Song

Black Hole Sun

Soundgarden · Superunknown · 1994

high confidence

Estimate at a glance

How much money does Black Hole Sun make?

Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden is estimated at $220K-$550K/year on the artist side, with gross track revenue and ownership context separated below.

Takeaway: Black Hole Sun is one of the stronger modeled catalog earners here because replay demand and ownership context both support a durable annual range.

This song holds value through a recognizable core riff or chorus, strong emotional payoff, and steady replay across catalog listening.

What stands out

  • Currently ranks around the top 48% of tracked songs by modeled artist-side earnings
  • Released in 1994 and still shows earnings power roughly 32 years later
  • Ranks #1 among 3 tracked songs for Soundgarden
  • Apple Music preview available
  • high confidence estimate

Why the song still earns

  • Classic replay value and catalog streaming keep major rock songs commercially relevant.
  • Playlist placement and cultural familiarity support long-tail listener demand.
  • Sync placements and live-culture recognition help extend the song's revenue life.

Black Hole Sun lands in the top 48% of tracked songs by estimated artist-side earnings.

artist-side split is modeled + gross track revenue is separated. Why?

The headline number is the modeled artist-side annual share for this recording when split data exists.

Modeled artist-side range $220K-$550K/year
Gross track revenue $590K-$1.3M/year
Ownership context Included below
Platform signals Listening links only
Last updated July 15, 2026
Black Hole Sun by Soundgarden

Artwork shown via Apple Music. Open the source track

How It Compares

Black Hole Sun is compared against nearby songs in the catalog based on artist overlap, era, genre, and modeled earnings range.

Song Artist Estimated yearly midpoint
Black Hole Sun
selected song
Soundgarden $385,000
Mariah Carey $7,700,000
California Love
same era
2Pac $1,000,000

Revenue Breakdown

Gross track revenue $590K-$1.3M/year
100% of the lead revenue lane
Artist-side share $220K-$550K/year
41% of the lead revenue lane
Label master share $130K-$360K/year
59% of the lead revenue lane

Bars reflect modeled annual midpoint ranges, not audited royalty statements.

Listen

Official Apple Music preview.

Reader questions about Black Hole Sun

How much did Black Hole Sun make in total?

Black Hole Sun does not have a public lifetime total, so the estimate stays focused on modeled annual earnings instead of claiming an audited career total.

How much does Black Hole Sun make per stream?

Black Hole Sun does not have a single public per-stream rate because payouts vary by platform, territory, subscription tier, and contract structure. The estimate here is modeled from aggregate streaming, licensing, and catalog behavior instead.

Who owns Black Hole Sun?

For major 1990s rock recordings, the artist-side share can be materially lower than gross listener demand suggests.

Show ownership and assumptions

For major 1990s rock recordings, the artist-side share can be materially lower than gross listener demand suggests.

Supporting Revenue Context

Estimated gross track revenue$590K-$1.3M/year
Estimated artist-side cut$220K-$550K/year
Estimated label master share$130K-$360K/year
Estimated publishing share$60K-$180K/year
Estimated songwriter share$70K-$210K/year
MastersLikely legacy label-controlled masters with royalty participation
PublishingPublishing value appears tied to songwriter-side rights
Catalog sale statusNo sale assumption baked in

Assumptions: Estimate assumes strong cross-generational rock streaming, sync familiarity, and songwriter-side participation.

Notes: For major 1990s rock recordings, the artist-side share can be materially lower than gross listener demand suggests.

Split-aware estimate

The headline number is the modeled artist-side annual share for this recording when split data exists.

  • Gross track revenue is separated from artist-side take-home where the page has enough split context.
  • Ownership notes on masters or publishing are included and should be read alongside the revenue number.
  • All figures are conservative annual modeled ranges based on streaming behavior, cultural replay value, sync potential, and available ownership information, not public royalty statements.

Read the full methodology.

More Context

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