Post Malone Covers ‘Last Kiss,’ a Hit for Pearl Jam
Last week, Post Malone shared a video of him performing an acoustic version of "Last Kiss," the 1961 Wayne Cochran song best known for the cover version released in 1999 by Pearl Jam. Over two decades later, it remains Pearl Jam's highest-charting hit.
As the legend goes, Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder convinced the rock band to record "Last Kiss" after he found a 7" record of the original single at a Seattle antique store. The version by Posty seems indebted to Pearl Jam rather than the original, down to the muted guitar strums that close each verse.
As far as Post Malone's appeal is concerned — the rock-minded hip-hop artist often flexes his country crooner muscles — the cover makes sense. Especially as a centerpiece that provides an emotional anchor mid-set. It undoubtedly anchored Pearl Jam's popularity after their five-album run in the '90s.
"Last Kiss" is an archetypical example of the "teenage tragedy" narrative that captured Americans' imaginations post-war. It tells the tale of a teen driver who loses his partner in a car accident. Cochran, known in the '60s for his flamboyant outfits and pompadour, made "Last Kiss" in 1961. He re-recorded it in 1963. In addition to Pearl Jam and Posty, myriad other artists have adapted it. Cochran died in 2017.
Below, listen to part of Post Malone's cover, followed by Pearl Jam and then Cochran's original.