12 Best Hard Rock Singers Of The 1990s
9. Kurt Cobain - Nirvana
It's probably surprising to see one of the undisputed icons of the 90's so low on the list. Granted, Kurt Cobain's voice was fantastic, but the actual technical prowess couldn't compare with some of the other bands of the time. However, it's not always about flashiness when it comes to capturing the hearts of rockers.
The beauty of every Nirvana song comes from Cobain himself, whose brilliant songwriting skills were among the greatest in rock and roll. You might not have been able to understand the meaning behind every song, but the authority with which Kurt sang was something anyone could relate to. Sure, some of the songs were a bit harsh, but the melody would always catch your ear and pull you right in.
The actual timbre of Kurt's voice was also fairly unique for the time. Leaning into the gruff baritone sound, there was a certain rustic quality to Cobain's voice that Dave Grohl once described as "boiling nails in the back of his throat." Though the tuneful melodies are what people remember, the jawdropping moments came when he pushed his voice to its absolute limit on songs like "Scentless Apprentice" or "Territorial Pissings." He might not have been the greatest singer in the world, but very few vocalists have the ability to move the masses like Cobain did.