The five Guns N’ Roses songs that perfectly highlight Axl Rose’s vocal range
Not talking about the greatest singer among Freddie Mercury, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson and so on, as that’s entirely subjective, but we’re discussing which singer has the greatest range when it comes to vocal ability.
Who hits high notes and low notes as if the effort involved in both barely exists? Well, a study was done, and it found that the Guns N’ Roses frontman, Axl Rose, is the best in the world when it comes to such diversity.
The research was carried out by Concert Hotels, who listened to the lowest notes recorded by singers, then the highest, and measured the difference in octaves between the two, which showed that the Guns N’ Roses singer is able to dive down to sonic depths and jump up to musical highs in the blink of an eye.
While Rose isn’t often considered one of the greatest vocalists in the world, it is quite hard to deny him this plaudit, but if you’re still not sure, here are five of his songs which perfectly reflect that well-rounded range.
Guns N’ Roses songs that highlight Axl Rose’s vocal range:
‘Double Talkin’ Jive’
When Guns N’ Roses released the Use Your Illusion albums, it was a real deviation from the music that fans had initially become familiar with on their debut Appetite for Destruction. It was still a hard rock album through and through, but it wasn’t as raw as the first record, with longer, more complex, layered, and multi-faceted songs.
It was quite a nice change, one that cemented the band as not just being a bunch of rock aficionados, but expert musicians who could navigate the genre freely. Of course, it wouldn’t be Guns N’ Roses without a brief hit of hard rock, and that’s what they delivered with the song ‘Double Talkin’ Jive’, as it’s packed with riffs, energy, and some of Axl Rose’s most versatile vocals.
‘Paradise City’
An absolute classic, when it comes to amazing rock songs, ‘Paradise City’ takes its place in the hall of fame as being one of the most well-constructed, aggressive and catchy masterpieces ever coined.
There are a few standouts which make this tune so iconic: one is the guitar line, which a lot of budding masters of the six-string are quick to try and learn the moment they start playing, and the other is Axl Rose’s voice. When he sings that chorus, he really sings it, to the point that other vocalists would struggle to match his piercing pitch, which, paired with the upbeat, grainy lyrics in the verses, gives you a frontman destined for the top.
‘Estranged’
Axl Rose called ‘Estranged’ one of his most emotional songs, saying, “Being able to dance and rejoice in a song that came from situations and emotions that were killing me. You know, we pretty much mean everything we say. We don’t put anything down that we’re not willing to stand behind or attempt to stand by for the duration.”
You can hear that emotion in the way that he sings, as every single note on the musical spectrum is hit; it’s low rumbling and sorrowful, high-pitched and angry, and everything in between. This song really highlights the risks that Guns N’ Roses were taking on their Use Your Illusion albums, and those songs continue to blow the minds of rock fans to this day.
‘Coma’
This is one of the longest songs that Guns N’ Roses ever recorded, and it sees Axl Rose performing vocal acrobatics throughout, featuring some of his most dynamic vocals, and it’s difficult to fault them. He no doubt wanted to give his everything on this song as it came to him when he landed in a hospital after an overdose.
“I just grabbed this bottle of pills in an argument and gulped them down,” said Rose, “I ended up in a hospital, but I liked that I wasn’t in the fight anymore. My first real thoughts were, ‘You haven’t toured enough, the record’s going to be forgotten, you have work to do, get out of this’, and I woke myself out of it. But in describing that, people could take it wrong and think it means go put yourself into a coma.”
‘Better’
Chinese Democracy was over ten years delayed, as Axl Rose was faced with a glut of problems that halted the recording process. Duff McKagan said his issue was an inability to be spontaneous, noting, “Well, you know, spontaneity and rock ‘n’ roll go together, and chemistry. It comes back to the old adage: If it takes you more than five minutes to write a song, then just scrap it. I don’t know. Axl Rose is a very fickle guy, and he changes his mind all the time. So, who knows?”
When the album was eventually finished, it really wasn’t that bad, but the hype had been built up so much that fans were still left disappointed, and a lot of songs were overlooked. That being said, it’s hard to deny that Rose truly delivers on ‘Better’. High notes, low notes, you’ve got them all on one of the standout songs from an underrated album.
