SuperunknownbySoundgardenandThe Downward Spiralby theNine Inch Nailswere released 32 years ago today!
On March 8, 1994, both bands released albums that are still widely considered their best by fans. Shortly after,SuperunknownandThe Downward Spiraldebuted at No. 1 and No. 2 on theBillboardalbums chart, respectively.
However, despite being edged out on the charts,The Downward Spiralsits at No. 32 on aRolling Stonerankingof the "100 Best Albums of the 90's," whileSuperunknowntrails shortly behind at No. 38.
The Downward Spiral, a concept album, follows a protagonist as he descends into madness—with the record exploring heavy topics like addiction, violence, and suicide that sparked controversy at the time.
The album also made headlines after it was revealed that part of it was recorded in the Los Angeles mansion whereSharon Tatewas murdered byCharles Mansonand the Manson Family in 1969.
In addition to being considered one of the best albums of the '90s,The Downward Spiralwas also ranked No. 122 on alistofRolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" in 2020.
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"[Nine Inch Nails'Trent Reznor] made the most successful album of his career—a cohesive, willful, and overpoweringmeditationon the central theme running through all of NIN's videos, live shows,music, and lyrics: control,"Rolling Stonewrote. "WhileSpiralhas its share of Reznor's trademark industrial corrosiveness, it's balanced by the tentatively hopeful (and intensely personal) 'Hurt' and soundscapes inspired by David Bowie'sLow."
The Downward Spiralachieved quadruple-platinum certification with 3.7 million US sales by December 2011.
RELATED:1982 Record Ranked Among 'Greatest Albums of All Time' Hit No. 1 44 Years Ago Today
Superunknown, on the other hand, marked a shift for Soundgarden—retaining the heaviness and grunge of the band's previous works while embracing sounds of alternative rock, hard rock, heavy metal, and psychedelic rock.
Superunknown, like itsbirthdaytwin, also landed on the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list, ranking at No. 335 on the2012 editionbefore being knocked off entirely in the revamped 2020 version.
"They were the Seattle punk scene's headbanging answer toLed Zeppelin II,"Rolling Stonesaid at the time. "But they became real songwriters onSuperunknown, shaping their angst into grunge anthems like 'Black HoleSun.'"
After debuting at number one on theBillboard200 album chart, the record eventually closed 1994 as the 13th best-selling album of the year with 2.5 million copies sold.
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The Academy Award winning actor Ryan Gosling first catapulted to fame after appearing in the 2004 romantic drama "The Notebook" alongside Rachel McAdams. The star continues to act in iconic roles and films and will soon star in "Project Hail Mary" and "Star Wars: Starfighter."
Gosling, star of "The Believer," hugs actress Sandra Bullock as she arrives as a guest at the film's premiere in Los Angeles Sept. 6, 2001. The film stars Gosling as a Jewish Yeshiva student who transforms into the leader of a neo-Nazi group of skinheads. The film won the Grand Jury prize at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Rachel McAdams and Gosling kiss on stage after winning the "best kiss" award for their screen kiss in the film "The Notebook" at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards in Los Angeles June 4, 2005." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling and Rachel McAdams accept the choice movie chemistry award onstage at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards held at Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk on Aug. 14, 2005, in Universal City, California." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling and his sister Mandy Gosling attend the 72nd annual New York Film Critics Circle Awards gala at Supper Club Jan. 7, 2007, in New York City." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling and Rachel McAdams arrive at the 13th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on Jan. 28, 2007, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling poses with his award for best male lead in the film "Half Nelson" in the press room during the 22nd annual Film Independent Spirit Awards held at Santa Monica Beach on Feb. 24, 2007, in Santa Monica, California." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling, center, and guests attend the 79th annual Academy Awards held at the Kodak Theatre on Feb. 25, 2007, in Hollywood." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling, actress Patricia Clarkson and director Craig Gillespie attend the after party for the screening of MGM's "Lars And The Real Girl" at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences on Oct. 2, 2007, in Beverly Hills, California." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling performs "I'm Just Ken" from "Barbie" during the 96th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles on March 10, 2024." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling arrive at the premiere of MGM's "Lars And The Real Girl" at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences on Oct. 2, 2007, in Beverly Hills, California." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Eva Mendes, left, and Ryan Gosling attend the artistic gymnastics women's uneven bars final during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at the Bercy Arena in Paris, on Aug. 4, 2024." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling arrives with a guest at the 14th annual Screen Actors Guild awards held at the Shrine Auditorium on Jan. 27, 2008, in Los Angeles." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling and Michelle Williams attend the "Blue Valentine" [hotocall at the Palais des Festivals during the 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2010, in Cannes, France." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Michelle Williams, Gosling and Faith Wladyka attend the "Blue Valentine" premiere at the Palais des Festivals during the 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 2010, in Cannes, France." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling attends the "Drive" photocall during the 64th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 20, 2011, in Cannes, France." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling accepts his award for best actor in motion picture, musical or comedy for "La La Land" during the 74th Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton on Jan. 8, 2017." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn and Gosling, left, pose on the red carpet before the screening of "Drive" presented in competition at the 64th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2011, in Cannes, France." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling poses at the Palme d'Or Winners photocall for "Drive" at the Palais des Festivals during the 64th Cannes Film Festival on May 22, 2011, in Cannes, France." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling attends the "Crazy, Stupid, Love" world premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater on July 19, 2011, in New York City." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling, along with his dog George, visits "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" at Rockefeller Center on July 20, 2011, in New York City." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling, left, and actor/ director George Clooney attend the premiere of Columbia Pictures' "The Ides Of March" held at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Samuel Goldwyn Theatre on Sept. 27, 2011, in Beverly Hills, California." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
From left, Bradley Cooper, Eva Mendes and Gosling attend "The Place Beyond The Pines" premiere during the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival at Princess of Wales Theatre on Sept. 7, 2012, in Toronto." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling arrives at Warner Bros. Pictures' "Gangster Squad" premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on Jan. 7, 2013, in Hollywood." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Matt Smith, Iain De Caestecker, Reda Kateb, Gosling, Geoffrey Arend and Christina Hendricks attend the "Lost River" premiere during the 67th Annual Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2014, in Cannes, France." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling attends the premiere of "The Big Short" at Ziegfeld Theatre on Nov. 23, 2015. in New York City." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling attend the premiere of Lionsgate's "La La Land" at Mann Village Theatre on Dec. 6, 2016, in Westwood, California." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Actors Emma Stone, left, and Gosling attend a hand and footprint ceremony at TCL Chinese Theatre IMAX on Dec. 7, 2016, in Hollywood." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling and Emma Stone, winners for best actor and best actress in a musical or comedy film for "La La Land," pose in the press room during the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 8, 2017, in Beverly Hills, California." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling, nominee for best actor in "La La Land," poses as he arrives on the red carpet for the 89th Oscars on Feb. 26, 2017, in Hollywood." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Harrison Ford, Gosling and Ana de Armas attend the "Blade Runner 2049" Madrid photocall on Sept. 19, 2017, in Madrid." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling arrives for the opening ceremony and the premiere of the film "First Man," presented in competition at the 75th Venice Film Festival on Aug. 29, 2018, in Italy." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Canadian actor Gosling attends Netflix's "The Gray Man" world premiere at the Chinese theatre in Hollywood, July 13, 2022." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling and Margot Robbie speak onstage as they promote the upcoming film "Barbie" during the Warner Bros. Pictures studio presentation during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 25, 2023, in Las Vegas." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling and Emily Blunt speak onstage to promote the upcoming film "The Fall Guy" during the Universal Pictures and Focus Features presentation during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 26, 2023, in Las Vegas." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Phil Lord, Gosling and Andy Weir speak onstage at Amazon MGM Studios "Project Hail Mary" panel during 2025 Comic-Con International: San Diego at San Diego Convention Center on July 26, 2025, in San Diego, California." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling performs "I'm Just Ken" from "Barbie" with Mark Ronson during the 96th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles on March 10, 2024." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
Gosling on the red carpet at the 96th Oscars at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles on March 10, 2024." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
