Chris Cornell

Chris Cornell

Chris Cornell was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and composer best known for his work with Soundgarden. He also played a central role in Audioslave and Temple of the Dog, helping define the sound of Seattle-based rock in the 1980s and beyond.

Quick Facts

Canonical Name Chris Cornell
Born July 20, 1964
Birthplace Seattle, Washington, United States
Country United States
Occupations singer, songwriter, guitarist, musician, composer
Instruments voice, guitar
Gender male
Genres rock music, alternative rock, hard rock, grunge, alternative metal, acoustic rock, electropop, pop rock, post-grunge, rock, singer-songwriter
Associated Acts Soundgarden, Audioslave, Temple of the Dog, Alice Mudgarden, Center for Disease Control Boys, M.A.C.C.
Active Years Active since 1984
Website chriscornell.com

Identity and Aliases

Name Type Source
Chris Cornell Canonical Name System
Christopher John Boyle Alias Wikidata
Christopher J. Cornell Alias Wikidata
Christopher John Cornell Alias Wikidata
Christopher John Boyle Legal name MusicBrainz

Biography

Chris Cornell was an American musician from Seattle, Washington, whose career stretched from 1984 to 2017. He is best known for his work with Soundgarden, while his name is also closely tied to Audioslave and Temple of the Dog. Across those projects, he worked as a singer, songwriter, guitarist and composer, with voice and guitar at the center of his sound.

Cornell's work moved through rock, alternative rock, hard rock, grunge and alternative metal, with later material also touching acoustic rock, electropop and pop rock. His catalog includes MusicBrainz-listed albums, EPs and singles associated with his name, along with a wide set of recordings connected to his career.

Beyond his best-known bands, Cornell was associated with Alice Mudgarden, Center for Disease Control Boys and M.A.C.C. His official website was chriscornell.com. He died on May 18, 2017, at the age of 52.

Career Timeline

Year / Period Event Detail Source
1964 Born Seattle, Washington, United States Wikidata
1984 Career Start Active period begins Wikidata
1984–1997 Member of Soundgarden Wikidata
1990–1992 Member of Temple of the Dog Wikidata
2001–2007 Member of Audioslave Wikidata
Date not specified Member of The Center for Disease Control Boys MusicBrainz
Date not specified Member of M.A.C.C. Wikidata
Date not specified Member of Center for Disease Control Boys Wikidata
Date not specified Member of Alice Mudgarden Wikidata

Musical Roles

Singer, songwriter, guitarist and composer whose voice and guitar shaped his best-known work.

Role Source
singer Wikidata
songwriter Wikidata
guitarist Wikidata
musician Wikidata
composer Wikidata

Bands and Projects

Band / Project Relationship Source
Soundgarden Member of Wikidata
Audioslave Member of Wikidata
Temple of the Dog Member of Wikidata
Alice Mudgarden Member of Wikidata
Center for Disease Control Boys Member of Wikidata
M.A.C.C. Member of Wikidata

Releases and Appearances

MusicBrainz lists several release entries connected to Chris Cornell. These entries may include solo releases, guest appearances, live recordings, and catalogued metadata records.

MusicBrainz-listed Releases and Appearances

Title Year Type Classification Source
No One Sings Like You Anymore 2020 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Chris Cornell 2018 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
You Never Knew My Mind 2018 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Nothing Compares 2 U 2018 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz
The Promise 2017 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Nothing Compares 2 U 2016 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Higher Truth 2015 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart 2015 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Carry On + Scream 2012 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Songbook 2011 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
The Keeper 2011 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Scream 2009 Album metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Stop Me 2009 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Long Gone 2008 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz
Watch Out 2008 Single metadata_listed MusicBrainz

Recorded Performances & Appearances

MusicBrainz-listed recording entries connected to Chris Cornell include:

Song Title Artist / Group Relationship Source
’Til the Sun Comes Back Around Chris Cornell Performer MusicBrainz
(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding Chris Cornell Performer MusicBrainz
(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding Chris Cornell Performer MusicBrainz
[encore break] Chris Cornell Performer MusicBrainz
[intro: Sunshower] Chris Cornell Performer MusicBrainz
[outro] Chris Cornell Performer MusicBrainz
#1 Zero Chris Cornell Performer MusicBrainz
A Day in the Life Chris Cornell Performer MusicBrainz
All Night Thing Chris Cornell Performer MusicBrainz
An Insider’s View Chris Cornell Performer MusicBrainz

Musical Style and Instruments

Cornell's music is associated with rock, alternative rock, hard rock, grunge and alternative metal, with later work also linked to acoustic rock, electropop, pop rock and post-grunge. His writing often sat at the intersection of heavy guitar work and melodic vocal phrasing.

Genres

rock music alternative rock hard rock grunge alternative metal acoustic rock electropop pop rock post-grunge rock singer-songwriter

Instruments

voice guitar

Collaborations and Guest Relationships

Artist Relationship Source
M.A.C.C. Collaboration MusicBrainz
Vicky Cornell Married MusicBrainz
Toni Cornell Parent MusicBrainz
Peter Cornell Sibling MusicBrainz
Audiostoners Tribute MusicBrainz
Disciple of the Garden Tribute MusicBrainz
Superunknown Tribute MusicBrainz

External Identifiers & Authority Control

Official website and profile links for Chris Cornell include chriscornell.com, MusicBrainz, Discogs and Spotify.

Platform Identifier Purpose Source Confidence Link
Official Website https://chriscornell.com Official website Wikidata High View Profile
MusicBrainz cbf9738d-8f81-4a92-bc64-ede09341652d Music metadata Wikidata High View Profile
Discogs 261561 Discography database Wikidata High View Profile
Spotify 0XHiH53dHrvbwfjYM7en7I Streaming profile Wikidata High View Profile
IMDb nm0180225 Film/media profile Wikidata High View Profile
VIAF 85577926 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile
ISNI 0000000114947287 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile
GND 135141915 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile
Library of Congress n96122576 Authority control Wikidata High View Profile

Semantic Graph Data (Knowledge Graph)

Subject Predicate Object Source Confidence
Chris Cornell citizenship United States Wikidata high
Chris Cornell date_of_birth July 20, 1964 Wikidata high
Chris Cornell family_name Boyle Wikidata high
Chris Cornell gender male Wikidata high
Chris Cornell given_name Christopher Wikidata high
Chris Cornell place_of_birth Seattle, Washington, United States Wikidata high
Chris Cornell member_of Soundgarden Wikidata high
Chris Cornell member_of Audioslave Wikidata high
Chris Cornell member_of Temple of the Dog Wikidata high
Chris Cornell member_of Alice Mudgarden Wikidata high
Chris Cornell member_of Center for Disease Control Boys Wikidata high
Chris Cornell member_of M.A.C.C. Wikidata high
Chris Cornell instrument voice Wikidata high
Chris Cornell instrument guitar Wikidata high
Chris Cornell occupation singer Wikidata high
Chris Cornell occupation songwriter Wikidata high
Chris Cornell occupation guitarist Wikidata high
Chris Cornell occupation musician Wikidata high
Chris Cornell occupation composer Wikidata high
Chris Cornell genre rock music Wikidata high
Chris Cornell genre alternative rock Wikidata high
Chris Cornell genre hard rock Wikidata high
Chris Cornell genre grunge Wikidata high
Chris Cornell genre alternative metal Wikidata high
Chris Cornell genre acoustic rock MusicBrainz medium
Chris Cornell genre alternative rock MusicBrainz medium
Chris Cornell genre electropop MusicBrainz medium
Chris Cornell genre pop rock MusicBrainz medium
Chris Cornell genre post-grunge MusicBrainz medium
Chris Cornell genre rock MusicBrainz medium
Chris Cornell genre singer-songwriter MusicBrainz medium
Chris Cornell member of band Soundgarden MusicBrainz high
Chris Cornell member of band Audioslave MusicBrainz high
Chris Cornell member of band Alice Mudgarden MusicBrainz high
Chris Cornell member of band Temple of the Dog MusicBrainz high
Chris Cornell member of band The Center for Disease Control Boys MusicBrainz high
Chris Cornell sameAs Official Website Artist ID: https://chriscornell.com Wikidata High
Chris Cornell sameAs MusicBrainz Artist ID: cbf9738d-8f81-4a92-bc64-ede09341652d Wikidata High
Chris Cornell sameAs Discogs Artist ID: 261561 Wikidata High
Chris Cornell sameAs Spotify Artist ID: 0XHiH53dHrvbwfjYM7en7I Wikidata High
Chris Cornell sameAs IMDb Artist ID: nm0180225 Wikidata High
Chris Cornell sameAs VIAF Artist ID: 85577926 Wikidata High
Chris Cornell sameAs ISNI Artist ID: 0000000114947287 Wikidata High
Chris Cornell sameAs GND Artist ID: 135141915 Wikidata High
Chris Cornell sameAs Library of Congress Artist ID: n96122576 Wikidata High

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who was Chris Cornell best known for working with?

A: He was best known for his work with Soundgarden. He was also closely associated with Audioslave and Temple of the Dog.

Q: Where was Chris Cornell born?

A: He was born in Seattle, Washington, United States.

Q: What instruments did Chris Cornell play?

A: He was associated with voice and guitar. Those instruments were central to his work as a performer and songwriter.

Q: What genres is Chris Cornell associated with?

A: His work is linked to rock, alternative rock, hard rock, grunge and alternative metal, with later connections to acoustic rock, electropop and pop rock.

Q: What was Chris Cornell's active period?

A: His career is listed as active from 1984 to 2017.

Q: Which albums are associated with Chris Cornell?

A: Among the catalogued albums associated with his name are Euphoria Mourning, Carry On, Scream and Higher Truth.

Q: What is Chris Cornell's official website?

A: His official website is chriscornell.com.

Q: Which other acts was Chris Cornell associated with?

A: He was also associated with Alice Mudgarden, Center for Disease Control Boys and M.A.C.C.

Data Quality and Sources

Quality Score
91/100
Last Updated
May 27, 2026
Entity Stats
46 Facts
9 Identifiers
37 Relationships
Primary Sources
Wikidata, MusicBrainz, Discogs, GuitarRank Editorial