The Essential Pearl Jam

[Anders]

1. Alive
2. Even Flow
3. Jeremy
4. Black
5. State of Love and Trust
6. Animal
7. Daughter
8. Rearviewmirror
9. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town
10. Spin the Black Circle
11. Betterman
12. Corduroy
13. Immortality
14. I Got Shit
15. Who You Are
16. Hail Hail
17. In My Tree

1. Given to Fly
2. Do the Evolution
3. Last Kiss
4. Nothing as it Seems
5. Grievance
6. Light Years
7. I Am Mine
8. Save You
9. Man of the Hour
10. Worldwide Suicide
11. Life Wasted
12. The Fixer
13. Just Breathe
14. Amongst the Waves
15. Mind Your Manners
16. Sirens
17. Infallible

Very logical list for the casual listener and as an overview of past singles. I also thought about Oceans, Porch, Go, Dissident, Not For You, Off He Goes, Present Tense, Wishlist, Insignificance, and Love Boat Captain. Not necessarily my favorites, but central to the career of the band. If I worked at Sony, I would probably replace Grievance, Life Wasted, Amongst The Waves and Infallible with Oceans, Go, Not For You, and Wishlist.

[ccanad]

Disc 1.

1. Alive
2. Black
3. Porch
4. Release
5. State of love and trust
6. Yellow Ledbetter
7. Go
8. Animal
9. Rearview mirror
10. Last exit
11. Tremor Christ
12. Corduroy
13. Betterman
14. Immortality
15. I got shit
16. Hail hail
17. In my tree

Disc 2

1. Given to fly
2. Do the evolution
3. Insignificance
4. Grievance
5. Sad
6. Can't keep
7. I am mine
8. Undone
9. Man of the hour
10. World wide suicide
11. Comatose
12. The fixer
13. Force of nature
14. Mind your manners
15. Infallible
16. Pendulum
17. Yellow moon

Here is the list I think they would release if they were to make a true "Essentials" list (not my essentials, just the "hits"):

1. Even Flow
2. Alive
3. Black
4. Jeremy
5. Yellow Ledbetter
6. Go
7. Animal
8. Daughter
9. Dissident
10. Rearviewmirror
11. Elderly Woman Behind the Counter In a Small Town
12. Spin the Black Circle
13. Not For You
14. Corduroy
15. Betterman
16. I Got ID
17. Hail, Hail

Disc 2

1. Who Are You
2. Given To Fly
3. Wishlist
4. Do the Evolution
5. Last Kiss
6. Light Years
7. Nothing As It Seems
8. Save You
9. I Am Mine
10. Life Wasted
11. World Wide Suicide
12. The Fixer
13. Just Breathe
14. Amongst the Waves
15. Mind Your Manners
16. Sirens
17. Lightning Bolt

[lvc]

I would approach the idea of essential as reflecting the songs that communicate who Pearl Jam is and the overall story arc of the band's career. So I would use these songs in this order:

1. Release – the band was initially affected by death
2. Alive – the EV bio
3. Footsteps – a Pearl Jam song directly connected to Andy Wood (at least, the closest thing to directly connected via Temple of the Dog)
4. Blood – the crush of fame sets in
5. Leash – the connection with the fans as a counter to the crush of fame
6. Not for You -- the start of the reaction against fame
7. Corduroy -- same
8. Off He Goes -- retreat and self-reflection
9. In My Tree -- same
10. Present Tense – with the retreat finished, the conclusion to fight less and enjoy more

Disc Break here if necessary

11. All Those Yesterdays – washing away the previous 5 years’ of angst in order to just make the music they want to make
12. Brain of J – embodies the sentiment of All those Yesterdays as a song about where JFK’s brain went (also, angst begins to shift towards politics)
13. Nothing As It Seems – Experimenting and reimagining the sound
14. Sleight of Hand -- same
15. Grievance -- politics takes a more prominent place
16. Love Boat Captain – Reacting to Roskilde
17. I Am Mine – reaffirming the band’s identity
18. Bu$hleaguer (Uniondale 2003) -- politics comes front and center, to the alienation of some fans
19. Life Wasted – Getting back on the horse after a hard season
20. Army Reserve -- More politics
21. The Fixer – navigating back towards the mainstream
22. The End – the incorporation of some Ed solo stuff under the name Pearl Jam (also like the thought of opening with a song about someone else’s death and ending with a song about the singer’s own death)

(Bonus Tracks: Lightning Bolt and Pendulum)