Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam emerged in the early 1990s, along with Nirvana, Soundgarden and Alice In Chains, as one of the most successful wave of grunge bands from Seattle.

Members of Pearl Jam were previously active in bands like Green River and Mother Love Bone. The band formed in Seattle in 1990 and released their smash debut album, Ten, just a year later. The album, featuring timeless hits like "Alive," "Jeremy," and "Even Flow," instantly established the band fronted by singer Eddie Vedder as one of the leading figures of grunge. It was a generation of rock bands that, originating from Seattle, conquered the world with their raw, alternative rock sound. Other successful grunge bands included Alice In Chains (early albums: "Facelift" and "Dirt"), Nirvana ("Nevermind"), and Soundgarden ("Badmotorfinger").

While most other grunge bands were plagued by demons (Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice In Chains) or lacked the ability to reach a broad audience (TAD, The Melvins, Mudhoney), Pearl Jam managed to maintain its position at the top, even after the grunge craze had subsided. Their success story continued with excellent albums like Vs. (1993), Vitalogy (1994), No Code (1996), and Yield (1998). In 1995, Pearl Jam backed Canadian legend Neil Young on his album Mirror Ball. A logical collaboration, as the singer-guitarist was considered one of the founding fathers of grunge. A successful summer tour of 1998 culminated in the release of the representative album Live on Two Legs.

New material appeared in the form of Binaural (2000) and Riot Act (2002), while Lost Dogs (2003) was a collection of B-sides and other rare material. In 2009, the iconic debut album Ten was reissued, with the public able to choose from four different configurations. Although recent albums are released at relatively long intervals, Pearl Jam effortlessly manages to stay in the spotlight. The band tours extensively, its members are involved in various charities, and singer Eddie Vedder, in particular, regularly comments on current political issues. Grunge as a phenomenon may now be a museum piece, but the Pearl Jam it spawned is still very much alive. Most of the classic lineup has survived the many peaks and troughs: Eddie Vedder (vocals, guitar), Mike McCready (guitar), Stone Gossard (guitar), Jeff Ament (bass), and Matt Cameron (drums). During the recent tours, material was played for a forthcoming new album, the follow-up to Lightning Bolt (2013).

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