Borrowing its name from the famous homemade jam of Eddie Vedder’s grandmother (which was rumored to be hallucinogenic), Pearl Jam is known as a founding band of the grunge movement. The band was formed following the death of Mother Love Bone’s lead singer Andrew Wood, who died of a heroin overdose. Guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament recruited Mike McCready (rhythm guitar), Dave Krusen (drums), and Eddie Vedder (vocals) to form Pearl Jam. Based in Seattle, Pearl Jam, alongside Nirvana and Soundgarden, led the effort to bring alternative music to the forefront of American listeners’ preferences.
The release of Ten in 1991 presented Pearl Jam as a band that knew how to combine the stylish rock of the ’70s with raw, intense lyrics and deep, resonant effects. Beyond everyone’s expectations, Ten climbed the charts and sold hundreds of thousands of albums worldwide. Yet Pearl Jam did not seem like a band chasing commercial success or fashion trends.
In their songs—“Alive”, “Evenflow”, and “Black”—Vedder and his group portray dark images of depression, suicide, and a generally bleak world. They became the voice of a new generation of rebellious youth, known as Generation X, reminiscent of the punk band of the same name in which Billy Idol began his career. Because of their rejection of mainstream trends and disregard for financial profit from sales, the group refused to produce music videos for their songs, starting with their second release, Vs., in 1993. This album featured a new drummer, Dave Abbruzzese, who replaced Krusen. At a time when record sales heavily relied on radio play and TV promotion, Vs. easily achieved platinum status, just like its predecessor, Ten.
The release of Vs. was followed by a spring tour in 1994, but Pearl Jam canceled their summer tour due to disputes between the band and the ticketing agency Ticketmaster. During this time, the band recorded in the studio, replacing Abbruzzese with Jack Irons from Red Hot Chili Peppers, and released their third album, Vitalogy, initially on vinyl only, which quickly climbed the charts and earned platinum certification.
At the beginning of 1995, the Department of Justice sided with Ticketmaster, ending the two-year battle between Pearl Jam and the company. Later, the band joined Neil Young for a highly successful European tour. Given their musical compatibility, Pearl Jam and Young entered the studio to record Mirror Ball in 1995.
Away from the spotlight and working on dark and introspective material, Pearl Jam returned to the studio to record No Code, released in 1996. Their fifth studio album, Yield, was released in February 1998. The band embarked on a promotional tour for the album, debuting in Australia in January. In the fall of 1998, Pearl Jam released the live album Live on Two Legs. In the summer of 1999, the band reached #2 on the US charts with the song “Last Kiss” by Wayne Cochran.
The year 2000 proved extraordinary for Pearl Jam. Alongside their new album, Binaural, released in September, the band issued 25 double albums from their recent European tour. Five of these albums entered the Billboard 200, earning Pearl Jam a place in the record books as the only band to have five albums chart in the same week. This record was surpassed just six months later with the release of another series of albums. The first series included seven albums that entered the Billboard charts in the same week.
In 2005, USA Today awarded Pearl Jam the title of “Greatest American Rock Band of All Time.”
