Eddie Vedder is best known as the frontman of Pearl Jam. Alongside his bandmates, he powerfully belts over rock classics such as “Alive”, “Black”, and “Even Flow”. But Vedder’s solo repertoire isn’t shabby either. It all started in 2007 with his debut album Into The Wild, a soundtrack for the same-titled movie about adventurer Christopher McCandless. The releases Ukulele Songs (2011), Flag Day (2021), and Earthling (2022) followed. To celebrate Eddie Vedder’s repertoire I’ve hand-picked his 10 best songs. Keep in mind, this list won’t include any Pearl Jam songs. Let’s dive into it!
10. No More
We start this list with a track from Into the Wild. “No More” is Eddie Vedder’s beautiful addition to anti-war protest songs. The album features both a studio version and a live version of the song. I believe the live version has a slight edge.
9. No Ceiling
With a duration of only 1 minute and 34 seconds, “No Ceiling” is one of the shortest songs on Into the Wild. But it doesn’t make the life-embracing track any less beautiful. In less than 2 minutes Vedder is capable to grab your indisputable attention.
8. Long Way
“Long Way” is the only song from Earthling that makes my list. Not that Earthling is a bad album, not at all. But Vedder’s other solo projects are simply better. “Long Way”, however, fits pretty comfortably among other tracks on this list. The catchy song, as instantly heard, is heavily inspired by the late Tom Petty.
7. Longing to Belong
In 2011 Vedder dropped his guitar and picked up a ukulele. Something he’d done before in 2002 with a Pearl Jam tune titled “Can’t Keep”. Side two of Ukulele Songs opens with “Longing to Belong”, which is surely one of the ear-catchers of the album. The cozy ballad is accompanied by a video that features a suited Eddie Vedder in suit-unfriendly environments and his wife Jill Vedder.
6. Long Nights
“Long Nights” marks the darkest-sounding track on Into the Wild. With a hauntingly low voice, Vedder sings about fearlessly approaching change, being one’s own best friend, and becoming someone better than who you used to be.
5. Without You
“Without You” is undoubtedly the greatest track on Ukulele Songs. Very few musicians are capable to deliver with just a voice and a ukulele, but Eddie Vedder pulls it off with absolute ease.
4. Rise
The remaining songs are all from Into the Wild. Unvarying, I know, but it simply contains Eddie Vedder’s best solo work. For number 4 I picked “Rise”. In this song, Vedder picks up yet another string instrument, as if it’s nothing! Accompanied by a mandolin he poetically delves into rising up after making mistakes. The uplifting song carries a strong scent of freedom and naturalness.
3. Hard Sun
For number 3 I picked “Hard Sun”. Very few people know the song is actually a cover. The track is originally sung by Gordon Peterson, but Vedder simply elevates it to a new level. “Hard Sun” was released as the first single of Into the Wild and was the only song from the album that reached the charts.
2. Guaranteed
Into the Wild’s producer Sean Penn admitted “Guaranteed” was the track that made him realize Eddie Vedder was the right fit for his project. The stunning folk-inspired song truly embodied the Christopher McCandless Sean Penn wanted to portray. Music critics agreed, because in 2007 Eddie Vedder won a Golden Globe with “Guaranteed”.
Read More: The Story Behind “Guaranteed” by Eddie Vedder
1. Society
“Society” is Eddie Vedder’s most popular song, and for good reason! Although written by Jerry Hannan, I consider “Society” to be the ultimate Eddie Vedder track.
Hannan wrote the song specifically for Into the Wild. Vedder liked the song and together with Hannan headed into the studio. The tune was recorded in just 3 takes. Hannan later claimed he couldn’t believe how good Vedder sounded singing his “Society”.
The song is lyrically profound and Vedder’s vocal delivery is – as usual – top-notch. It deservedly takes the number 1 spot!
So, that wraps up this list of best Eddie Vedder songs! Did I mention your favorite song? Did I blatantly miss a song? Please let me know in the comments down below!
