Kurt Cobain (60,458 views)

[rebaru]

Kurt Donald Cobain (20 February, 1967 - April 5, 1994)
Associated Acts: Nirvana
Vocal Range: C2 - C♯6

Significant High Notes
C♯6 ("Spank Thru" Numerous Live Versions (1987-1989) & Sub-Pop 200 version)
B5 ("If You Must" Community World Theater 1988, "Sifting" The Vogue 1989)
A5 ("Do You Love Me?", "Drain You" Live at the BBC 1991)
G♯5 ("Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip", "Scentless Apprentice")
G5 ("Big Cheese" Alt. Take, "Hairspray Queen" Dorm K208 1988, "School", "Scoff", "Tourette's" Live at Reading 1992)
F♯5 ("E-Coli", "The Number of the Beast" Cassette Tape 1988)
F5 ("Blew", "Do You Love Me?", "If You Must" Reciprocal Recording demo tape, "Mr. Moustache", "Negative Creep", "Scentless Apprentice")
E5 ("Ain't It a Shame", "Boatakk", "E-Coli", "If You Must" Demo, "Ivy League", "Paper Cuts", "Run, Rabbit, Run!" Dorm K208 1988, "Scoff", "Sex God Missy" Mezzago 1989, "Stay Away", "Tourette's", "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" VPRO Radio Session 1991)
E♭5 ("Blandest", "Drain You", "Rehash", "Smells Like Teen Spirit" The Word 1991)
D5 ("Dream On" live Arizone State Fair 1993, "Hairspray Queen", "Mr. Moustache" Demo, "Mrs. Butterworth" Summer 1987 Rehearsal Tape, "What More Can I Say")
C♯5 ("Accusations", "Beeswax", "E-Coli", "Help Me, I'm Hungry" Live Radio Session 1987, "Sound of Dentage")
C5 ("Blandest", "Even in His Youth", "Lounge Act", "Mr. Moustache" Demo, "Polly" The Vogue 1989, "Rape Me" Live at The Paramount 1991, "Son of a Gun" Live Seattle 1990,  "Tourette's")
B4 ("Ain't It a Shame", "Aneurysm", "Boatakk", "Downer" Illiteracy Will Prevail vesion, "Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip", "Heart-Shaped Box", "Immigrant Song" Live Olympia 1988, "Lake of Fire" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "Love My Family", "Rape Me", "Run, Rabbit, Run!" Dorm K208 1988, "School", "Sifting", "Sound of Dentage", "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" Live Belgium 1991)
B♭4 ("Aero Zeppelin", "Bambi Slaughter", "Beeswax", "Blew", "Burn My Britches", "Curmudgeon", "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle", "Heartbreaker" Live Washington 1987, "Milk It", "I Hate Myself and Want to Die", "Immigrant Song" Live Olympia 1988, "Paper Cuts", "Pen Cap Chew" Summer 1987 Rehearsal Tape, "Scentless Apprentice" Rehearsal Demo, "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Spank Thru" Illiteracy Will Prevail version, "Swap Meet", "Unknown #3" Summer 1987 Rehearsal Tape, "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "Wood Goblins" Mezzago 1989, "You Know You're Right")
A4 ("About a Girl", "Big Cheese", "Big Long Now", "Blew", "Buffy's Pregnant", "Class of '86 (Punk Rocker)", "Desire", "Dive", "E-Coli", "Here She Comes Now", "Ivy League", "Lake of Fire" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "Lounge Act", "Mrs. Butterworth" Summer 1987 Rehearsal Tape, "Pennyroyal Tea", "Plateau" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "Ritual Device" Mezzago 1989, "Scoff", "Sifting", "Sliver", "Stay Away", "Tourette's", "Turnaround" Live BBC Session 1990, "Vendetagainst (Help Me, I'm Hungry)" Vienna 1989, "White Lace and Strange" Summer 1987 Rehearsal Tape)
G♯4 ("About a Girl", "Big Long Now", "Blandest", "Blathers Log", "Come as You Are" Boombox Rehearsals, "Dive", "Do Re Mi", "Do You Love Me?", "Drain You" Live at the BBC 1991/Demo, "Even in His Youth", "Heart-Shaped Box", "Ivy League", "Laminated Effect", "Love Buzz", "Love My Family", "Mexican Seafood", "Milk It", "Moist Vagina", "My Sharona" Live 1994, "Oh the Guilt", "The Other Improv", "Pen Cap Chew", "Scoff", "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Spank Thru" Sub-Pop 200 Version, "Stain", "Talk to Me" Live in Mezzago, Italy 17/11/91, "Token Eastern Song", "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "White Lace and Strange" Live, "Wood Goblins" Mezzago 1989, "The Yodel Song", "You Know You're Right")
G4 ("Alcohol" Live 1988, "Aneurysm", "Annorexorcist" Summer 1987 Rehearsal Tape, "Blew", "Boatakk", "Come as You Are" various live versions, "Curmudgeon", "D-7", "Do Re Mi", "Endless, Nameless", "Even in His Youth", "Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle", "Here She Comes Now", "High on the Hog" Mezzago 1989, "If You Must", "Immigrant Song" Live Olympia 1988, "In Bloom", "Lithium" Smart Sessions, "Molly's Lips", "The Money Will Roll Right In" Live at Reading 1992, "Mr. Moustache", "On a Plain", "Polly" The Vogue 1989, "Run, Rabbit, Run!" Dorm K208 1988, "Sappy" Smart Sessions, "School", "Sex God Missy" Mezzago 1989, "Sifting", "Sliver", "Swap Meet", "Token Eastern Song", "Unknown #1" Summer 1987 Rehearsal Tape, "Unknown #3" Summer 1987 Rehearsal Tape, "Vendetagainst (Help Me, I'm Hungry)" Vienna 1989, "Very Ape" Acoustic Demo, "Wood Goblins" Mezzago 1989, "You Know You're Right")
F♯4 ("Accusations", "Aneurysm", "Bad Moon Rising" Live 1988, "Been a Son", "Big Cheese", "Blandest", "Breed", "Bright Smile", "Come as You Are", "Do You Love Me?", "Downer", "Drain You", "Dive", "Floyd the Barber", "I Hate Myself And Want to Die", "Lake of Fire" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "Lithium", "Mrs. Butterworth", "Negative Creep", "On a Plain", "Opinion", "The Other Improv", "Pen Cap Chew", "Pennyroyal Tea", "Ritual Device" Mezzago 1989, "Spank Thru" Sub-Pop 200 Version, "Stain", "Territorial Pissings", "Very Ape")

Significant Low Notes
E♭3 ("Ain't It a Shame", "Beeswax", "Blew", "Buffy's Pregnant", "Burn My Britches", "Clean Up Before She Comes", "Dumb", "Help Me, I'm Hungry" Live Radio Session 1987, "If You Must", "Love My Family", "The Man Who Sold the World" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "Opinion" Home demo, "On a Plain" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "Paper Cuts", "Serve the Servants", "Rehash", "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "White Lace and Strange" Summer 1987 Rehearsal Tape, "You Know You're Right")
D3 ("Alcohol" Live 1988, "D-7", "Divine and Bright", "Do Re Mi", "High on the Hog" Mezzago 1989, "Lounge Act", "Mrs. Butterworth", "Polly", "School", "Sliver", "Turnaround" Live BBC Session 1990, "What More Can I Say")
C♯3 ("Ain't It a Shame", "All Apologies", "Big Cheese" Alt. Take, "Clean Up Before She Comes", "Drain You", "Heart-Shaped Box", "The Man Who Sold the World" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "Oh Me" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "The Other Improv", "Polly" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "Season in the Sun", "Sex God Missy" Mezzago 1989, "Son of a Gun" Live BBC Session 1990, "Sound of Dentage", "Sweet Home Alabama" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "Unknown Song" VPRO Radio Session 1991, "Verse Chorus Verse")
C3 ("Blew", "D-7", "Floyd the Barber" Summer 1987 Rehearsal Tape, "Here She Comes Now", "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "Poison's Gone", "Serve the Servants", "She Only Lies", "Something in the Way", "Sliver", "Verse Chorus Verse")
B2 ("Ain't It a Shame", "All Apologies", "Burn the Rain", "Don't Want It All", "Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip", "Heart-Shaped Box", "Help Me, I'm Hungry" Live Radio Session 1987, "If You Must" Summer 1987 Rehearsal Tape, "They Hung Him on a Cross", "The Other Improv", "Plateau" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "Retreat", "Sliver" Acoustic Demo / Live at Reading 1992, "Spank Thru" Illiteracy Will Prevail version)
B♭2 ("And I Love Her", "Asking for It" Demo, "Desire", "Divine and Bright", "Don't Want It All", "Downer", "Hairspray Queen", "Here She Comes Now" VPRO Radio Session 1991, "In Bloom", "Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" Live MTV Unplugged 1993, "Misery Loves Company (Seed)" Home demo, "Moist Vagina", "Paper Cuts", "Poison's Gone", "Season in the Sun", "She Only Lies", "Underground Celebritism", "Unknown Song" VPRO Radio Session 1991, "Where Did You Sleep Last Night" Live MTV Unplugged 1993)
A2 ("All Apologies" Acoustic Demo, "Gallons of Rubbing Alcohol Flow Through the Strip", "Plateau" Live MTV Unplugged 1993)
G♯2 ("And I Love Her", "Asking for It" Demo, "Downer" Illiteracy Will Prevail version, "I Hate Myself and Want to Die", "Love Buzz", "Opinion" Home demo, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" Live Top of the Pops 1991, "Spank Thru" 1988 Demo)
G2 ("Desire", "Pennyroyal Tea" Acoustic Demo, "Sappy" Early Demo, "She Only Lies")
F♯2 ("Accusations", "Sappy" Early Demo)
F2 ("Smells Like Teen Spirit" Live Top of the Pops 1991, "Underground Celebritism")
E♭­2 ("Low Rider", "Unknown Song" VPRO Radio Session 1991)
C♯2 ("And I Love Her")
C2 (1993 MTV interview with Kurt Loder)

SPOILER: Click to show

{Questionable Notes}
E♭6 ("Lithium" Live Michigan State Fair 1993 ^{[5] what the actual fuck is this})
B5 ("Beeswax" ^[1], "Floyd the Barber" Summer 1987 Rehearsal Tape ^[1])
B♭5 ("Hairspray Queen" ^[1], "Scentless Apprentice" ^[1])
A5 ("Paper Cuts" ^[1], "Spank Thru" Illiteracy Will Prevail version ^[3], "Territorial Pissings" ^[1])
G♯5 ("Hairspray Queen" ^[5])
F♯5 ("Big Cheese" ^[5], "Floyd the Barber" ^[5])
F5 ("Lithium" ^[2], "Love Buzz" Summer 1987 Rehearsal Tape ^[1])
E5 ("Blathers Log" ^[1], "Love My Family" ^[3])
E♭5 ("Oh the Guilt" ^[1])
D5 ("Immigrant Song" Live Olympia 1988 ^[5], "Mrs. Butterworth" ^[3])
C5 ("Vendetagainst (Help Me, I'm Hungry)" Vienna 1989 ^[5])

C♯3 ("White Lace and Strange" Summer 1987 Rehearsal Tape ^[1])
G♯2 ("Jesus Doesn't Want Me for a Sunbeam" Live MTV Unplugged 1993 ^[1])
E2 ("Plateau" Live MTV Unplugged 1993 ^[5])
E♭2 ("Moist Vagina" ^[3], "Pennyroyal Tea" ^[3])
D2 ("Lounge Act" ^[5])
C2 ("Big Cheese" ^[3])
B♭1 ("Low Rider" ^[1])

^[1] marks yelps and short trills in high range or anacrusis and short dips in low range.
^[2] marks notes of questionable identity that cannot be confirmed to be the singer in question.
^[3] marks non-melodic notes that don't have a significant enough pitch to warrant inclusion.
^[4] marks notes that possess uncertain pitch or have been pitch-shifted.
^[5] marks notes that do not fit the previous criteria but are not of a substantial enough quality to warrant counting towards the singer's range.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Album Ranges}(1986) Illiteracy Will Prevail (as Fecal Matter) IhateMana
(1989) Bleach rebaru (G♯2 - G5)
(1991) Nevermind rebaru (B♭2 - C5 - E♭5)
(1992) Incesticide rebaru (B♭2 - C3 - C♯5 - D5)
(1993) In Utero rebaru (A2 - B4 - G♯5)
(1994) MTV Unplugged in New York rebaru (A2 - B4)
(????) Outcesticide I: In Memory of Kurt Cobain IhateMana
(2004) With The Lights Out [Box Set] rebaru
(2009) Live at Reading rebaru
(2015) Montage of Heck rebaru

..................................................
Blue marks soft falsetto notes.
Underlines mark notes found in backing harmony or general backing vocal.
Italics mark non-sung notes.
Boldface marks particularly notable examples of this singer's vocal capabilities.

[onemorelight17]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CKOQ7lqnys&t=2m7s

www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXE_kml0q8w&list=OLAK5uy_lT4oJ3dFTyOKpVSPusUV4IlXKg9tMgOnM&index=20&t=1m0s

[rebaru]

those are both kind of

in the thread in some shape or form

[onemorelight17]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfPy69uih38&t=4m27s  E5?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bhzCLulPsc&t=1m10s low notes (backing vocals)

[fedemayhemile]

It's an amazing FACT that Kurt, the guy that sang of PURE feeling not really caring at all about technique or the health of his own voice had an actual 4 octave range, HAH.

[Karen’s Kickassarole]

Wait till you hear about William Shatner

[jaredletoisbackagain]

Jun 4, 2021 8:22:12 GMT fedemayhemile said:

It's an amazing FACT that Kurt, the guy that sang of PURE feeling not really caring at all about technique or the health of his own voice had an actual 4 octave range, HAH.

It's not like his C#6 disproves the importance of technique or health. It's literally just a scream.

[IhateMana]

if anything it just goes to show how arbitrary the concept of range is

[jaredletoisbackagain]

Exactly. A 4 octave range means nothing without context (and even with context, it's not worth much)

[kaji]

Range is just range. Being a rangewanker doesn’t necessarily mean you are god. Unless you can control all that range (ala Adam Lopez, Cleo Laine, Melonie Daniels or Jean Carne).

[fedemayhemile]

Yes, it's just a funny deranged scream, it's obvious that objectively those notes are in most cases just useful if you can control them, but you have to consider the FACT that it worked musically for him subjectively as it sounded, so whatever, what i meant to say was that it's simply hilariously ironic that some people like me can't naturally sing beyond G5 (for now) in mix or below G2, and he just could frickin' do it like that, through his deranged shouted singing in the higher notes he had an incredible hability to mix without even knowing what he was doing, and based on what Dave Grohl said, the dude even laughted at training, HEH.

[Hennessy Macklemore III]

It's four octaves of range that just barely passes as musically controlled enough for us to consider them countable notes, but that's really only impressive on paper and much less so when you listen to what those four octaves sound like. There's no way he could have actually sung melodies from one end of those four octaves to the other - he kinda just made noises and they eventually added up to that. It's doubtful that he would've considered himself as someone who had a good range either for that matter.

You might find other range listings that appear similarly large from singers you wouldn't expect on this website. Just remember that not all wide ranges are created equal.

[halloweenjack95]

Jun 6, 2021 3:33:36 GMT fedemayhemile said:

Yes, it's just a funny deranged scream, it's obvious that objectively those notes are in most cases just useful if you can control them, but you have to consider the FACT that it worked musically for him subjectively as it sounded, so whatever, what i meant to say was that it's simply hilariously ironic that some people like me can't naturally sing beyond G5 (for now) in mix or below G2, and he just could frickin' do it like that, through his deranged shouted singing in the higher notes he had an incredible hability to mix without even knowing what he was doing, and based on what Dave Grohl said, the dude even laughted at training, HEH.

He was a great Singer in his own way. On top of that his tone was very charismatic,too

[rebaru]

bros u are posting cringe

stop trying to apply logic and either credit or discredit a performer's vocal elasticity - or lack thereof - in a page consisting of a bunch of solid pitches listed in a sheet formal. it's nothing more, nothing less

completely trivial

[jaredletoisbackagain]

Jun 18, 2021 22:27:33 GMT rebaru said:

bros u are posting cringe

stop trying to apply logic and either credit or discredit a performer's vocal elasticity - or lack thereof - in a page consisting of a bunch of solid pitches listed in a sheet formal. it's nothing more, nothing less

completely trivial

bro you are participating in the cringe and making the same argument as others are making

[rebaru]

imagine trying to start another trivial argument (with 0 reasoning behind it) on top of the one we already had in our hands because you felt like not enough candles have been lit

do we clap for him so that he leaves or do we stares at the worms in the can with a raised brow

[jaredletoisbackagain]

The argument was done and dead by the point you felt the need to step in to act condescending. Or are your reasons for sharing a sentiment that had already been expressed superior to the rest of us?

[IhateMana]

300 iq takes from sipper-chan

[jaredletoisbackagain]

Don't worry, I'm well aware that being pointlessly confrontational and condescending is only allowed when you're rebaru.

[Gilad]

What if his name was Curt Kobain? That would be weird lol

[jaredletoisbackagain]

Gonna tell my children this was Curt Kobain

[Hennessy Macklemore III]

Jun 20, 2021 10:22:36 GMT jaredletoisbackagain said:

Don't worry, I'm well aware that being pointlessly confrontational and condescending is only allowed when you're rebaru.

That's not true! IhateMana gets away with it as well

[Platypus]

anyone talks any more shit i'll run them over with my big truck

[halloweenjack95]

Jun 20, 2021 13:17:59 GMT Gilad said:

What if his name was Curt Kobain? That would be weird lol

Yeah Curt Kobain and FreddY Mercury are my 2 favourite Singers

[Hennessy Macklemore III]

Freddy Mercurie*