Studio Album · No. 8
Pearl Jam Songwriting Credits by Pearl Jam
Produced by Adam Kasper, Pearl Jam · Engineered by Sam Hofstedt, John Burton
Holds writing credit on 13 of 13 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 13 / 13 documented
Scored across the 13 tracks with documented writers, by whether Pearl Jam carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 13 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
The self-titled album keeps Eddie Vedder as the lead lyricist while the music is shared across the band, and it features one of the rare outside writers in Pearl Jam's catalog: Damien Echols of the West Memphis Three co-wrote the lyrics to 'Army Reserve.' Otherwise the authorship stays internal, with the composer column rotating among Gossard, McCready, Ament, Cameron, and Vedder.
Pearl Jam, the band's self-titled eighth studio album released in May 2006 and nicknamed the 'avocado album' for its cover, marked a return to harder, more direct rock after years of experimentation. Their first release for J Records, it opens with a run of punchy, politically charged songs led by the anti-war single 'World Wide Suicide.' Eddie Vedder wrote most of the lyrics, with a rare outside contribution from Damien Echols of the West Memphis Three on 'Army Reserve,' while the music credits remain spread across the band. Reviewers treated it as a creative resurgence, praising its renewed urgency and tight songwriting. It was certified gold and reached number two on the Billboard 200.