Smashing Pumpkins frontman and mastermind Billy Corgan is never one to hold anything back, making him one of the more compelling interviews in music. Today, Corgan and his band hung out with Howard Stern for an hour (via Alternative Nation) and covered the rock and roll spectrum, including delivering some choice words to Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam and Foo Fighters while praising the late Kurt Cobain.

The conversation begins with Corgan mentioning that he views music as competitive and feels a certain amount of obligation to do so due to his affection for sports (Corgan recently launched his own professional wrestling league). With that, Stern jumped at the opportunity and rattled off other Seattle rock factions like Nirvana and Pearl Jam.

On the songwriting front, Corgan said that there are “about ten” songs penned by Kurt Cobain that he wished he wrote. “They’re amazing songs, they’ll stand the test of time,” he said. As for Pearl Jam? Not so much. “If you listen to the band’s work, and I know they have a tremendous fanbase and they should, they’re a great band but you know, I’m a Beatles guy, a Stones guy and a Kinks but if you go to a lot of those other bands they just don’t have the work. I just don’t think Pearl Jam have the songs. If you stack my songs up, Cobain’s songs up and that band’s songs up, they don’t have the songs.”

“They’re a great band, still an arena act, they’ve been getting it done for a long time and I have to bow to that but it’s a mystery to me on how they have because I just don’t get it. They don’t have the songs.”

Speaking on Vedder personally, Corgan said he hasn’t “been in a social frame with the guy in I don’t know how long” and mentioned that he thinks “a lot of people are transformed by fame.” And, of course, the infamous TIME Magazine cover was brought up. “You can’t blame guy, though, he was on the cover of TIME Magazine, not me. He dealt with a level of fame that I never dealt with.”

The conversation then shifted to Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters, who don’t particularly move the Smashing Pumpkins frontman. “I’m not particularly thrilled with the Foo Fighters. Dave is a great musician, a great songwriter and has done the work but to me, my criticism of the Foo Fighters, if I’m being a music critic is that they just haven’t evolved and that’s sort of the recent wrap on them is, you know, making the same music.”

Corgan continued, “Obviously, I’ve put my whole life on the line for making different types music as I’ve gone along. We’ve talked last time I was here about playing old songs, evolving and it’s just my mentality. I know it’s not for everybody.” He then went on to admit that, speaking from a competitive point of view, Grohl and the Foos are “getting it done” and are “winning.”

On Grohl reuniting with Love at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Corgan didn’t believe that was ever possible. “Knowing what she thinks about Dave Grohl, no.”

One thing Corgan has in common with alleged adversaries Vedder and Grohl seems to be his thoughts on the Grammys, saying that “they can give you all the awards and jerk you off all they want. It’s up to the people. The people really decide if you belong.”

Additional highlights include stories about dating Courtney Love (and kicking her out of his apartment) as well as views on current pop music, his troubled childhood and more. The band also performs, playing “Zero” as well as a cover of David Bowie’s “Fame” and the newer “One and All.” Listen to it all below.