10 Stars Of Rock & Metal With Famous Second Bands

Chris Cornell was the charismatic frontman of Soundgarden, one of the premier rock bands of the nineties. They started out in the fledgling alternative Seattle music scene of the late eighties, before landing a major record deal and finding worldwide acclaim, with their videos regularly played on MTV. In 1994, their fourth album, Superunknown (1994), saw them achieve huge commercial success off the back of a number of hit singles, including Black Hole Sun, Fell On Black Days, and The Day I Tried To Live.

However, following up such a prestigious album proved difficult, with Cornell and guitarist Kim Thayil clashing over the musical direction on Down On The Upside (1996). And following a fractious tour, Soundgarden announced they were breaking up in 1997. In the year 2000, Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello (guitar), Tim Commerford (bass) and Brad Wilk (drums) found themselves without a vocalist when Zach de la Rocha walked out on the band after almost a decade of playing together.

Famed music producer Rick Rubin suggested the musicians get together to write with Chris Cornell, and Audioslave were formed. Their early sessions produced their classic self-titled album (2002), which sounded like a natural blend of Rage and Soundgarden and has sold over 3 million copies worldwide. Cornell’s raspy soulful vocals perfectly matched the music that Morello et al had been writing. And in a six-year period, Audioslave would create a further two albums, providing Cornell with an unexpected and hugely successful second band career.