Random Chris Cornell’s Most Amazing Vocal Performances (12 items)

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  (#1) "Hunger Strike" (1992)

  One of his most memorable performances, "Hunger Strike" was a duet between Cornell and a then-unknown Eddie Vedder in the supergroup Temple Of The Dog. It was notably Vedder's first time on a record, but Cornell's vocals stand out for their intensity and, of course, the iconic high note he hits in the chorus.

  The song was performed by Cornell and the members of Pearl Jam over the course of many years and with several different projects. It was last performed by Cornell when he reunited with his Temple bandmates for a reunion tour in 2016. 
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  (#2) "Outshined" (1991)

  "Outshined" is a beloved song in the Soundgarden catalog, and featured the band performing a complex composition with challenging vocals from Cornell. The song's odd time signature finds Cornell weaving his vocals throughout the guitar riffs in interesting ways, making it one of the band's most intelligent compositions.

  Following Cornell's death, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine performed a cover of the song in tribute to his friend.

  "Now, I don't sing like Chris, I could never sing like Chris, but we're gonna sing a song right now. And if you know the words, sing with me. If you don't know the words, then just make noise," he said prior to his cover. 
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  (#3) "Show Me How To Live" (2002)

  "Show Me How To Live" not only features Cornell's signature intense vocal range, but also finds him achieving a strange effect with his voice. At the end of the song on the studio recording, he weaves between several notes and hits his throat at the same time for a bizarre effect that makes his voice sound almost computer manipulated. 

  The effect, as one review noted, is similar in style to the vocals of legendary Pakistani singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The moment makes "Show Me How To Live" a particularly unique part of Cornell's vocal legacy. 
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  (#4) "Burden In My Hand" (1996)

  1996's "Burden In My Hand" is a classic cut from the Soundgarden catalog, with a slightly bluesy and upbeat composition that might not sound like a typical Soundgarden song at first - until Cornell's high register kicks in. It's a brilliant Led Zeppelin-esque song that was slightly new territory for the band at the time. 

  "Kill your health and kill yourself / And kill everything you love," Cornell sings, pushing his voice to the point of screaming without overdoing it. "Burden" is a great example of both Soundgarden's versatility and Cornell's versatile vocal abilities. 
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  (#5) Slaves And Bulldozers (1991)

  "Slaves And Bulldozers" is arguably one of the band's heaviest songs with perhaps the most astonishing choruses in Cornell's vocal repertoire. Pushing between two amazingly high notes, Cornell remains on the edge of screaming in the chorus surrounded by pounding drums and a brutal riff. 

  A classic from their classic album Badmotorfinger, "Slaves" was performed regularly up until the band's final show. 
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  (#6) "Cochise" (2002)

  "Cochise" was the world's first introduction to Audioslave, a supergroup made up of Cornell and the members of Rage Against The Machine. It was as good an introduction as any, and set the stage for several albums of signature Cornell vocals. One review praised the singer's performance, saying that the song "gives his vocal chords a long-overdue workout."

  The song finds Cornell reaching near the top of his register and never coming down, almost shouting his way through the performance. It was a welcome return from the singer following his split from Soundgarden. 
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  (#7) "Nothing Compares 2 U" (2016)

  It's not a major stretch of his range by any means, and may be unexpected to fans of his Robert Plant-esque vocal howl, but one of Cornell's most beautiful moments as a singer came in the form of his version of Prince's "Nothing Compares 2 U." It's understated, soft, and a departure for the singer. He performed it several times solo, most notably in a radio performance that went viral.

  On the first Father's Day following Cornell's death, his daughter Toni released a gorgeous duet she recorded with her father of the timeless song - with the elder Cornell taking on harmonies and letting his daughter take the lead. It's an emotional reminder of the talent that was lost. 
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  (#8) "Jesus Christ Pose" (1991)

  When Soundgarden released "Jesus Christ Pose" in 1991, they were still relatively unknown band and not the mega-success they would later become. The intense song was highlighted by Cornell's aggressive vocal, but the lyrics were anything but aggressive. As it turned out, Cornell meant to use the song as a way to mock the typical rock star attitude and persona. 

  Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil later told Louder Sound of the song: 

  Specifically, there were a lot of rock guys that did that arms-outstretched kind of pose; that sort of victim that’s suffering for their fans and their art. It’s kind of annoying. Chris took a stab at it, on some levels mocked it, and the irony fell somewhere else, I guess.
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  (#9) "Doesn't Remind Me" (2005)

  "Doesn't Remind Me," from Audioslave's second album Out Of Exile, was classic Cornell taken even further. In the verses, he sings in a very understated manner with the lower end of his register. The choruses open up and find him reaching his iconic high notes.

  It's in the bridge, though, where things get really unique. There, when he sings the line, "Slow and sweetly like never before," Cornell employs a rare falsetto vocal approach that makes for a beautiful moment before the song kicks back into full gear. 
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  (#10) "Beyond The Wheel" (1988)

  A classic heavy Soundgarden track, "Beyond The Wheel" starts with Cornell singing extremely low and intensely as the song builds to the chorus - when the singer unleashes perhaps his most brutal vocal in history. "Wheel" set the stage for the band's evolution, but also was an early example of just what an incredible vocalist he was. 

  Amazingly, Cornell sang the song in the original key decades after it was originally written and recorded, performing a near-impeccable version in 2012 that found him hitting the same high-pitched almost heavy metal vocal notes. 
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  (#11) "By Crooked Steps" (2012)

  On 2012's King Animal, Soundgarden's first album after reuniting, they returned in full force - most notably on the complex "By Crooked Steps." The song features Cornell performing a melodically odd vocal over an almost progressive time signature, stretching his vocal range in ways he hadn't done since early Soundgarden albums. 

  The song also featured an entertaining video directed by Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl. 
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  (#12) "Scream" (2009)

  Perhaps his most divisive release, Scream was an attempt by Cornell to break out of the stylistic box of rock music. He worked with producer Timbaland and created a hip hop and pop influenced album with some electronic elements - something people dismissed almost entirely. The title track, however, is a bright spot on the album for its powerful vocal that was signature Cornell. 

  "I don’t think there was any reference for [Scream] at the time," he told Rolling Stone. "And obviously the world of recorded and released music is a world that required reference 99 times out of 100. I mean, even for me, I could stand on a soap box and say that art shouldn’t require reference and then still make references to you. When I hear a band I’m gonna say something like, ‘It’s a cross between Abba and the band Swans.’ So I get it. The response to the album didn’t surprise me. But I do think there is more context for it now."

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