As important dates in rock history go, March 8 doesn’t rank all that high. But three great albums were released on this date, two of them on the same day.
Released on March 8, 1994, 'Superunknown' is Soundgarden's fourth studio album.
Lead single "Spoonman" was released in January of '94 to pre-promote the album.
'Superunknown' was an album of "seconds:" it was Soundgarden's second album with bassist Ben Sheppard and second major-label release (for A&M Records)
Released as 'Superunknown's' third single in May of '94, "Black Hole Sun" was Soundgarden's breakthrough moment. The now-iconic video was all over MTV and it helped turn the album into the band's all-time biggest seller.
'Superunknown' really did own 1994, with four singles put out over a 10-month span. "My Wave" was the fourth, released in October.
25+ years on and 9 million copies sold to date. It's easy to see why 'Superunknown' is such a beloved album.
True story: Nine Inch Nails released 'The Downward Spiral' on the same day Soundgarden dropped 'Superunknown:' March 8, 1994.
'The Downward Spiral' was quite a departure from NIN's 1989 debut 'Pretty Hate Machine,' and lead single "March Of The Pigs" certainly set the tone.
Follow-up single "Closer" became an early signature song for Nine Inch Nails, and the original video was so graphic it required a re-shoot to be aired on MTV.
While it wasn't a proper single, "Piggy" did receive a release to radio and a remix from Rick Rubin.
"Hurt" also wasn't a proper release, but would go on to achieve iconic status, with a little help from Johnny Cash's 2002 cover version.
It's not just about 1994: hop back 20 years to March 8, 1974 and you end up on the release date of Queen's second album.
While it didn't chart in the U.S., "Seven Seas Of Rhye" was Queen's U.K. chart debut. All in all, March 8 gets its due with these three essential albums.
