Soundgarden hit the stage with some killer guests: Taylor Momsen from The Pretty Reckless, Brandi Carlile, Mike McCready from Pearl Jam, and Jerry Cantrell from Alice in Chains.
On Saturday night, November 8th, 2025, at the Peacock Theatre in L.A., Soundgarden were officially inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — a long-overdue, emotional celebration honoring one of Seattle’s most game-changing bands.
Jim Carrey, a lifelong fan, did the honors of inducting the band. “When the Seattle music scene blew up, it was the resurrection of rock and roll for me. Bands like Mother Love Bone, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam brought something back I thought was gone forever.” He also recalled introducing Soundgarden on Saturday Night Live back in 1996, when Chris Cornell gifted him a guitar signed by the whole band. “Long live Chris Cornell, and long live Soundgarden,” he said.
Lily Cornell Silver — Chris Cornell and Susan Silver’s daughter — delivered one of the night’s most emotional moments: “My dad lived for music. He loved all of you, and he loved making music. Tonight we celebrate him and the band he helped build. Thank you for keeping his spirit alive.”
THE BAND’S SPEECHES
Bassist Hiro Yamamoto said, “Chris Cornell, we miss you up here tonight. We love you, man — we wouldn’t be here without you.”
He went on to talk about his parents, Japanese-American citizens who were interned during World War II: “Their story deeply shaped my life. It still echoes today. Let’s make sure we don’t add another story like that to our history.”
Drummer Matt Cameron gave one of the most heartfelt speeches of the night: “I wanna thank my muse, my girl, my amazing wife April Cameron, and our beautiful kids, Raymond and Josie. To my folks — thanks for turning me on to Count Basie and for letting me bang on drums in the house for a decade.”
Cameron also shouted out everyone who’s been part of the Soundgarden journey — Kelly Curtis, Jonathan Poneman, Bruce Pavitt, Jack Endino, Terry Date, Adam Kasper, Brendan O’Brien, the Pearl Jam guys, Nirvana, the Melvins, Wipers, Alice in Chains — “and all the bands we shared the stage with in the ‘80s and ‘90s,” he said.
He closed by honoring his late bandmate: “I accept this on behalf of our fans — and all the outcasts, loners, and introverts who found comfort in the words and music of my hero and bandmate, Chris Cornell. Love you, Chris.”
Guitarist Kim Thayil reflected on his creative bond with Cornell: “Whenever one of us hesitated to try something, Chris was the first to say, ‘Let’s give it a shot.’” He added, “I miss him. I love him — and I love all my Soundgarden brothers. Having our Seattle friends and collaborators here tonight means the world.”
Ben Shepherd, always the quiet one, kept it short and real: “This one’s for the fans. They finally get the recognition they deserve. We owe it all to Chris — and to everyone who stuck with us.”
THE LIVE PERFORMANCE
After the induction, Kim Thayil, Matt Cameron, Ben Shepherd, and Hiro Yamamoto hit the stage joined by Mike McCready, Jerry Cantrell, Taylor Momsen, and Brandi Carlile.
They tore through Rusty Cage — with Momsen on vocals and McCready on lead guitar — and Black Hole Sun, featuring Brandi Carlile on vocals, Cantrell on guitar, Momsen on backing vocals, and Yamamoto on bass. It was a goosebump-inducing performance that brought the spirit of ‘90s Seattle back to life for one unforgettable night.
Then, Toni Cornell, Chris’s daughter, performed a stunning version of Fell On Black Days backed by Nancy Wilson of Heart — the same band Chris inducted into the Hall back in 2013.
A LEGACY THAT LIVES ON
In the audience was Jeff Ament from Pearl Jam, who was spotted hanging out with Flea and John Paul Jones. He was rocking an updated version of the iconic t-shirt listing all the artists still waiting to be inducted — the same one he wore during Pearl Jam’s 2017 Hall of Fame ceremony.
On Instagram, Ament wrote that he was “super stoked for our brothers in Soundgarden, who finally got the recognition they deserve for being one of the greatest and most original bands ever,” while giving props to other 2025 inductees like Bad Company and the mighty White Stripes.
Soundgarden’s induction wasn’t just about honoring their career — it was a celebration of an entire scene. As Jim Carrey said, “Seattle resurrected rock and roll.”
Inside that room, surrounded by old friends and new generations of fans, the spirit of an era came roaring back — one born in a rainy city that gave the world Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, and Soundgarden.
Born in Reggio Emilia in 1980. He created pearljamonline.it in 2001 and wrote the first edition of “Pearl Jam Evolution” in 2009 along with his wife Daria. Since 2022, he is behind 2 podcasts: “Pearl Jam dalla A alla Z” and “Fuori Orario Not Another Podcast”. He has collaborated with Barracuda Style, HvsR, Rolling Stone, Rockol and Il Fatto Quotidiano. He continues relentlessly to try to find “beautiful melodies that say terrible things”.
Favorite song: Present Tense
Favorite album: No Code
Favorite bands/artists other than PJ: Tom Waits, Soundgarden, Ramones, Bruce Springsteen, IDLES, Fontaines D.C., Mark Lanegan, R.E.M., Radiohead, Cat Power, Dead Kennedys