Chris Cornell is best known as the late frontman of the iconic alt-rock outfit Soundgarden, but he’s also known as one of the most talented voices of 1990s grunge. Let’s honor his memory and listen to just a few of the most impressive vocal tracks from Chris Cornell!
Videos by American Songwriter
1. “Black Hole Sun”
We couldn’t leave out this classic. “Black Hole Sun” comes from the 1994 Soundgarden album Superunknown and is by far the band’s most memorable hit song. It also happens to boast one of Chris Cornell’s greatest vocal deliveries of his career.
The song is a slow-burning, delightfully catchy piece of alt-rock history, complete with an oddball music video that still hits today. Cornell’s voice is at its raspiest and almost sounds ethereal on this track.
2. “Slaves And Bulldozers”
This Badmotorfinger classic from 1991 is one of Soundgarden’s finest moments. It also features some seriously incredible vocals from Cornell, too. His voice is cool, simmering, and a great example of how much control he had over his style of singing.
“Slaves And Bulldozers” is also an excellent example of how well the whole of the band joined in with Cornell leading. Some people were just meant to make music together.
3. “You Know My Name”
We’d be bold enough to say that “You Know My Name” from the 2007 solo album Carry On includes one of the most underrated vocal tracks from Chris Cornell. You might recognize this tune from the James Bond film Casino Royale. Cornell might seem like an odd choice for the film’s music, but he ended up being a stellar addition to a killer soundtrack.
Cornell’s vocals on “You Know My Name” are moody and intense, and the whole of the song is beautifully produced.
4. “Cochise”
If you’re a fan of Audioslave, you can probably clock the introduction to this song from a mile away. “Cochise” comes from Audioslave’s 2002 self-titled debut record, and the song’s music video was a pretty big deal on MTV at the time. Cornell’s vocals on this song are rough, slightly aged, and timeless in a way that many alt-rock vocalists could only hope for.
Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images
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