Kim Thayil wasn’t sure how to feel about Soundgarden being nominated for the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame class.
He touches on processing his feelings about the honor in a new interview with Guitar World. The Seattle band’s nomination this year is their second. They were previously nominated in 2020.
Thayil begins, “When I first heard about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I thought, How do you quantify that? But then I started hearing from friends who either were inducted or attended events, and they said, ‘Man, this is fun because of the enthusiasm the fans have for seeing a band they love and believe in having their achievements and merits recognized.'”
He continues, “If you’re a fan, it’s a validation of your choices and your appraisals in your musical tastes. So that changed my understanding of it, and made me realize it’s important.”
Thayil added, “And now that Chris [Cornell] is gone, it’s even more important. It’s for Chris’s memory and the band’s legacy. And for our fans – for the love and commitment they’ve shown us for all these decades.”
As of publishing, Soundgarden currently sits in fourth place in the Rock Hall Fan Vote. The “Fans’ Ballot” will comprise the top five artists from the fan vote and will be counted among the other ballots filled out by various artists, historians, and music industry professionals.
The Fan Vote at RockHall.com runs through April 28. Fans are allowed to vote once per day during the Fan Vote period. Visitors of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum in Cleveland will also have the opportunity to vote in person.