Chris Cornell has been heralded as one of the pioneers of the grunge era for writing a string of hits for Soundgarden, including the Grammy award-winning "Black Hole Sun" and "Spoonman." In 1991, Chris formed Temple of the Dog, writing the classic song "Hunger Strike" featuring a duet with Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. In 2000, Cornell joined former Rage Against the Machine members (Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, and Brad Wilk) in Audioslave and wrote a series of the band's hits including "Like a Stone," "Be Yourself" and "Doesn't Remind Me."

Cornell's career as a songwriter for film has included such songs as "Can't Change Me," and "Mission", from the soundtrack to Mission Impossible II as well as hit theme song "You Know My Name" for James Bond thriller Casino Royale, one of the most successful installments of the spy franchise to date. His songs have been recorded by diverse artists from Johnny Cash to Alice Cooper. Songbook is an album highlighting the songs Cornell has written throughout his illustrious career.