Chris Cornell: 20 of his best songs from a legendary rock career

According to Rolling Stone, Cornell wrote Soundgarden's most recognizable song and commercial smash in just 15 minutes. An example of the special talent Cornell held as a lyricist. The third single off the band's breakthrough 1994 album "Superunknown" hit No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and won the Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance.

The rock world's first taste of Audioslave, the supergroup complete with Cornell and three-fourths of Rage Against the Machine. The first track from its self-titled debut album demonstrates the overall talent of each musician. Cornell's signature wail and Tom Morello's stellar guitar work go hand in hand.

The first song off Soundgarden's debut "Ultramega OK," presents the heavy, drawn-out melodic work that was frequently featured on the band's first two albums. Not completely polished, but delivering hints to what this group was capable of producing. Cornell wrote the words to complement music by Kim Thayil, whose guitar work is gritty throughout.

A hidden gem from Soundgarden's second album "Louder Than Love," is the epitome of the band's early work. Raw, aggressive and complete with Cornell's voice offering a hint of his greatness that was to come. "Loud Love" might be the most well-known song from "Louder Than Love," but "Gun" is worth a listen — or 10.

The vocal pairing of Cornell and Eddie Vedder is a match made in grunge heaven. Written by Cornell for Soundgarden, the song earned life with the Temple of the Dog side project featuring he and drummer Matt Cameron along with Vedder and his Pearl Jam mates. The song was a commercial hit, as Cornell and Vedder trading off the "I'm going hungry" line remains the highlight of the piece.

Cornell wasn't just known for doing covers to do them; he had a remarkable knack to take any song, from any genre, and make it his own. In San Francisco during the winter of 2012, he delivered a Cornell-like rendition of the 1970s Dolly Parton tune that Whitney Houston made famous in her 1992 film "The Bodyguard."

Audioslave's biggest hit topped both the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock and Hot Modern Rock charts. There's a melancholy vibe to the song, and according to Cornell, the lyrics deal with the afterlife. Eerie considering the path his own life took. Morello's solo sticks to his signature sound but in a more melodic, pop-friendly way.

Prince wrote it, Sinead O'Connor made it a hit and Cornell would make both proud with his performance. Successfully tackling one of the most popular songs of the 1990s, Cornell delivers a version that probably has more in common with Prince's soulful original with The Family than O'Connor's career-defining smash.

There are not many musicians who can take lyrics from one song and successfully add them to the music of another. But that's what Cornell did during a show in 2013, when he sang the words to Metallica's anti-war classic "One" with the music of "One" by U2. It's strange, unique and actually quite beautiful.

This is the song that can be credited as introducing Soundgarden to mainstream rock fans. The second song from "Badmotorfinger," which received a Grammy nomination, kept the same heavy framework of the band's first two albums while offering a more radio-friendly sound. Cornell's line 'I'm looking California and feeling Minnesota," inspired the title of the 1996 Keanu Reeves film, "Feeling Minnesota."

The first release off "Down on the Upside," the follow-up to "Superunknown." It isn't as heavy compared to the other initial songs released off Soundgarden's previous albums, as the band was in full-on mainstream mode. Still, it's a quality track that peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Modern Rock chart and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Hard Rock Performance.

Arguably the most well-known Soundgarden song prior to "Superunknown." It's the highlight of "Badmotorfinger" with Thayil's oddly tuned, but completely creative, guitar work, especially to open the song. The tune reached new heights in popularity when Johnny Cash delivered a stellar version for his 1996 "Unchained" album.

Perhaps Cornell's most personal and poignant song, written as a tribute to friend, roommate and Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood, who died of a heroin overdose in 1990. It became part of the Temple of the Dog project and a song that took on even more meaning following Cornell's passing in 2017.

This deep cut off "Badmotorfinger" never made a smash commercially, but it was a staple of Soundgarden's live shows in the 1990s. From its See 'n Say intro to the melodic, dark, Black Sabbath-like pace, it's a bonus on a record that ushered Cornell and his bandmates into the mainstream. Also, another great example of the overall range and depth of Cornell's voice.

Not only did Cornell contribute this soulful, solo effort to the soundtrack of Cameron Crowe's 1992 Seattle-based hit "Singles," he also found himself with a couple of somewhat memorable cameos in a movie that highlighted the hub of the grunge scene. Soundgarden's "Birth Ritual" also appears on the soundtrack.

Another "Badmotorfinger" cut that casual fans might not recognize, but it's one those familiar with the Soundgarden catalog may regard as one of the band's best. While this song showcases Thayil's unique guitar work, it's classic 1990s Cornell. It's also the last song Cornell and the band performed in Detroit, just hours before his death.

The track that paved the way for Soundgarden's mainstream breakthrough, it's the first release off "Superunknown." Fast-paced, yet well-polished, Cornell and Co. were on the verge of superstardom with this cut. The song reached as high as No. 3 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart and won a Grammy in 1995 for Best Metal Performance.

Perhaps one of the more under-the-radar Cornell offerings, but this could be his best solo work. It found a place on the soundtrack for 1998's "Great Expectations," starring Ethan Hawke and Gwyneth Paltrow. Similar in some ways to "Seasons," it's Cornell crooning without being too over the top.

Though it didn't enjoy the same commercial success as "Spoonman" or "Black Hole Sun," the second release off "Superunknown" is a big reason the album took Soundgarden to new heights. The entire record showcases Cornell's maturity as both a singer and songwriter, and this is a perfect example of that growth.

Co-written with acclaimed British composer David Arnold as the theme song for the 2006 James Bond film "Casino Royale," with Daniel Craig in the famed lead role. Cornell reportedly was selected to perform the theme because the film's producers wanted a strong voice to match the strength of the Bond character and the face-paced action that's a staple of those films.