Billy Corgan's songwriting abilities should never be questioned, nor should the influence of alt rock icons Smashing Pumpkins. Together, they created some of the most important, lasting songs of the decade, and their albums were consistently remarkable. But Corgan's decision to be the mouthpiece of this band is one of the most confounding things to come out of the 90s. Depending on who you ask, Corgan defaulting to the lead singer position was due to egotism or necessity (no one else wanted the gig). Whatever the rationale, this bald man's shrill, whiny timbre is the perfect example of creative genius and raw talent refusing to mesh in a pleasant way. Corgan's nasal harshness is a big reason that so many people have been unable to really delve into The Smashing Pumpkins. And that's a real shame, because the Pumpkins undoubtedly released some of the most fascinating music the alternative music scene had to offer. It just takes a very patient ear to be able to withstand the singer's barrage of screeching and enjoy the melodies that accompany it.
