Pearl Jam (music group)

Pearl Jam is an American music group that rose to become one of the most popular rock bands of the 1990s. Founded by guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament in 1990 and fronted by lead vocalist Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam was instrumental in popularizing Seattle's emerging grunge genre on the national stage. With the release of its 1991 debut album Ten, the band immediately established itself as one of the preeminent rock acts of its time. A fusion of classic rock, 1970s heavy metal, and post-80s punk, Pearl Jam's unique signature sound led to a string of hits such as "Even Flow," "Alive," and "Jeremy." Despite a number of controversies—including a long-running legal battle over concert ticket prices—and declining album sales over the years since its initial breakout, Pearl Jam has remained a remarkably successful and popular band thanks to its dedicated fan base and its commitment to continued musical excellence.

Background

Pearl Jam's roots can be traced back to the mid-1980s. At the time, Gossard and Ament were both performing as members of the popular Seattle band Green River. When Green River broke up in 1987, the pair joined with vocalist Andrew Wood to form Mother Love Bone. Signed by Polygram and given its own label, Mother Love Bone seemed poised to make a big splash with its debut album, Apple. Then frontman Wood abruptly died of a drug overdose in March 1990. Although Apple was eventually released after Wood's death, his passing marked the end of Mother Love Bone.

In the wake of Mother Love Bone's premature demise, Gossard and Ament moved on and began working to start a new band. As part of this effort, the pair created an instrumental demo tape with guitarist Mike McCready and sent it to former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons in hopes that he might join the project. Irons was busy at the time, but he sent the tape to a San Diego singer he knew named Eddie Vedder. Vedder subsequently wrote lyrics for the songs, recorded his own accompanying vocals, and sent the tape back to Gossard and Ament. Impressed with his work, they offered Vedder a spot in the new band. They also recruited drummer Dave Krusen to complete the lineup. At around the same time, Gossard, Ament, and McCready partnered with Soundgarden's Chris Cornell and Matt Cameron to record an Andrew Wood memorial album called Temple of the Dog, which was released in 1992.

Gossard, Ament, Vedder, McCready, and Krusen originally called their band Mookie Blaylock after the professional basketball player of the same name and soon began to gain recognition as one of the top acts in Seattle's emerging grunge scene. Shortly after signing with Epic Records in 1991, the band rechristened itself Pearl Jam. At the time, Vedder claimed the name was a nod to a psychedelic treat his great-grandmother used to make, but he later recanted the story. Although Pearl Jam decided not to continue using Blaylock's name, the band still paid tribute to the athlete by naming its first studio album Ten in honor of the jersey number he wore.

Overview

Although not an immediate hit upon its initial release in August 1991, sales of Ten exploded in early 1992 as mainstream radio stations started taking an interest in playing alternative rock. Bolstered by hit singles such as "Even Flow" and "Alive" and an especially popular music video for the song "Jeremy," Ten was ultimately a smash success and a triumphant debut for Pearl Jam. It also marked the only time that the band's original members would record together, as Krusen decided to leave shortly after its release. Krusen was temporarily replaced in live performances by Matt Chamberlin until Dave Abbruzzese permanently took over drumming duties in late 1991.

Pearl Jam spent much of 1992 on tour, often opening for major acts such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Neil Young. Pearl Jam headlined that year's Lollapalooza Tour. As 1992 came to a close, Pearl Jam's newfound position as one of the world's most popular rock bands was firmly cemented. The fame that went along with that accomplishment soon began to take its toll, however. Vedder in particular struggled with the pressures of celebrity and was often uncooperative in interviews. He developed a reputation for public drunkenness and other bad behavior. Regardless, Pearl Jam's troubled frontman was ready when the band returned to the studio to record its second album, Vs., in 1993. Upon its release, Vs. proved to be another major hit, selling 1.3 million copies in just thirteen days.

At the height of its success in 1994, Pearl Jam became embroiled in a fierce dispute with ticket sales giant Ticketmaster over service charges. Pearl Jam wanted to keep ticket prices for its concerts as low as possible, but Ticketmaster's excessive service fees made that impossible. In protest, Pearl Jam boycotted Ticketmaster arenas in favor of staging performances at makeshift venues and other locales. The decision to oppose Ticketmaster made touring difficult and ultimately reduced Pearl Jam's mainstream popularity. Nevertheless, the band kept recording and eventually released Vitalogy at the end of the year.

Shortly after the Vitalogy recording sessions, Abbruzzese was fired and replaced by Jack Irons. Irons's first major studio assignment with the band came with the recording of 1996's No Code. An experimental detour from Pearl Jam's usual fare, the album made little impact with fans. In response to No Code's disappointing performance, the band returned to its hard rock roots with the release of Yield in 1998. That same year, Pearl Jam resumed playing in Ticketmaster venues and said goodbye to Irons, who was replaced by Matt Cameron.

Pearl Jam returned to prominence in 1999 after it released a cover of 1960s one-hit wonder J. Frank Wilson's "Last Kiss." Although originally recorded as an exclusive single for fan club members, the song gained popularity when it received a wider release. "Last Kiss" was followed by Binatural in 2000. Later that year, Pearl Jam once again courted controversy when nine fans were crushed to death during its set at a music festival in Roskilde, Denmark. Danish authorities deemed the band "morally responsible" in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, but Pearl Jam was eventually cleared of any wrongdoing.

In the years after Binatural was released, Pearl Jam continued touring and recording. Subsequent albums included Riot Act (2002), Pearl Jam (2006), Backspacer (2009), and Lightning Bolt (2013). Pearl Jam was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017. In March 2020, the band released their eleventh studio album, Gigaton. Pearl Jam followed Gigaton with their 2024 release, Dark Matter.

Bibliography

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Jenkins, Craig. "Pearl Jam Might Not Be Cool, but That Doesn't Mean They Aren't Great." Vulture,11 Apr. 2017, www.vulture.com/2017/04/despite-what-you-may-think-pearl-jam-is-still-great.html. Accessed 11 Sept. 2017.

Kot, Greg. "How Did Pearl Jam Become Generation X's Grateful Dead?" BBC, 21 Oct. 2014, www.bbc.com/culture/story/20131023-pearl-jam-the-new-grateful-dead. Accessed 11 Sept. 2017.

Mason, Anthony. "Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament and Eddie Vedder on the Road." CBS News, 22 Sept. 2024, www.cbsnews.com/news/pearl-jam-dark-matter-eddie-vedder-and-jeff-ament-on-the-road/. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam Twenty. Simon & Schuster, 2011.

"Pearl Jam." Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, www.rockhall.com/inductees/pearl-jam. Accessed 11 Sept. 2017.

Reader, Bill. "The Story of Pearl Jam, from a Seattle Basement to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame." The Seattle Times,30 Mar. 2017, www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/pearl-jams-hall-of-fame-career-began-in-a-seattle-basement/. Accessed 11 Sept. 2017.