It was late 2002. The world felt heavy, weird, and frankly, a little terrifying. Pearl Jam was coming off the back of the Roskilde tragedy—where nine fans lost their lives—and the looming shadow of the Iraq War was starting to stretch over everything. If you bought Riot Act on release day, you probably remember that skeletal, eerie cover art. It didn't look like a "hit" record. It looked like a warning.
Looking back at the pearl jam riot act tracklist, it’s arguably the most experimental the band ever got without completely losing the plot. It’s a 15-song journey that skips from flat-out punk rock to organ-drenched gospel and even some bizarre, drum-machine-filtered guitar experiments. People called it "tired" at the time. Honestly? I think they were just exhausted.
The Riot Act Tracklist: A Song-by-Song Breakdown
The album is long. 54 minutes. That’s a lot of real estate for a band that was clearly going through some stuff.
1. Can’t Keep
Written by Eddie Vedder, originally on a ukulele, though you’d never know it from the studio version. It starts with this nervous, twitchy energy. It’s claustrophobic. Vedder is singing about not being able to stay in one place, which, given the band’s trauma at the time, makes total sense.
2. Save You
This is the "rocker." It’s also incredibly personal. It’s widely known to be about a friend struggling with addiction. Mike McCready and Stone Gossard just lock in here. It’s fast, it’s angry, and it’s one of the few songs from this era that still consistently makes the live setlist.
3. Love Boat Captain
"It’s already been sung, but it can’t be said enough: All you need is love." This is the first time we really hear Kenneth "Boom" Gaspar on the Hammond B3 organ. He became the unofficial sixth member here. The song is a direct response to Roskilde. It’s mournful but somehow hopeful. It’s a weird balance to strike.
👉 See also: Don’t Forget Me Little Bessie: Why James Lee Burke’s New Novel Still Matters
4. Cropduster
Matt Cameron wrote the music for this one. It’s got that signature Soundgarden-adjacent, odd-time-signature feel. It’s crunchy. It’s also very "Stone Gossard" in its quirkiness.
5. Ghost
Jeff Ament’s contribution. It’s a bit of a "lost" track for many fans. It’s driving, melodic, and deals with the feeling of being invisible or disconnected from the modern world.
6. I Am Mine
The lead single. This song saved a lot of people back in 2002. It’s a mid-tempo anthem about self-governance. "The ocean is full of people's faces... and I know I'm mine." Simple. Powerful. It’s probably the most "classic" Pearl Jam song on the whole record.
7. Thumbing My Way
This is pure folk. Vedder sounds vulnerable here. It’s a "road" song, the kind of thing you play at 3 AM when you’re driving through the middle of nowhere.
8. You Are
This is the one that blows people's minds. Matt Cameron (again, showing off his songwriting chops) had the idea to feed the guitar through a drum machine/vocoder-like filter. It creates this pulsing, rhythmic throb that Pearl Jam had never done before. It sounds like a heartbeat. It’s cool. It’s dark. It’s essential.
✨ Don't miss: Donnalou Stevens Older Ladies: Why This Viral Anthem Still Hits Different
9. Get Right
A short, punchy Matt Cameron track. It’s a bit of a pallet cleanser after the heaviness of the first half.
10. Green Disease
Basically a punk song. It’s a scathing critique of corporate greed. "A scream for more, and more, and more." It’s fast, loud, and over in under three minutes.
11. Help Help
Another Jeff Ament track. This one is paranoid. It sounds like someone looking over their shoulder in a dark alley. The production is murky, which fits the vibe of the lyrics perfectly.
12. Bu$hleaguer
The most controversial song on the pearl jam riot act tracklist. It’s a spoken-word-heavy jab at George W. Bush. During the 2003 tour, Ed would wear a Bush mask and dance around like a puppet. People booed. People walked out. Looking back, it’s a fascinating time capsule of a country at war with itself.
13. 1/2 Full
A bluesy, grinding track. It’s got a massive build-up at the end where the three guitars (Stone, Mike, and Ed) just collide. It’s messy in a good way.
🔗 Read more: Donna Summer Endless Summer Greatest Hits: What Most People Get Wrong
14. Arc
This isn't really a song. It’s a vocal loop—nine tracks of Eddie Vedder’s voice layered over each other. It was recorded as a tribute to the nine fans who died at Roskilde. On the 2003 tour, Ed would perform this alone on stage, looping his voice until the arena was filled with this haunting, ghostly choir. It’s intense.
15. All or None
The closer. And man, what a closer. It’s a slow-burning blues track. "I’m starting to believe that this hopeless situation is what I’m trying to achieve." It feels like the end of a long, hard night. Mike McCready’s solo at the end is pure emotion.
Why Riot Act Still Matters
People usually rank Ten or Vs. as the "best" Pearl Jam albums. Fine. But Riot Act is the one that proves they weren't just a grunge band anymore. They were becoming an art-rock band.
The production by Adam Kasper is dry. It doesn't have the "big" 90s sound. It sounds like five guys in a room trying to figure out how to be a band again after the world broke.
- Political Edge: This album was the peak of Pearl Jam’s activism. They weren't just signing petitions; they were writing songs that questioned the very fabric of the "American Dream" post-9/11.
- Musical Growth: The addition of Boom Gaspar changed their sound forever. You can hear the transition from the "Seattle Sound" to a more expansive, classic rock/experimental hybrid.
- The Roskilde Shadow: You can't separate this tracklist from the tragedy. Every song feels like it’s filtered through a lens of mortality.
Actionable Tips for Listening to Riot Act
If you haven't spun this record in a while, or if you're a new fan, here is how you should actually approach it to "get" it.
- Skip the Singles (Initially): Don't start with "I Am Mine." Put on "You Are" and "All or None." These tracks show the true DNA of what the band was trying to do in 2002.
- Context is Everything: Read up on the 2000 Roskilde Festival before you listen to "Love Boat Captain" and "Arc." It changes how those lyrics hit.
- Check Out the Bootlegs: Pearl Jam released "Official Bootlegs" for every show on the 2003 tour. The songs on Riot Act evolved massively on stage. Find the Madison Square Garden 2003 show—it’s legendary.
- Listen to the Lyrics: This isn't background music. Vedder was at his most poetic and cryptic here. Grab the liner notes (or a lyric site) and actually follow along.
Ultimately, the pearl jam riot act tracklist isn't about catchy hooks. It’s about a band being honest. Sometimes that honesty is loud and angry; sometimes it’s quiet and defeated. But it’s always real. It’s an album for the "overlooked" days, and twenty-plus years later, it still has plenty to say.
Next Steps for Your Collection: Check out the Lost Dogs B-side collection. Many songs recorded during the Riot Act sessions, like "Down" and "Undone," ended up there. They actually provide a lot of missing context to the sound of this specific era. After that, look for the 2003 Live at the Garden DVD to see these tracks performed during their most politically charged period.