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The Best Screams in Rock

post #1 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:37pm
Thread Starter 
Leaving out the cookie-monster death metal guys, what are some of the best screaming vocal moments of rock?

For me, number one has to go to the Pixies and Black Francis' howl in "Tame". The last minute of that song is unreal.

Other great ones:

Britt Daniel's "uuuuuuuurrrrrrrrrrrrr PRIMARY MEANS OF MOTIVATION...." in "Primary"

Axl's weird howl at the beginning of "Welcome to the Jungle"

Mike Patton. Take your pick, but I like "Caffeine" for pure cathartic screaming.

Dave Grohl's long screaming bridge in "Monkey Wrench"

Mclusky - "Lightsabre Cocksucking Blues." The whole thing really, but the last 40 seconds or so are nuts.

Ministry - take your pick again, Al pretty much screams all the time. I like the epic live version of "So What" off of "In case you didn't feel like showing up." Some nice drawn out "Soooooo Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat!" screams in there.

Kurt Cobain. Again, so many to choose from, but for pure yowling, you've gotta go with "Scentless Apprentice"

Rage Against The Machine. The clear winner is "Wake Up," with "Freedom" coming in a close second.

Slint. The cathartic release at the end of "Good Morning Captain" still gives me goosebumps.

Tom Waits. "Earth Died Screaming."

The Walkmen. "The Rat." Stunning.

I know I'm missing a ton, let's see what you guys have.
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post #2 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:39pm
I always dug the creepy voice Cobain had in "Rape Me".
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post #3 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:40pm
Cornell's heyday of squawking on 'Beyond The Wheel'. Or, fuck, any song on Badmotorfinger.
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post #4 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:40pm
Eyeball, come on.

Your undertitle is a good one.
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post #5 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:41pm
Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) - Take your pick, really. His long 'YEEEEEEAH' after the intro to 'The Number of the Beast' is pretty much his definitive scream, though.

Rob Halford (Judas Priest) - 'Painkiller' is one long scream.
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post #6 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:43pm
I Second Zack de la Rocha in "Wake up". And toss in "Darkness of Greed" as well.

And Pantera´s "Uuuaaarghhhh.....Fuckin´ hostile!" makes me smile even a decade after.
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post #7 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:47pm
Robert Plant, "Whole Lotta Love"
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post #8 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:48pm
Roger Daltrey in "Won't Get Fooled Again."
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post #9 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:49pm
Geoff Tate (Queensryche): 'Take Hold of the Flame'
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post #10 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:49pm
I like some of these guys, but c'mon. Daltrey. No one even comes close.
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post #11 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:50pm
I've always loved Daltry's wail at the end of the bridge in "We Won't Get Fooled Again"

And it may not qualify but Joe Elliot's weird, guttural "AWL-RIEET" in "Rock of Ages" is something I use in regular conversation.
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post #12 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:51pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mangy View Post
Robert Plant, "Whole Lotta Love"
That.
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post #13 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:51pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by James Kimbell View Post
Eyeball, come on.

Your undertitle is a good one.
Heh. Figured that was a given. (We're talking about "Abel" by The National for anyone who's lost...)
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post #14 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:53pm
Some of my favorites,

Mick Jagger in "Monkey Man"
Roger Daltrey in "Love Reign O'er Me", "Won't Get Fooled Again"
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post #15 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:54pm
After giving it some thought. What about David Byrne in "Pyscho Killer"?
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post #16 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:54pm
Anything by King Diamond.
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post #17 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:55pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
I like some of these guys, but c'mon. Daltrey. No one even comes close.
Daltry is amazing, no slight intended. But I still think nothing rivals "Tame". That studio recording had to do permanent damage.

Just thought of more. Lennon in "Twist and Shout" and McCartney in "Oh Darlin".
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post #18 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by jay f View Post
Anything by King Diamond.
Winner.
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post #19 of 104
10/30/08 at 1:58pm
Janis Joplin - "Piece of My Heart." Knocks me flat every single time.

Courtney Love - "Violet" and her boy on "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?"

edit -
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eyeball Kid
McCartney in "Oh Darlin".
This. And Jeff Buckley, on occasions too numerous to name.
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post #20 of 104
10/30/08 at 2:00pm
And Sepultura`s "Rattamahatta" is a feast for all guttural challenged.
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post #21 of 104
10/30/08 at 2:04pm
Sinead O'Connor all throughout "Troy".
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post #22 of 104
10/30/08 at 2:10pm
Freddy Mercury
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post #23 of 104
10/30/08 at 2:13pm
C'mon. John Lennon in Plastic Ono Band
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post #24 of 104
10/30/08 at 2:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by EdHocken View Post
Freddy Mercury
He SINGS plenty of high notes, but I can't think of any screams that he did. Roger did most of the actual screaming as a backup singer, iirc.
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post #25 of 104
10/30/08 at 2:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daniel Strange View Post
Roger Daltrey in "Won't Get Fooled Again."
This was what I was going to say. I'll just move along.
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post #26 of 104
10/30/08 at 2:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Daniel Strange View Post
Roger Daltrey in "Won't Get Fooled Again."
Absolute winner.
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post #27 of 104
10/30/08 at 2:18pm
Roger Waters on the live track of Careful with that Axe Eugene on Umma Gumma wins the thread. Listen to it. I'd put money on this.
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post #28 of 104
10/30/08 at 2:29pm
The first one that pops into my head is Maynard James Keenan's 20 something second long howl at towards the end of Tool's "The Grudge."
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post #29 of 104
10/30/08 at 2:37pm
Mike Matijevic at the end of Steelheart's Never Let You Go (Angel Eyes)
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post #30 of 104
10/30/08 at 2:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Barkatthemoon View Post
Mike Matijevic at the end of Steelheart's Never Let You Go (Angel Eyes)
That one doesn't count; he had his balls in a vice in order to hit that note.
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post #31 of 104
10/30/08 at 3:13pm
Jon Spencer has had any number of funky screams in the Blues Explosion.
Notable picks: the entire 'Full Grown Woman' (on Orange album), and the opening 'Skunk' on album 'Now I Got Worry': just a guttural howl, followed by another one, but this time with a stutter tremolo effect. Don't know if that makes any sense, it sure as hell sounds awesome.

ETA: Oh, and The Blood Brothers. Any album, any track. Makes you want to go out & punch somebody in the nose.

Best girlie screams: Kat Bjolland, Babes In Toyland.
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post #32 of 104
10/30/08 at 3:21pm
You metal guys crack me up. Iron Maiden & Queensryche? Really?

Roger Daltry is hard to beat, but John Lennon gives him a run on "Twist & Shout" (my favorite rock vocal), "Money", & "Rock N Roll Music", and of course the whole damn Plastic Ono Band LP-especially "Well, Well, Well".

McCartney screamed with the best on "I'm Down", "Why Don't We Do It In The Road, and the end of "Hey Jude" (Also love his Lennon parody "Wild Life")

The modern kings are (were) Chris Cornell, Mark Lanegan, & Layne Staley.
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post #33 of 104
10/30/08 at 3:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fat Elvis View Post
You metal guys crack me up. Iron Maiden & Queensryche? Really?
Yes, really. I'll grant you that neither of them (Bruce or Geoff) have the range that they used to, but they could sure bring on the screams live in their prime.

Nonetheless, King Diamond is far and away the best old school metal screamer. I can't argue with Roger Daltrey being the best overall scream, though.
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post #34 of 104
10/30/08 at 3:29pm
Fuck off, everyone.

Ann Wilson, FTW. Crazy On You
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post #35 of 104
10/30/08 at 3:33pm
Just a couple weeks ago I had a conversation with a friend about the best screamers in rock. We came to the conclusion that it was patently unfair of The Beatles to hoard two of the Top 5.

Daltrey, though, #1.

Rounding out the five, Cobain, and no one's yet mentioned John Fogerty.
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post #36 of 104
10/30/08 at 3:36pm
Maynard Keenan at the end of "Eulogy"
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post #37 of 104
10/30/08 at 3:37pm
Can't believe I forgot Prince. "The Beautiful Ones" & "Hot Thing" come to mind.

Kim Deal & Tonya Donelly of The Breeders on "Cannonball".

Ian Gillian of Deep Purple on "Highway Star".

Joan Jett & Stephen Tyler surely have something that qualifies.
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post #38 of 104
10/30/08 at 3:44pm
I'll give Disturbed credit for somewhat inventing the "OOOOH Wahkahkaakhah!"

not really a scream, but a hilarious exclamation.
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post #39 of 104
10/30/08 at 3:50pm
Most of these aren't even screams.
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post #40 of 104
10/30/08 at 4:08pm
Man, almost all the good ones have been brought up already. Lennon on Revolution is pretty great. The woman screaming in the background of the original Ohio Players version of Rollercoaster of Love should qualify on at least an urban legend level.
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post #41 of 104
10/30/08 at 4:10pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Parker View Post
Roger Waters on the live track of Careful with that Axe Eugene on Umma Gumma wins the thread. Listen to it. I'd put money on this.
This one tops my list as well. But it's kind of unique in the pantheon, as Waters isn't going for threatening, or bluesy, or psyched-up, just pure bloodcurdling terror.
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post #42 of 104
10/30/08 at 4:19pm
Putting on the old-man hat --

The original, Little Richard. Come on.

Is Screamin' Jay Hawkins too on-the-nose?

My affectionate choice for favorite background scream: the drummer on Be-Bop-A-Lula, Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps. Going by Rhino's liner notes, the producer asked the engineer, "Why's he screaming!?" Engineer replied, "I don't know, he's 16 years old."
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post #43 of 104
10/30/08 at 4:34pm
Daltry obviously wins.

The metal kids haven't mentioned Araya's in 'Angel of Death' yet? You guys suck.

And on the indie side, while it's no Black Francis I've always loved the one in Polvo's 'Fractures (Like Chandeliers)', because it comes out of nowhere.
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post #44 of 104
10/30/08 at 4:38pm
Glad to see Halford mentioned. On the grittier side, how about Randy Blythe from Lamb of God.
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post #45 of 104
10/30/08 at 4:42pm
Daltry in 'Baba O'Riley'

'They're all WASTED!!"
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post #46 of 104
10/30/08 at 5:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ Fischer View Post
The metal kids haven't mentioned Araya's in 'Angel of Death' yet?
The correct answer. I'm disappointed in the fucking lot of you.

Spunkmeyer: Right Tool album, wrong song. Ticks & Leeches is the right one. Band won't even perform it live because of the damage Maynard does to his voice for that track.

More disgrace for the metal kids: The Deftones. Chino's scream kills small animals dead.

Understated one, but deserves to be mentioned: Thom Yorke at the end of Climbing Up The Walls. Perfectly disturbing little accent to that song.
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post #47 of 104
10/30/08 at 5:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eyeball Kid View Post
Daltry is amazing, no slight intended. But I still think nothing rivals "Tame". That studio recording had to do permanent damage.
Kind of a different category. There are musical screamers like Daltrey, Joplin, and Plant, and there are guys who aren't really going for notes, like Black Francis and Lennon (on "Twist and Shout" and lots of Plastic Ono Band, at least). Then there are guys who can hit some pretty ridiculous notes, but go for abrasive a lot of the time, anyway, like Patton.

But I still think Daltrey wins, overall. It's a full-bodied scream that almost always stays musical.
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post #48 of 104
10/30/08 at 5:10pm
Do Joe Strummer's howls from 'London Calling' count? If so, those are up there.

Also, there's a moment where he cries out during 'English Civil War' that gets me every time. One of the "Alright, Johnny!" parts.
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post #49 of 104
10/30/08 at 5:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Russ Fischer View Post
Daltry obviously wins.

The metal kids haven't mentioned Araya's in 'Angel of Death' yet? You guys suck.
Hey now, I just discovered this thread.

I'm gonna say Devin Townsend on Strapping Young Lad's "Love?", especially the extended version of the song where he lets out this vicious fuck you.
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post #50 of 104
10/30/08 at 5:15pm
I'm surprised Cornell has only received one mention in here. I mean, he's not Daltry, but come on people, Jesus Christ Pose alone should get the man a "Screamy" award.
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