Top Ten Best Rock Singers of the '90s
Layne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains, which he founded with guitarist Jerry Cantrell in Seattle, Washington in 1987. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s. In 2002, Staley was found dead in his home of a drug overdose. I think when it comes to vocalists Layne Wins. Cornell's highs are amazing, but the way that Layne hit the power notes just felt effort less. Obviously if we talk about impact, Kurt's voice is just so iconic that it can't be beat in that regard. Vedder's voice is so dynamic, and I love his performance on MTV Unlugged. Scott Weiland is such a good melody server, that it's hard to not want him be higher on this list. The power that Layne gives is just not touchable. He can whisper, and make chills go up your spine. He just sings like he has a calm sense of his own ability. He sounds comfortable, and for that he is Number 1 on this list. R.I.P. dude.
The 90's honestly had tons of amazing vocalists. Chris Cornell, Phil Anselmo, Scott Weiland, Eddie Vedder, Mark Lanegan, and MJK are just a few of the other great talents. Layne just had something with his voice that was super unique and it had this dark chilly feeling. Layne did so many things with his voice and it just sounds awesome and because of this he could connect with people so well. He's just amazing.
The man had an absolutely incredible voice, the vast majority of his songs speak for themselves regarding his powerful, and dynamic voice. Absolute shame he was taken so soon by drugs.
Just listen to rooster and man in the box and it will speak for itself. Amazing gritty high range vocals and his voice is very distinctive and unique. Most talented vocalist of the 90s
Christopher John "Chris" Cornell was an American rock musician and singer-songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter and rhythm guitarist for Seattle rock band Soundgarden and as former lead vocalist and songwriter for the supergroup Audioslave. His vocal range was C2 to A5, while his highest notes went up to G6. He died on May 17, 2017. It's really hard in this list, cause the 90's really posses some of the most iconic voices and best singers of rock music in general, not only that particular decade. And while Cobain and Staley had the eeriest spine tingling screams, and Vedder has such a beautiful voice, of course we can't skip Maynard and Anselmo who have both redefined Alt Metal and Metal vocals completely one for their sensible dynamic and the other with their brute force but still a very melodic and great sounding vocal. Chris Cornell, for me, stands as not only the best singer of the 90's but of all rock music in general, and I'm a guy who has grown up on Led Zeppelin, but even though it may seem blasphemous, I must be honest and say that Chris has the nicest vocal timbre in all of rock and roll, for me he tops both Robert Plant and Freddy Mercury. And I hope no one holds this against me, as these are all such wonderful vocals, and we are unbelievably lucky to be able to listen to their music. But for me, again ...more
Kurt Cobain was born February 20, 1967, in Aberdeen, Washington. In 1987, he started the grunge band Nirvana, which became one of the most successful bands ever. He was a talented yet troubled grunge performer. Kurt Cobain became a rock legend in the 1990s with his band. He committed suicide at his Seattle home in 1994. Her voice is good in every song he wrote best scream of the 90s and the most influential vocalist of all time.
Eddie Vedder is an American musician, singer and songwriter best known as a member of the rock band Pearl Jam, with whom he performs lead vocals and is one of three guitarists. Eddie Vedder should be number one on this list. With all do respect to Layne Staley, Thom Yorke, and Chris Cornelle, but all you have to do is listen to Vedders vocals on Black, Better Man, Alive, Jeremy, and Nothingman with Pearl Jam and you can hear the raw emotion and raw aggression radiate off his vocals. Or his rise to super stardom on the Co lead efforts on Hunger Strike by Temple of the Dog along side Chris Cornell, Or the likes of his passionate solo work with the song Hard Sun. It's a crime to have this Rock Icon at a mere number Four spot. come on people vote for this 90's rock treasure.
Eddie Vedder's voice is one of the greatest voices of 90's. He have the capacity of reach high notes, but also he can sing in very lower tones without problem.
Maynard James Keenan, often referred to by his initials MJK, is an American musician, record producer, winemaker, and actor, best known as the vocalist for Grammy Award-winning progressive metal band Tool. He also is the singer of A Perfect Circle and Puscifer bands that vary in style. So awesome, no words, except those...
Jonathan Howsmon Davis, also known as JD and JDevil, is an American musician best known as the leading vocalist and frontman of the nu metal band Korn.
Lars Mikael Åkerfeldt is a Swedish musician, prominently known as the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of progressive death metal band Opeth, as well as being the former vocalist of death metal supergroup Bloodbath for three albums up until 2012.
He also has a side project with Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson known as Storm Corrosion. They released their self titled debut in 2012.
Akerfeldt also performed lead vocals on Katatonia's sophomore album "Brave Murder Day". He is best friends with their regular lead singer, Jonas Renkse.
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American musician, singer-songwriter and guitarist best known as the founder, lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist and main songwriter of the rock band Alice in Chains.
William John Paul "Liam" Gallagher is an English musician, singer, and songwriter. He rose to fame as the lead singer of the rock band Oasis, and later as the singer of Beady Eye. Listen to the Oasis acoustic set at mtv in 1994, you'll see hat I mean.
Changed the 90s
Philip Hansen "Phil" Anselmo is an American musician who is best known as the former lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Pantera. He currently is the vocalist of heavy metal bands Down and Superjoint Ritual. No matter how much I like the other guys on here, from what I already see maynard, Eddie V and zack, Phil Anselmo is one of the all time greatest vocalists in music history, he lost a bit of his voice but the old mans still going
Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan was an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. She was the vocalist for rock band The Cranberries from 1990 until their break-up in 2003, later reuniting with her band in 2009, which she led until her death in 2018. Dolores O'Riordan is the greatest female voice of rock ever, including the classic legends Janis Joplin, Joan Jett and Pat Benatar. And her band, The Cranberries, is the most underrated band ever, they have soundtracks of 90s and 2000s like Dreams, Linger, Pretty, Sunday, Ode to my family,
Also, she is a great composer, guitarist and pianist. In my opinion, is one of greatest musicians ever, only comparable to legends like Elvis, Janis, Nino Bravo or Frank Sinatra.
Musically, The Cranberries are far superior to U2. However, due to marketing issues and Dolores' health problems, such as anorexia and an alleged bipolarity caused by child abuse in her environment, the British mass media have carried out a campaign to discredit the band.
It is, without a doubt, the greatest injustice in the world of music. As music lovers, we owe a debt to the legacy of Dolores and The Cranberries.
Dolores is a great legend of rock, and her band The Cranberries were one of 10 greatest bands of 90s.
Her voice was so ethereal and beautiful, her falsetos still vive me goosebumps. Songs like Dreams or Ode to my family are so emotional, also I really love the lyrics.
She was the most talented singer of 90s, including male voices.
Scott Richard Weiland (October 27, 1967 - December 3, 2015) was an American musician, singer and songwriter. During a career spanning three decades, Weiland was best known as the lead singer of the band Stone Temple Pilots from 1989 to 2002 and 2008 to 2013. Does it all, soft ballads, hard rock, pop. He can do it all in the studio and then bring 5 different voices to a live show as well.
Incredible vocalist who also happens to be one of the great performers as well!
Best frontman I've ever seen, with an amazing vocal range. Since songs like Plush, Wicked Garden, Creep, Intestate Love Song to songs like Atlanta, Wonderful, Big Empty
Hands down. Range was wide than any of the other 1 trick ponies and his preformace was more geared to be a showman.
I mean to take nothing away from anyone, but from a technical standpoint none of the vocalists on this list can stand up to weiland... they are ahead due to popularity more than actual ability.
Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen-Cabuli (born August 17, 1977), generally known as Tarja Turunen or simply Tarja, is a Finnish singer-songwriter. She is a soprano and has a vocal range of three octaves.Turunen studied singing at Sibelius Academy and Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe. She is well known as a professional classical lied singer but best known as the former lead vocalist of the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, which she founded with Tuomas Holopainen and Emppu Vuorinen in 1996. Their combination of hard and fast guitar riffs with Turunen's dramatic, "operatic" lead vocals quickly achieved critical and commercial popularity. Their symphonic metal style, soon dubbed "opera metal", inspired many other metal bands and performers. ...read more.
Corey Todd Taylor was born in December 8, 1973. He is an American musician, author, and actor best known as the lead singer and lyricist of the Nu-metal band Slipknot and hard rock/alternative metal band Stone Sour.
Jeffrey Scott "Jeff" Buckley (November 17, 1966 – May 29, 1997) raised as Scott "Scottie" Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Jeff Buckley was born in Anaheim, California, from musical lineage. His mother, Mary Guibert, was a classically trained musician, and his father, Tim Buckley, was a well-known folk singer. Buckley, however, only met his father one time; the two spent a week together when Jeff was 8. The elder Buckley died of a heroin overdose at age 28, less than a year after the pair's meeting.
Buckley was close with his stepfather, Ron Moorhead, and Moorhead may have had as much to do with Jeff Buckley's musical path as Buckley's bloodline in that he gave Buckley his first Led Zeppelin album, which would prove to be highly influential to the future musician. ...read more.
How is this man only just being named now?! Best vocalist of all time. Nobody can compare to his tone. The way his voice just effortlessly floats between registers and octaves is unique and impossible to replicate. There has never been a better vocalist and there probably never will be
R.I. P Jeff
Take out the opinions of the popular music zombies and the only others in contention with Buckley for this title are Layne Staley and Chris Cornell. Picking between those three really just comes down to preference.
How is he not number 1? People are deaf. De la Rocha ahead of him? Seriously?
Best hands down.
Chino Moreno is an American musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist and contributing guitarist of Deftones.
Michael Allan "Mike" Patton is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, film composer, producer, and actor, best known as the lead singer of the alternative metal band Faith No More. Biggest range on the list, and he can sing every style in existence effortlessly.
Mike Patton is undoubtly the best vocalist of the entire 90's. He has the wider range of all those mentioned here.
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan Jr. is an American musician, songwriter, producer, television writer, poet, and professional wrestling promoter best known as the lead singer, guitarist, and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Billy Corgan can have the soft voice of an angel, then turn around and express his anger loudly. His melancholy lyrical style fits the theme of the 90's more than any other artist I know.
Thomas Edward "Thom" Yorke is an English musician best known as the singer and principal songwriter of the alternative rock band Radiohead. His voice is sex.
His voice is beautiful, just listen to Creep and Fake Plastic Trees from Radiohead
Billie Joe Armstrong is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor who is best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter, and guitarist of the punk rock band Green Day, which he co-founded with Mike Dirnt. He's also in side-project groups such as The Network, Foxboro HotTubs, Pinhead Gunpowder, and The Longshot. His first group was a band called The Lookouts which disbanded after their 2nd album. He released a solo album consisting of covers in 2020 called "No Fun Mondays" ranging from rock and punk covers. He has a 2 and a half octave vocal ranger, but over time in 2020 and onwards his range has gotten slightly higher. Most notably in their Father Of All album, and during various live performances. He's the greatest rocker of all time and should be in the place of kurt cobain...
Zacharias Manuel "Zack" de la Rocha (born January 12, 1970) is an American musician, poet, rapper, and activist best known as the vocalist and lyricist of rap metal band Rage Against the Machine from 1991–2000, and after the band's reunion in 2007 until their last show in 2011. He left Rage Against the Machine in October 2000, and embarked on a low-key solo career. With former Mars Volta drummer Jon Theodore, de la Rocha also co-founded One Day as a Lion in 2008.
David Eric "Dave" Grohl is an American rock musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, producer and film director. He is best known as the former drummer of the hugely popular 90s grunge band Nirvana and the vocalist/guitarist for the alternative rock band Foo Fighters. He has sat behind the ...read more.
James Alan Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963. He is an American musician, singer and songwriter known for being the co-founder, lead vocalist, rhythm guitarist and main songwriter for the American heavy metal band Metallica.
David Scott "Dave" Mustaine (born September 13, 1961) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, actor and author. Mustaine is best known as a pioneer in Thrash Metal, being the former lead guitarist of Metallica before his dismissal in 1983, leading to finding and becoming the front man of his own band Megadeth shortly after.
Noel Thomas David Gallagher is an English musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He served as the lead guitarist, co-lead vocalist and principal songwriter of the rock band Oasis.