About Pearl Jam
Along with bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam was a part of the grunge movement, popularizing the new metal sound in the early 90s. The band however became a rock group with an infusion of a heavy Led Zeppelin-inspired sound and an emotional depth that made their songs popular in the early days. Formed in 1990 in Seattle with Eddie Vedder on lead vocals, Mike McCready on lead guitar, Jeff Ament on bass and Stone Gossard on rhythm guitar, the band has had multiple lineup changes over the years.
Currently the band is gearing up for their participation in Lollapalooza in multiple countries, including Chile, Argentine and Brazil. You certainly would not want to miss these legendary musicians live in action. Grab your Pearl Jam tickets at the earliest and get ready to enjoy some of the best music to come out of Seattle.
Early Days
In the mid-eighties, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament were members of a pioneering grunge group called the Green River. With little initial success, the band eventually got reorganized into another group called Mother Love Bone with new members. Soon they were signed on to PolyGram Records and released their debut album, Apple, in July 1990. Following the death of the new vocalist, Andrew Wood, due to a heroin overdose, Mother Love Bone disbanded.
But the musicians were far from done. They resurfaced again, joined by Eddie Vedder from San Diego. Taking the name Mookie Blaylock, the newly formed band started playing shows as the opening act for multiple bands. After serving as the opening act for Alice in Chains, the band was signed on to Epic Records and renamed themselves Pearl Jam.
The Slow Ride to Breakthrough Success
The band’s first album called Ten, was released in August 1991. It contained eleven songs that dealt with topics such as depression, murder, loneliness and suicide. Initially the album experienced slow sales, but towards the end of 1992, the album ended up becoming a breakthrough success. It was certified gold by the RIAA and reached number two on the Billboard charts. The album included hit singles such as “Alive,” “Jeremy” and “Even Flow.” The album’s success was such that it stayed on the charts for an impressive five years and went on to become one of the top selling records of all time.
Continued Success
Pearl Jam headed back to the studio in the start of 1993 to begin working on its second album, with huge expectations to meet, thanks to the massive success of their debut album. Released in October of 1993, the second album, called Vs. sold 950,378 copies within the first week of sales and performed better than all other entries in the Billboard top ten in that week combined. Hit singles from this album included “Go,” “Animal,” “Daughter” and “Dissident.”
Even though Pearl Jam was at its peak in the mid-Nineties, they also had their fair share of tough times. For instance, the band’s attempt to experiment with their sound on the 1996 album, No Code, did not become a fan favorite, despite charting well initially.
In early 2006, the band switched labels and signed on to Sony BMG music group. The band’s releases with this label saw a noted departure from its traditional style. They moved towards a more melodic rock and roll. In 2009, the band released Backspacer, independent of any label. The album helped Pearl Jam score its first number one hit in 13 years.
Five Albums, One Week
In September of 2000, the band made history by self-releasing 25 live albums within the span of a week and having five of these albums make it to the Billboard 200 chart at the same time.
Musical Style and Influences on Pearl Jam
In comparison to the other grunge bands that came to the music scene in the early 1990s, the style of Pearl Jam was lighter. The group has cited many punk rock or classic rock groups as major influences. These include the likes of Led Zeppelin, Kiss, The Ramones and Neil Young.
Pearl Jam varied its musical style with every other album. By 1994, the band had started incorporating more punk elements into their songs, with the album, Vitalogy. The songs on Pearl Jam’s 1996 album, No Code, were vastly different from the style they had started out with Ten. The former featured a more garage rock kind of a sound with a lot of experimentalism. The 2002 album, Riot, has a strong folk-rock feel to it, again moving away from the roots of the band. The 2009 album, Backspacer, is entirely different from the rest and contains a lot of elements of new wave and pop.
Awards and Achievements
Having sold more than 32 million records to date in the US alone and an approximate 60 million across the world, Pearl Jam has outsold many of the bands of its time. It is considered to be one of the most influential bands of the early Nineties. Pearl Jam was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on 7th April, 2017.
Over the years, the band has won 5 American Music Awards, 1 Esky Music Award, 2 Grammy Awards and 4 MTV Video Music Awards. In addition, the band has also been nominated a total of 37 times for awards such as the Golden Globes, Juno Awards, Radio Music Awards and the Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards.
Pearl Jam Tour Tickets
Lucky for the fans of the band, Pearl Jam tour tickets are now available for their upcoming shows. Keep following the band for updates regarding their performances in mid-March 2018 in multiple countries, including Chile, Argentina and Brazil. Grab these tickets at the earliest and secure your chance of catching one of the most legendary musical acts live in action at the Lollapolooza Festival!
