Mark Lanegan possessed a unique voice, a rich, dark tone and wrote the kind of lyrics that would make typical black metal musicians cower in fear. Mark Lanegan is one of the greatest rock vocalists of all time. 

But it’s not like he was aware of this as a fact. It’s not like this was on his mind. 

His presence is sadly missed. However, we can treasure the memory. In my own, small, humble way, by looking at Lanegan’s 10 best vocal performances, I hope to remind people of his undeniable talent and encourage listeners to check out his extensive catalogue. 

The 10 Best Vocal Performances by Mark Lanegan

10. ”Museum”

“Sing Back and Weep,” Mark Lanegan’s autobiography, is one of the best rock music books. However, the singer is modest and does himself a disservice. 

It’s fascinating, considering his proclivity for chemical intake and self-loathing, that he recorded so many strong albums at such a consistent pace. 

In fact, his debut record, the first made outside of Screaming Trees, “The Winding Sheet,” is a morose masterwork and “Museum,” where Lanegan’s vocals shift from a whisper to a heartbroken cry, is fantastic. 

9. ”Hangin’ Tree”

As it turned out, Lanegan was one of the best “singers for hire” in rock. This happened, particularly, because of the fact that he possessed such a distinctive vocal tone from his very first tries behind a microphone. 

Queens of the Stone Age is the brainchild of Josh Homme, who had played guitar on tour for Screaming Trees. He was certainly not someone who had just picked up Lanegan’s name out of a phone book. 

What Lanegan brings to the QotSA songs on which he sings is an edge and a kind of air of dignity that balances out the sillier or more metal-friendly musical ideas. 

8. ”Where Did You Sleep Last Night”

It’s, surprisingly, not over-discussed how much of a friendship Lanegan, Kurt Cobain and Krist Novoselic had. In fact, they attempted to start something of a supergroup, but only got so far as covering a few Leadbelly songs. 

Before Nirvana brought it into their 1994 Unplugged, Lanegan had already brilliantly recorded “Where Did You Sleep Last Night.” And, you can hear from the arrangement that Kurt Cobain was massively influenced by this. 

7. ”Come on Over (Turn Me On)” 

In some ways, we’re lucky for the fact that Lanegan was a working musician forced to pay his bills. This, along with a great work ethic, helped him record a large number of albums. Some of the best of these were his collaborations with Isobel Campbell. 

Most of their songs together have a real Beauty and the Beast appeal to them. However, “Come on Over (Turn Me On)” is a dark, soulful, and sexy tune. I think that you ought to check out these albums if you haven’t already. 

6. ”Locomotive”

Layne Staley generously shared the stage with Lanegan for the sole album Mad Season ever recorded. Staley was the frontman. However, it is on the expanded version of the “Above” album, and on the chilling “Locomotive” that one can hear just how easily Lanegan’s voice and lyrics can be added to a rock format. 

5. ”Carnival”

There are many things that pull a listener into a Mark Lanegan album, and just as many things that push them away. Lanegan is known for the ease with which he could access lower-register notes. Still, he also possessed a vocal range extending from G#1 to A5. That’s monumental!

However, many of his songs also read like psychedelic short stories, and the instrumentation, as on “Carnival”, builds on Lanegan’s acoustic strummed guitar chords.
“Carnival” is a very good place to start for Lanegan’s solo work and a prime example of him singing at his very best. 

4. ”Gravedigger’s Song”

Mark Lanegan didn’t exactly score solo hits. Not genuine ones. That, to me, is nearly unbelievable. 

If he had earned a Billboard chart topper, I reckon, it would’ve been for “Gravedigger’s Song.” Not only are the vocals rich and resonant. This is, in lyrical tone, mood and execution, precisely the song you’d expect Lanegan to write, a real distillation of his talents. 

3. ”Hit the City”

Perhaps 2004’s cheekily-titled “Bubblegum” is Mark Lanegan’s easiest to appreciate album. It’s dark, yet catchy. It’s experimental, but focused on the singer’s best traits. And, it places the singer’s work up front, while adding famous collaborators. 

“Hit the City” has a direct, Motorik Rock groove to it over which Lanegan beautifully blends his spooky vocals with those of PJ Harvey, another eclectic, fearless alt-rock performer. It’s interesting how Lanegan’s best singing often came when other singers delivered their very best. 

2. ”Shadow of the Season”

Well, the millions of dollars would’ve been good. Fellow grunge singers like Eddie Vedder or pals Kurt Cobain and Layne Staley had it. The Screaming Trees never quite reached those milestones. What they did have was a singer with a colossal intensity. 

The low notes sung in the verses set up a tremendous chorus, one of the best-sung parts in the whole of the “grunge era”. 

1. ”Dollar Bill”

I admit that “Dollar Bill” is placed here because of personal taste. It’s barely a song to start with. The tune is made up of three open chords played on an acoustic guitar, and there are barely any lyrics. 

But when my uncle died, I used to listen to this over and over again because of Lanegan’s voice. Frankly, he could’ve been singing a cookbook here. It’s that haunted voice of his, and the way that he can dig that far down whenever he wishes is sensational. I think that “Dollar Bill” is Mark Lanegan’s greatest vocal performance.