Pearl Jam- The Legend Continues
Hailed as the most popular rock and roll band of the 1990s, Pearl Jam remains one of the music scene’s demi-gods as shown by music merch sales. This, despite the insistence of the band members in standing up for oft-controversial issues related to ethics and politics. As a result, one magazine has asserted that the band has spent too much time deliberately hacking away at its own fame.
One other explanation behind the band’s enduring quality is its strong following and fan base. Millions continue to listen to Eddie Vedder on lead vocals and guitar, Matt Cameron on drums, Stone Gossard on rhythm guitar, Jeff Ament on bass guitar and Mike McCreedy on lead guitar.
Discography Worth Jamming To
With impressive album sales of 60 million worldwide, Pearl Jam definitely has staying power over its contemporaries from the 1990s. This comes as no surprise as its songs are as relevant today as it was 20 years ago, the themes touching on subjects ranging from the personal to the social and political.
At present, Pearl Jam has 9 studio albums, 2 compilation albums and 6 live albums with 28 singles and several official bootlegs to its name. It must be noted that the number does not include numerous collaborations with other bands like Soundgarden, Mother Love Bone, and Temple of the Dog, to name a few.
The nine studio albums are spread well over two decades. They came up with Ten in 1991, Vs in 1993, Vitalogy in 1994, No Code in 1996, Yield in 1998, Binaural in 2000, Riot Act in 2002, Pearl Jam in 2006 and Backspacer in 2009.
Band Influence and Legacy
Fans of Pearl Jam can always expect something new from the band and yet still evocative of the spirit that makes the band what it is. With each new release, the band broadens to experiment with and influences other musical styles but without losing its essence as a band with decidedly classic rock and punk rock influences of its own.
A music analyst can clearly see the mix of approaches from the albums. Ten began mainly as alternative rock music but Vitalogy continued as punk rock. No Code moved on to garage rock and was followed by rock and roll Yield and art rock Binaural. Riot Act continued with elements of the general rock genre. Pearl Jam finally made the return home to alternative rock but Backspacer introduced a wholly different side to Pearl Jam when it infused pop and new wave influences.
The band’s influence on other bands is impressive, too. Bands ranging from Silverchair (alternative rock) and Puddle of Mudd (post-grunge) to The Strokes (rock) cite Pearl Jam as their prime inspiration. Plus, there is also the fact that fans, called Jamily, have an almost cult-like adoration for the band and its music.
But their legacy does not only extend to the music industry. Eddie Vedder has used and continues to use the band’s popularity to espouse social and political causes like pro-choice, environment and wildlife protection, awareness of Chrohn’s disease, voter registration and participation, and charities.
It’s clear that the band members’ additional point of appeal is their social involvement. They definitely have more in mind than fame and money. This truly makes them the best candidates for immortalizing at least on band posters.
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