Singer Chris Cornell, who died last week, was known for having an astonishing four-octave vocal range. The power of Chris Cornell’s voice was very obvious to his fans, but what’s even more suprising is hearing his voice without a full hard rock band accompanying him. This is when you realize how talented the Soundgarden and Audioslave frontman really was.

Below are some examples of Chris Cornell’s range, including isolated vocal tracks and acoustic performances.

One of Soundgarden’s first mainstream hits, 1994’s Spoonman has a complex, broken time-signature. The song also features the talents of a spoon-playing Los Angeles street performer called Artis, who ended up starring in their music video. In the video below, for the first two-and-a-half minutes we only hear Chris Cornell’s vocals and the percussion track (led by Artis on spoons).

1. Spoonman (Isolated Vocals)

Chris Cornell was better known for his rough-edged screams, this unplugged Michael Jackson cover shows that Chris Cornell’s voice could also be softer. Chris Cornell slowed down the tempo of Michael Jackson’s 1982 hit, which gives the classic tune a fresh feel to it.

2. Billie Jean (Live Performance)

Soundgarden’s biggest hit was also one of their most melodic. But it’s also one of Chris Cornell’s finest performances. In the video below listen to the isolcated vocal track of Chris Cornell.

3. Black Hole Sun (Isolated Vocals)

While most singers lose their vocal range as they get older, Chris Cornell’s voice only improved with age. In 2010, he returned to an unfinished Soundgarden track from 1991, recording new vocals and instrumental parts to fit alongside the original recordings. You can hear both vocal tracks clearly here, isolated from the accompaniment, in a performance which recalls Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant at his best. It’s a spine-tingling effect, as Cornell seems to begin a duet with himself.

4. Black Rain (Isolated Vocals)

Recorded on the back patio at a Las Vegas radio station, this acoustic version of the lead single from his second solo album is the sound of Chris Cornell relaxing with his hair down. Instead of trying to fill an arena with his voice, here he gives a soft and intimate performance. In the light of his recent death, the song’s dark lyrics have only become more poignant: “I saw the world, it was beautiful / But the rain got in and ruined it all”.

5. No Such Thing (Acoustic Performance)