The 4 Best Grunge Musicians Who Don’t Wield a Microphone

When it comes to the world of music, it’s often the artists who hold the microphone that we remember most. Whether it’s lead singers like Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, solo artists like Michael Jackson, or rappers like Jay-Z or Lauryn Hill, it’s the vocalists who stand out above the others. But when it comes to grunge, the big names extend past the lead singers.

We wanted to explore that very fact. To highlight a quartet of musicians behind the lead singers who helped bring the genre to global status. Because sometimes it’s the guitarists, drummers, and more who make the song soar, who bring it to its maximum height. Indeed, these are four of the best grunge musicians who don’t wield a microphone.

Matt Cameron (Drums)

Where would grunge music be without Matt Cameron? Even before he was part of Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, Cameron was playing in early grunge groups like Skin Yard, which featured “The Grungefather” Jack Endino. He also played in Bam Bam, which featured the iconic lead singer Tina Bell, who has been rediscovered recently for her contributions to the genre.

That alone would give Cameron marquee status. But on top of those projects, he’s the backbone for the aforementioned Soundgarden and Pearl Jam. Not a bad resume. Today, he also plays in a duo with rising Seattle singer Shaina Shepherd.

Kim Thayil (guitar)

Speaking of Soundgarden, the band’s lead guitarist, Kim Thayil, is a beast of a player. Offering mind-melting guitar riffs that are both lively like lightning and sludgy like mud, Thayil helped define the grunge sound on songs like “Black Hole Sun.”

In fact, Soundgarden was the first grunge band to really break in the early 1980s, as their debut 1988 LP, Ultramega OK, was nominated for a Grammy right out of the gate. And while lead singer Chris Cornell was a major reason for that, Thayil was just as crucial. Today, Thayil also plays in the grunge supergroup, 3rd Secret.

Mike McCready (guitar)

Did somebody say lead guitar? Well, when it comes to grunge music, there was no lead guitarist quite like Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready. While PJ lead vocalist Eddie Vedder gets a lot of attention, and rightly so, McCready often provides the vibrancy the group needs to make it one of the most successful groups ever.

Famously, McCready, who was also a member of grunge supergroups Temple of the Dog and Mad Season, plays his wild solos by ear, often looking to the heavens as he shreds in front of tens of thousands of fans.

Barrett Martin (drums)

A member of Screaming Trees and Mad Season, drummer Barrett Martin, who boasts a lion’s mane of hair, has been an essential member of both the grunge scene and the Seattle music landscape at large for decades.

Today, he is as likely to be found deep in the rain forest recording indigenous music as he is on a drum throne backing one of his grunge brethren. But wherever he is, Martin is upholding the Emerald City ethos. In fact, he recently wrote a book about his time in the Screaming Trees, telling stories of the band and how they made their mark. He’s a walking history lesson, and he isn’t close to being done yet.