The seeds of Big were originally planted far away from the Emerald City in the fertile plains of the Midwest. Park Forest, Ill. natives and longtime friends Kim Thayil (guitar), Hiro Yamamoto (bass) and Bruce Pavitt, decided to move to Olympia, Wash. in 1981 to attend college and check out the budding underground culture. Thayil and Yamamoto soon became involved in a band called the Shemps, which featured vocalist/drummer Chris Cornell, while Pavitt founded the fanzine that would evolve into Sub Pop Records. The Shemps folded in 1984, but Yamamoto and new roommate Cornell decided to form a new project, soon bringing Thayil onboard and taking their name, Big, from a popular Seattle sculpture.

With drummer Scott Sundquist, Big toured heavily in the Pacific Northwest, gradually building up a large underground following with their unique mix of rock, metal and punk. In 1986 Sundquist left the band and was replaced by Skin Yard drummer Matt Cameron. The following year, the band signed to Pavitt's fledgling Sup Pop label and released their debut single, "Hunted Down," and the subsequent EP, Screaming Life. Another EP, FOPP, followed in 1988 earning the band big time buzz and major label interest. Preferring indie labels, they signed to SST and released their debut full-length, Ultramega OK later that year.

The band soon moved to the majors, signing with A&M Records, and began to record their sophomore album in December 1998. Louder Than Love was released in 1989 earning glowing reviews and eventually a Grammy nomination. Unfortunately, the band's success didn't stop Yamamoto from leaving the group to return to school. With a full tour schedule planned, the remaining members of Big frantically searched for a new bassist. Former Nirvana guitarist Jason Everman eventually won the job, but not before the band auditioned old friend Ben Shepard, who impressed the group with his style, but didn't know any of the songs. At the end of the tour, Everman left Big and was replaced by Shepard.

As the release of Big's third album, Badmotorfinger, approached in 1991, the anticipation mounted as the critics predicted Big to be the breakout stars of the insurgent Seattle scene. Unfortunately, the album was overshadowed by the surprise success of Nirvana's Nevermind, but it still managed to go platinum and peak at No. 39 on the charts, spawning the classic singles "Outshined" and "Rusty Cage." Categorized as a metal band, Big toured with acts like Guns N' Roses Monster Magnet and Skid Row before joining the lineup of 1992's Lollapalooza with Pearl Jam, Ministry and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, among others. The band gained even more exposure through Cornell and Cameron's involvement with Temple of the Dog, a band assembled in tribute to Andrew Wood, the late singer of Seattle's Mother Love Bone, which also featured Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament, Stone Gossard and Eddie Vedder.

After a brief rest, Big released Superunknown in 1994. The breakthrough, featuring the hits "Spoonman," "Fell on Black Days" and the crossover smash and MTV staple "Black Hole Sun, would eventually go triple platinum and earn two Grammys. After a multi-leg tour, the band released Down on the Upside in 1996. Another strong album showered with critical raves, Down on the Upside was somewhat of a disappointment in sales even with the singles "Pretty Noose," "Burden in My Hand" and "Blow Up the Outside World."

Returning to Lollapalooza that summer, Big toured with acts like Metallica and the Ramones before launching their own tour in late 1996.With rumors of internal turmoil circulating in the press, they continued touring until, on April 7, 1997, they laid the rumors to rest by breaking up. Since then, Thayil and Shepard have appeared in various side projects, Cameron has taken up residency behind the drum kit with fellow Seattlites Pearl Jam, and Cornell has embarked on a solo career.