9 great vocal performances by Chris Cornell that remember the late rocker
Chris Cornell would have turned 60 on July 20th.
But one of the greats of rock’n’roll passed away on May 18, 2017. Both dates will now pass with a medley of grief and love for the many timeless songs that Cornell signed with his name and his sound.
Cornell, the voice behind Soundgarden, Audioslave and a refreshingly diverse solo catalog, gave a wry nod to his talents on the 1994 hit “Black Hole Sun” from Soundgarden’s Superunknown. The almost mocking line “nobody sings like you” was later adopted for a posthumous collection of Cornell covers.
But it’s true. Nobody sings like Chris Cornell. Nobody ever could. To honor his birthday and his memory, here are nine indelible Cornell vocals (we easily could have chosen 90).
“Beyond the Wheel” (1988)
Out of: “Ultramega OK” by Soundgarden
What you hear: Cornell opens the song with a droning, modal baritone melody before hitting remarkably high, sustained notes like a wondrous ancient mystic. This song still feels like a declaration, even after so many years: Soundgarden not only rock, but their frontman can also create and twist mysteries with his voice.
“Hands Everywhere” (1989)
Out of: “Louder Than Love” by Soundgarden
What you hear: Cornell once again strives for an unorthodox melody – and delivers it perfectly. He seems to pack more than just one emotion and one vocal character into each note.
“Say Hello to Heaven” (1990)
Out of: The eponymous album by Temple of the Dog
What you hear: It was like this, So It’s hard not to choose the iconic Temple of the Dog song “Hunger Strike,” which perfectly contrasts Cornell’s impassioned howl and Eddie Vedder’s subversive—and, for the time, odd—steadiness. But this song has the range of an Oscar-winning actor’s role: cooing falsetto, barely restrained blues singing, rock-god howl.
“Slaves and Bulldozers” (1991)
Out of: “Badmotorfinger” by Soundgarden
What you hear: The track is an epic rock tone poem of almost seven minutes and is worth listening to if only because Cornell twists the last word in the phrase “Every word I said is what I mean” in such a way that “mean” becomes both more trustworthy and less credible than before.
“Fell on Black Days” (1994)
Out of: Soundgarden’s milestone “Superunknown”
What you hear: “Black Hole Sun” feels like the single wants to stand the test of time, but don’t overlook Cornell’s dark, confident vocals here, some of his very best.
“Like a Stone” (2002)
Out of: Audioslave’s eponymous debut
What you hear: This may be my favorite Cornell song, a masterful exercise in restraint where each degree of change conveys whole worlds. Cornell’s gentleness in a more muted bridge is powerful, and immediately afterward his rendition of the line “Room by room, patiently” – words he has sung over and over again – is filled with a beautiful pain.
“Billie Jean” (2007)
Out of: Cornell’s second solo album “Carry On”
What you hear: Not only is Cornell a great songwriter, but, like a certain Seattle Sinatra, he is also a master interpreter of the song. Here he slows down and strips down the Michael Jackson pop classic until it becomes an old blues ballad.
“Wrong Side” (2015)
Out of: The underrated Cornell solo album “Higher Truth”
What you hear: A melody so pure and original that it sounds as if Cornell had coaxed it from the earth.
“Nothing compares to you” (2020)
Out of: This 2016 recording was released on No One Sings Like You Anymore after Cornell’s death.
What you hear: As with “Billie Jean” before it and other covers on this particular collection (Cornell’s take on Guns ‘N Roses’ “Patience” is notable), he makes the song sound like it’s bubbling out right there and then, without doing the original or the more popular version any injustice.
Aarik Danielsen is the Tribune’s features and culture editor. Reach him at [email protected] or call 573-815-1731. He is on Twitter/X @aarikdanielsen.
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