American band Soundgarden in a posed portrait, 1989. (Photo by Krasner/Trebitz/Redferns)
Soundgarden has been all but silent since the death of lead singer Chris Cornell in 2017. Since then, the remaining members of the group have performed together, but only on rare occasions. While they may not be releasing new music, the band does score an important No. 1 on a Billboard chart this week.
“Black Hole Sun” debuts on Billboard’s Hot Hard Rock Songs chart this week. The tune opens in first place on the ranking of the most-consumed tracks in the U.S. that the chart company classifies as hard rock.
Soundgarden earns their first No. 1 on the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart this frame. “Black Hole Sun” has turned out to be not only their initial leader on the ranking but their first placement overall.
“Black Hole Sun” may be new to the Hot Hard Rock Songs chart, but the tune itself isn’t new. Soundgarden released the cut back in 1994. It served as the third single from the band’s album Superunknown.
The tune surges in popularity decades after it was released thanks not to a special re-release or any anniversary celebrations, but an event that has nothing to do with the band. “Black Hole Sun” was one of a number of tracks that became streaming and sales wins last week thanks to renewed interest tied to the solar eclipse. Several cuts that related to eclipses and all things connected to the sun and moon soared on platforms like iTunes and Spotify on the day of the occurrence.
On Monday (April 8), streams of “Black Hole Sun” exploded, especially when compared to the week before. The single gained by 123% when it came to streaming activity on sites like Amazon
The Hot Hard Rock Songs chart was introduced after Soundgarden’s heyday, so it’s not entirely shocking that the band hasn’t produced many hits on that tally—or any, until now. The fact that they were able to hit No. 1 on their first try is impressive, and it speaks to the popularity of both “Black Hole Sun” and the group.
