3 Songs That Sound Like Pearl Jam but Actually Aren’t

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a new musical movement grew out of the rain-soaked soil of the Pacific Northwest city of Seattle. And that, of course, was grunge. With big, hefty, sludgy guitars and lyrics often about the dire nature of things (with a little depression sprinkled in), the music became a global phenomenon. And one of the bands at the center of that moment was Pearl Jam.

But because the group has been so popular, foundational, and lasting, there have been many groups that have attempted to bite the style of the rockers. Here below, we wanted to explore three songs that point to that fact. Indeed, these are three songs that sound like Pearl Jam but actually aren’t.

[RELATED: Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready Serves Up Iconic Sounds ]

“Higher” by Creed from Human Clay (1999)

This band didn’t even hide the fact they were a Pearl Jam derivative. Lead singer Scott Stapp sounds so much like PJ’s frontman Eddie Vedder that it’s errie and strange. Of course, Eddie is the original and singular figure and hit the scene almost a decade prior. While songs like “Higher” from Creed are religious-based facsimiles of the grunge group. Go ahead listen to the track from the band’s 1999 LP Human Clay and try not to think about Pearl Jam, Vedder, or grunge music. It’s impossible!

“Hunger Strike” by Temple of the Dog from Temple of the Dog (1991)

Now, there is good reason for this group to sound like Pearl Jam and that’s because Vedder is a part of it. In fact, he was in town in Seattle for his first rehearsals with PJ when he got pulled into the studio for this all-star group’s tribute to the late grunge icon Andrew Wood. “Hunger Strike” was the most famous of the songs from the band’s self-titled LP and it features both Vedder and PJ lead guitarist Mike McCready (along with singer Chris Cornell).

“Kitchenware & Candybars” by Stone Temple Pilots from Purple (1994)

In the ’90s there were few groups who could be called grunge that were not from the Pacific Northwest, but Stone Temple Pilots, from San Diego (also the city where Vedder grew up), passed the test. And their song “Kitchenware & Candybars” from their 1994 LP Purple exemplifies that. Thoughtful production, heavy guitars, and a sense of dynamics to go along with lead singer Scott Weiland’s deep voice—the resemblance is uncanny.

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