With his gravelly voice and songs that cover both the personal and political, Eddie Vedder is one of Gen X’s most recognisable figures. Born in 1964, in Illinois, Vedder became a grunge icon as the frontman of Pearl Jam, a pioneering group in Seattle’s early-‘90s scene. But his solo work starkly contrasts the rage that helped define that band’s heyday. His first official solo album was the soundtrack for 2007’s Into the Wild, for which he put together a folky, introspective collection that spoke to the intrepid spirit of the film’s anti-establishment protagonist. In 2011, the delicate arrangements of Ukulele Songs allowed for an even more intimate atmosphere. Vedder’s graceful ageing doesn’t disclude heaviness, though—on 2022’s Earthling, he explores punk and classic-rock sounds alongside ballads and experimental psych, refusing to rest on his hard-earned laurels.