A collection of Chris Cornell’s favourite singers
The rock world only gets a singer like Chris Cornell once every generation. Even with the influx of grunge bands at a time when leading artists sang in a grizzly baritone, Cornell’s shrieking voice stood out amongst the pack, almost like an alternative update of what Robert Plant had been doing with Led Zeppelin in their prime. Outside of the weird sounds of Seattle, Cornell was a far more eclectic music fan than just rock and roll.
Though it’s easy to pick out the likes of Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin in Soundgarden’s catalogue, the album No One Sings Like You Anymore gives a more nuanced insight into what made Cornell drawn to singing in the first place. While Cornell initially pulled a Phil Collins by singing behind the drumkit, his persona became something else entirely when he stepped onstage, instantly becoming a rock god in his own right.
That musical presence is exemplified in his choice of classic rock material, playing the downtempo Guns N’ Roses track ‘Patience’, where he fits surprisingly well into Axl Rose’s shoes. Despite Soundgarden eventually overtaking acts like GNR in the mainstream, Cornell treats the song respectfully, never letting his judgement of the band get in the way of delivering a good tune.
Outside of the rock idols, Cornell had a healthy respect for the sounds of 1970s AM radio rock, as evidenced by the massive number of crooners like Harry Nilsson and ‘Showdown’ by Electric Light Orchestra. While most of their songs remained pretty upbeat, bringing them into the acoustic setting of the record gave Cornell a chance to showcase their songwriting abilities. Though Jeff Lynne’s soft voice sounds like the polar opposite of Cornell’s shriek, his version of the ELO tune could have inspired what he did with ‘Seasons’ off of the Singles soundtrack back in the ‘90s.
If there’s one thing that Cornell loves more than anything else, though, it’s the screamers of the world, and his renditions of tracks by Janis Joplin and Terry Reid feel like they were tailor-made for his voice. Joplin was always the original female blues wailer, and Reid impacted Jimmy Page so much that he even asked Reid to join Led Zeppelin before Plant took over.
Although it’s easy to chalk up these renditions to just Cornell bestowing his fan worship, he seems drawn more to the songs than any of the artists in question. Even though the man behind ‘Black Hole Sun’ could have released an album of nothing but hard rock cuts, his way of singing other’s material, like John Lennon’s ‘Watching the Wheels’ and his breathtaking cover of Prince’s ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’, say more about him as an artist than an avid fan of rock music.
It was never about using a song to showcase Cornell’s technique, whether it was Soundgarden, Audioslave, or his solo career. It all came back to serving the music before him, and Cornell never forgot the power that an artist could wield through an acoustic guitar and their vocal ability. Cornell may have had a few classics under his belt by the time he passed away in 2017, but he learned that he didn’t have to stop exploring once he became a rock god. It’s always about following one’s muse, and Cornell would have followed his musical intuition to the ends of the Earth.
