was important to their heart and that they championed get (the honor). I know I felt that way about bands I believed in, whether the MC5 or the Ramones or KISS,” Thayil continued.
The guitarist added that Cornell would be really excited and appreciative about the induction, especially because he would’ve known how much happy it made Soundgarden’s fans.
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Cameron and bassist Ben Shepherd are also happy about the achievement, according to Thayil. They’re also pleased that original bassist Hiro Yamamoto, who was in the band from 1984 until 1989, is being honored along with them.
“You have to reflect upon our formation and all the hard work, just the weird things we went through,” the rocker noted. “It’s a long way, and I enjoy sharing and seeing enthusiasm from my bandmates and our people in the Soundgarden community — management, crew, everybody. It’s great.”
The 2025 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction ceremony will take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, California on Nov. 8. The event will stream on Disney+, and ABC and Hulu will also have a special airing after the live event.
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Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire
