Who was the best Seattle grunge singer?

[AGGAMEMNON66]

I think Cornell stands above as a vocalist

I can't agree with this. Staley has every bit of just as amazing a voice. Both are pretty equally iconic in that realm.

 

[nac386]

Cobain had the least conventionally “good” voice, but it’s my favorite of the group because I think he wrote the most impactful songs. Serve the Servants, Drain You, All Apologies, Dumb, etc, are absolutely timeless classics. The time of those songs is unique, almost like a grunge Beatles.

I also think Cobain’s voice is underrated. I think it’s perfect for what he was doing, which is all any band should be striving for.


But yeah, if they were all on American Idol, Kurt would be eliminated first. But is that what any of them are going for?

 

[No MSG]

 

[Simian Raticus]

If the criteria is sheer vocal ability, I would easily choose Cornell.

In his prime he was a monster.

A buddy of mine used to have a vhs tape of a gig from back in louder than love days, and my word a could that man sing.

That said, Cobain was clearly a very expressive vocalist, and his performances resonated with people like few other musicians have done, so you could make an argument for him on that basis. I'd compare it to Jimi not being the most articulate or elegant of guitarists but being a icon of the instrument nonetheless.

 

[Madmick]

Eddie and Cornell are head and shoulders above Staley and Cobain as singers, technically.

Yet that was never Cobain's appeal any more than it was Bob Dylan's or Tom Petty's.

 

[KawhiDoh]

Cornell is easily the best imo.

His vocal range and tone were amazing. His vocal performances edge out the likes of Kurt Cobain easily.

Vedder and Staley were great and all, but I have to stick with Cornell over both.

 

[Amerikuracana]

Layne Staley for his range and power.

Chris Cornell for his timbre and tonality.

Kurt Cobain for his pain and vulnerability.

Eddie Vedder for his energy and storytelling.

Well that pretty much clears it up.

 

[Amerikuracana]

Eddie and Cornell are head and shoulders above Staley and Cobain as singers, technically.

Yet that was never Cobain's appeal any more than it was Bob Dylan's or Tom Petty's.

I think most the musicians I knew thought Staley was way better than Eddie.

 

[Zer]

I'm not an AIC fan at all tbh but Staley made me want to be. Loved his voice

 

[No MSG]

Turn this MOFO up!

 

[Jackonfire]

No love for Mark Arm. He could scream with the best of them.



and he could also sing

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

Cobain had the least conventionally “good” voice, but it’s my favorite of the group because I think he wrote the most impactful songs. Serve the Servants, Drain You, All Apologies, Dumb, etc, are absolutely timeless classics. The time of those songs is unique, almost like a grunge Beatles.

I also think Cobain’s voice is underrated. I think it’s perfect for what he was doing, which is all any band should be striving for.


But yeah, if they were all on American Idol, Kurt would be eliminated first. But is that what any of them are going for?

The thing about Cobains singing is that it matched the tone of the content they were presenting -you felt the pain or whatever he was trying to convey in the lyrics because of how he sang it. I’ll give him that.


Pure singing talent is Staley and Cornell tho imo, and in many ways they did a great job of making you feel their lyrics too.

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

No love for Mark Arm. He could scream with the best of them.



and he could also sing

To me they were always more on the fringes of Punk than Grunge (which is an extension of punk, I know).. but they were more punk than a lot of the bands on this list.


Oddly enough, the band that gets accused the most for biting their style (Nirvana) would be the next closest to Punk (imo).. but by time you get to ‘Nevermind’ Cobain had become so good at masking influence he’d created a completely new costume for his music to wear. Mudhoney never quite got there.

 

[nac386]

The thing about Cobains singing is that it matched the tone of the content they were presenting -you felt the pain or whatever he was trying to convey in the lyrics because of how he sang it. I’ll give him that.


Pure singing talent is Staley and Cornell tho imo, and in many ways they did a great job of making you feel their lyrics too.

They were all amazing singers. Staley and Cornel had crazy range without sacrificing any emotion. Eddie Vedder could sing his ass off too, even still today. Watch Black from Pearl Jam’s MTV unplugged, or Down in a Hole from Alice In Chains.

Kurt could practically mumble something and make your heart hurt. “I’m not like them, but I can pretend...” and you already feel it, it my opinion. He also had a great scream, like it came from his entire body.

Watch from 2 minutes on. His guitar broke, so he ditches and gives a guttural scream from hell, it’s awesome.

 

[KAZSoliloquy]

its cobain. everyone copied his sound for 15 years after he died

 

[AGGAMEMNON66]

They were all amazing singers. Staley and Cornel had crazy range without sacrificing any emotion. Eddie Vedder could sing his ass off too, even still today. Watch Black from Pearl Jam’s MTV unplugged, or Down in a Hole from Alice In Chains.

Kurt could practically mumble something and make your heart hurt. “I’m not like them, but I can pretend...” and you already feel it, it my opinion. He also had a great scream, like it came from his entire body.

Watch from 2 minutes on. His guitar broke, so he ditches and gives a guttural scream from hell, it’s awesome.

They were such a good band.. I’ll admit I didn’t really get into them till ‘In Utero’ tho.. I was an Alice in Chains and Soundgarden guy as well as Helmet, and Pantera guy before really giving them a chance.

 

[No MSG]

 

[Leonard Haid]

Courtney Love

 

[TeTe]

Not grunge, but if we're talking popular in the 90s... Mike Patton is better than all of them. In fact, Patton is one of a small handful of singers that have verified six octave range.

 

[GSP_37]

Smashing Pumpkins