Who Had The Best Voice In Grunge? | Rocked
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- čas přidán 28. 05. 2018
- Reminiscing on the glory of the grunge days leads to the question: who had the best voice in grunge? Was it Kurt Cobain of Nirvana? Was it Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam? Was it Chris Cornell of Soundgarden? Or was it Layne Staley of Alice In Chains?
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Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is a subgenre of alternative rock and a subculture that emerged during the mid-1980s in the Pacific Northwest U.S. state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. The early grunge movement revolved around Seattle's independent record label Sub Pop and that region's underground music scene. By the early 1990s its popularity had spread, with grunge bands appearing in California, then emerging in other parts of the United States and in Australia, building strong followings and signing major record deals.
Grunge was commercially successful in the early-mid 1990s, due to releases such as Nirvana's Nevermind, Pearl Jam's Ten, Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger, Alice in Chains' Dirt and Stone Temple Pilots' Core. The success of these bands boosted the popularity of alternative rock and made grunge the most popular form of rock music at the time. Although most grunge bands had disbanded or faded from view by the late 1990s, they influenced modern rock music, as their lyrics brought socially conscious issues into pop culture and added introspection and an exploration of what it means to be true to oneself.
#ChrisCornell #LayneStaley #KurtCobain #EddieVedder #Grunge #Nirvana #PearlJam #AliceInChains #Soundgarden #Rocked
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Who do YOU think had the best voice in grunge? Leave a comment and vote in the poll featured in the CZcams card!
Rocked Who do you think was the worst person to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame?
Travis Meeks.
I'm gonna hafta give it to Cornell. Some of the stuff his vocal chords pull off just blows my mind.
Oh also, while he didn't do grunge... Jeff Buckley's voice, man. Holy hell
Rocked Eddie
Kurt is the face of grunge.
Chris is the voice of grunge.
Eddie is the heart of grunge.
Layne is the soul of grunge.
They all contributed to the genre in their own way.
Yes but don’t forget the other guys Mark Lanegan was the uniqueness of grunge then Andrew Wood, Mark Arm and Buzz Osborne all 3 of them deserve the title of the Godathers of Grunge
@@josecano9210 completely agree
Now THIS take I agree with, @Bryan Williams!
@@josecano9210 and scott
Well said
Singer: Cornell
Writer: Vedder
Influencer: Cobain
Best: Staley
Very good view on subject of those voices of grunge
I dunno...I actually think Cornell was the best writer ...especially when it came to writing not only Lyrica but the melodies etc...he could literally think about how he wanted it and then just do it...basically write it all in his head before ever playing or singing a note...not very many people can do that
@@jeffreylatham1164 I think you are right that Cornell wrote more complex and unique melodies, but Kurt Cobain had the same kind of knack for memorable melodies as the Beatles.
Dude?? Writing is Cornell from any era. We lived through one of the greatest songwriters and didn’t even know it.
@@jeffreylatham1164 In my opinion you are spot-on
Chris had a crispy angelic voice
Layne had a heavier darker voice
And somehow David Draiman's is their child.
How bout kurt? What voice does he have?
@@richardsouk4374 whiny
@@FakeMessiah909 no kurt's voice wasn't whiny, his voice was
raspy, fry sort of voice
@@richardsouk4374 Kurt Cobain was a slightly above average vocalist. He did have a pretty good vocal range but he didn't have anything very special goin on in his vocal chords. I know many people including myself who can pretty easily match Cobain's singing voice
Cobain: Deceased
Staley: Deceased
Cornell: Deceased
Vedder: _'I-yee-I-yee-I'm still alive....'_
Kind of morbid, considering how they died
Weiland: Deceased
@Bryan Garcia
it's tradgically funny
Brilliant :)
Corgan-Sounds Deceased
Hands down Layne Staley....Just watch the live version of Love Hate Love
Amazing!
F#$kin A!
Easy
He was singing his mothafuckin' ass off.
Yes, yes yes!
Layne Staley all the way
Depends what you want
Consistent high screaming: Cornell
Smooth flowing singing: Vedder
Burst of intense power: Staley
Raw emotional energy: Cobain
Anonymous Mouse Staley had all that
@@butthole9580 agreed
Cornell kinda covers all those
c. pza 100%
I like this, very well done. Absolutely perfect.
Layne number one. Period.
Chris Cornell any time 😏
I mean, duh. Why did there even need to be a video ?
Layne and Cornell were metal singers!
I was the mom who feared my kids WOULDN'T listen to Alice in Chains, et al.
I guess that makes you a cool mom. 😎
PrisonKilljoy my mum got me to discover nirvana and then I got into the other three
And other big names that weren’t in the big four:)
Also AIC is my favourite from the genre and I think Layne is my favourite vocalist
Yep I made sure my kids knew AIC and even took them to an all ages show...
Sadly I feel your pain my daughter is a fan of Katy Perry, it's up to me to introduce my grandson to real music, and I do.
ok, boomer
Like all of the others but no one makes me feel what they're singing more than Layne
Kurt was pretty overdubbed in recordings. Chris had the best ability and technique but for me layne has the best voice and style.
he was pretty overdubbed on Nevermind. everywhere else he wasnt really, he was great live.
Kameron true
He nailed MTV unplugged.
Layne Staley is IMO the best but I REALLY love all four of the options. All we have left now is Vedder. ),:
TexasSippin we need to all protect Eddie vedder. Him and Mark Lanegan are the two last standing
Def agree..idk if it's the music being a heroin addict for half my life i feel for layne the most his music I relate to the most
John Magnisalis kurt overdosed on heroin before he was shot
@@christophersawyer253just Eddie now 🥲
@@christophersawyer253 RIP Lanegan
C'mon everyone knows Chris Cornell had the best voice. Kurt was the face.
But Layne was THE VOICE of grunge
I think Eddie Vedder was as influential if not moreso than Layne. So many vocalists copied his style in the late 90s.
The Dark Lord I TOTALLY AGREE! & I believe Eddie was the heart of grunge - Black & other songs always make me cry
God damn right Layne was THE VOICE of grunge.
@8un3zz Glad this is all Opinion
Kurt Cobain had a weird big chin he was not that good-looking not all the time a lot of pictures were airbrush he's not as good looking as Eddie Vedder was God bless you all Chris Cornell was not ugly either he looked kind of ethnic though nobody can beat the Irish band Rory Gallagher who is their phenomenal they were a big success in 1970s when I was little nobody could touch them their class if you could see the one CZcams day he was a genius that whole band was gorgeous they don't make men like that anymore
Chris Cornell was the best singer, by a country mile. But Layne/Jerry's voice suited the sound the best
Superunknown is my favorite album of the 90s.
Cornell had no technique. He was talented, had a 4 fucking octave range, but he couldn't hit those notes live and his voice wasn't stable.
Staley and Vedder have to be the best singers. Scott Weiland - the best voice. Cornell - the best songwriter. Cobain well.. He made grunge popular and wasn't that bad of a singer himself when he wasn't high as a kite throwing guitars and singing in nightgowns.
Agree
@CunningCondor Counter opinion, I think Bad Motorfinger is better, but Superunknown is a great album.
Cornell actually did have technique and DEFINITELY could hit those notes live, just go back and watch him perform Jesus Christ Pose around the 90's and he hits the notes like it's nothing, but his voice became unstable as he got older because....well.....he was older and also he was an extreme alcoholic at one point which will eat at your vocal chords. Layne Stayley's voice even began to get fucked towards the end of his life because of all the heroin he had taken over the years and Jerry Cantrell has even admitted that and Scott Weiland as well. Honestly there's no denying that Cornell had the best voice overall and while I do like Scott Weiland as well he's definitely not better than Cornell.
Cornell was technically the best. Just head-and-shoulders above anyone from the Seattle scene. Layne is my personal favourite though.
Too bad they can't bring Grunge back to Seattle and put them on the city council. MSGA.
Eddie and Kurt knew how to use there voice better though.
Absolutely correct.
Cornell sounds a bit generic to me. Vedder, Layne and Kurt were/are unique and very pleasant to listen to.
Cornell had his peaks but as a live performer (in general) he was the worst one. I mean some of his performances were really weak or even bad.
Chris Cornell is technically the best in terms of vocal range, he was basically the Rob Halford of grunge.
But goddamn Layne just had this beautiful, haunting essence in his voice that no other singer could capture or emulate, he was truly one of a kind and will always be my favourite.
Not denying Chris was an amazing singer but Eddie Vedder has a 5 octave vocal range and Chris ‘only’ had a 4 octave range. Mike Patton from Faith No More has a 6 octave range, which is quite amazing.
I believe Layne’s was somewhere between 4-5 octaves but have not seen a definitive study of his range.
Freddy Mercury only had like 3 1/2 octaves.
I think some singers use bigger interval jumps in their songs which might be why they are perceived as having a bigger range than others.
Of course their are a lot of other factors that go into determining who your favorite might be.
I agree completely. At a certain point, when you hear Layne, the traditional criteria for what makes a singer “good” loses a lot of meaning. The dude was tapping into another realm. His entire body and spirt thrown behind his voice. Those moments propelled him to the mountaintop. And from up there, imo, he could look down on the top of Cornell’s head.
Agreed, I respect the decision to drop him into third here, but Lane is definitely my favorite as well.
Can anyone imitate Layne? listen to Skorned or Chout
@@leinonibishop9480 Actually Layne had more vocal range and technical ability than Cornell, that’s why he always sounded perfect in his live performances while Cornell just sounded “good”. This video here shows that:
czcams.com/video/PZJ8gu45_TE/video.html
I agree, Chris Cornell had the most powerful voice and an incredible range. But Layne's voice gives me chills every time, the raw emotion in his singing is unmatched to this day. The harmonization with Jerry Cantrell was also a big part of this, they were like a grunge Simon and Garfunkel 🙂
Exactly. i couldn't have said it any better. Except for the last part. lol But we can agree to disagree on that.
@@kristopherbrown5610 ok
@@angelcarrilfernandez1537 Who are you and what do you have to do with this comment?
Cantrell had a better voice than Staley. Staley was just so unique that's what he had going. And good power
Exactly. Cantrell/Staley, Simon/Garfunkel, Lennon/McCartney, Crosby/Stills/Nash... they deserve to be in that category.
Kurt didnt have the best voice though he made it work awesomely. But in my eyes he and Nirvana are the pioneers of Grunge. Kurt was Grunge
Yeah he was filthy rocker of unique style and for me he is best vocal for grunge.
His voice was grunge and as far as i see we are writing about wich vocal fits perfect for that era.
they helped popularise grunge they didn’t make the genre
He is a genius punk rocker.. Guitar hero killer..
Soundgarden and Green River are The pioneers.
I seriously think there is a fair chance that Chris Cornell had the greatest singing voice of any human being to have ever lived
He is the freddie mercury of grunge
The only potential rival is Robert Plant between 1969-1973.
Jumbo that's a fair statement.
Robert plant, Freddy mercury. Just stop.
McCartney, best and most versatile singing voice in recorded music history.
Chris Cornell not only had the best voice in grunge but the best voice in rock music period,in my opinion. I disagree with your second choice however. Layne Staley had a higher vocal range than Eddie Vedder and a more powerful delivery even when he was zonked out on heroin.So my list would be 1.Chris Cornell 2.Layne Staley 3.Eddie Vedder 4.Kurt Cobain
@love layne Everyone is entitled to their opinions like you do
Freddy Mercury had the best in rock.
Those are my picks as well.
I would have to respectfully disagree. Chris is damn good, but in my humble opinion, Meatloaf has the best voice in rock.
Eddie should be last really, I love him but I dont know many people who would or could liten to his voice and not get a bit annoyed after awhile.
Chris not only had the best voice in grunge, but one of the best in rock music, period.
Absolutely Agree Chris Cornell was the best Vocalist Ever.
I absolutely agree
The Electric Monkey no Kurt Cobain was
@@theresasnakeinmyboot3006 Nope. Chris Cornell and Layne.
Angela Davis Absolutely 🤘💔
Chris Cornell, Layne Staley, and let's not forget Scott Weiland
Chris is the heart, Layne is the soul.
Chris Cornell had one of the best voices, not only in Grunge, but it ALL music. His loss still haunts me today. His voice was magical and profoundly beautiful. RIP Chris.
He was so good. I remember the first time i heard "outshined". I was just blown away.
It’s Layne Staley for me. The emotion he emitted through his voice still gives me chills no matter how many times I hear his songs
Layne's voice was goosebump-inducing. So was Eddie's in more than a few songs. I choose either of those two.
Really? In what songs? I’ve listened to Dirt many, many times and Layne’s voice has never given me goosebumps.
@@anonymoususer2756 You're just weird I guess
down in a hole mtv unplugged. highly recommend it.
@@anonymoususer2756Love hate love live at the moore is a good one
The harmonizing of Alice in chains is what gets me hard.
Me too! LMAO
Though I am a HUGE PJ fan when you introduce someone to Eds voice you get "Oh wow such a good voice" when you introduce someone to Chris it's always "holy fuck how is he doing that" Chris hands down the best of the grunge era.
Yeah, same here and I don't think many PJ fans would argue.
@@Kman31ca same, big time PJ fan but nobody can deny that Chris had the best voice
Kurt Cobain did NOT have the best voice in grunge. He had the most FITTING voice in grunge.
His sounds better than the rest imo
Kurt had a terrible voice. But like Bob Dylan, Kurt used his voice very well.
This video is not fair for each individual singers, this bands really do not share any similarities aside from “Grunge" Nirvana is more punk,Alice in Chains is more classic heavy metal,Pearl Jam is more 70s rock and SoundGarden is more goth and classic rock thats why Kurts voice is so natural and flawed because Nirvana was a more accesible punk for the masses and in punk the vocals are not as important as the message and riffs.Nirvana is the only band in this list with punk roots.
@Christopher Bingham Indeed, good sir. It was real,
@@moistmeter3634imo he's worse than Andy Wood and Scott Weiland, not even top 5, and I'm a nirvana fab
Great video. I agree with your choice, but my favorite will always be Layne Staley.
Bro, literally every song of AIC is about suicide and dug addiction. They had the best most haunting lyrics in grunge
You’re vaporwave vids are awesome
Vapor Memory our favorite
They all have terrible voices the best voice is TINY TIM by far.-tip toe throu the tulips- 😂rock on
Best voice: Chris
Favorite Voice: Layne
Best writer: Kurt (Nirvana is my favorite all-time band)
Most unique: Eddie
Most Underrated: Andrew Wood
Breezy Vibes best writer kurt???🤣🤣🤣 wtf men all nirvana songs were the same and sooo simple, the best writer is Chris and Jerry Cantrell
Álvaro Barrosso the same???? Look you must be dumb or maybe just happy 😉
Álvaro Barrosso how is a song like all apologies even similar to even in his youth or Stay Away
Daniel Almeida men I’m just saying that the songs in general always followed the same line(not all of them), and I’m not the only who say this, the band itself told that the way of Kurt wrote the songs was very simple(that doesn’t mean the are bad) I like nirvana too but we have to recognized that Chris was always the best at writing. And I’m not saying that simplicity is bad but the most “difficult or maybe strange” riffs were from Soundgarden or Alice In Chains
Daniel Almeida Nirvana was probably the most unique band of the grunge era but that doesn’t mean they were the best. 1.AIC 2.Soundgarden 3. And for me the third one depends on what you prefer(Pearl Jam or Nirvana)
Chris Cornell had one of the best voices in all of rock, let alone grunge.
Scott Weiland of STP was also pretty unique at the time. He had an ability to sound completely different.
For example on “Plush” he has that raspy grunge sounding voice.
But on “Big Bang Baby” he uses a more nasally and more high pitched voice.
His ability to use different types of voices was pretty damn impressive.
Brad Casalinuovo I love Scott but I think he was just kind of shape shifting between these 4 artists voices
im-pro-at-skyrim More like heroin affected Scott Weiland's voice from album to album
Brad Casalinuovo Agreed. Scott's way underrated. A vocal chameleon, true. - His voice was as much Bowie as it was 90’s gritty powerhouse. Songs like Atlanta and …And so I know showcase the best of Scott’s open, crooning and really show the depth of range and tone he developed a little later in his career. Scott’s voice was powerful, open and his delivery, amazing. Whether he was aware of the technique he often used, or it was a natural intuition, he was truly capable of some amazing singing and in possession of an incredibly gifted range. Cornell, Staley, Weiland, then others...then Vedder, Cobain.
@@Logan912 Man, that's not necessary. Weiland's voice actually got better after their Core debut. Show some respect.
@@emotionallyexhausted1410 Have to agree with you specially when you watch Scott covering "Angry Chair" from aic
Cornell easily but Staley had a haunting soulful voice ....
We are definitely worse off for losing both of them..
Layne's voice was so unique that I still remember the first time I heard it on the radio while stuck in traffic. AIC has been my favorite band from that era ever since that day.
Big 4 grunge
1.AIC
2.Soundgarden
3.Pearl Jam
4.Nirvana (Not that they're bad)
Big 4 Thrash
1. Metallica
2.Slayer
3.Anthrax
4.Megadeth
Grunge:
1. Soundgarden
2. Alice In Chains
3. Nirvana
4. Stone Temple Pilots
Thrash:
1. Metallica
2. Megadeth
3. Anthrax
4. Slayer
@@AlabamaBoiz What anout Pearl Jam? Do you consider them Grunge or Alternative
@@CrackBeaver I just don't think they're nearly as good as Stone Temple Pilots
@@AlabamaBoiz Ik, they're overrated imo.
was going to like until i saw megadeth at the bottom of thrash list
It's true that Cornell has the widest range and a good technique, but I think Layne is unbeatable when it comes to delivering the emotion and will always be my favorite. Nicely done video nevertheless \m/
Kyo Ackerman This!
Mark Lanegan certainly deserves a mention
THIS!
Yep
And this is the problem with this list for me. The vocalists who are grunge were overshadowed by album sales.
R.I.P. Mark Lanegan
Honestly you can't place Layne, because he was really a co-lead vocalist with Jerry Cantrell. Their harmonies were FANTASTIC though. Alice In Chains is my favorite Grunge band, but Cornell was the best vocalist in Grunge, without question.
Range: Chris Cornell
Power: Layne Staley
Rawness: Kurt Cobain
Emotion: Eddie Vedder
Cornell is (sigh, was) untouchable in all of music.....
LAYNE STALEY = #1............carry on.
"Rusty Cage" is my favorite example of why Cornell was just outright talented in every vocal style
Nirvana is by far my favorite band... but you can't touch Layne Staley
It’s unfair to compare Kurt because his whole style was not to be perfect, grunge is kinda all about human error and that’s why he’s the face of grunge
Kurt was not a good vocalist or guitar player...he was less than average at both.
He was a great song writer, and he was great at saying what our generation was thinking..
The most talent in Nirvana was/is Dave Grohl...hands down, even Kurt knew Dave was leaps and bounds ahead of him and said that Dave joining the band changed the sound and drove them in the direction they went..
Bad thing is real Nirvana fanboys get angry when you point this out..everyone who is honest knows it's true, hell even dogs and cats know it's true...he was no John Lennon.
@@stoots1000 and dave is really nice too
A.L. Stoots he was a good musician
@@AleksandreBurchuladze he was average at best as a guitar player and vocalist..he was an AMAZING song writer, and his "style" fit perfectly with the music the band played.
I'm a huge fan, but I am honest about his abilities.
@@stoots1000 I agree
Layne Staley
Wtf, All of them are awesome, but Stanley is the best one, THE BEST!
1. Layne
2. Kurt
3. Eddie
4. Chris
Layne is the best at conveying emotion and kurt is similar just more raw, both delivered very raw emotional vocals. Eddie and Chris could perform those iconic rock vocals, more cleaner than the previous two. All have their unique styles but it comes down to how you want to feel listening to their music.
Everyone in this video has alot of talent, but Layne and Jerry were fucking AMAZING at singing.
Lanye Staley 4 ever!
If I had to rank the big 4 vocalists of grunge I'd go:
4. Kurt Cobain
3. Layne Stanley
2.Eddie Vedder
1. Chris Cornell (He was one of the best rock vocalist of all time!!)
Who is Layne “Stanley”? Not sure but Layne Staley in his prime and live is in a league of his own
@@MrErock7 I fucked up lol and i agree he is definitely 2nd best.. I've changed my mind since
@@arkham9843 glad we agree Layne is in a league of his own 🤙🏻
I actually liked Kurt’s breaks and delivery it gave it an emotional power. He’s my favorite singer of the 4
All four singers were great and yet so different. I listen to them regularly but Layne probably touches my emotions the most
Agreed. But if I really want to cry myself to sleep (not grunge but from the same era), I listen to Tori Amos sing "Winter".
@@brentwalker5726 Yes, winter for me as well.
I miss chris Cornell 😢😭
I miss Layne Staley 😢😭
But what about Kurt?
What about Kurt? Dont you miss him?
@@alexh.6362 yeah I listen to nirvana all the time
RIP Chris Cornell
RIP Layne Staley
RIP Kurt Cobain
It's so hard picking one since everyone was so talented, but Layne is by far my favorite out of the four. He just had such a powerful voice and I'm still in awe no matter how many times I listen to his music or watch a live performance. I used to not like rough voices, but listening to Alice in Chains just flipped that switch completely. He has such an amazing range that I could only achieve in my dreams. I have a fairly powerful voice, but I would sound like a dying cat if I tried singing his part in Man In The Box. And when you pair his voice with Jerry Cantrell's??? The harmonies are out of this world and it's one of my favorite things about Alice In Chains. Yeah, maybe on a technical level, Cornell's voice is better, but Layne's will always be my favorite out of the four. And I can't imagine any other bands taking AIC's place as my favorite band any time soon. I have nothing but respect for him (and everyone else mentioned of course!) and it's such a shame how he went out. I hop wherever he is, he's at peace now.
(and as a side note: i'm proud of aic that they were able to grow and make new music. I'll always prefer Layne's voice over William's but i think he does a really good job. Idk I just love this band to bits and pieces, no matter what era
The best singer in grunge is ultimately
who ever you liked the most
Layne Staley for me, I could feel his emotion like I did with Chris
I love Cobain's voice but chris Cornell is miles ahead of all of them voice wise. Forget grunge he's one of the best male vocalists ever.
Indeed ! Folks saying he only had a bigger range don't know what they're talking abt
I personally think that cornells voice would have to be in the top 3 greatest voices of all time. His voice is timeless and his range is unmatched
On a technical level, easily Cornell. I'm not even a huge fan of grunge, but it's straight up no contest. Though Kurt had something really special.
11:44 His voice rips through your spine unlike the others
K C yes, I agree Cornell technically is better but there’s something about the sound and authenticity of Kurt’s voice that I love
I accept Cornell as #1 but listen to all the covers of AIC at the MoPop awards. Layne Staley is UNCOVERABLE.
I saw Chris Cornell with soundgarden like 6 weeks before he died. Ill always be so very grateful for that.
Sadly Eddie Vedder is the only one of those 4 still alive
@Joseph Vincenzes
I was thinking that too whilst watching this video!
Joseph Vincenzes ohh iiiiiiiii uuuuuuhhhhhuuu I'm still aliiiiive
@@ThomasJ502 ooooohh hooo ooohhh oooooohh ooooohh he's still alive
@@maxotto9877 wasn't Layne an overdose
@@maxotto9877 based on what exactly???
Kurt might not have had the best voice in grunge, but he certainly had the best grunge voice...
Well said. Nirvana was definitely more raw than any of these other bands, and Kurt just really didn't give a shit! You can hear a lot of passion, and hurt in his voice which helps to deliver his style of music.
Very true
I agree. In terms of technique Vedder, Cornell and Staley were better but that raspy sound, man... This is rock and roll, not opera, this is communication not capacity to reach the octaves and in terms of getting a connection Cobain's voice is uncomparable to me. Of course the other three are grest also, especially Vedder.
@@FloydtheBarber8384 absolutely... i have huge respect for Eddie, Chris & Layne... but they were definitely more "conventional" singers, if you will... and they were all pretty damn good at conveying emotion through their voices... but there's something significantly different about Kurt's voice... a different quality altogether. he also had a brilliant knack for coming up with vocal melodies that played against his often unconventional guitar parts... another arguement might be that PJ, Soundgarden and AIC weren't actually "grunge" (if grunge was actually a real genre or not... that's an arguement for another day, entirely)... over the years, there haven't been many singers trying to ape Kurt's voice (compared to those that mimicked Eddie and Layne, for example), and those that have really haven't done it very successfully... and i'm kinda grateful for that... he was truly unique...
That's accurate
People forget Vedder's range improved from Vitalogy onwards. He was no longer the cliched "baritone" but very competent and the best IMO. Listen to "Smile" for proof..
While I agree that Vedder's range improved as Pearl Jam Progressed, even then it didn't match the ridiculous range that Cornell had. Which isn't to say that Vedder is a bad singer, just that Cornell's pipes were legendary.
When I think of the grunge scene and the sound that goes to it I think Staley. Now if it were for more upbeat music then Chris Cornell and Eddie all the way. But for grunge? Layne just sounds like what "grunge" would be. Dark and deep and something everyone could relate to in the dark parts of their life
Pure singing ability, Chris Cornell. Most unique and my personal favorite, Layne Staley. It’s unfortunate that all of the post grunge bands that came later would try to copy Layne’s, and to an extent, Eddie Vedder’s singing style. They took that unique singing style and ran it into the ground.
I would have had it between Chris and Layne . they had the biggest range . But it boiles down to preference . Very difficult choice .
Isn't Kurt's range higher than Staley's? Kurt had a 4 octave and 4 notes range as opposed to Layne's 4 octavs range
@@Mansplainer452 I never heard that before . Never heard that range from Kurt on a song myself . I am interested in researching it though .
@@erictomerlin161 Hey bro. I checked it up. They give the songs and the respective notes he hit in studio and on stage to measure his range. Besides range, people forget that whilst Kurt was also living a destructive lifestyle, he was able to hit studio notes on stage almost every single time atop the fact that the guy practically screames his lungs out week in week out. Layne had quite a few bad concerts but I won't take away from his vocal prowess which he possessed
@@Mansplainer452 Cool ... Thanks for the info . Always enjoy learning new stuff .
@@erictomerlin161 Ah no worries bro. Have a great one😉✌
Agree with you, Chris Cornell is practically unparalleled not just in grunge but in rock altogether
Chris had his peaks but he was not such an amazing performer (vocally)...you can find weak and also some bad performances by him.
Chris cornell is a great singer but he is not unmatched i mean layne staley from aic is a superior vocalist than chris cornell the notes he could hit is next level that even the likes of steve perry would have a hard time hitting it specially during his glam era and dirt era he is a special talent shadowed by his addiction the fact that mf could still hit higher than cornell after decades of smoking cigarettes and doing drugs is next level
.layne(incredible dark emotion)
.chris(incredible teknique and sexy voice)
.scott w(yes ı love his dance and different energy)
.eddie
.kurt
Chris Cornell his range is insane!!! I love Layne to and Eddie but Chris just is hands down best.
Kurt, maybe not always or for every song, but at times he was untouchable, MTV Unplugged for example. I don't care about range or any technical shit, I go by how it sounds.
Bruh, but AiC MTV Unplugged though?
Ilustrado they were both fucken awesome unplugged amirite?
i agree
Layne Staley has the best voice in my opinion, but nirvana is still my all time favorite band
Cornell. No, not just because he died, but because he had the best vocal range and would actually use it.
I agree. However Layne was bloody amazing. I think he ties with Cornell. Staley just moves me in a way Cornell doesn't. And I love Cornell. May they both Rip. Damn it.
I had them in the top 2 also, Chris # 1.
Both of those guys had HORRIBLE DEATHS!
SO LONELY.
Chris was found within hours. Probable Self inflicted.
LAYNE, his BODY had to be identified by dental records, due to the DECOMP.
Alone in his apt. Surrounded by his guitars, gold spray paint cans, a mound of Coke.
He died high as FUCK (it wasn't raining)
I guess thats painless. His was accidental.
This critique between Layne and Chris is 100% spot on. Layne had more pure power than Cornell and was more consistent as a live singer. Cornell at times sounded tired. Although Cornell had maybe 1 more octave in his range than Layne, I just prefer Layne’s unique sound and his ability to sing so held back and beautifully, to screaming to the heavens on Love, Hate, Love.
I agree and they were clearly both ahead kurt and vedder in terms of vocal talent.
Rob Ellis Yes Layne delivered way better than Chris live.
Rob Ellis right. Cornell could be hard on the ears.
Personally for me it was always Layne Staley who had the best voice, but he also had Cantrell to do those awesome fucking harmonies so it's hard for me to say he had the best voice. Chris Cornell probably had the overall greatest voice, that man could fucking wail and there are not a whole lot of singers in any genre that can match his voice. Cobain definitely had an awesome voice that was perfect for grunge, and though Pearl Jam is a great band I always found Eddie Vedders voice to be slightly annoying, lol. He just had that weird fucking cadence and would enunciate words so fucking strangely, lol. Out of the 4 of them I personally have to give it to Cornell, with Staley a close second.
I suggest to listen to mad season and cantrell wasn't singing much early on.
Im soo glad he at least gave STP a few honorable mentions
Layne!!!!!! Hands down
My favorite grunge band went from being Nirvana, to Alice in Chains, to Pearl Jam, and finally back to Alice in Chains and I'm pretty sure they'll hold that title for me from here on out.
Staley
Cornell
Cobain
Vedder
Hey me too! And I LOVE all 4
For me, Chris was the best singer, BUT Eddie had/has the best voice.
Yeah... you got it
I love all 4, for very different reasons. Cornell is the best singer from a technical point of view. He could have sung in any genre, if he had chosen. Vedder is a solid rock singer with quirky inflections and intonations. Cobain was perfect with his imperfections. He had control over his voice breaks. But only one of these singers rips my heart out and eviscerates my soul- Staley. His voice haunts me to this day, and the harmonizing with Cantrell is dark and ethereal at the same time. He is simply the best, even if technically.
Cornell wast the best singer. Layne had the best grunge sound...Layne,s sound is so.typically grunge..or atleast captured the idea of what grunge was supposed to be.
Was literally watching this going "Chris Cornell or I'm calling the cops."
Lol :)
Same here :D
Chris Cornell has the best voice in rock music, beyond grunge.
Ight I lost it when he eliminated Layne
True, eliminate layne then eliminate you
I’m a really big fan of nirvana but layne is the best vocalists outve the 4
1. Chris Cornell
2. Layne Staley
3. Eddie Vedder
4. Kurt Cobain
Although this guy makes great argument for Eddie being #2.
No Layne is still better no one ever can match him
@@efvancum837 It really boils down to who is listening. Yes, Layne had this haunting timbre that fit AiC perfectly and is yet to be matched. On the other hand, Eddie had probably the prettiest voice of the big 4. Point is that their styles are so unique and different from eachother that comparing them is meaningless.
Good...
Evan Credeur He’s alright.
I consider "Limo Wreck" to be one of the greatest vocal performances of all time, and it's not even a single... Soundgarden was on a completely different level.
They are the kind of band that people will look after 10-15 years as the undisputed Greatest of the era.
Sorry, but I would drop Kurt out of the top 4 and add Scott W. in... Of those, Layne gets the top spot, then Chris, Scott and Eddie.
Chris Cornell. That wail. He was one of a kind and there will never be another like him. Losing him was a huge loss and I still haven't gotten over it.
Yes Chris Cornell was the Best Vocalist Ever. Never Get Over It. Justice for Chris Cornell. Rip Our Beautiful Rock Legend.
Cornell ripped it up on the Badmotorfinger album.
Angela Davis I know... My heart is broken. What a beautiful human being he was. He was so talented. Listen to his music a lot. It is amazing!!
@@LittleSuzi86 💔
Ima have to go with Chris Cornell.
NUFF SAID.
The "attempt to sing along to Say Hello to Heaven" part of the video is hilarious and very accurate. Anyone who knows the song has tried it and said about themselves, "Wow! That was bad".
Chris had the best range, Layne had the most haunting, Eddie had the most musical, and Kurt had the most graveling voice.
Layne Staley for sure!
Chris Cornell can do many different genres especially grunge, making Soundgarden the best of grunge act and he has an insane octave range and great voice in general which makes him superb to anyone especially Layne Stalely, Kurt Cobain and Eddie Vedder
I can't help it. I still like Kurt voice the best. He had a quality that no one could compare.
My favorite will always be Layne, but as for the best, I’ll never be able to choose between Cornell and Layne. While the other 2 are great, they aren’t even in he same league as Layne and Cornell.
Layne is the best grungeboy
No.
@Flunkass Chris is the best
For me Kurt. Not for power, quality or range. He had just defined the genre. His voice is exposed, defendless, hysterical and full of pain, it comes from the deepest basement of a mental institution. Doesn't mean it's not trained, self-conscious and incredibly melodic.
Layne Staley at #3 is rock heresy, even most musicians from that era say he had the full package along with Chris, but the difference was Layne Staley had ALOT of power, to the point that people could feel him vibrating 20ft away. He's #1 to me, but I'd settle for #2 because Cornell was very versatile.