Alive

Anchored by Stone Gossard's massive, classic rock-inspired guitar riff, 'Alive' served as the debut single and defining anthem for the Seattle quintet. Eddie Vedder's deeply personal lyrics detail his own traumatic realization that the man he thought was his father was actually his stepfather. The track's extended, blistering guitar solo by Mike McCready helped bridge the gap between 70s arena rock and the 90s grunge explosion.