Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam in 2006, left to right: Mike McCready, Jeff Ament, Matt Cameron, Eddie Vedder and Stone Gossard
Background information
Origin	Seattle, Washington, USA
Genre(s)	Alternative rock, grunge, hard rock
Years active	1990–present
Label(s)	Epic Records (1991–2004) J Records (2006–present)
Associated acts	Green River, Soundgarden, Bad Radio, Mother Love Bone, Temple of the Dog, Brad, Mad Season, Neil Young, Three Fish, Wellwater Conspiracy, The Rockfords
Website	www.pearljam.com
Members
Jeff Ament Stone Gossard Mike McCready Eddie Vedder Matt Cameron
Former members
Dave Krusen Matt Chamberlain Dave Abbruzzese Jack Irons

Pearl Jam is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A music genre is a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock In the Music industry, a record label can be a Brand and a Trademark associated with the Marketing of music recordings and Music Epic Records is an American Record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. J Records is an American Record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and is distributed through the RCA Records Group. Green River was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 Bad Radio was a four piece American progressive Funk rock band that formed in San Diego, California in 1986 Mother Love Bone was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1988 Temple of the Dog was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990 Brad is an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1992 For the album by Matchbox Twenty please see Mad Season (album. Neil Percival Young OM (born November 12, 1945, Toronto Ontario) is a Canadian Singer-songwriter, Musician Three Fish was an American rock band formed in 1994 by Pearl Jam 's Jeff Ament. Wellwater Conspiracy was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1993 The Rockfords were an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1999 by Carrie Akre, Chris Friel and Danny Newcomb of Goodness Jeffrey Allen Ament (born March 10 1963 in Havre, Montana) is an American Bassist and Songwriter. Stone Carpenter Gossard (born July 20 1966 in Seattle, Washington) is an American Guitarist and Songwriter. Michael David McCready (born April 5 1966 in Pensacola, Florida) is an American Guitarist and Songwriter. Eddie Vedder (born December 23 1964 in Evanston, Illinois) is an American singer, Songwriter, Composer, and Guitarist Matthew David Cameron (born November 28 1962 in San Diego, California) is an American Drummer. David Krusen (born March 10 1966 in Tacoma, Washington) is an American Drummer. Matthew Chamberlain (born April 17 1967 in San Pedro, California) is a well-known American session Drummer. David James Abbruzzese (born May 17 1968 in Stamford, Connecticut) is an American Drummer. Jack Steven Irons (born July 18 1962 in Los Angeles, California) is an American Drummer. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Since its inception, the band's line-up has included Eddie Vedder (lead vocals, guitar), Jeff Ament (bass guitar), Stone Gossard (rhythm guitar), and Mike McCready (lead guitar). Eddie Vedder (born December 23 1964 in Evanston, Illinois) is an American singer, Songwriter, Composer, and Guitarist Jeffrey Allen Ament (born March 10 1963 in Havre, Montana) is an American Bassist and Songwriter. Stone Carpenter Gossard (born July 20 1966 in Seattle, Washington) is an American Guitarist and Songwriter. Michael David McCready (born April 5 1966 in Pensacola, Florida) is an American Guitarist and Songwriter. The band's current drummer is Matt Cameron, formerly of Soundgarden, who has been with the band since 1998. Matthew David Cameron (born November 28 1962 in San Diego, California) is an American Drummer.

Formed after the demise of Ament and Gossard's previous band Mother Love Bone, Pearl Jam broke into the mainstream with its debut album Ten. Mother Love Bone was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1988 Ten is the debut album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on August 27 1991 through Epic Records. One of the key bands of the grunge movement in the early 1990s, Pearl Jam was criticized early on—most notably by Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain—as being a corporate cash-in on the alternative rock explosion. Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20 1967 – c April 5 1994 was an American musician who served as lead singer, Guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle Alternative rock (also called alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative; known primarily in the UK as indie) is a genre of However, over the course of the band's career its members became noted for their refusal to adhere to traditional music industry practices; including refusing to make music videos and engaging in a much-publicized boycott of Ticketmaster. A music video is a Short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music most commonly a Song with lyrics Ticketmaster is a ticket sales and distribution company based in West Hollywood California, USA, with operations in many countries around the world In 2006, Rolling Stone described the band as having "spent much of the past decade deliberately tearing apart their own fame. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published "^[1]

Since its inception, the band has sold 30 million records in the U. S. ,^[2] and an estimated 60 million albums worldwide. ^[3][4] Pearl Jam has outlasted many of its contemporaries from the alternative rock breakthrough of the early 1990s, and is considered one of the most influential bands of the decade,^[5] and "the most popular American rock & roll band of the '90s". ^[6]

History

Formation: 1984–1990

Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament were members of pioneering grunge band Green River during the mid-1980s. Green River was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 Green River toured and recorded to moderate success but disbanded in 1987 due to a stylistic division between the pair and bandmates Mark Arm and Steve Turner. Mark Arm (born Mark McLaughlin on February 21, 1962) is the vocalist for the Grunge band Mudhoney. Steve Turner is an American Guitarist most famous for his work with Seattle band Mudhoney. ^[7] In late 1987, Gossard and Ament began playing with Malfunkshun vocalist Andrew Wood, eventually organizing the band Mother Love Bone. Malfunkshun is a band formed in 1980 by Andrew Wood and his brother Kevin Wood Andrew Wood ( January 6, 1966 &ndash March 19, 1990) born in Columbus Mississippi, was the lead singer of the band Mother Mother Love Bone was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1988 In 1988 and 1989, the band recorded and toured to increasing interest and found the support of the PolyGram record label, which signed the band in early 1989. PolyGram was the name from 1972 of the Major label recording company started by Philips as a holding company for its music interests in 1945 Their debut album, Apple was released in July 1990, four months after Wood died of a heroin overdose. Apple is the only full-length album by the American rock band Mother Love Bone. Heroin ( INN: diacetylmorphine, BAN: diamorphine) is a semi-synthetic opioid synthesized from Morphine, a derivative The term drug overdose (or simply overdose or OD) describes the Ingestion or application of a Drug or other substance in quantities ^[8]

Ament and Gossard were devastated by the death of Wood and the resulting demise of Mother Love Bone. Gossard spent his time afterwards writing material that was harder-edged than what he had been doing previously. ^[9] After a few months, Gossard started practicing with fellow Seattle guitarist Mike McCready, whose band Shadow had broken up; McCready in turn encouraged Gossard to reconnect with Ament. ^[1] After practicing for a while, during the recording of the Temple of the Dog project, the trio sent out a five-song demo tape in order to find a singer and a drummer. Temple of the Dog was an American rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990 They gave former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons the demo to see if he would be interested in joining the band and to distribute the demo to anyone he felt might fit the lead vocal position. Red Hot Chili Peppers are Jack Steven Irons (born July 18 1962 in Los Angeles, California) is an American Drummer. ^[9]

Irons passed on the invitation but gave the demo to his basketball buddy, San Diego singer Eddie Vedder. Eddie Vedder (born December 23 1964 in Evanston, Illinois) is an American singer, Songwriter, Composer, and Guitarist ^[10] Vedder was the lead vocalist for a San Diego band, Bad Radio, and worked part time at a gas station. Bad Radio was a four piece American progressive Funk rock band that formed in San Diego, California in 1986 He listened to the tape shortly before going surfing, where lyrics came to him. ^[9] There he recorded the vocals to three of the songs ("Alive", "Once", and "Footsteps") in what Vedder would later describe as a "mini-opera" he entitled "Mamasan". " Alive " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. " Once " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. ^[11][9] He sent the tape with his vocals back to the three Seattle musicians, who were so impressed that they had Vedder fly to Seattle. Within a week, Vedder had joined the band. ^[9]

With the addition of Dave Krusen on drums, the band took the name Mookie Blaylock, in reference to the then-active All-Star basketball player. David Krusen (born March 10 1966 in Tacoma, Washington) is an American Drummer. Daron Oshay "Mookie" Blaylock (born March 20 1967 in Garland, Texas) is a retired American professional Basketball The band played their first official show at the Off Ramp club in Seattle on October 22, 1990,^[12] and soon signed to Epic Records. Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Epic Records is an American Record label. It is owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment. However, concerns about trademark issues necessitated a name change; the band's name became "Pearl Jam". ^[6] In an early promotional interview, Vedder claimed that the name "Pearl Jam" was a reference to his great-grandmother Pearl, who was married to a Native American and had a special recipe for peyote-laced jam. ^[13] In a 2006 Rolling Stone cover story however, Vedder admitted that this story was "total bullshit" (even though his great-grandma was indeed named Pearl). Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published Ament and McCready explained that Ament came up with "pearl", and that the band later settled on "Pearl Jam" after attending a concert by Neil Young, in which he stretched up his songs as improvisations of 15-20 minutes in length, a practice known as jamming. Neil Percival Young OM (born November 12, 1945, Toronto Ontario) is a Canadian Singer-songwriter, Musician A jam session is a Musical act where Musicians gather and play (or "jam") without extensive preparation or predefined Arrangements ^[1]

Ten and the grunge explosion: 1991–1992

Pearl Jam entered Seattle's London Bridge Studios in March 1991 to record its debut album Ten. Ten is the debut album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on August 27 1991 through Epic Records. ^[14] Krusen left the band in May 1991 after checking himself into rehabilitation;^[15] he was replaced by Matt Chamberlain, who had previously played with Edie Brickell & New Bohemians. Matthew Chamberlain (born April 17 1967 in San Pedro, California) is a well-known American session Drummer. Edie Brickell & New Bohemians is a rock band that originated in Texas in the mid-1980s After playing only a handful of shows, one of which was filmed for the "Alive" video, Chamberlain left to join the Saturday Night Live band. Saturday Night Live ( SNL) is a weekly late-night 90-minute American Sketch comedy / Variety show based in New York City ^[16] Chamberlain suggested Dave Abbruzzese as his replacement. David James Abbruzzese (born May 17 1968 in Stamford, Connecticut) is an American Drummer. Abbruzzese joined the group and played the rest of Pearl Jam's live shows supporting the Ten album.

Released on August 27, 1991, Ten (named after Mookie Blaylock's jersey number)^[13] contained eleven tracks dealing with dark subjects like depression, suicide, loneliness, and murder. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Ten's musical style, influenced by classic rock, combined an "expansive harmonic vocabulary" with an anthemic sound. ^[17] The album was slow to sell, but by the second half of 1992 it became a breakthrough success, being certified gold and reaching number two on the Billboard charts. ^[14] Ten produced the hit singles "Even Flow", "Alive", and "Jeremy". " Even Flow " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released in 1992 as the second single from the band's debut album Ten (1991 " Alive " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. " Jeremy " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Originally interpreted as an anthem by many,^[9] Vedder later revealed that "Alive" tells the semi-biographical tale of a son discovering that his father is actually his stepfather, while his mother’s grief turns her to sexually embrace her son, who strongly resembles the biological father. ^[9] The song "Jeremy" (sample (help·info)) and its accompanying video were inspired by a true story in which a high school student shot himself in front of his classmates. ^[18] Ten stayed on the Billboard charts for more than two years, and has gone on to become one of the biggest-selling rock records ever, going twelve times platinum. In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of Albums and singles sold through retail and

With the success of Ten, Pearl Jam became a key member of the Seattle grunge explosion, along with Nirvana, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden. Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle Washington in The band was criticized in the music press; British music magazine NME said that Pearl Jam was "trying to steal money from young alternative kids' pockets". The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The New Musical Express (better known as the NME) is a Popular music Magazine in the United Kingdom which has been ^[19] Nirvana's Kurt Cobain angrily attacked Pearl Jam, claiming the band were commercial sellouts,^[20] and argued Ten was not a true alternative album because it had so many prominent guitar leads. Kurt Donald Cobain (February 20 1967 – c April 5 1994 was an American musician who served as lead singer, Guitarist, and songwriter for the Seattle "Sold Out" redirects here For other uses see Sold Out (disambiguation or Selling Out (disambiguation. ^[14] Cobain later reconciled with Vedder, and they reportedly became friends before Cobain's death in 1994. ^[1]

Pearl Jam toured relentlessly in support of Ten. The Ten Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam to support its debut album Ten. In 1992, Pearl Jam made television appearances on Saturday Night Live and MTV Unplugged and took a slot on that summer's Lollapalooza tour with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Soundgarden, and Ministry, among others. MTV Unplugged is a series showcasing popular musical artists playing Acoustic instruments It was produced by Viacom and was directed by Beth Lollapalooza is an American music festival featuring Alternative rock, hip hop, and Punk rock bands Dance and Comedy performances Red Hot Chili Peppers are Ministry was an American Industrial metal band founded by Frontman Al Jourgensen in 1981 The band contributed two songs to the soundtrack of the 1992 Cameron Crowe film Singles: "State of Love and Trust" and "Breath". Cameron Bruce Crowe (born July 13, 1957) is an Academy Award -winning American Writer and Film director. Singles is a 1992 Romantic comedy film written and directed by Cameron Crowe. " State of Love and Trust " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. " Breath " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Ament, Gossard and Vedder appeared in Singles under the name "Citizen Dick"; their parts were filmed when Pearl Jam was known as Mookie Blaylock.

Dealing with success: 1993–1995

Singer Eddie Vedder appeared on the cover of the October 25, 1993 issue of Time, as part of the feature article discussing the rising popularity of the grunge movement. Eddie Vedder (born December 23 1964 in Evanston, Illinois) is an American singer, Songwriter, Composer, and Guitarist Events 1147 - The Portuguese, under Afonso I, and Crusaders from England and Flanders conquer Lisbon after a Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and Vedder had declined to participate, and was upset with the magazine about the cover. ^[21]

The band members grew uncomfortable with their success, with much of the burden of Pearl Jam's popularity falling on frontman Vedder. ^[9] While Pearl Jam received four awards at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards for its video for "Jeremy", including Video of the Year and Best Group Video, the band refused to make a video for "Black" in spite of pressure by the label. The MTV Video Music Awards were established in the end of the summer of 1984 by MTV to celebrate the top Music videos of the year The following is a list of the MTV Video Music Awards winners for Video of the Year. The following is a list of the MTV Video Music Awards winners for Best Group Video. This action began a trend of the band refusing to make videos for its songs. "Ten years from now," Ament said, "I don't want people to remember our songs as videos. "^[9]

Released on October 19, 1993, Pearl Jam's second album Vs. sold a record 950,378 copies in its first week of release and outperformed all other entries in the Billboard top ten that week combined. Events 202 BCE - The Battle of Zama results in the defeat of Carthage and Hannibal. Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) ^[22] Vs. included the singles "Daughter", "Dissident", "Go", and "Animal". " Daughter " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released in 1993 as the second single from the band's second studio album Vs " Dissident " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released in 1994 as the fourth single from the band's second studio album Vs " Go " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released in 1993 as the first single from the band's second studio album Vs " Animal " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released in 1994 as the third single from the band's second studio album Vs The band decided, beginning with the release of Vs. , to scale back its commercial efforts. ^[23] The members declined to produce any more music videos after the massive success of "Jeremy" and opted to give fewer interviews and make fewer television appearances. Industry insiders compared Pearl Jam's tour that year to the touring habits of Led Zeppelin, in that the band "ignored the press and took its music directly to the fans. Led Zeppelin were "^[24] During the Vs. tour, the band set a cap on ticket prices in an attempt to thwart scalpers. The Vs Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam to support its second album Vs ^[25]

By 1994, Pearl Jam was "fighting on all fronts", as its manager described the band at the time. ^[26] Pearl Jam was outraged when, after it played a pair of shows in Chicago, it discovered that ticket vendor Ticketmaster had added a service charge to the tickets. Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. Ticketmaster is a ticket sales and distribution company based in West Hollywood California, USA, with operations in many countries around the world The United States Department of Justice was investigating the company's practices at the time and asked the band to create a memorandum of its experiences with the company. For animal rights group see Justice Department (JD The United States Department of Justice ( DOJ) is a Cabinet department Gossard and Ament soon testified at a subcommittee investigation in Washington, D.C.^[27] The band eventually canceled its 1994 summer tour in protest. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D ^[28] After the Justice Department dropped the case, Pearl Jam continued to boycott Ticketmaster, refusing to play venues that had contracts with the company. ^[29] Music critic Jim DeRogatis noted that along with the Ticketmaster debacle, "the band has refused to release singles or make videos; it has demanded that its albums be released on vinyl; and it wants to be more like its '60s heroes, The Who, releasing two or three albums a year. James "Jim" DeRogatis (born 1964 in Jersey City New Jersey) is an American Music critic. The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend " He also stated that sources said that most of the band's third album Vitalogy was completed by early 1994, but that either a forced delay by Epic or that the battle with Ticketmaster were to blame for the delay. Vitalogy is the third album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on December 6 1994 through Epic Records. ^[30]

After Pearl Jam finished the recording of Vitalogy, drummer Dave Abbruzzese was fired. The band cited political differences between Abbruzzese and the other members; for example, Abbruzzese disagreed with the Ticketmaster boycott. ^[31] He was finally replaced by Jack Irons, a close friend of Vedder and the former and original drummer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Red Hot Chili Peppers are Irons made his debut with the band at Neil Young's 1994 Bridge School Benefit, but he was not officially announced as the band's new drummer until its 1995 Self-Pollution satellite radio broadcast. The Bridge School Benefit is an annual non-profit charity concert held in Mountain View California every October at the Shoreline Amphitheatre.

Vitalogy was released first on November 22, 1994 on vinyl and then two weeks later on December 6, 1994 on CD and cassette. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev Year 1994 ( MCMXCIV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1994 Gregorian calendar) The CD became the second-fastest-selling in history, with more than 877,000 units sold in its first week. ^[12] Many of the songs on the album appear to be based around the pressures of fame. ^[32] The song "Spin the Black Circle", a homage to vinyl records, won a Grammy Award in 1996 for Best Hard Rock Performance. " Spin the Black Circle " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on November 8 1994 as the first single from the band's third studio album The Grammy Awards (originally called the Gramophone Awards)—or Grammys —are presented annually by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences The Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance has been awarded since 1990. Vitalogy also included the songs "Not for You", "Corduroy", "Immortality", and "Better Man". " Not for You " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on March 21 1995 as the second single from the band's third studio album " Corduroy " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. " Immortality " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on June 6 1995 as the third single from the band's third studio album Vitalogy This article is about the Pearl Jam song for the Robbie Williams song of the same name see Better Man (Robbie Williams song; for the Oasis song "Better Man" (sample (info)), a song originally penned and performed by Vedder while in Bad Radio, reached number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, spending a total of eight weeks there. Considered a "blatantly great pop song" by producer Brendan O'Brien, Pearl Jam was reluctant to record it and had initially rejected it from Vs. due to its accessibility. ^[31]

The band continued its boycott against Ticketmaster during its 1995 tour for Vitalogy, but was surprised that virtually no other bands joined it in refusing to play at Ticketmaster venues. The Vitalogy Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam to support its third album Vitalogy. ^[33] Pearl Jam's initiative to play only at non-Ticketmaster venues effectively, with a few exceptions, prevented it from playing shows in the United States for the next three years. ^[34] In the same year Pearl Jam backed Neil Young, whom the band had noted as an influence, on his album Mirror Ball. Neil Percival Young OM (born November 12, 1945, Toronto Ontario) is a Canadian Singer-songwriter, Musician Mirror Ball is an album by Neil Young and Pearl Jam, released on June 27 1995 through Reprise Records. Contractual obligations prevented the use of the band's name anywhere on the album, but the members were all credited individually in the album's liner notes. ^[6] Two songs from the sessions were left off Mirror Ball: "I Got Id" and "Long Road". " I Got Id " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam featuring Neil Young. These two tracks were released separately by Pearl Jam in the form of the EP Merkin Ball. Merkin Ball is a two song EP by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam featuring Neil Young, released on December 5 1995

No Code and Yield: 1996–1999

Released on August 27, 1996, No Code was seen as a deliberate break from the band's sound since Ten,^[35] favoring experimental ballads and noisy garage rockers. Events 479 BC - Greco-Persian Wars: Persian forces led by Mardonius are routed by Pausanias, the Spartan Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) No Code is the fourth album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on August 27 1996 through Epic Records. Although the album debuted at number one on the Billboard charts, it quickly fell down the charts. No Code included the singles "Hail, Hail", "Who You Are" (sample (help·info)), and "Off He Goes". " Hail Hail " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released in 1996 as the second single from the band's fourth studio album No Code " Who You Are " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on July 30 1996 as the first single from the band's fourth studio album " Off He Goes " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released in 1996 as the third single from the band's fourth studio album No Code As with Vitalogy, very little touring was done to promote No Code because of the band's refusal to play in Ticketmaster's venue areas. A European tour followed in the fall of 1996. The No Code Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam to support its fourth album No Code.

On February 3, 1998, Pearl Jam released its fifth album, Yield. Events 1112 - Ramon Berenguer III of Barcelona and Douce I of Provence marry uniting the fortunes of those two states Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Yield is the fifth album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on February 3 1998 through Epic Records. The album was cited as a return to the band's early, straightforward rock sound,^[36] Yield debuted at number two on the Billboard charts, but like No Code soon began dropping down the charts. ^[37] It included the singles "Given to Fly" and "Wishlist". " Given to Fly " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on January 6 1998 as the first single from the band's fifth studio album " Wishlist " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on May 5 1998 as the second single from the band's fifth studio album Yield The band hired comic book artist Todd McFarlane to create an animated video for the song "Do the Evolution" from the album, its first music video since 1992. Todd McFarlane (born March 16, 1961) is a Canadian Comic book artist writer toy manufacturer/designer and media Entrepreneur who is best known " Do the Evolution " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. A documentary detailing the making of Yield, Single Video Theory, was released on VHS and DVD later that year. Single Video Theory is a music documentary directed by Mark Pellington that follows the making of Yield, the fifth album by the American

In June 1998, Pearl Jam once again changed drummers. Jack Irons left the band due to dissatisfaction with touring and was replaced with former Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron on an initially temporary basis,^[38] but he soon became a permanent replacement for Irons. Pearl Jam's 1998 Yield Tour of North America marked the band’s return to full-scale touring. The Yield Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam to support its fifth album Yield. The band's anti-trust lawsuit against Ticketmaster had proven to be unsuccessful and hindered live tours. Many fans had complained about the difficulty in obtaining tickets and the use of non-Ticketmaster venues, which were judged to be out-of-the-way and impersonal. For this tour and future tours, Pearl Jam once again began using Ticketmaster in order to "better accommodate concertgoers. "^[39] The 1998 summer tour was a tremendous success,^[40] and after it was completed the band released Live on Two Legs, a live album which featured select performances from the tour. Live on Two Legs is the first major Live album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on November 24 1998 through

In 1998, Pearl Jam recorded "Last Kiss", a cover of a 1960s ballad made famous by J. Frank Wilson and the Cavaliers. For the Tanpopo song see Last Kiss (Tanpopo song. For the 2006 movie see The Last Kiss. The Cavaliers formed around 1955 with leader/guitarist Sid Holmes bassist Lewis Elliott saxophonist Rob Zeller drummer Ray Smith and vocalist Alton Baird It was recorded during a soundcheck and released on the band's 1998 fan club single. A fan club is a group that is dedicated to a well known person group idea (such as History) or sometimes even an inanimate object (such as a famous building The following year, the cover was put into heavy rotation across the country. By popular demand, the cover was released to the general public as a single in 1999, with all of the proceeds going to the aid of refugees of the Kosovo War. The term Kosovo War or Kosovo Conflict is often used to describe two sequential and at times parallel armed conflicts in Kosovo: 1996–1999 ^[12] The band also decided to include the song on a charity compilation album, No Boundaries: A Benefit for the Kosovar Refugees. No Boundaries A Benefit For The Kosovar Refugees was released on June 15th 1999 by Epic Records featuring a handful of various artists to help raise money for the "Last Kiss" peaked at number two on the Billboard charts and became the band's highest-charting single.

Binaural and the Roskilde tragedy: 2000–2001

On May 16, 2000 Pearl Jam released its sixth studio album, Binaural. Events 1204 - Baldwin IX Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Binaural is the sixth album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on May 16 2000 through Epic Records. It was drummer Matt Cameron's recording debut with the band. The title is a reference to the binaural recording techniques that were utilized on several tracks by producer Tchad Blake, known for his use of the technique. Binaural recording is a method of Recording audio which uses a special Microphone arrangement intended for replay using headphones Tchad Blake (born in 1955 is an American Record producer, engineer mixer and musician ^[41] Binaural was the first album since the band's debut not produced by Brendan O'Brien, although O'Brien was called in later to remix several tracks. Brendan O'Brien (born June 30 1960 Atlanta, Georgia) is a Record producer, engineer and mixer who has worked with many prominent artists Binaural included the singles "Nothing As It Seems" (sample (help·info)), one of the songs featuring binaural recording, and "Light Years". " Nothing as It Seems " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on April 25 2000 as the first single from the band's sixth studio album " Light Years " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on July 18 2000 as the second single from the band's sixth studio album The album sold just over 700,000 copies and became the first Pearl Jam studio album to fail to reach platinum status. ^[42]

Pearl Jam decided to record every show on its 2000 Binaural Tour professionally, after noting the desire of fans to own a copy of the shows they attended and the popularity of illegal bootleg recordings. The Binaural Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam to support its sixth album Binaural. A bootleg recording is an audio and/or Video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority The band had been open in the past about allowing fans to make amateur recordings,^[43] and these "official bootlegs" were an attempt to provide a more affordable and better quality product for fans. See full list in:CategoryPearl Jam Official Bootlegs. The Pearl Jam Official Bootlegs are a large continually growing series of live albums by ^[44] The band originally intended to release them to only fan club members, but their record contract prevented them from doing so. Pearl Jam released all of the albums in record stores as well as through its fan club. The band released 72 live albums in 2000 and 2001, and set a record for most albums to debut in the Billboard 200 at the same time. ^[45]

Pearl Jam's 2000 European tour ended in tragedy on June 30, with an accident at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Roskilde Festival is held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the four biggest annual rock music festivals in Europe (the other three being The Kingdom of Denmark ( ˈd̥ænmɑɡ̊ (archaic ˈd̥anmɑːɡ̊ commonly known as Denmark, is a country in the Scandinavian region of northern Europe Nine fans were crushed underfoot and suffocated to death as the crowd rushed to the front. The band stopped playing and tried to calm the crowd when the musicians realized what was happening, but it was already too late. The two remaining dates of the tour were canceled, and the band seriously considered retiring after this event. ^[46] Pearl Jam was initially blamed for the accident, but the band was later cleared of responsibility. ^[47]

A month after the European tour concluded, the band embarked on its two-leg 2000 North American tour. On October 22, 2000, the band played the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, celebrating the tenth anniversary of its first live performance as a band. Events 202 BC - Hannibal Barca, leader of the Carthaginians, is defeated by the Roman legions under Scipio Africanus 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Eddie Vedder took the opportunity to thank the many people who had helped the band come together and make it to ten years. He noted that "I would never do this accepting a Grammy or something. "^[48] The song "Alive" was purposely omitted from all shows on this tour until the final night in Seattle. The band performed that night for over three hours, playing most of its hits along with covers such as "The Kids Are Alright" and "Baba O'Riley" by The Who. " The Kids Are Alright " is a song written by Pete Townshend of The Who. " Baba O'Riley " is a song by the English rock band The Who, written by Pete Townshend. The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend After concluding the Binaural Tour, the band released Touring Band 2000 the following year. Touring Band 2000 is the second DVD release by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, culled from performances from the North American legs The DVD featured select performances from the North American legs of the tour.

Following the events of the September 11 terrorist attacks, Eddie Vedder and Mike McCready joined Neil Young to perform the song "Long Road" from the Merkin Ball EP at the America: A Tribute to Heroes benefit concert. Neil Percival Young OM (born November 12, 1945, Toronto Ontario) is a Canadian Singer-songwriter, Musician America A Tribute to Heroes was a Benefit concert organized by actor George Clooney and broadcast The concert, which aired on September 21, 2001, raised money for the victims and their families. Events 1217 - The Estonian tribal leader Lembitu of Lehola was killed in a battle against Teutonic Knights. Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar.

Riot Act: 2002–2005

Pearl Jam released its seventh album, Riot Act on November 12, 2002. Riot Act is the seventh album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on November 12 2002 through Epic Records. Events 764 - Tibetan troops occupy Chang'an, the capital of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, for fifteen days See also 2002 (disambiguation Year 2002 ( MMII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. It included the singles "I Am Mine" and "Save You". " I Am Mine " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on October 8 2002 as the first single from the band's seventh studio album " Save You " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on February 11 2003 as the second single from the band's seventh studio album The album featured a much more folk-based and experimental sound, evident in the presence of B3 organist Boom Gaspar on songs such as "Love Boat Captain". Folk music can have a number of different meanings including Traditional music: The original meaning of the term "folk music" was synonymous The Hammond organ is an electric organ which was invented by Laurens Hammond in 1934 and manufactured by the Hammond Organ Company Kenneth E Gaspar (born 1953 in Waimānalo, Hawaii) more commonly known as Boom Gaspar, is an American Piano / keyboard / organ " Love Boat Captain " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on February 18 2003 as a single from the band's seventh studio album The track entitled "Arc" was recorded as a vocal tribute to the nine people who died at the Roskilde Festival in June 2000. Vedder only performed this song nine times on the 2003 tour, and the band left the track off all released bootlegs. ^[49]

In 2003, the band embarked on its Riot Act Tour, which included tours of Australia and North America. The Riot Act Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam to support its seventh album Riot Act. The band continued its official bootleg program, making every concert from the tour available in CD form through its website. A total of six bootlegs were made available in record stores: Perth, Tokyo, State College, Pennsylvania, two shows from Madison Square Garden, and Mansfield, Massachusetts. Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. officially, is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. State College is the largest borough in Centre County in the U The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four Arenas in New York City. Mansfield is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. At many shows during the 2003 North American tour, Vedder performed Riot Act's "Bu$hleaguer", a commentary on President George W. Bush, with a rubber mask of Bush, wearing it at the beginning of the song and then typically hanging it on a mic stand to allow him to sing. The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. The band made news when it was reported that several fans left after Vedder had "impaled" the Bush mask on his mic stand at the band's Denver, Colorado show. The City and County of Denver (pronounced /ˈdɛnvɚ/ is the Capital and the most populous city of Colorado, in the United States The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. ^[50]

In June 2003, Pearl Jam announced it was officially leaving Epic Records following the end of its contract with the label. The band stated it had "no interest" in signing with another label. ^[51] The band's first release without a label was the single for "Man of the Hour", in partnership with Amazon.com. " Man of the Hour " is a Song by Pearl Jam written by lead singer Eddie Vedder for the Film Big Fish. Amazoncom Inc ( is an American electronic commerce ( E-commerce) company in Seattle Washington. ^[52] Director Tim Burton approached Pearl Jam to request an original song for the soundtrack of his new film, Big Fish. Timothy "Tim" William Burton (born August 25 1958 is an American Film director, Screenwriter and Set designer, notable for the quirky Big Fish is a 2003 fantasy Drama film, directed by Tim Burton and written by John August. After screening an early print of the film, Pearl Jam recorded the song "Man of the Hour" for Burton. " Man of the Hour " is a Song by Pearl Jam written by lead singer Eddie Vedder for the Film Big Fish. "Man of the Hour", which was later nominated for a Golden Globe award, can be heard in the closing credits of Big Fish. The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and Television programs given out each year during a formal dinner

The band released Lost Dogs, a two-disc collection of rarities and B-sides, and Live at the Garden, a DVD featuring the band's July 8, 2003 concert at Madison Square Garden through Epic Records in November 2003. Lost Dogs is a two-disc Compilation album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on November 11 2003 through Epic Live at the Garden is the fourth DVD release by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam recorded on July 8 2003 at Madison Square Garden in Events 939 - The Major Occultation or Ghaybat el-Kubra of Muhammad al-Mahdi 1099 - First Crusade: 15000 Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. 7/8/03 - New York New York is a three-disc Live album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam. Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four Arenas in New York City. In 2004, Pearl Jam released the live album Live at Benaroya Hall through a one-album deal with BMG. Live at Benaroya Hall is a live two-disc Live album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, recorded on October 22 2003 at ^[53] 2004 marked the first time that Pearl Jam licensed a song for usage in a television show; a snippet of the song "Yellow Ledbetter" was used in the final episode of the television series Friends. " Yellow Ledbetter " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Friends was an ^[54] Later that year, Epic released rearviewmirror, a Pearl Jam greatest hits collection spanning 1991 to 2003. This release marked the end of Pearl Jam's contractual agreement with Epic Records. ^[55]

Pearl Jam played a show at Easy Street Records in Seattle in April 2005; recordings from the show were compiled for the Live at Easy Street album and released exclusively to independent record stores in June 2006. Live at Easy Street is a live EP by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam that includes songs taken from a surprise in-store The band embarked on a Canadian cross-country tour in September 2005, kicking off the tour with a fundraising concert in Missoula, Montana for Democratic politician Jon Tester, then playing the Gorge Amphitheater before crossing into Canada. The Pearl Jam 2005 North American/Latin American Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Jon Tester (born August 21, 1956) is an Organic farmer and junior U The Gorge Amphitheatre is a 20000 seat concert venue located above the Columbia River Gorge in George Washington. After touring Canada, Pearl Jam proceeded to open a Rolling Stones concert in Pittsburgh, then played two shows at the Borgata casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, before closing the tour with a concert in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa is a Hotel, Casino, and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey owned by Marina District Development New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Philadelphia (ˌfɪləˈdɛlfiə The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern The official bootlegs for the band's 2005 shows were distributed via Pearl Jam's website in MP3 form. MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a Digital audio encoding format using a form of Lossy data compression Pearl Jam also played a benefit concert to raise money for Hurricane Katrina relief on October 5, 2005, at the House of Blues in Chicago, Illinois. A benefit concert is a Concert, show or gala featuring musicians comedians or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose often directed at a specific Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. House of Blues (HOB is a corporate chain of music halls and restaurants founded in 1992 by Hard Rock Cafe founder Isaac Tigrett and his friend and investor Dan Chicago (ʃɪˈkɑːgoʊ is the largest City by population in the state of Illinois and the American Midwest of the United States. The State of Illinois ( roughly ill-i-NOY is a state of the United States of America, the 21st to be admitted to the Union. On November 22, 2005 Pearl Jam began its first Latin American tour. Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ^[56]

Move to J Records: 2006–present

Frontman Eddie Vedder in Pistoia, Italy on September 20, 2006. Eddie Vedder (born December 23 1964 in Evanston, Illinois) is an American singer, Songwriter, Composer, and Guitarist Pistoia is a city in the Tuscany region of Italy, the capital of a province of the same name, located about 30 km west and north of Florence Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

Clive Davis announced in February 2006 that Pearl Jam had signed with his label, J Records, which like Epic, is part of the Sony BMG group. Clive Jay Davis (born April 4 1932 in Brooklyn New York is an American Record producer and a leading music industry executive. J Records is an American Record label, owned and operated by Sony Music Entertainment, and is distributed through the RCA Records Group. Sony BMG Music Entertainment is a diverse music and entertainment group ^[57] The band's eighth studio album, Pearl Jam, was released on May 2, 2006. Pearl Jam is the eighth studio album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam and its debut release for J Records. Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. A number of critics cited Pearl Jam as a return to the band's early sound,^[58][59] with Mike McCready having compared the new material to Vs. in a 2005 interview. ^[60] "World Wide Suicide", a song criticizing the Iraq War and U. " World Wide Suicide " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released through digital music stores on March 14 2006 as the first single from the The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign S. foreign policy, was released as a single and topped the Billboard Modern Rock chart; it was Pearl Jam's first number one on that chart since "Who You Are" in 1996, and first number one on any chart in the United States since 1998 when "Given to Fly" reached number one on the Mainstream Rock chart. Hot Modern Rock Tracks (originally called Modern Rock Tracks) is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in ''Billboard'' magazine since September " Who You Are " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on July 30 1996 as the first single from the band's fourth studio album " Given to Fly " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released on January 6 1998 as the first single from the band's fifth studio album Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks (originally called Mainstream Rock Tracks) is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on Mainstream rock

To support Pearl Jam, the band embarked on its 2006 world tour. The Pearl Jam 2006 World Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam to support its eighth album Pearl Jam. It toured North America, Australia and notably Europe; Pearl Jam had not toured the continent for six years. The band served as the headliners for the Leeds and Reading festivals, despite having vowed to never play at a festival again after Roskilde. Roskilde Festival is held south of Roskilde in Denmark and is one of the four biggest annual rock music festivals in Europe (the other three being Vedder started both concerts with an emotional plea to the crowd to look after each other. He commented during the Leeds set that the band's decision to play a festival for the first time after Roskilde had nothing to do with "guts" but with trust in the audience. ^[61]

In 2007, Pearl Jam recorded a cover of The Who's "Love, Reign o'er Me" for the Mike Binder film, Reign Over Me; it was later made available as a music download on the iTunes Music Store. The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend " Love Reign o'er Me " is a song by the English rock band The Who, released on October 23 1973 as the second single from the band's sixth studio album and second rock Mike Binder (born June 2[[ 958]] is an award-winning American screenwriter film director and actor Reign Over Me is a 2007 Comedy - Drama film written and directed by Mike Binder, Produced by Jack Binder. A music download refers to the transferring of a music file from an Internet -facing computer or website to a user's local computer The iTunes Store is a software-based online Digital media store operated by Apple Inc ^[62] The band embarked on a 13-date European tour, and headlined Lollapalooza in Grant Park, on August 5, 2007. The Pearl Jam 2007 European Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Lollapalooza is an American music festival featuring Alternative rock, hip hop, and Punk rock bands Dance and Comedy performances Grant Park (originally named Lake Park is a large Park (319 acres or 1 Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ^[63] The band released a CD box set in June 2007, entitled Live at the Gorge 05/06, that documents its shows at The Gorge Amphitheatre,^[64] and in September 2007 a concert DVD, entitled Immagine In Cornice, which documents the band's Italian shows from their 2006 tour was released. The Gorge Amphitheatre is a 20000 seat concert venue located above the Columbia River Gorge in George Washington. Immagine in Cornice, Italian for "picture in a frame" is a live Concert film documenting the 2006 five-concert tour of Italy by the American ^[65]

Rolling Stone reported in May 2008 that Pearl Jam is in the early stages of working on the band's ninth studio album. The new album will be the first Pearl Jam album produced by Brendan O'Brien since 1998's Yield. Mike McCready stated that the album is "really in its infant stages right now. . . we have about five ideas that have been worked on. "^[66] In June 2008, Pearl Jam will perform as the headline act at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is a four-day annual Music festival, created and produced by Superfly Productions and AC Entertainment, first held in 2002 ^[67] The Bonnaroo appearance will take place amidst a twelve-date tour of the Eastern United States in June 2008. The Pearl Jam 2008 US Tour was a concert tour by the American rock band Pearl Jam. ^[68]

Musical style

 Music sample:

"Given to Fly"

Sample of "Given to Fly" from Yield (1998), a hard rock song which features Vedder's distinctive baritone vocals and McCready's prominent lead guitar throughout. Hard rock (also referred to as heavy rock) is a variation of Rock music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and Psychedelic rock

Problems listening to the file? See media help.

Compared with the other grunge bands of the early 1990s, Pearl Jam’s style is noticeably less heavy and harkens back to the classic rock music of the 1970s. Classic rock was originally conceived as a Radio station programming format which evolved from the Album oriented rock (AOR format in the early-1980s ^[69] Pearl Jam has cited many punk rock and classic rock bands as influences, including The Who, Neil Young, and the Ramones. The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend Neil Percival Young OM (born November 12, 1945, Toronto Ontario) is a Canadian Singer-songwriter, Musician The Ramones were an American rock band often regarded as the first Punk rock group ^[70] Pearl Jam’s success has been attributed to its sound, which fuses "the riff-heavy stadium rock of the '70s with the grit and anger of '80s post-punk, without ever neglecting hooks and choruses. "^[6]

Pearl Jam has broadened its musical range with subsequent releases. By 1994’s Vitalogy, the band began to incorporate more punk influences into its music. Vitalogy is the third album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on December 6 1994 through Epic Records. ^[71] The band’s 1996 album, No Code, was a deliberate break from the musical style of Ten. No Code is the fourth album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on August 27 1996 through Epic Records. Ten is the debut album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on August 27 1991 through Epic Records. The songs on the album featured elements of garage rock, worldbeat, and experimentalism. In Popular music, worldbeat refers to any style of music which fuses folk music, often from non-traditional sources (essentially outside the Appalachian folk Experimental music is a term introduced by composer John Cage in 1955 ^[6] After 1998’s Yield, which was somewhat of a return to the straight-ahead rock approach of the band's early work,^[36] the band dabbled with experimental art rock on 2000’s Binaural and folk rock elements on 2002’s Riot Act. Yield is the fifth album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on February 3 1998 through Epic Records. Art rock is a term describing a subgenre of Rock music that tends to have "experimental or avant-garde influences" and emphasizes "novel sonic texture Binaural is the sixth album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on May 16 2000 through Epic Records. Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of Folk music and rock music. Riot Act is the seventh album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam, released on November 12 2002 through Epic Records. The band’s latest album, 2006’s Pearl Jam, was cited as a return to the band’s early sound. Pearl Jam is the eighth studio album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam and its debut release for J Records. ^[58][59]

Critic Jim DeRogatis describes Vedder's vocals as a "Jim Morrison-like vocal growl. James Douglas Morrison (December 8 1943—July 3 1971 was an American Poet, Singer, Songwriter, Writer, and Film director "^[72] Vedder's lyrical topics range from personal ("Alive", "Better Man") to social and political concerns ("Even Flow", "World Wide Suicide"). When the band started, Gossard and McCready were clearly designated as rhythm and lead guitarists, respectively. The dynamic began to change when Vedder started to play more rhythm guitar during the Vitalogy era. McCready said in 2006, "Even though there are three guitars, I think there's maybe more room now. Stone will pull back and play a two-note line and Ed will do a power chord thing, and I fit into all that. In Music, a power chord (also fifth chord) is a note plus the note a fifth above usually played on Electric guitar. "^[73]

Legacy

While Nirvana had brought grunge to the mainstream in the early 1990s, Pearl Jam quickly outsold them and became not only the most popular alternative rock band, but the most popular American rock band of the decade. Mainstream is generally the common current of Thought of the Majority. ^[6] Pearl Jam has been described as "modern rock radio's most influential stylists – the workmanlike midtempo chug of songs like "Alive" and "Even Flow" just melodic enough to get moshers singing along. Modern rock is a term commonly used to describe a Rock music format found on American commercial Radio. Moshing or slamming refers to the activity in which audience members at live music performances aggressively push or slam into each other "^[74] The band inspired and influenced a number of bands, ranging from Silverchair to Puddle of Mudd and The Strokes. Silverchair is an Australian Alternative rock band. The band formed as Innocent Criminals in Newcastle, New South Wales, in 1992 Puddle of Mudd is an American rock band from Kansas City, Missouri, United States. ^[75][76] Pearl Jam has outlasted many of its contemporaries in the grunge scene like Nirvana and Soundgarden, and also bands it has influenced such as Creed. Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen Washington. Creed was an American Rock band from Tallahassee, Florida that became popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s ^[1]

Pearl Jam has been praised for its rejection of rock star excess and its insistence on backing causes it believes in. Music critic Jim DeRogatis said in the aftermath of the band's battle with Ticketmaster that they "proved that a rock band which isn't comprised of greed heads can play stadiums and not milk the audience for every last dime [. James "Jim" DeRogatis (born 1964 in Jersey City New Jersey) is an American Music critic. . . ] it indicated that idealism in rock 'n' roll is not the sole province of those '60s bands enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States "^[77] Eric Weisbard of Spin said in 2001, "The group that was once accused of being synthetic grunge now seem as organic and principled a rock band as exists. Spin is a Music Magazine that reports on Music for Life Founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr "^[31] In a 2005 USA Today reader's poll, Pearl Jam was voted the greatest American rock band of all time. USA TODAY is a national American daily Newspaper published by the Gannett Company. ^[78] In April 2006, Pearl Jam was awarded an Esky for "Best Live Act" in Esquire's Esky Music Awards. Esquire is a Men's magazine by the Hearst Corporation with a strong literary tradition The blurb called Pearl Jam "the rare superstars who still play as though each show could be their last. "^[79] Pearl Jam's fanbase following (often referred to as the "Jamily"^[80]) has been compared to that of the Grateful Dead's, with Rolling Stone magazine stating that Pearl Jam "toured incessantly and became one of rock's great arena acts, attracting a fanatical, Grateful Dead-like cult following with marathon, true-believer shows in the vanishing spirit of Bruce Springsteen, the Who and U2. The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. "^[1]

Campaigning and activism

Throughout their career, Pearl Jam has promoted wider social and political issues, from pro-choice sentiments to opposition to George W. Bush's presidency. Overview See also Ethical aspects of abortion Pro-choice advocates emphasize their beliefs that having a child is a personal choice that affects a woman's body and George W Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, has drawn significant domestic and international Criticism since his election Vedder acts as the band's spokesman on these issues. The band has promoted an array of causes, including awareness of Crohn's disease, which lead guitarist Mike McCready suffers from, Ticketmaster venue monopolization and the environment and wildlife protection, among others. Crohn's disease is a Disease of the Digestive system which may affect any part of the Gastrointestinal tract from Mouth to Anus The following is a list of notable people diagnosed with Crohn's disease. Ticketmaster is a ticket sales and distribution company based in West Hollywood California, USA, with operations in many countries around the world ^[81][82] Vedder has advocated for the release of the West Memphis 3 for years and Damien Echols, a member of the three, shares a writing credit for the song "Army Reserve" (from Pearl Jam). The West Memphis 3 are three teenagers tried and convicted for the murders of three children in the Robin Hood Hills area of West Memphis, Arkansas, Damien Wayne Echols (born Michael Wayne Hutcheson on December 11 1974) is one of the three members of the West Memphis 3, a group convicted of Pearl Jam is the eighth studio album by the American Alternative rock band Pearl Jam and its debut release for J Records. ^[83] The band publicize such causes via their website and include links to alternative news sources. ^[84]

The band, and especially frontman Eddie Vedder, have been vocal supporters of the pro-choice movement. In 1992 Spin printed an article by Vedder, entitled "Reclamation", that detailed his views on abortion. Spin is a Music Magazine that reports on Music for Life Founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr ^[85] In an MTV Unplugged concert the same year, Vedder stood on a stool and wrote "PRO-CHOICE!" on his arm in protest. MTV Unplugged is a series showcasing popular musical artists playing Acoustic instruments It was produced by Viacom and was directed by Beth ^[31] The band are members of a number of pro-choice organizations, including Choice USA and Voters for Choice. Choice USA is a reproductive rights non-profit organization based out of Washington DC and Oakland CA ^[82]

As members of Rock the Vote and Vote for Change, the band has encouraged voter registration and participation in United States elections. Rock the Vote is a 501(c(3 Non-profit organization founded in Los Angeles in 1990 by Jeff Ayeroff for the purposes of political advocacy The Vote for Change tour was a politically-motivated American Popular music Concert tour that took place in October 2004 The United States has a federal government, with elected officials at federal (national state and local level Vedder was outspoken in support of Green Party presidential candidate Ralph Nader in 2000^[86] and Pearl Jam played a series of concerts on the Vote for Change tour in October 2004, supporting the candidacy of John Kerry for U.S. President. One of the Political parties in the United States, and similar in mission to many of the worldwide Green Parties, the Greens have been active as a third party Ralph Nader (born February 27 1934 is an American Attorney, Author, Lecturer, political activist, and independent candidate for President } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator The President of the United States is the Head of state and Head of government of the United States and is the highest political official in United States by In a Rolling Stone feature showcasing the Vote for Change tour's performers, Vedder told the magazine, "I supported Ralph Nader in 2000, but it's a time of crisis. Rolling Stone is a United States -based Magazine devoted to Music, Politics, and Popular culture that is published We have to get a new administration in. "^[87]

Vedder usually comments on politics between songs, often to criticize U. S. foreign policy, and a number of his songs, including "Bu$hleaguer" and "World Wide Suicide", are openly critical of the Bush administration. " World Wide Suicide " is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam, released through digital music stores on March 14 2006 as the first single from the The Presidency of George W Bush began on his inauguration on January 20, 2001 as the 43rd and current President of the United States of America At Lollapalooza 2007, Vedder spoke out against BP Amoco dumping effluent in Lake Michigan; at the end of "Daughter", he sang the lyrics "George Bush leave this world alone/George Bush find yourself another home". BP plc, previously known as British Petroleum, is the third largest global Energy company, a multinational oil company (" Oil major BP plc, previously known as British Petroleum, is the third largest global Energy company, a multinational oil company (" Oil major In the beginning of the second encore Vedder invited Iraq war veteran Tomas Young, the subject of the documentary Body of War, onto the stage to urge an end to the war. Body of War, directed by Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue, is a 2007 documentary following Tomas Young an Iraq War veteran paralyzed Young in turn introduced Ben Harper, who contributed vocals to "No More" and "Rockin' in the Free World". Benjamin Chase "Ben" Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American Musician. ^[88] The band has since discovered that some of the Bush-related lyrics were excised from the AT&T webcast of the event, and are questioning whether that constitutes censorship. Before proposing a merge request please see Talk and see if the merger you propose has recently been made and ^[89] AT&T later apologized and blamed the censorship on contractor Davie Brown Entertainment. Davie Brown Entertainment was founded in 1980 by Jim Davie who had created the legendary " Pepsi Challenge " marketing program and Brad Brown as the entertainment ^[90]

Pearl Jam has performed numerous benefit concerts in aid of charities. For example, the band headlined a Seattle concert in 2001 to support the United Nations' efforts to combat world hunger. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security ^[91] The band added a date at the Chicago House of Blues to their 2005 tour to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina; the concert proceeds were donated to Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross and the Jazz Foundation of America. Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest in the history of the United States Habitat For Humanity International ( HFHI) (generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or simply Habitat) is an international Ecumenical The American Red Cross (also known as the American National Red Cross) is a humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance disaster relief and education inside ^[92]

Discography

Main article: Pearl Jam discography

Studio albums

• Ten (1991)
• Vs. (1993)
• Vitalogy (1994)
• No Code (1996)
• Yield (1998)
• Binaural (2000)
• Riot Act (2002)
• Pearl Jam (2006)

Awards and nominations

Awards

Nominations

See also

• List of alternative rock artists
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Mainstream Rock chart
• List of artists who reached number one on the U.S. Modern Rock chart
• List of best-selling music artists

Notes and references

Further reading

• Clark, Martin. Pearl Jam & Eddie Vedder: None Too Fragile (2005). ISBN 0-859-65371-4
• Jones, Allan. Pearl Jam - The Illustrated Story, A Melody Maker Book (1995). ISBN 0-793-54035-6
• Neely, Kim. Five Against One: The Pearl Jam Story (1998). ISBN 0-140-27642-4
• Wall, Mick. Pearl Jam (1996). ISBN 1-886-89433-7

External links

• Pearl Jam Ten Club
• Sony Music's Pearl Jam page
• Pearl Jam at MySpace
• Two Feet Thick – An exhaustive concert chronology from 1990 to present
• Pearl Jam at Allmusic
• Pearl Jam at Last.fm