When it comes to grunge music, the most famous and most recognizable artists from the movement are almost always lead the singers. From Eddie Vedder to Chris Cornell to Kurt Cobain to Layne Staley and Mark Lanegan, the faces we all know are those that were most comfortable behind the mic.
And it’s those same people who wrote the vast majority of the grunge songs we all know and love today. Except… there are a few songs written by the big grunge bands that were not merely penned by Cobain or Vedder or Cornell. That’s what we wanted to highlight here below. Indeed, these are three grunge songs not written (solely) by the lead singers.
“Head Down” by Soundgarden from Superunknown (1994)
Looking down the track list of the seminal 1994 Soundgarden album, Superunknown, you see a lot of contributions from songwriters other than Chris Cornell. While Cornell wrote or co-wrote the majority of the tunes, including “Black Hole Sun” and “Fell on Black Days”, other members of the group contributed their own work, too. A prime example of that is the swinging tune “Head Down”, which was written by the band’s bassist Ben Shepherd. Some members of the band even attribute the sound of the track to an influence of the Beatles—most especially drummer Ringo Starr. Rhythm players unite!
“Low Light” by Pearl Jam from Yield (1997)
Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament wrote the lyrics for two of the songs on Pearl Jam’s 1997 LP, Yield. He is responsible for the tracks “Pilate” and “Low Light.” The latter is an acoustic-driven tune befitting a road trip. It’s almost like one of those great acoustic Led Zeppelin songs (“Going to California,” for example). With lovely vocal harmonies and an eerie vibe, as if a warm rain is about to fall on the plains, the song is a reminder that musicians can write lyrics, too. It’s not just all on the shoulders of the lead singer.
“Scentless Apprentice” by Nirvana from In Utero (1993)
Released on Nirvana’s final album, the 1993 offering, In Utero, “Scentless Apprentice” is one of the rare songs from the group that Kurt Cobain did not write all on his own. It was drummer Dave Grohl who wrote the guitar riff that the tune is based on. And if you pay close attention, you can hear the seeds for some early Foo Fighters tracks in the sound. The band even considered releasing the track as a single but by the time Cobain had died in 1994, that idea went into the ether. Still, the track is a great example of band synergy and what was to come some five to 10 years later with the Foos.
The post 3 Grunge Songs From the 1990s Not Written by the Lead Singer appeared first on VICE.
