Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam first gained notice as early leaders in the grunge wave of the 1990s, yet from their start they proved more emotionally inquisitive and open to stylistic risks than most flannel-wearing contemporaries, moving beyond the typical rage and sonic abrasion tied to the genre and establishing themselves as one of rock & roll’s most lasting and widely embraced acts. Released in 1991, their debut Ten distinguished itself amid an era of detachment by delivering forceful, guitar-driven anthems marked by unwavering directness. Much of that sincerity originated with Eddie Vedder, whose rare blend of magnetism and intensity as lead singer lent an intimate quality to the band’s large-scale rock gestures. Vedder’s perceptive sensitivity stayed central to Pearl Jam over time, lending real weight to their unorthodox business decisions, including the mid-1990s conflict with Ticketmaster, along with their support for divisive issues. The group occupied the brief 1990s intersection where alternative impulses crossed into broad commercial success, yet kept releasing music long after the fashions that created their rapid rise had faded. Their intense live approach and readiness to explore kept them a steady concert attraction across decades, with supporters circulating show recordings in a manner more typical of jam-band scenes. On record the band channeled the vitality of their performances into more intricate compositions, refining a rich mixture of roots rock, punk edge, remarkable instrumental rapport, and reflective tones while returning to their 1990s sonic character on 2024’s Dark Matter.

Pearl Jam took shape following the dissolution of the Seattle hard-rock outfit Mother Love Bone. When that group’s singer Andrew Wood died from a heroin overdose in 1990, guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament formed a fresh project, adding Mike McCready on lead guitar and cutting a demo with Soundgarden’s Matt Cameron handling drums. Through future Pearl Jam drummer Jack Irons the tape reached a 25-year-old San Diego surfer, Eddie Vedder, who added vocals and new lyrics before being asked to join the band, then temporarily named Mookie Blaylock after the NBA player. Dave Krusen soon joined as permanent drummer, rounding out the first lineup. After adopting the name Pearl Jam, the musicians tracked their debut album Ten early in 1991, though it appeared only in August; during the wait most members contributed to the Andrew Wood tribute album Temple of the Dog. Krusen departed shortly after Ten’s release and was succeeded by Dave Abbruzzese.

Ten did not register strong sales until early 1992, once Nirvana had opened mainstream rock radio to alternative acts. Pearl Jam soon surpassed Nirvana commercially, which proved unsurprising given their fusion of 1970s riff-heavy stadium rock with the raw attitude of 1980s post-punk, all while preserving strong hooks and choruses; “Jeremy,” “Even Flow,” and “Alive” slotted naturally onto album-rock formats seeking fresh material. The audience expanded further through 1992 via repeated radio and MTV exposure plus prominent slots on the second Lollapalooza tour and the Singles soundtrack. Meanwhile Temple of the Dog’s self-titled album achieved platinum status, aided by renewed attention to the project that also featured grunge figure Chris Cornell and radio play for the single “Hunger Strike.” Stone Gossard launched a side effort called Brad, which issued the album Shame in early 1993.

Although they had reached rock-superstar status, Pearl Jam declined to follow standard industry practices. The group withheld videos and singles from their second album, 1993’s Vs. Still, it became another multi-platinum success, entering at number one and moving nearly a million copies in its opening week. During their spring 1994 U.S. tour the band avoided typical stadium venues, opting instead for smaller arenas and several college-campus dates. They canceled the planned 1994 summer tour, stating they could not hold ticket prices under twenty dollars because Ticketmaster was compelling promoters to raise fees. The musicians filed a complaint against Ticketmaster with the Justice Department over anticompetitive conduct; while pursuing that case they cut a new album in spring and summer 1994. Once the record was finished the band dismissed Dave Abbruzzese and brought in former Red Hot Chili Peppers and Eleven drummer Jack Irons.

Vitalogy, the third studio album, surfaced at the close of 1994. For the first fortnight it was offered solely as a limited vinyl edition, yet it still reached the Top 60; after the CD and cassette versions arrived the set climbed to number one and earned multi-platinum certification. Pearl Jam pressed their Ticketmaster case through 1995 until the Justice Department sided with the ticket agency. Early that year the group recorded with Neil Young. Vedder meanwhile toured with his wife Beth’s experimental band Hovercraft in spring 1994, while Stone Gossard started an independent label. Mad Season, Mike McCready’s collaboration with Layne Staley of Alice in Chains, released its debut Above in spring 1995. Mirror Ball, consisting entirely of Neil Young songs, came out that summer under Young’s name; legal restrictions kept the Pearl Jam name off the cover even though members participated. The band issued the single Merkinball, containing “I Got ID” and “Long Road,” drawn from those sessions in fall 1995.

In late summer 1996 Pearl Jam delivered their fourth album, No Code. Although reviews were largely favorable and the record debuted at number one, its unusual blend of rock, worldbeat, and experimentation disappointed many fans and caused it to drop quickly from the charts. Limited touring, stemming from both the Ticketmaster dispute and a desire to avoid prolonged road time, further affected sales. The group spent most of 1997 away from public view while developing new songs; Gossard also released a second Brad album, Interiors. By year’s end Pearl Jam finished a harder-rocking set titled Yield. Enthusiastic reviews greeted its February 1998 arrival, though sales proved mixed. A loyal audience pushed it to number two in its first week, yet it soon descended the charts. The band backed the album with a full arena tour in summer 1998 and issued the concert recording Live on Two Legs late that year; Jack Irons sat out because of health concerns, leading the group to recruit ex-Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron once more.

In 1999 Pearl Jam achieved an unexpected pop-radio hit with their cover of the J. Frank Wilson classic “Last Kiss,” first issued as the seventh in a run of fan-club-only singles that had previously included other unexpected covers. Listener and programmer demand prompted a nationwide release, and the track became the band’s highest-charting pop single to that point, reaching number two and earning gold status. They returned in 2000 with the Tchad Blake-produced Binaural. To limit bootlegging, the ensuing European and American tours were captured in their entirety and issued as an unprecedented series of double-CD sets; each of the seventy-two volumes presented a complete concert. Riot Act, a powerful and widely praised collection that incorporated experimental art-rock touches, appeared in 2002.

Two retrospective packages followed in 2003 and 2004: Lost Dogs: Rarities and B-Sides and Rearviewmirror: Greatest Hits 1991–2003. In 2006 the self-titled Pearl Jam arrived and reached number two on the album charts. As the twentieth anniversary approached, the band began a series of reissues, opening with a deluxe edition of Ten in 2009. That year also brought their ninth studio album, Backspacer, which marked their first independent release and initially appeared only in Target stores in the U.S. An extensive 2010 tour supported the record. Live on Ten Legs, drawn from 2003–2010 performances, surfaced in January 2011. Later that year Vedder issued a solo album of standards performed solely on ukulele, while the group marked its two-decade milestone with a two-day festival in Wisconsin, enlisting Cameron Crowe to direct the documentary PJ20 and releasing a soundtrack of rare tracks from the film.

Soon afterward Pearl Jam reentered the studio with Brendan O’Brien to begin work on the successor to Backspacer. The resulting album, Lightning Bolt, was previewed in July 2013 by the raw single “Mind Your Manners.” Darker and featuring longer tracks than its concise predecessor, and reflecting influences from both Pink Floyd and punk, Lightning Bolt appeared in October 2013. Tours of Latin America and North America followed over subsequent years, and in April 2017 the band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by comedian David Letterman. In September of that year the double live album and DVD set Let’s Play Two documented a pair of performances at Chicago’s historic Wrigley Field. 2019 brought an archival release from the vaults when the 1992 MTV Unplugged concert received its first official issue on vinyl via the Legacy label. January 2020 introduced “Dance of the Clairvoyants,” the lead single from the eleventh album, Gigaton. Issued in March, Gigaton addressed climate change and other politically charged topics with co-producer Josh Evans.

Pearl Jam toured in support of Gigaton through 2022, then returned to the studio with Andrew Watt—the producer of Eddie Vedder’s 2022 solo album Earthling—to record Dark Matter, a polished, streamlined nod to their 1990s peak.