"Jeremy"

Pearl Jam
(Epic, 1991)

The impact this song had before Eddie Vedder started acting like an alterna-rock King of Pain is a perfect reminder of why sometimes you just need to shut up and play. The cryptic tale of a kid who gets pushed or falls over the edge and who speaks with bullets in class, "Jeremy" proved to be ominous in more ways than one. It's a song that builds and builds and builds until you're not sure whose side you're on. Sometimes a little dose of empathy really is the best medicine.

-- Matt Ashare