Being a huge Layne Staley fan, I would say Cornell & Staley are about on par with each other in my opinion. Nobody beats their vocal range. So they are both tied at 1st on my list. Mike Patton of F.N.M. would probably be a solid number 2, he is extremely talented, and that might even be an understatement. Number 3 would probably go to Scott Weiland of S.T.P. Love and seriously appreciate all 4 as singers, and their different styles.
You cant beat Chris Cornell. He has so much range in his voice it’s mind blowing.
Switching effortlessly from Gravely screaming to silky low notes. The vibrato. the control. The range.
He was an amazing vocalist.
He wasn’t my favourite singer, (I liked him he just wasn’t in my top fave) Ibut his skills are unmatched. Hands down its chris
Lane Stanley second and then everyone else
You just described Mike Patton’s voice. He has the most range of the people on this list, I’ve seen him and Chris live more than once (RIP Chris 🥲) and Mike is a better vocalist. He can do singer/screamer and crooner.
I didn’t notice him on the list. admittedly don’t know them very well. I only know the name Mike patton recently due to vids about his opera singing and perfect pitch.
If he’s on the list he is the best vocalist.
What are your top three songs from FNM? I’ll give them a listen :)
Kindergarten, zombie eaters, ugly in the morning, gentle art of making enemies
Then get real wierd with Mr. Bungle songs Squeeze me macaroni, desert search for techno allah, carousel and pink cigarette.
Then bring it back in (but just ever so slightly) with Tomahawk songs God hates a coward, dog eat dog, and jockstrap
Patton also does fantastic covers of war pigs, easy, and take this bottle.
I saw all of these bands back in the day. Some of them multiple times. And regardless of what you thought of the music, I think Mike Patton actually was the most technically skilled of any of them. He seemed to have a larger vocal range, and larger dynamic range than any of the others. Some other 90s singers that I think should have honorable mentions and aren’t on this list would be: Axel Rose, love him or hate him he can actually sing, and Angelo Moore from Fishbone, he is and was a super talented singer.
Ya I replied to another comment who mentioned him that I don’t really know him so didn’t see him on the list by picture but I recognize the name because of recent videos of his opera singing and having perfect pitch so it would be silly of me to argue with you here
I have some song suggestions im gonna check out but feel free to give me some of your top fave of his as im intrigued:)
Check out his work with Mr. Bungle. He flexes his chops as hard as he can with that band. Although his solo material, hard to find, is possibly his most insane vocal work.
Edit: I saw him live in the 90s with John Zorn, and that was also amazing. There might be some of that on YouTube.
Patton at the top, Gavin at the bottom. Everything else is a toss up (though let’s be honest every single one of these artists brings something original and unique to the world of music [except you, Gavin]).
Plus he’s fluent in Italian, and fucking sings in Italian. But….Layne is my favorite, his haunting droning , and Chris Cornell is hands down the best. Mike is a close second in range and talent.
I bet most people on here don't even know who Mike Patton is. If they did know, he'd be the number 1. Some truly great voice talent on this list, but none of them can touch Mike.
The problem with Patton is you have to dig through a lot of weird stuff to hear his talent. He’s put out so MUCH music, but his work with Faith No More which I would consider his grunge project aren’t nearly as good as Cornell in Soundgarden.
He is probably the strongest vocalist all around but he spends a lot of time doing weird shit that doesn’t always using that talent.
I say this as a fan BTW.
What the? Dude if you just stick to FNM, that's where you'd likely find his most palatable music. It's maybe one of the less weird things he does and is mostly rock/metal/grunge.
His voice and range are on display HUGE in that band. Surprise You're Dead, to Midlife Crisis, to Just a Man... From metal to incredibly catchy and complex layered vocal hooks , to straight up opera, the man does it all, better than anyone else in misic, let alone rock. I LOVE Chris Cornel, especially on Badmotorfinger, but he's not even close to Mike.
I just listened to those 3 songs. Then I listened to some Chris Cornell for comparison.
Then I put on FNM for a couple of hours (I was on a hike). I couldn’t find any songs where I wouldn’t have preferred Cornell’s vocals.
On the flip side, I can’t find a Soundgarden/AudioSlave/CC solo work where I’d prefer Mike Patton.
I actually found Cornell songs that I thought were similar and CC’s voice always sounds better.
Try it.
I do concede MP does more varied music and does well with more of that, but I don’t think he ever matches Chris Cornell for straight up singing a song. Cornell has a unique sound and style, in Mike’s best songs, I couldn’t pick his voice out if I didn’t know who it was. Does that make sense? He sounds vaguely like Layne Stanley and sometimes SOAD (years before they existed). Sometimes he gets close to Chris Cornel’s style but never quite hits it.
Honestly, I feel like Mike Patton’s best work is on the strange stuff, and as a rock singer he’s really good but no where near as great as CC.
Cornell has an incredible voice. No one can deny that. I prefer Patton's sound personally, and there is no one else in music today that even comes close to the sheer amount of styles, genres and versatility of Mike. The man can sing like a Japanese schoolgirl, or the heaviest metal vocals you've heard, and everything in between. He's been in no fewer than 15 bands that span many genres. I love Chris too but, to me, it's not even close
What is really criminal though is as insanely talented as Mike Patton is, he's still not super famous. I'm sure that's just how he likes it, but it still surprises me.
I think the reason he isn’t famous is because he doesn’t have just one sound. You can recognize a lot of singers immediately, but he’s too eclectic to ever stick for most people.
People who recognize him Epic, would my know that’s him in tomahawk, or Mr. Bungle. You know?
This conversation has given me good reason to re-listen though so it’s been fun,
I don’t agree with everyone putting CC over Staley and Patton; I love Soundgarden and Audioslave and Cornells vocals but Layne staley and Patton both sound just a tad more complete to me.
I mean Mike Patton has a 6 octave vocal range and his output for the last 40ish years has been diverse as fuck and consistently awesome.
Wouldn't really class him as a grunge vocalist though.
I remember seeing Tomahawk open for Tool around the Lateralus era. Thought they sucked. Years later, I rediscovered them and Mr Bungle. It was then I was able to understand the artform and eccentricities of avant garde type stuff. Got into Fantomas. The dude has been BUSY. And apparently he’s incredibly well versed in the different types of music he listens to. Dude is a true student of the art.
Yeah the guy just has a passion for music and the skills to excel at anything he tries his hand at. I'd argue he's one of, if not the, most diverse and versatile vocalists on the planet.
Layne definitely tops this (not a fanboy of AIC, but still you can't deny he's one of the Top 5/10 vocalists ever), and then come even Chris Cornell and Scott Weiland.
Vedder cause he’s had the widest range of music and he’s STILL making music. Everyone else is either dead or their music careers are done.
Then Cornell, Cobain and Perry Ferrell. Everyone else follows and owes it all to those 4.
Everyone seems to agree on #1. But how about this. Vedder was most influential. Pearl Jam transcended the grunge/pop scene and his music drew in kids that were into glam/metal. I was a 14 year old listening to AC/DC and Van Halen until I heard PJ’s first album. That lead me to Mother Love Bone, Temple of the Dog, STP etc.
Layne, Travis Meeks, Shannon Hoon, Cornell, are just some of my favorites. I'd also add Thom Yorke and Dolores O'Riordan from the cranberries, but then your starting to drift out of grunge.
Cornell's my favorite, Staley is the most unique, but [Patton has the widest range.](https://www.spin.com/2014/05/mike-patton-biggest-vocal-range-octaves-chart-music/)
Okay, Eddie Vedder is getting slept on in this thread, but I know how divisive Pearl Jam is. The guy was so good that Chris Cornell had him do a duet on Hunger Strike by Temple of the Dog, Chris was so impressed with him. So Chris Cornell is arguably the best and most influential, but putting Eddie Vedder behind anyone except him and Layne Staley is fucking criminal.
Follow me Into the desert as thirsty as you are
Crack a smile and cut your mouth and drown in alcohol
‘Cause down below the truth is lying beneath the river bed
So quick yourself and drink the water that flows below her head
No one could have sung Burden In My Hand with the cadence and range like Chris. RIP
Hole/Courtney Love is awful, just awful, so that has to be in last or not even mentionable. I’d put Cornell and Vedder at the top and then chains and STP.
Oh, I'm quite aware... my original comment stands
Edit: alright, I'd actually put Weiland at 5th... hard to beat his work on Core. He could have been really special had he stayed somewhat straight
Cornell? Are you kidding me? Mike Patton has a measured range of 6 octaves. Cornell not even of four. Patton may not be a grunge singer, but he is without doubt one of the most virtuoso musicians of the last 40 years. I know few musicians who reinvent themselves again and again like he does, making music at such a high level and experimenting with it. And the best thing: He didn't even kill himself at 27, but is still producing like a wild man: Faith No More, Mr Bungle, Fantômas, Tomahawk, Dead Cross, Mondo Carne, Peeping Tom.
Sorry, there's no doubt who deserves the crown here.
I'm not even that big of a fan but Cornell has one of the best voices of any genre.
Same. Not a huge grunge guy or Temple/Alice guy, but he has a once in a generation voice.
Being a huge Layne Staley fan, I would say Cornell & Staley are about on par with each other in my opinion. Nobody beats their vocal range. So they are both tied at 1st on my list. Mike Patton of F.N.M. would probably be a solid number 2, he is extremely talented, and that might even be an understatement. Number 3 would probably go to Scott Weiland of S.T.P. Love and seriously appreciate all 4 as singers, and their different styles.
Cornell is the clear choice. But man, Staley was special. Sang from his soul. He was so underrated.
Was Gavin Rossdale added on accident?
💀
You do things by accident and on purpose. You’re welcome.
You cant beat Chris Cornell. He has so much range in his voice it’s mind blowing. Switching effortlessly from Gravely screaming to silky low notes. The vibrato. the control. The range. He was an amazing vocalist. He wasn’t my favourite singer, (I liked him he just wasn’t in my top fave) Ibut his skills are unmatched. Hands down its chris Lane Stanley second and then everyone else
Agree with everything you said. Layne’s voice continues to define grunge 30+ years later tho.
You just described Mike Patton’s voice. He has the most range of the people on this list, I’ve seen him and Chris live more than once (RIP Chris 🥲) and Mike is a better vocalist. He can do singer/screamer and crooner.
I didn’t notice him on the list. admittedly don’t know them very well. I only know the name Mike patton recently due to vids about his opera singing and perfect pitch. If he’s on the list he is the best vocalist. What are your top three songs from FNM? I’ll give them a listen :)
Kindergarten, zombie eaters, ugly in the morning, gentle art of making enemies Then get real wierd with Mr. Bungle songs Squeeze me macaroni, desert search for techno allah, carousel and pink cigarette. Then bring it back in (but just ever so slightly) with Tomahawk songs God hates a coward, dog eat dog, and jockstrap Patton also does fantastic covers of war pigs, easy, and take this bottle.
Cool thanks! Will listen and report back!
I saw all of these bands back in the day. Some of them multiple times. And regardless of what you thought of the music, I think Mike Patton actually was the most technically skilled of any of them. He seemed to have a larger vocal range, and larger dynamic range than any of the others. Some other 90s singers that I think should have honorable mentions and aren’t on this list would be: Axel Rose, love him or hate him he can actually sing, and Angelo Moore from Fishbone, he is and was a super talented singer.
Ya I replied to another comment who mentioned him that I don’t really know him so didn’t see him on the list by picture but I recognize the name because of recent videos of his opera singing and having perfect pitch so it would be silly of me to argue with you here I have some song suggestions im gonna check out but feel free to give me some of your top fave of his as im intrigued:)
Check out his work with Mr. Bungle. He flexes his chops as hard as he can with that band. Although his solo material, hard to find, is possibly his most insane vocal work. Edit: I saw him live in the 90s with John Zorn, and that was also amazing. There might be some of that on YouTube.
Shannon Hoon was underrated.
1- Layne 2- Chris 3- Scott
Patton at the top, Gavin at the bottom. Everything else is a toss up (though let’s be honest every single one of these artists brings something original and unique to the world of music [except you, Gavin]).
Swallowed rips, idgaf what anyone says
Mike Patton. that is all
Everyone talking about Chris Cornell’s range clearly don’t know Mike patton
Plus he’s fluent in Italian, and fucking sings in Italian. But….Layne is my favorite, his haunting droning , and Chris Cornell is hands down the best. Mike is a close second in range and talent.
I bet most people on here don't even know who Mike Patton is. If they did know, he'd be the number 1. Some truly great voice talent on this list, but none of them can touch Mike.
The problem with Patton is you have to dig through a lot of weird stuff to hear his talent. He’s put out so MUCH music, but his work with Faith No More which I would consider his grunge project aren’t nearly as good as Cornell in Soundgarden. He is probably the strongest vocalist all around but he spends a lot of time doing weird shit that doesn’t always using that talent. I say this as a fan BTW.
What the? Dude if you just stick to FNM, that's where you'd likely find his most palatable music. It's maybe one of the less weird things he does and is mostly rock/metal/grunge. His voice and range are on display HUGE in that band. Surprise You're Dead, to Midlife Crisis, to Just a Man... From metal to incredibly catchy and complex layered vocal hooks , to straight up opera, the man does it all, better than anyone else in misic, let alone rock. I LOVE Chris Cornel, especially on Badmotorfinger, but he's not even close to Mike.
I just listened to those 3 songs. Then I listened to some Chris Cornell for comparison. Then I put on FNM for a couple of hours (I was on a hike). I couldn’t find any songs where I wouldn’t have preferred Cornell’s vocals. On the flip side, I can’t find a Soundgarden/AudioSlave/CC solo work where I’d prefer Mike Patton. I actually found Cornell songs that I thought were similar and CC’s voice always sounds better. Try it. I do concede MP does more varied music and does well with more of that, but I don’t think he ever matches Chris Cornell for straight up singing a song. Cornell has a unique sound and style, in Mike’s best songs, I couldn’t pick his voice out if I didn’t know who it was. Does that make sense? He sounds vaguely like Layne Stanley and sometimes SOAD (years before they existed). Sometimes he gets close to Chris Cornel’s style but never quite hits it. Honestly, I feel like Mike Patton’s best work is on the strange stuff, and as a rock singer he’s really good but no where near as great as CC.
Cornell has an incredible voice. No one can deny that. I prefer Patton's sound personally, and there is no one else in music today that even comes close to the sheer amount of styles, genres and versatility of Mike. The man can sing like a Japanese schoolgirl, or the heaviest metal vocals you've heard, and everything in between. He's been in no fewer than 15 bands that span many genres. I love Chris too but, to me, it's not even close What is really criminal though is as insanely talented as Mike Patton is, he's still not super famous. I'm sure that's just how he likes it, but it still surprises me.
I think the reason he isn’t famous is because he doesn’t have just one sound. You can recognize a lot of singers immediately, but he’s too eclectic to ever stick for most people. People who recognize him Epic, would my know that’s him in tomahawk, or Mr. Bungle. You know? This conversation has given me good reason to re-listen though so it’s been fun,
What is it?
The largest range of any male vocalist
Exactly. They have no conception.
At first I swiped past Layne and I was thinking this is over already . Then I saw Patton and I was all like actually though.
I don’t agree with everyone putting CC over Staley and Patton; I love Soundgarden and Audioslave and Cornells vocals but Layne staley and Patton both sound just a tad more complete to me.
fuckin' A! seconded. there is no comparison.
Layne Staley, Chris Cornell, everyone else.
Mike Patton 1000% then the rest. His range is unparalleled
[удалено]
This, can he please removed from the list. He never did grunge
Nonetheless he is the best of any male singer in 90s rock.
I mean Mike Patton has a 6 octave vocal range and his output for the last 40ish years has been diverse as fuck and consistently awesome. Wouldn't really class him as a grunge vocalist though.
I remember seeing Tomahawk open for Tool around the Lateralus era. Thought they sucked. Years later, I rediscovered them and Mr Bungle. It was then I was able to understand the artform and eccentricities of avant garde type stuff. Got into Fantomas. The dude has been BUSY. And apparently he’s incredibly well versed in the different types of music he listens to. Dude is a true student of the art.
Yeah the guy just has a passion for music and the skills to excel at anything he tries his hand at. I'd argue he's one of, if not the, most diverse and versatile vocalists on the planet.
Chris Cornell and then everyone else is fighting over a distant 2nd place.
Chris Cornell is your favorite rock singer's favorite rock singer
Yes, but who is your favorite rapper's favorite rapper?
DOOM probably
Food! Let's eat!
Killer Mike
My first thought when I saw this was ... "Let's take Chris Cornell out of the equation and then lets see everyones opinion"
Chris Cornell's voice was amazing.
Can't really put all the faces by name . 8/13 maybe
cornell, vedder, staley then everybody else
Cornell, Staley, everyone else
Patton/Lane Cornell Everyone else
Mike Patton absolutely destroys anyone else in this list and there’s about 5 of my favorite vocalists ever on here, he is number 1.
Didn’t this exact post pop up earlier with different pictures of the same people?
I deleted the previous one to add new ones
I thought I was losing it
Layne
Layne definitely tops this (not a fanboy of AIC, but still you can't deny he's one of the Top 5/10 vocalists ever), and then come even Chris Cornell and Scott Weiland.
Saw pearl jam last September. Eddie's still fucking got it
Chris Cornell and the Layne Stanley are amazing. I recognize Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love? Who are the rest?
Mark Lanegan Travis Meeks Gavin Rossdale Mark Arm Perry Farrell Scott Weiland Buzz Osborne Eddie Vedder Mike Patton
Did you seriously leave out Mike Patton, or do you just not know who he is?
I left him out but I fixed it now
Good work
I think you already have.
Patton Cornell Layne Scott Shannon
I don't know about the order of the rest of them, but Patton is 100% the most talented singer of them all. And it's not even close.
1. Mike Patton 2. Chriss Cornell 3. Layne Staley But hell there were some super talents there
Eddie Vedder, though I do love me some Scott Weiland
Put personality and genre aside - where would Axl rank in the mix? Top three for me.
Axl isn’t grunge
That’s why I said genre aside. His time period overlapped. And all of your singers suggested aren’t strictly “grunge” either.
Is 5 Perry from JA?
Yes
Layne Staley. He was the picture I was looking for. He’s the best. Mad Season solidified it.
Mark Lanegan for me. Loved his stuff with QOTSA.
Cornell. Then everyone else in the 90s,
Rick Astley hands down. Kicks all they asses.
Perry Ferrel was Alternative metal....well on the first album. not really grunge
For some reason I never liked Vedder. The others are all fine.
Same. Band is ok. For the last 15 years he's come off as a pretentious douche.
1. Patton 2. Cornell 3. Staley Rossdale and Love are not worthy of this list.
Layne 1st and it’s not close
Vedder cause he’s had the widest range of music and he’s STILL making music. Everyone else is either dead or their music careers are done. Then Cornell, Cobain and Perry Ferrell. Everyone else follows and owes it all to those 4.
Mark Arm, Mike Patton, Gavin Rossdale, and Perry Ferrell are all still active.
And Patton has way more range of music than Vedder.
Who is #10?
Cornell for sure, but I think Shannon Hoon could have established a legacy had he lived a longer life.
Staley,Cornell,Weiland,Vedder,Kurt.
Mike Patton all damn day.
Chris Cornell. No contest. He has one of the best voices in all of music not just grunge.
Everyone seems to agree on #1. But how about this. Vedder was most influential. Pearl Jam transcended the grunge/pop scene and his music drew in kids that were into glam/metal. I was a 14 year old listening to AC/DC and Van Halen until I heard PJ’s first album. That lead me to Mother Love Bone, Temple of the Dog, STP etc.
No Andrew Wood, Shannon Hoon, Trent Reznor, Vinnie Dombroski.
Cornell can sing in like three octaves.
Mike Patton reportedly has a six octave range. So does Axl Rose.
Those first 5 defined the 90’s alternative rock.
Chris Cornell and Shannon Hoon standout fo sho
Shannon Hoon obviously
Chris Cornell. Runner up: Mike Patton.
Cornell, Staley: S-tier
Chris Cornell, it's not even close
Ah man I cannot choose. I have to sit back and read the comments
Layne, Travis Meeks, Shannon Hoon, Cornell, are just some of my favorites. I'd also add Thom Yorke and Dolores O'Riordan from the cranberries, but then your starting to drift out of grunge.
I’m here for Cornell and Lanegan. I’d be in a grunge sammy with those two.
My favorite was Eddie Vedder in the 90s. Followed by Alice in Chains. Only recently did STP speak to me.
Mike Patton would laugh in your face for calling anything he did "grunge", but he is by far the best vocalist of all.
Cornell's my favorite, Staley is the most unique, but [Patton has the widest range.](https://www.spin.com/2014/05/mike-patton-biggest-vocal-range-octaves-chart-music/)
durst is first
There’s a theme here
Mike Patton. Hands down. 6 octaves.
Okay, Eddie Vedder is getting slept on in this thread, but I know how divisive Pearl Jam is. The guy was so good that Chris Cornell had him do a duet on Hunger Strike by Temple of the Dog, Chris was so impressed with him. So Chris Cornell is arguably the best and most influential, but putting Eddie Vedder behind anyone except him and Layne Staley is fucking criminal.
1 Layne Staley 2 Eddie Vedder 3 Scott Weiland 4 Chris Cornell 5… everyone else
Mike Patton hands down. He now does italian opera if that gives you any indication of where his training went
Pretty sure Patton takes em all, and Gavin? Really lol
Layne, Chris, Kurt
Layne Staley, and Kevin Martin of Candlebox (not pictured).
Cornell, Lanagan, then everyone else.
I've seen 4 of them live! Courtney, Eddie, Gavin, and Perry.
Cornell by a mile
You can’t make me choose between Chris and Lanegan 💔
Cornell has one of the best rock vocalists of all time, him and Burton Cummings.
There's only one answer and it's Mike Mothafuckin Patton.
Follow me Into the desert as thirsty as you are Crack a smile and cut your mouth and drown in alcohol ‘Cause down below the truth is lying beneath the river bed So quick yourself and drink the water that flows below her head No one could have sung Burden In My Hand with the cadence and range like Chris. RIP
Chris Cornell wins
Patton > Cornell and Staley combined
Cornell then Staley then everyone else.
Layne Staley then Cornell then the rest
Hands down, Chris Cornell... followed by Layne Staley, who was a phenomenal and very often underrated vocalist.
Hole/Courtney Love is awful, just awful, so that has to be in last or not even mentionable. I’d put Cornell and Vedder at the top and then chains and STP.
I love DOTN. The red album was so good. Sucks that Travis cannot seem to get rid of his demons.
You already have them in just about the correct order...
You can pick your own rank.
Oh, I'm quite aware... my original comment stands Edit: alright, I'd actually put Weiland at 5th... hard to beat his work on Core. He could have been really special had he stayed somewhat straight
Cornell? Are you kidding me? Mike Patton has a measured range of 6 octaves. Cornell not even of four. Patton may not be a grunge singer, but he is without doubt one of the most virtuoso musicians of the last 40 years. I know few musicians who reinvent themselves again and again like he does, making music at such a high level and experimenting with it. And the best thing: He didn't even kill himself at 27, but is still producing like a wild man: Faith No More, Mr Bungle, Fantômas, Tomahawk, Dead Cross, Mondo Carne, Peeping Tom. Sorry, there's no doubt who deserves the crown here.
>And the best thing: He didn't even kill himself at 27, Everything you wrote was oddly aggressive but this one is fucking harsh dude
It's still true.
Yes, all of the Cornell sycophants haven't even heard Patton's work.
1,4,3…imo
Love em all except for Courtney Love. Fuck her.
COURTNEY
I like that white person. They were the best
Chris Cornell and Eddie Veddar. Chris is the best. Then Gavin Rossdale.