10 Perfect Rock Songs That Got Better Live

10. Better Man - Pearl Jam

One of the highlights of every great live show is being able to sing along to the classics. Even if you have nothing in common with everyone else there, you start to restore your faith in humanity when you get millions of people to come together for a song that you wrote. As soon as Eddie Vedder starts the opening riff of Better Man though, the audience practically takes over for him.

Before he even steps up to the mic, the crowd has actually gone to the trouble of singing most of the opening verse and chorus for Eddie as he plays along with the rest of the track. Compared to the rough baritone, you get legions of people connecting with this sad story of a woman who kids herself into staying in this meaningless relationship (not sure what that says about us all singing along, though).

On each occasion though, Eddie has been nothing but joyful whenever it happens, acting as an impromptu vocal instructor as he almost leads the crowd in the next part of the song with his gestures. Though songs like Even Flow and Alive may have been a lot more chaotic back in the '90s from a live performance perspective, these subtle moments are worth just as much as Eddie swinging from the rafters. Because for just a minute, every one in that stadium becomes an honorary member of Pearl Jam.