Who is the greatest Grunge frontman?

scottstappsucks

http://www.grungereport.net/2009/06/03/greatest-grunge-frontman/

Sorry if this is considered shilling/spamming or if the topic has been done I'm a n00b, so you can close this thread/delete/come beat me up with drunk Scott Stapp karate moves no hard feelings, but I just made this on my site and thought for the poll to be fair I should post it on the Ten Club board so Eddie has a fair shot at winning (lots of Weiland and Staley fans frequent the grungereport site) because I myself am curious who will win in this poll. Basically the poll question is who do you think is the greatest frontman of the Grunge movement? You don't have to click the link to vote if you don't want to, you can post thoughts in here, but who do you think is the best (or 2nd best since most people here probably pick Eddie).

For me it's a VERY difficult pick. I'm a big fan of all 6 of the guys on the list, they're all in my list of top 10 favorite frontmen/singers (except for Cobain, haha). It's probably a 3-way tie between Weiland, Vedder, and Staley. Weiland may eek it out for me because he is the singer of my favorite band, Stone Temple Pilots, but I'm a fan of all 3 singers equally. Eddie just has that killer baritone and some of my favorite lyrics ever, while in Staley's voice you can just hear his pain, and Weiland is probably the most diverse out of the 3 imo (listen to Core and then Shangri LA DEE DA, major progression throughout STP's 5 records).

soulsinging

Depends what you mean by frontman. Eddie Vedder has more stage presence than most other singers in rock history, period. But I think Lanegan has the best voice and Staley is just the coolest motherfucker.

South of Seattle

I'd say Ed.

He's still going strong, where the others are either dead or doing something different.

I wouldn't even have Weiland on the list. He's a great vocalist, I just don't consider STP to be grunge at all.

Stephen Flow

I really love grunge, but is there really all that much news on "grunge" to report?

edit: also, I don't really consider STP grunge.

Kilgore_Trout

went with mark just cause i knew he wasnt gonna get much love... but the more i think about it he doesnt really deserve much love for what he did with the screaming trees... great band, but his most prolific stuff wasnt til after IMO

chris has the voice, ed has the presence, layne had the total package but lacked the strength of character... i guess they each have their flaws... ill call it a toss up between those three in the end... mark wins if were looking at overall career and future longevity

EDIT: after reading other posts i think i limited "grunge" more than the OP and poll intended... dont like to think of the "genre" at all but if i do its stictly limited to the 90's

cvrlizardboy

It is really hard to say who is the best. For me I think Kurt is the best just because his music changed my life and I miss his voice so much. Eddie is definitely right behind him, just because Pearl Jam is probably my second favorite band and I love watching all the insane stuff that he used to do on stage. Layne is right behind those two, great voice, but Jerry Cantrell was the reason Alice In Chains were awesome. No offense but STP really weren't grunge, they just kind of jumped the band wagon. I do like them though, had a lot of good music. Core is a fantastic album.

scottstappsucks

There is Grunge news to report on, the artists and bands who are still active who started during the era. I mean we are getting a new Pearl Jam album and Alice in Chains this year and new STP and Mark Lanegan next year. Even Green River are doing occasional shows. If Soundgarden reunites (I think they will) then things will be even more kickin. Might as well have a place to keep up on all of them

Also I know STP aren't prototypical Seattle Grunge, but a lot of people associate them with the era and they did come out during that period, when you think of great bands from the early 90's bands you think of STP along with Pearl Jam, Nirvana, AIC, Soundgarden, Screaming Trees, etc. Also STP are active right now so I thought it made sense to include them on the site, and a lot fans of the Seattle Big 4 like STP (not all, but a good amount). I just thought it'd be nice to have a place for fans of that group of bands from the early 90's, whatever you want to call them (I wanted genxmusic.com but it was taken, so I went with grungereport.net) to have a place to keep up on news and tour dates and what not without having to see news on Fall Out Boy and Lil Wayne cough mtv.com cough.

Also by frontman it means all around. Stage presence, voice, lyrics, everything. The best all around. Whoever your cup of tea is. Right now Vedder and Weiland are neck and neck, I think Staley will probably catch up though.

musicismylife78

I think its obviously Kurt. Every other grunge frontman would agree with that. Kurt was the reason for everything.

He changed everything.

There was something about the lyrics he wrote, the music he created, the things and ideas he represented and stood for. He was more than the lead singer of the most popular and most important band of the last 20 years. He stood for something, he meant something to millions of people who felt lost, confused and ignored.

I dont think there will ever be another Kurt. He was a once in a lifetime kind of guy. I felt something. I was only 10 when he died. What did I know. But his death shook me. I could feel this was more than the death of a nobody. This was huge, that the loss of someone like a Kurt, was something that was a shame and that he could never be replaced.

Ultimately thats why there need not be any discussion on the issue. it was kurt, and always will be kurt. My music tastes have changed since 1994. I dont pull out my copy of Nevermind as much. I dont listen to the radio, so I rarely here Nirvana. But the impact Kurt had on people's lives is profound.

He represented something to people. And thats what a great frontman does. He gives people something to believe in.

South of Seattle

musicismylife78 wrote:

I think its obviously Kurt. Every other grunge frontman would agree with that. Kurt was the reason for everything.

He changed everything.

There was something about the lyrics he wrote, the music he created, the things and ideas he represented and stood for. He was more than the lead singer of the most popular and most important band of the last 20 years. He stood for something, he meant something to millions of people who felt lost, confused and ignored.

I dont think there will ever be another Kurt. He was a once in a lifetime kind of guy. I felt something. I was only 10 when he died. What did I know. But his death shook me. I could feel this was more than the death of a nobody. This was huge, that the loss of someone like a Kurt, was something that was a shame and that he could never be replaced.

Ultimately thats why there need not be any discussion on the issue. it was kurt, and always will be kurt. My music tastes have changed since 1994. I dont pull out my copy of Nevermind as much. I dont listen to the radio, so I rarely here Nirvana. But the impact Kurt had on people's lives is profound.

He represented something to people. And thats what a great frontman does. He gives people something to believe in.

IMO Ed was just as important. As someone who graduated high school in 93', Pearl Jam's impact was greater right before Kurt died. Nirvana got it rolling, but I think they would have only made maybe 1 more album and would have broke up.

The question was who is the greatest frontman. Not who was the most important icon of grunge. Kurt was a poor man's Mark Arm, if Kurt was alive, he'd probably agree.

I've seen all these guys live in their prime except for Layne. Kurt was not the best frontman, he usually stood there and played guitar and was motionless, except for the times he was really wasted.

intodeep

soulsinging wrote:

Depends what you mean by frontman. Eddie Vedder has more stage presence than most other singers in rock history, period. But I think Lanegan has the best voice and Staley is just the coolest motherfucker.

I agree with a lot of what you said.

goldrush

The only singers in that list that I would consider to really be "grunge" would be Kurt and Mark and I haven't voted for them because Mark's best work came after he left the Trees and Kurt didn't stick around long enough to become a true great. I never thought of PJ as grunge and Soundgarden were a lot heavier than the rest of the grunge scene.

In my opinion the best "grunge frontman" in terms of voice and all round entertainment surely has to be Mark Arm! Green River and Mudhoney are surely just as influential, if not more so, than the guys on that list so I think Mark Arm should be the one

scottstappsucks

http://www.grungereport.net/2009/06/12/layne-staley-is-the-greatest-grunge-frontman/
Layne Staley wins! I was intending on putting Mark Arm on the options (I love Mudhoney and Green River) but it was getting too long and I didn't think he would have had any chance at winning, I mean look at the results, Cornell only got a few percent. Lanegan came REALLY close to beating Staley, lost by just a few votes. I thought Eddie would have been neck and neck with Layne in this.

red mos

My choices:
Eddie Vedder
Kevin Martin (Candle box vocalist) His voice is bad ass, even though I don't like Candlebox as much as pj).
I'm hopefully seeing them live next month.

helplessdancer

iggy pop is the supreme ruler

grunge never really existed...it was just rock n roll dressed up with some teenage angst

rock was just looking for a new word. grunge worked well

dcfaithful

intodeep wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

Depends what you mean by frontman. Eddie Vedder has more stage presence than most other singers in rock history, period. But I think Lanegan has the best voice and Staley is just the coolest motherfucker.

I agree with a lot of what you said.

I agree as well, but they're all great for different reasons. Although, i also must say I wouldn't include Weiland...

Layne - already said, bad ass motherfucker with a killer, one of a kind voice
Vedder - More powerful, and has the strongest presence than any other
Lanegan - has a great voice, and does pretty well with his lyric and song writing
Cornell - In the early days, that guy had some unbelievable pipes on him...plain and simple. Badmotorfinger blows me the fuck away everytime I listen to it.

PJGARDEN

soulsinging wrote:

Depends what you mean by frontman. Eddie Vedder has more stage presence than most other singers in rock history, period. But I think Lanegan has the best voice and Staley is just the coolest motherfucker.

You think Lanegan has a better voice than Cornell? Trust me I love Lanegan and prefer his voice and song writing over Cornell's any day but I don't think he has the power Cornell does. Now the vocal delivery, Lanegan wins hands down IMO.

To answer the OP's question, I don't have an answer. They were all great in their own, unique way.

Gary Carter

musicismylife78 wrote:

I think its obviously Kurt. Every other grunge frontman would agree with that. Kurt was the reason for everything.

He changed everything.

There was something about the lyrics he wrote, the music he created, the things and ideas he represented and stood for. He was more than the lead singer of the most popular and most important band of the last 20 years. He stood for something, he meant something to millions of people who felt lost, confused and ignored.

I dont think there will ever be another Kurt. He was a once in a lifetime kind of guy. I felt something. I was only 10 when he died. What did I know. But his death shook me. I could feel this was more than the death of a nobody. This was huge, that the loss of someone like a Kurt, was something that was a shame and that he could never be replaced.

Ultimately thats why there need not be any discussion on the issue. it was kurt, and always will be kurt. My music tastes have changed since 1994. I dont pull out my copy of Nevermind as much. I dont listen to the radio, so I rarely here Nirvana. But the impact Kurt had on people's lives is profound.

He represented something to people. And thats what a great frontman does. He gives people something to believe in.

something to believe in, you serious. The man was a jock in high school and blew his brains out and cause of that his daughter will never have a father. Yea some great hero there. Nirivana is the most overrated band in history, they did nothing new or different. There a poor mans pixies/ rem. I'm so sick of people putting kurdt up on some kind hero mantle. They didn't change shit they just made grunge popular. Grunge is bands like green river and soundgarden and tad. Greatest frontman is cornell. no one can match his sound or soungarden's sound. Seriously anyone can copy nirvana and its been done by bands like staind and other shit bands

soulsinging

PJGARDEN wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

Depends what you mean by frontman. Eddie Vedder has more stage presence than most other singers in rock history, period. But I think Lanegan has the best voice and Staley is just the coolest motherfucker.

You think Lanegan has a better voice than Cornell? Trust me I love Lanegan and prefer his voice and song writing over Cornell's any day but I don't think he has the power Cornell does. Now the vocal delivery, Lanegan wins hands down IMO.

To answer the OP's question, I don't have an answer. They were all great in their own, unique way.

I think Cornell's voice is the most overrated in the entire scene. It's a high-pitched, heavy metal wail barely a cut above that chick from Sleater Kinney's. Lanegan has more soul and emotion in his voice than Cornell could ever pro-tool into his

FinsburyParkCarrots

Eddie Vedder is the only one in the building. I always thought the rest of them were a shower of wankers.

hrd2imgn

Layne is the epitome of GRUNGE

Kurt is almost there

Ed

Chis Cornell

STP GRUNGE???? WTF



I just thing grunge is all about dirt, rawness, unchained emotion, and LAYNE and his vocals just cannot be beaten in terms of mope and depression. Dirt is such a perfect album as far as depicting the agony and suffering Layne was enduring through his addictions. That album was a forcast of the future and is so sad to head knowing now he'll die of the very things he is singing about.

PJGARDEN

soulsinging wrote:

I think Cornell's voice is the most overrated in the entire scene. It's a high-pitched, heavy metal wail barely a cut above that chick from Sleater Kinney's. Lanegan has more soul and emotion in his voice than Cornell could ever pro-tool into his

Fair enough! I think Cornell has a great voice but, your are right about the emotion. Cornell has nothing on Lanegan!

soulsinging

PJGARDEN wrote:

soulsinging wrote:

I think Cornell's voice is the most overrated in the entire scene. It's a high-pitched, heavy metal wail barely a cut above that chick from Sleater Kinney's. Lanegan has more soul and emotion in his voice than Cornell could ever pro-tool into his

Fair enough! I think Cornell has a great voice but, your are right about the emotion. Cornell has nothing on Lanegan!

Yeah, my opinion on Cornell's voice has always been a minority one. I hear time and again that he's great and that technically, he's the best singer in terms of technique or whatever. But I've never cared for his voice. I like a few Soundgarden and TotD songs in spite of his vocals, not because of them. Whereas Mad Season or the Gutter Twins... those vocals make the albums!