A selection of Stone Gossard’s favourite Pearl Jam songs
Formed in the midst of the grunge boom in early 1990s Seattle, Pearl Jam are usually noted for the songs thought up by certified guitar hero Eddie Vedder. However, it was rhythm guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament who first thought up the group after the demise of their previous projects, Green River and the less invitingly named Mother Love Bone.
Though, in terms of sound, Pearl Jam probably has more in common with classic stadium rock bands than their down-and-dirty grunge contemporaries like Mudhoney, the group always retained their punk ethos. From standing up for abortion rights to suing Ticketmaster, Pearl Jam has always been a group with principles and good tunes.
It is for these tunes and their iconic live performances that Pearl Jam maintained a dedicated fanbase that made them one of the most iconic rock bands of the 1990s. The group have even been listed as one of the best-selling bands of all time, selling over 85 million albums worldwide since their inception in 1990, and have witnessed a great deal of critical acclaim as well as their commercial success.
Their unique brand of grunge, which was influenced heavily by 1970s classic rock like Led Zeppelin, made the band a little more palatable to mainstream audiences in comparison to some of the most aggressive, distortion-heavy grunge bands of the period. Members of the group, and Gossard in particular, have always been open about their influences and what goes into the classic Pearl Jam sound.
During a livestream on Pearl Jam Radio in 2020, Gossard selected some of the tracks that have influenced him over the years. Tracks from grunge contemporaries Mudhoney and punk godfathers The Stooges featured in the mix, along with the aforementioned classic rock influence of Led Zeppelin and Creedence Clearwater Revival and some more unexpected choices like Fiona Apple and Ice Cube.
In addition to showcasing his influences, Gossard also shared the Pearl Jam tracks he holds closest to his heart. Among his picks were some deep cuts from the band’s 1990s albums, including Vitalogy’s ‘Aya Davanita’ and ‘Immortality’ and ‘Pilate’ from Yield, as well as some of the band’s later work like 2009’s ‘The End’.
Some unexpected picks from Gossard, as none of those tracks are placed on much of a pedestal by Pearl Jam fans or critics, but the variety in the band’s discography is one of the more appealing aspects of the group’s continued existence. Gossard also treated fans to some of his own unreleased material, which has received a lot of praise on fan forums online. Although the band recently had to postpone their concert in Indiana due to illness, they show no signs of stopping their rock and roll journey anytime soon.
