Black Rain

Album: Telephantasm (2010)
Charted: 96
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This is the first single from American rock band Soundgarden's compilation album Telephantasm, the group's first CD in 13 years. Whilst this song was recorded during sessions for the 1991 album Badmotorfinger, the remaining eleven tracks have appeared on previous releases, including early independent and small-label albums.
  • This was the first single Soundgarden released since "Bleed Together" in 1997. It also marked their first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. In the '90s, some bands, including Soundgarden, didn't make their singles available for purchase in the United States, which helped album sales but kept them off the chart because Billboard stipulated that a song had to be a commercially available single to be considered for the chart. Thus, the band's best known songs, such as "Black Hole Sun," were radio hits but didn't make the Hot 100.
  • Frontman Chris Cornell told USA Today the song captures "that super heavy version (of the band) we were finally realizing to its fullest potential about 1991."
  • The song's music video was directed by Brendon Small, the co-creator of American animated television series, Metalocalypse. The clip is the first artist-driven music video to be based on the show and features the Soundgarden members transformed into cartoon avatar-robot controllers patrolling the streets of a post-apocalyptic Seattle fighting alien spaceships and transparent monsters. "I'm a gigantic Soundgarden fan and it was so much fun bringing them into our warped Metalocalypse world," Small told Billboard magazine about making the video.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jay, Peaches, Spinderella and other Darrining Victims

Jay, Peaches, Spinderella and other Darrining VictimsSong Writing

Just like Darrin was replaced on Bewitched, groups have swapped out original members, hoping we wouldn't notice.

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Yacht Rock Quiz

Yacht Rock QuizFact or Fiction

Christopher Cross with Deep Purple? Kenny Loggins in Caddyshack? A Fact or Fiction all about yacht rock and those who made it.

Incongruent Opening Acts

Incongruent Opening ActsSong Writing

Here's what happens when an opening act is really out of place with the headliner, like when Beastie Boys opened for Madonna.

Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk: Rock vs. Televangelists

Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk: Rock vs. TelevangelistsSong Writing

When televangelists like Jimmy Swaggart took on rockers like Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica, the rockers retaliated. Bono could even be seen mocking the preachers.

Mac Powell of Third Day

Mac Powell of Third DaySongwriter Interviews

The Third Day frontman talks about some of the classic songs he wrote with the band, and what changed for his solo country album.