Let’s say it’s a random Tuesday in June, and you find yourself in possession of $228,000 dollars. What would you spend it on? Full tank of gas? An epic amount of beer? A sports car? Police say a woman who found herself in that position recently decided to spend the money on Bucs tickets. Problem is, they say the money was not acquired legally. A woman in Pinellas County is accused of swindling several local HOAs out of hundreds of thousands of dollars and buying tickets to see her beloved team play football. The 46-year-old Tarpon Srings woman stands accused of embezzling money from home owner’s associations locally, adding up to almost a quarter million dollars. Investigators say the woman was in charge of issuing checks on behalf of several different HOAs. Accounting irregularities were discovered in February and an investigation was launched. authorities say the woman wrote fraudulent checks on the companies and funneled the money into her personal accounts. The woman was arrested last week and charged with several counts of Felony Scheme To Defraud. Investigators say some of the stolen money was used to buy Tampa Bay Buccaneers tickets. Source: WFLA.com
Ozzy Still Rules
Ozzy Osbourne: His Top 40 Solo Songs Ranked
40. “Let It Die” from ‘Scream’ (2010)
ShareThe kick-off song from Ozzy’s last album for a decade, ‘Scream.’ Producer Kevin Churko (Disturbed, Five Finger Death Punch) gave Ozzy’s sound a bit of a modern metal sheen here, with a more processed guitar sound, a funky cowbell line, and even some guttural vocals, although the song soon veers into a pretty intense jam that could have been an outtake from a classic Black Sabbath era.
39. “Black Rain” from ‘Black Rain’ (2007)
ShareThe title track from one of Ozzy’s less-popular albums, this song is a highlight mainly because of Ozzy’s quick return to harmonica playing. Ozzy isn’t really an instrumentalist, but he also played harmonica on Black Sabbath’s “The Wizard,” 37 years earlier.
38. Dweezil Zappa w/ Ozzy – “Stayin’ Alive” from ‘Confessions’ (1991)
ShareWe can hear the complaints coming already about the inclusion of this one: lighten up and have fun with this, Ozzy clearly did. It’s one of many goofy Ozzy collabs: he’s also worked with Was (Not Was) and Kim Bassinger (“Shake Your Head”), DMX and Ol’ Dirty Bastard (“Nowhere To Run”), the Wu-Tang Clan (“For Heaven’s Sake 2000”) and even Miss Piggy (“Born To Be Wild”). And yeah, Post Malone.
37. “Working Class Hero” from ‘Under Cover’ (2005)
ShareNo one has more “working class” cred than Ozzy; the artist formerly known as John Michael Osbourne grew up to a poor family in post-World War II Birmingham, England, one of six siblings living in a two-bedroom house. This understated version of the John Lennon classic doesn’t need power from big guitars or drums; the pain in Ozzy’s voice tells the story.
36. “Road To Nowhere” from ‘No More Tears’ (1991)
ShareBy the early ‘90s, hair metal was dead. Generally speaking, so were power ballads. But “Road To Nowhere” saw Ozzy looking back on his life (much like in the newer and better “Ordinary Man”); the lyrics rang true and felt less cheesy than many of hard rock’s slow jams that dominated radio in the late ‘80s.
35. “The Ultimate Sin” from ‘The Ultimate Sin’ (1986)
ShareOzzy’s fourth solo album was a difficult one; he’d just emerged from rehab and he was fighting with current and former members of his solo band. The title track and lead-off song from the album was a strong start to the record, most of which didn’t really hold up.
34. “Shot In The Dark” from ‘The Ultimate Sin’ (1986)
ShareThe last song and the easy highlight from Ozzy’s most pop-metal album.
33. Lita Ford w/ Ozzy – “Close My Eyes Forever” from ‘Lita’ (1988)
ShareBy 1988, everyone -- regardless of music taste -- knew who Ozzy Osbourne was. But this ballad was the first time he’d had a legit pop hit. His duet with former Runaways guitarist-turned-pop-metal-hitmaker Lita Ford was a number 8 hit (decades later, he’d reach number 8 again with “Take What You Want,” a collaboration with Post Malone (a song that, you’ll note, did not make this list).
32. Kelly Osbourne w/ Ozzy – “Changes” from Changes’ (2003)
ShareOzzy revisited this underrated Black Sabbath piano ballad as a duet with his daughter, Kelly. Altering the lyrics is usually an awful move, but there’s a bit of sweetness here, listening to the famous father and daughter singing to each other.
31. “Dreamer” from ‘Down To Earth’ (2001)
ShareThis was Ozzy’s take on John Lennon’s “Imagine” (“Your higher power may be God or Jesus Christ/It doesn't really matter much to me/Without each other’s help there ain't no hope for us. The song, co-written with Mick Jones of Foreigner and Aerosmith collaborator Marti Frederiksen was definitely aimed at radio, and ended it up with more gravitas than anyone could have imagined, as it was released just a month after 9/11.
30. Primus w/ Ozzy – “N.I.B.” from ‘Nativity In Black 2’ (2000)
ShareOzzy has tons of live albums where he revisits his Black Sabbath songs with his current band, but as great as Ozzy’s bands are, it’s tough to match Sabbath. But this version of “N.I.B.” is fun, because you can hear how much fun Les Claypool and Primus are having, jamming with the “Prince of F***ing Darkness.”
29. “Mississippi Queen” from ‘Under Cover’ (2005)
ShareBlack Sabbath released their self-titled debut in England in February of 1970 (it would be released in the U.S. in June of that year). Meanwhile, Mountain released their debut, ‘Climbing,’ including this jam, in March of 1970. Both albums are pillars of hard rock and metal. Ozzy’s take on Mountain’s classic is a blast, and features Mountain main man Leslie West on guitar (along with Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains, who played on the entire ‘Under Cover’ album).
28. “Let Me Hear You Scream” from ‘Scream’ (2010)
ShareOzzy had been yelling this at his fan for decades, it only made sense that he turned it into a song. It’s basically an anthem for rock fans, and who better to sing it than Ozzy?
27. “Under The Graveyard” from ‘Ordinary Man’ (2020)
ShareFrom the first songs released from ‘Ordinary Man,’ Ozzy seems to be in a reflective mood, which makes sense for a 70-something-year-old metal icon.
26. “Little Dolls” from ‘Diary Of A Madman’ (1981)
ShareOzzy’s original backing band -- bassist Bob Daisley, drummer Lee Kerslake and of course, guitarist Randy Rhoads -- were unbeatable for the short time that they were together. And even if they weren’t as scary as Black Sabbath, Ozzy still sounds haunted here, wailing from the perspective of a doll being tortured by a sadistic master using needles and pins. “It's a pity/You'll pray for your death/But he's in no hurry.”
25. “Walk On Water” from ‘Beavis And Butthead Do America’ (1996)
ShareOzzy apparently hated the version created for the flick; electronic artist Moby produced the track, but he was being too harsh. It was better than most of his previous album, 1995’s ‘Ozzmosis.’
24. “21st Century Schizoid Man” from ‘Under Cover’ (2005)
ShareProbably the scariest prog-rock epic ever; it’s from King Crimson’s 1969 debut, ‘In The Court of the Crimson King,’ and both Ozzy and guitarist Jerry Cantrell really get to sink their teeth into this, as does jam-band steel guitarist Robert Randolph, who guests on the track.
23. “Ordinary Man (with Elton John)” from ‘Ordinary Man’ (2020)
ShareAs Ozzy and Elton John are wrapping up their touring careers, they united for this song where they look back on their insane lives. Cynics might say that 70-year olds can’t sing metal (or rock), but this is an honest and powerful song that a younger person could not sing. It’s a miracle that both of these guys lived to hit the big seven-oh, and neither of them are in any danger of dying “an ordinary man.”
22. “Steal Away (The Night)” from ‘Blizzard of Ozz’ (1980)
ShareIt provided the perfect ending to Ozzy’s classic solo debut, charging straight out of “Revelation (Mother Earth),” it leaves you wanting more. Luckily fans just had a few months to go before the followup, ‘Diary of A Madman.’
21. Motorhead w/ Ozzy – “I Ain’t No Nice Guy” from ‘March Or Die’ (1992)
ShareIn 1992, if you had Ozzy, Lemmy and Slash in a room, a ballad probably isn’t the first thing that you’d come up with. But Lemmy had been writing with Ozzy at that point - including Ozzy’s “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” and this was an extension of that partnership. Given that Ozzy was enjoying a huge resurgence in popularity in ‘92 and Slash was (and still is) one of the hottest guitarists on the planet, this should have been a huge hit.
20. “I Don’t Wanna Stop” from ‘Black Rain’ (2007)
ShareThis, of course, is something of a mantra for Ozzy, and also for guitarist Zakk Wylde, who returned to Ozzy’s band for the ‘Black Rain’ album.
19. “I Just Want You” from ‘Ozzmosis’ (1995)
ShareOne of the two ballads that redeemed ‘Ozzmosis,’ Ozzy co-wrote this with Bryan Adams’ collaborator, but the Canadian hitmaker didn’t crank out lyrics like “There are no unbeatable odds/There are no believable gods!” Ozzy’s passionate vocals, along with Zakk’s George Harrison-esque guitar solo makes this one of Ozzy’s most interesting and powerful songs of the ‘90s.
18. “No Bone Movies” from ‘Blizzard Of Ozz’ (1980)
ShareIn which Ozzy addresses a porn addiction: “Can't kick the habit obsession of smut/Voyeur straining in love with his hand/A poison passion a pulsating gland.” Poetry with a purpose!
17. “Mama, I’m Coming Home” from ‘No More Tears’ (1991)
ShareYou might think that ballads are wimpy, but would you have said that to Ozzy, Lemmy and Zakk, who co-wrote the song? This one avoids the sap that ballads by the hair metal bands specialized in.
16. “Tonight” from ‘Diary Of A Madman’ (1981)
ShareBeneath the thunder of Randy Rhoads, Bob Daisley and Lee Kerslake, “Tonight” is a classic ballad. Not a power ballad, but a Sinatra ballad, circa ‘In The Wee Small Hours.’ While Ozzy’s original writing team - Ozzy/Randy/Daisley - are rightfully thought of as the scribes of timeless metal classics, their songs really transcend genres. “Tonight” also features one of Randy Rhoads’ greatest solos.
15. “Diary Of A Madman” from ‘Diary Of A Madman’ (1981)
ShareWhile Ozzy looked a bit cartoonish on the cover of his second solo album, on the title track he revealed that his struggles with mental illness -- something that discussed openly in 1981 -- were real. The lyrics include the line “Voices in the darkness/Scream away my mental health,” are much scarier in retrospect; we now know that he has struggled with addiction, depression and anxiety. Ozzy was always theatrical, but those painful groans at the end of the song were real.
14. “S.A.T.O.” from ‘Diary Of A Madman’ (1981)
ShareLegend has it that the song stands for “Sharon Arden, Thelma Osbourne” -- Arden being Sharon’s maiden name and Thelma Osbourne being Ozzy’s first wife. With that in mind, lyrics like “I can't conceal it like I know I did before /I got to tell you now the ship is ready/Waiting on the shore” -- and their sense of moving on -- makes more sense. Whatever the song is about, it’s one of many classics on Ozzy’s flawless second album - which will always live in the shadow of his debut.
13. “Believer” from ‘Diary of A Madman’ (1981)
ShareBob Daisley got co-writing credit -- rightfully -- for the songs on ‘Diary Of A Madman,’ but for years, he didn’t get credit for playing bass on the album. The original album credited Randy Rhoads’ ex-Quiet Riot bandmate Rudy Sarzo (who joined for the tour but didn’t play on the album). Today, that’s been sorted, and rightfully so, as “Believer” features a nasty Daisley bassline that he deserves his credit for.
12. “You Can’t Kill Rock And Roll” from ‘Diary Of A Madman’ (1981)
ShareAn anthem for any kid who has a hard time expressing himself/herself, but they find their truth in rock and roll. It’s timeless.
11. “Flying High Again” from ‘Diary Of A Madman’ (1981)
ShareOzzy was counted out by many after he was ousted from Black Sabbath; this song became an anthem celebrating his incredible and improbably success in the wake of his debut solo effort, 1980’s ‘Blizzard Of Ozz.’
10. “Suicide Solution” from ‘Blizzard Of Ozz’ (1980)
ShareIs it about the late AC/DC frontman Bon Scott, as Ozzy has suggested? Or, is it about Ozzy himself, as bassist Bob Daisley (who wrote the lyrics) suggests? Either way, it isn’t advocating drinking or suicide, although Ozzy was sued by the parents of a young man who took his own life, allegedly after listening to the song. If anything, the song is a warning about the dangers of alcohol dependency.
9. “Goodbye To Romance” from ‘Blizzard Of Ozz’ (1980)
ShareFor a very unconventional singer, Ozzy Osbourne has pulled off a lot of great ballads in his solo career. “Goodbye To Romance” is one of his best, and it wouldn’t sound out of place in a cocktail lounge, minus the solos by guitarist Randy Rhoads and keyboardist Don Airey.
8. “Gets Me Through” from ‘Down To Earth’ (2001)
ShareAnother mantra from Ozzy, thanking the fans and the music for getting him into his 50s. Written by Ozzy with producer Tim Palmer, it features one of Zakk Wylde’s most monstrous riffs.
7. “Bark At The Moon” from ‘Bark At The Moon’ (1983)
ShareThe highlight of Ozzy’s brief era with guitarist Jake E. Lee. While following in the footsteps of Ozzy’s late guitarist Randy Rhoads would be impossible, Lee at least co-wrote and played on one song that held up to the Rhoads era.
6. “Over The Mountain” from ‘Diary Of A Madman’ (1981)
ShareThe opening track off of Ozzy’s second solo album, it immediately let the world know that “Blizzard Of Ozz’ wasn’t a fluke. Like much of the first album, it featured a commanding Randy Rhoads riff along with a soaring solo.
5. “No More Tears” from ‘No More Tears’ (1991)
ShareZakk Wylde’s finest moment. By the end of the ‘80s, Ozzy was in danger of becoming obsolete; 1986’s ‘The Ultimate Sin’ and 1988’s ‘No Rest For The Wicked’ made him seem out of step with a music scene that was getting heavier and that was, frankly, embarrassed by and disdainful of the hair metal that dominated the ‘80s. The song and video saw Ozzy staking his claim as the godfather of heavy music, and also showed that he could compete with his musical offspring.
4. “I Don’t Know” from ‘Blizzard Of Ozz’ (1980)
ShareThe first song from the first Ozzy solo album announced that he actually might be able to have a great second act, post-Black Sabbath. It also announced the arrival of a new guitar hero in Randy Rhoads, who not only didn’t try to mimic Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi, he seemed to be a rare metal guitarist who wasn’t even influenced by him. Black Sabbath could never be topped, but Randy Rhoads (and bassist Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake) helped Ozzy to get out of their shadow.
3. “Mr. Crowley” from ‘Blizzard Of Ozz’ (1980)
ShareThis ode to Aleister Crowley would be great no matter what, but it’s Randy Rhoads’ solo -- his greatest ever -- that really puts this song over the top, and earns it its status as one of Ozzy’s greatest.
2. “Revelation (Mother Earth)” from ‘Blizzard Of Ozz’ (1980)
ShareOzzy and his band put everything and the kitchen sink into this one -- which was impressive given that they produced the album themselves. Randy flexes his classically inspired acoustic chops here, but also plays some fearsome riffs. Don Airey uses then-modern synthesizers, but also grand piano. Lee Kerslake throws percussive instruments like chimes in, but also pounds the drums furiously.
1. “Crazy Train” from ‘Blizzard Of Ozz’ (1980)
ShareOzzy’s solo career might not have been more influential than what he did with Black Sabbath, but with “Crazy Train,” he soon began eclipsing his former band in popularity. It has one of the greatest riffs in metal, one of Randy Rhoads’ greatest guitar solos; Bob Daisley’s bass is minimal but scary and it’s one of Lee Kerslake’s best performances. But Ozzy’s melodic wailing is what makes the song a classic, and the best of his post-Sabbath career.
Pearl Jam Rules, Too
Pearl Jam: Top 50 Songs Ranked
50. “I Got ID” from ‘Merkin Ball’ (1995)
ShareAlways a highlight of Pearl Jam’s live shows, most of Pearl Jam actually don’t appear on the song. It’s Eddie Vedder on guitar and vocals and Jack Irons on drums, with Neil Young on guitar and producer Brendan O’Brien on bass.
49. “Indifference” from ‘Vs.’ (1993)
ShareThe closing song from the band’s second album, it’s quiet and spiritual. The best versions of this song are the live ones, particularly when Ben Harper joins the band and duets with Eddie Vedder.
48. “Deep” from ‘Ten – Redux’ (1991/2009)
Share‘Ten’ is a classic album with not an ounce of fat on it, but ‘Deep’ is one song that could qualify as a, ahem, ‘deep track.’ It’s one last blast of intensity before ‘Ten’ wraps with ‘Release.’ Some fans have postulated that Eddie Vedder wrote the lyrics about Andrew Wood, the late singer from Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament’s pre-Pearl Jam band, Mother Love Bone.
47. “Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town” from ‘Vs.’ (1993)
ShareAn acoustic ditty that you might have thought was a cover of an obscure R.E.M. song. Eddie Vedder sings warmly about a woman who never got out of her small town. She sees an old lover who moved on; she barely recognizes him and he probably doesn’t recognize her. More than a few fans may have seen themselves in these lyrics.
46. “Do The Evolution” from ‘Yield’ (1998)
ShareA punk riff-inspired jam composed by Stone Gossard (who also plays bass on the track) fuels this rocker. The song inspired the band’s greatest music video, an animated epic by comic book creator Todd McFarlane, which tells the history of humanity in less than four minutes.
45. “Oceans (remix)” from ‘Even Flow’ single (1991)
ShareOne of many songs that references Vedder’s love for the ocean and surfing. According to an interview that Eddie Vedder did with Seattle Sound magazine, he wrote the lyrics while accidentally locked out of the studio. ‘It was drizzling and I wasn't dressed for an outing in the rain. I had a scrap of paper and a pen in my pocket, and they were playing this song [inside]. All I could hear was the bass coming through the wall, this window that was boarded up. So I wrote the song to the bass.’ This remixed version is rawer than the one used on the album, and was a B-side to the ‘Even Flow’ CD single.
44. “Smile” from ‘No Code’ (1996)
ShareAll that hanging out with Neil Young really rubbed off on the band; this song sounds like a Crazy Horse outtake. Jeff Ament wrote the music and also played guitar. (Live, he straps on the six string when they perform this, and Stone Gossard fills in on bass).
43. “Sonic Reducer” Christmas single (1992)
ShareSome of Pearl Jam’s best covers are of lesser-known artists (see Victoria Wlliams’ ‘Crazy Mary’). This rendition of the Dead Boys’ 1977 punk rock classic brought the cult act to a much wider audience.
42. “Red Mosquito” from ‘No Code’ (1996)
ShareCo-written by the entire band -- Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder and drummer Jack Irons -- ‘Red Mosquito’ sounds a bit like Mike McCready was auditioning for the Allman Brothers Band; his slide guitar is incredible. Vedder’s lyrics were inspired by a 1995 Pearl Jam show in San Francisco. He was unable to finish the gig due to food poisoning. The band’s friend and mentor Neil Young stepped in for him. The song’s end refrain “If I had known then, what I know now,” might have deep meaning for fans, but for Vedder it was probably just about wishing he’d avoided some tainted food.
41. “Release” from ‘Ten’ (1991)
ShareThe closing track from ‘Ten,’ it’s the only one that all of the members - Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Mike McCready, Eddie Vedder and drummer Dave Krusen - wrote together. For Vedder, it was about transcending the family issues of his past, for Gossard and Ament, it was about transcending after the death of Mother Love Bone singer Andrew Wood.
40. “Spin The Black Circle” from ‘Vitalogy’ (1994)
ShareBy 1994, Pearl Jam, and Eddie Vedder in particular, seemed focused on establishing their punk rock cred. This jam, influenced by underground punk, is a hard driving ode to vinyl. Stone Gossard wrote the music and it was intended to be a bit slower, but he sped it up at Vedder’s request.
39. “Garden” from ‘Ten – Redux’ (1991/2009)
ShareA Stone Gossard/Jeff Ament composition, it features some of Eddie Vedder’s most vague lyrics, but ‘I don't question/Our existence/I just question/Our modern needs,’ was an early example of him railing against trendiness.
38. “Last Kiss” Christmas single (1998)
SharePearl Jam’s most surprising radio hit: it’s a cover of a song originally released by Wayne Cochran in 1961.That version didn’t climb the charts, but a few years later when J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers covered it, it was a hit. Decades later, Pearl Jam recorded it for their Christmas single in 1998, and it ended up becoming one of their biggest hits.
37. “Yellow Ledbetter” B-side (1991)
ShareThis is Pearl Jam’s second most surprising radio hit. During the ‘Ten’ era, they were so popular that fans and radio programmers were desperate for new music. This song started getting requested on the radio, even though it wasn’t even on the album. It’s McCready at his most Hendrixian (he co-wrote the music with Jeff Ament). Eddie Vedder’s lyrics are fluid and he often changes them in concert.
36. “W.M.A.” from ‘Vs.’ (1993)
SharePossibly Pearl Jam’s funkiest jam, it was composed by Jeff Ament and then-drummer Dave Abbruzzese. The lyrics were among Eddie Vedder’s most politically charged. In a legendary appearance at Jay-Z’s Made In America festival in 2012, the legendary rapper joined them for a medley of this song and his own ‘99 Problems’ (that live version was later released as one of Pearl Jam’s Christmas singles).
35. “Amongst The Waves” from ‘Backspacer’ (2009)
ShareOne of many songs where Eddie Vedder - an avid surfer - references the ocean and waves. This song seems to compare relationships to waves, and many fans have taken it to be about the band’s bond. As Vedder told the Toronto Globe and Mail: "On the strength of this album, we feel good about where the band is at. Our relationship is long-standing, but it's turned into a forthcoming relationship. We're open and honest. Things go pretty easy – we feel like a gang. We feel like a galvanized group of individuals. As far as waves, I think we're up there."
34. “Come Back” from ‘Pearl Jam’ (2006)
ShareAn Eddie Vedder/Mike McCready co-write, it’s the closest Pearl Jam has come to doing a classic soul song. Vedder has said that it’s about the same character he wrote about in ‘Man Of The Hour’ from 2003’s ‘Big Fish’ soundtrack.
33. “Severed Hand” from ‘Pearl Jam’ (2006)
ShareEddie Vedder started writing this on the same night that he wrote ‘I Am Mine,’ the first song he penned after the Roskilde Festival tragedy where nine fans lost their lives at a Pearl Jam performance. Stone Gossard told Billboard, ‘That song is pretty intense in terms of the perspective of someone who says, 'F*** it. I'm going to go lose my mind. That's how I want to live right now.’
32. “The Fixer” from ‘Backspacer’ (2009)
ShareMatt Cameron co-wrote the music with Mike McCready and Stone Gossard, and Eddie Vedder wrote the lyrics, which have a Joe Strummer-ish sense of defiance: “If something’s old, I wanna put a bit of shine on it/When somethings gone, I wanna fight to get it back again.”
31. “Man Of The Hour” from ‘Big Fish’ (2003)
SharePearl Jam wasn’t the obvious choice to collaborate with film director and goth favorite Tim Burton. But Eddie Vedder saw a screening of the earnest ‘Big Fish’ and turned around the song a day later. It turned out to be the perfect fit (and if you haven’t seen the film, check it out!)
30. “Superblood Wolfmoon” from ‘Gigaton’ (2020)
ShareIt’s not as surprisingly different as ‘Dance Of The Clairvoyants,’ but it does have more of a new wave influence than most Pearl Jam songs and shows that, even after being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Pearl Jam is trying new things.
29. “Wash” B-side (1991)
SharePearl Jam had so many great songs for ‘Ten’ that even the outtakes were better than most band’s best songs. “Wash” might have gotten more attention, but “Yellow Ledbetter” was the biggest hit of the ‘Ten’ era B-sides. Still, the slow-burn rocker has made Pearl Jam’s setlist nearly 100 times over the years.
28. “Present Tense” from ‘No Code’ (1996)
ShareLike many songs of this era, the lyrics saw Eddie Vedder coming to terms with Pearl Jam’s fame. Ironically, as ‘No Code’ was released, their popularity was shrinking as times and tastes were changing. The music, composed by Mike McCready, seemed to demonstrate that you can get through tumultuous times: it starts out slow, gets a bit frantic, and then slows down again.
27. “Sirens” from ‘Lightning Bolt’ (2013)
ShareMike McCready wrote the music, it’s one of his most accessible songs. Eddie Vedder’s platinive vocals make this one of Pearl Jam’s best ballads.
26. “I Am Mine” from ‘Riot Act’ (2002)
ShareThe first song that Eddie Vedder wrote after the Roskilde Festival tragedy where nine fans lost their lives at a Pearl Jam performance. At a show at Madison Square Garden in 2003, Vedder introduced the song thusly: ‘This song’s about personal safety, and the feeling of being secure, and even free.’
25. “Jeremy” from ‘Ten – Redux’ (1991/2009)
ShareCo-written by Jeff Ament (music) and Eddie Vedder (lyrics), “Jeremy” was a disturbing song that was based on two stories: one, from a newspaper article about a 15 year old boy named Jeremy Wade Delle from Richardson, Texas who shot himself in front of his teacher and his English class. The other from Vedder’s junior high school classmate who fired a gun in a classroom. Weirdly, this was the song that brought Pearl Jam to MTV and mainstream fame, but it showed that they didn’t flinch when looking at dark subjects.
24. “Long Road” from ‘Merkin Ball’ (1995)
ShareThe second song from Pearl Jam’s 1995 EP “Merkin Ball,’ the companion piece to the Neil Young/Pearl Jam album ‘Mirror Ball.’ The Vedder composition is a tribute to loved ones we’ve lost. This recording features Vedder singing and playing guitar, Neil Young on organ and backing vocals, Jeff Ament on bass and then-new-drummer Jack Irons. Vedder recorded another version with Pakistani Qawwali singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan for the 1996 ‘Dead Man Walking’ soundtrack. Perhaps the best version, though, was the one that featured Vedder, Young and Mike McCready on the post-9/11 “Tribute To Heroes” televised concert special.
23. “Just Breathe” from ‘Backspacer’ (2009)
ShareOne of Pearl Jam’s best ballads. Written by Eddie Vedder, it’s been covered by Willie Nelson, and it’s one of the few post-2000 songs that makes his sets. It’s also been covered by Jennifer Warnes (yes, the one who sang ‘I’ve Had The Time Of My Life’ from ’Dirty Dancing,’ and who duetted with Joe Cocker on ‘Up Where We Belong’.)
22. “Thin Air” from ‘Binaural’ (2000)
ShareAnother one of Pearl Jam’s loveliest ballads. Written entirely by Stone Gossard (including the lyrics) it’s also one of their few openly romantic songs. It’s also one of the few songs that we can think of with the word ‘byzantine’ in the lyrics!
21. “Nothing As It Seems” from ‘Binaural’ (2000)
ShareA moody, almost Pink Floydian song, it was written by Jeff Ament (including the lyrics). It was an odd choice to be the first radio single from ‘Binaural,’ but by 2000, Pearl Jam were definitely not looking to make things easy for themselves or their team. The song is always a concert highlight, as it allows Mike McCready to stretch out and play some wild solos.
20. “Rats” from ‘Vs.’ (1993)
ShareOne of Pearl Jam’s funkiest songs, it’s composed by Jeff Ament. The lyrics imagine a world where rats have taken over, and quotes from an early Michael Jackson ballad ‘Ben,’ from the 1972 film of the same name. It’s about a colony of rats taking over the human world. Ben is the lead rat who befriends and protects a sick young boy with heart trouble.
19. “Love Boat Captain” from ‘Riot Act’ (2002)
ShareCo-written by Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam’s then-new collaborator, keyboardist “Boom” Gaspar, it addresses the 2000 tragedy at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark, where nine fans died. Quoting the Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love,” it’s a sad and bittersweet eulogy to “nine friends we’ll never know.”
18. “Crazy Mary” from ‘Sweet Relief’ (1993)
ShareThis has become an in-concert favorite, but many fans may not be aware that it’s a cover. At the least, when Pearl Jam released this song in 1993, between ‘Ten’ and ‘Vs.’ when their popularity was at fever peak, it’s unlikely that many of their fans knew who Victoria Williams was. A critically hailed Americana singer-songwriter, her career was taking off in 1992 when she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. That led to the formation of the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, to help musicians in need of health care. The ‘Sweet Relief’ album featured Soul Asylum, Lou Reed and Matthew Sweet, but Pearl Jam’s presence undoubtedly brought a lot of money and attention to the cause. Williams hadn’t released her own version of the song yet. That’s her on backing vocals.
17. “Dance Of The Clairvoyants” from ‘Gigaton’ (2020)
Share‘Gigaton’ probably won’t be Pearl Jam’s ‘Achtung Baby,” but the first single from the album was as different to anything Pearl Jam had done before as “The Fly” was to U2’s previous work. They really switched things up here: Jeff Ament is playing keyboards and guitar, and Stone Gossard plays bass; Talking Heads and Gang Of Four seem to be primary influences. Besides being a great song, it showed fans -- and the music industry -- that, over a quarter of a century into their career, Pearl Jam still has something to say and they still have surprises up their sleeves.
16. “Why Go” from ‘Ten – Redux’ (1991/2009)
ShareMany songs from ‘Ten’ are built around monster riffs by Stone Gossard; ‘Why Go’ is built around a monster riff by Jeff Ament. Like many of Pearl Jam’s songs, the lyrics address an outsider being treated unfairly. This one appears to be a girl who has been institutionalized against her will, with the help of her parents.
15. “Footsteps” B-side (1992)
ShareThe same song, with different lyrics, was released as ‘Times Of Trouble’ on Temple Of The Dog’s album. It’s a testament to both Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder’s talents as lyricists and singers that both versions are classics. ‘Footsteps’ is the final part of the ‘Mama/Son’ trilogy, which also features ‘Once’ and ‘Alive.’
14. “Porch” from ‘Ten – Redux’ (1991/2009)
ShareThe one song that Eddie Vedder wrote by himself for ‘Ten,’ it was one of the highlights of their live shows early on. The long instrumental break always led to -- and still leads to -- some incredible jamming. Vedder no longer ventures into the audience as he used to, but the song hasn’t lost any of its excitement.
13. “State Of Love And Trust” from ‘Ten – Redux’ (1991/2009)
ShareThis version is different than the one from the ‘Singles’ soundtrack. This version was recorded during the ‘Ten’ sessions with original drummer Dave Krusen (the ‘Singles’ version was later recorded with drummer Dave Abbruzzese). A Mike McCready/Jeff Ament composition written for ‘Singles,’ it’s one of the band’s most straight-ahead rockers.
12. “Black” from ‘Ten’ (1991)
ShareA gorgeous ballad composed by Stone Gossard and featuring one of Eddie Vedder’s most emotional vocal performances. “I know someday you'll have a beautiful life,” he sings. “I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky, but why can't it be mine?” Even the “doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doos” are incredibly moving.
11. “Wishlist” from ‘Yield’ (1998)
ShareOr, ‘How Eddie Vedder Learned To Relax And Deal With Success.’ On ‘Yield,’ Pearl Jam found themselves, for the first time, pretty far from not only pop culture’s zeitgeist, but also rock’s. By now, many of Vedder’s peers had quit their bands, and in some cases, started getting “real” jobs. Pearl Jam was still an arena-headlining band, and this simple and sweet song saw Eddie Vedder seeming to realize that success might not be so bad after all, as he sings, “I wish I was as fortunate as me.”
10. “Daughter” from ‘Vs.’ (1993)
SharePearl Jam’s first top 40 single. It also topped the Billboard’s Album Rock and Modern Rock charts. It’s an acoustic-based jam composed by Stone Gossard, but the upbeat tone contrasted with the lyrics by Eddie Vedder, where he takes an empathetic look at young people with learning disabilities. As he told Melody Maker, “It's only in the last few years that they've actually been able to diagnose these learning disabilities that before were looked at as misbehavior; as just outright rebelliousness, but no one knew what it was. These kids, because they seemed unable or reluctant to learn, they'd end up getting the s--- beaten out of them. The song ends, you know, with this idea of the shades going down, so that the neighbors can't see what happens next. What hurts about s--- like that is that it ends up defining people's lives. They have to live with that abuse for the rest of their lives. Good, creative people are just… destroyed."
9. “Once” from ‘Ten’ (1991)
ShareIf you picked up Pearl Jam’s debut album, ‘Ten,’ on the release date, it was probably because you were a fan of Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament’s previous band, Mother Love Bone, or Stone, Jeff and Mike McCready’s supergroup Temple Of The Dog with Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron. Both of those projects had pretty slick production, as opposed to the dirty garage sound of most of the other Seattle bands. And ‘Once’ is a pretty produced jam -- the intro almost sounds like a Peter Gabriel record. But the song -- one of many on the album that is powered by Stone Gossard’s incredible riffs -- packs a hell of a wallop, which is fitting, as it’s about someone on the edge of insanity… or maybe a few steps past that point.
8. “Given To Fly” from ‘Yield’ (1998)
ShareIn their early years, Pearl Jam seemed like a classic rock band trying to prove their indie cred. Lead guitarist Mike McCready -- supposedly one of the nicest guys in the music business -- never appeared to struggle with that. So it’s no surprise that he wrote the music here, which veers very close to Led Zeppelin’s “Going To California.” And, as it turned out, it was one of their most successful songs on radio.
7. “Not For You” from ‘Vitalogy’ (1994)
ShareOne of many songs written by Eddie Vedder during the band’s early era where he struggled with their incredible popularity. On some level, though, he must have known that things would be changing -- he sings, “All that’s sacred, comes from youth.” Fortunately, though, he lived long enough to grow old(ish). But then, as now, he still clings to punk rock ideals, which is a big reason why Pearl Jam and their new music still matter.
6. “Animal” from ‘Vs.’ (1993)
ShareIn Pearl Jam’s early days, Stone Gossard cranked out incredible riffs that propelled some of the band’s greatest songs, and “Animal” is one of the best. A semi-title track to ‘Vs.,’ the album was originally going to be called ‘Five Against One,’ based on this lyric. When Pearl Jam performed this song at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards just days before the release of ‘Vs.,’ fans knew that they were about to get another classic album; Pearl Jam was not going to be a one-off phenomenon.
5. “Alive” from ‘Ten’ (1991)
ShareIn the early ‘90s, there was a fair amount of resentment among alternative-rock purists, and fans of lesser-known Seattle bands, about Pearl Jam’s success. The smoother production of the ‘Ten’ album was partly to blame, and so was this song: a mid-tempo ballad/anthem that had a Springsteenian sense of transcendence. Eddie Vedder’s lyrics and Stone Gossard’s music gave an ambivalent generation a jam that recognized how awful the world could be, but reminded everyone that you could get through it. That wasn’t Vedder’s original intent: as he said at the band’s episode of VH1 Storytellers, ‘In the original story, a teenager is being made aware of a shocking truth that leaves him plenty confused...It was a curse: 'I'm still alive.'’ But the fans changed the way Vedder viewed the story. ‘They lifted the curse,’ he said. ‘The audience changed the meaning for me." Mike McCready’s solo at the end is one of his best.
4. “Better Man” from ‘Vitalogy’ (1994)
ShareOne of their most obvious hits (Eddie Vedder loosely based the song on the English Beat’s ‘Save It For Later’), the band actually rejected the song when it was submitted for ‘Vs.,’ according to Rolling Stone. Ah, the ‘90s - the era where the bands in the spotlight struggled with whether or not they wanted to be popular, and whether or not radio hits were ‘cool.’ We’re glad they listened to reason and finally agreed to release the song on ‘Vitalogy.’
3. “Even Flow” from ‘Ten – Redux’ (1991/2009)
Share‘Ten’ is filled with incredible Stone Gossard riffs, and this might be the best one. Inspired by funk acts like Parliament-Funkadelic, his playing here drives the song, while Mike McCready channels Stevie Ray Vaughan on his iconic solo. The song is about a homeless man, who might be struggling with mental illness: he sleeps ‘on a pillow made of concrete’ and ‘looks insane,’ which is understandable, as his ‘thoughts arrive like butterflies/Oh, he don't know, so he chases them away.’
2. “Rearviewmirror” from ‘Vs.’ (1993)
ShareThe bands from Pearl Jam’s generation, and particularly from their hometown, definitely had a dark and depressing vibe, even if it was packaged in anthemic rock chords. One thing that set Pearl Jam apart was a Clash-like sense that you don’t take crap lying down, you don’t accept it, and if you fight and hang in there, things might get better. “Rearviewmirror” is a great example of that: in the song Eddie Vedder sings (over a fantastic, propulsive R.E.M.-ish riff) about transcending darkness, literally leaving it in the rearview mirror.
1. “Corduroy” from ‘Vitalogy’ (1994)
ShareAnother song that saw Eddie Vedder struggling with fame. In an interview with The Onion’s AV Club, he said, “That song was based on a remake of the brown corduroy jacket that I wore. I think I got mine for 12 bucks, and it was being sold for like $650. The ultimate one as far as being co-opted was that there was a guy on TV, predictably patterned, I guess, after the way I was looking those days, with long hair and an Army T-shirt. They put this new character on a soap opera, so there was a guy, more handsome than I, parading around on ‘General Hospital.’ And the funny thing is, that guy was Ricky Martin.” Over the years, many of Pearl Jam’s peers couldn’t cope with the spotlight and imploded (or worse.) Others fell out of favor and got day jobs. We’re glad that Stone, Mike, Jeff, Matt, and Eddie figured it out: they never broke up, and they’re still headlining stadiums and arenas today. “Corduroy” remains their most powerful anthem; it’s about living life on your own terms and not being for sale. It could be the band’s theme song, it certainly seems to have been their mantra for three decades.
Investigators noted irregularities…