Pearl Jam

A classic rock-influenced grunge album that reached number two on the Billboard 200 and sold over 13 million copies in the US.

Ten is the debut studio album by American rock band Pearl Jam, released on August 27, 1991, through Epic Records. Born from the ashes of Mother Love Bone after Andrew Wood's death in 1990, bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard rehearsed with Mike McCready before recording a five-song instrumental demo featuring Matt Cameron. Copies reached drummer Dave Krusen and vocalist Eddie Vedder, who joined the band in Seattle. Many tracks began as instrumental jams or Mother Love Bone songs reworked by Vedder with new melodies and lyrics. Despite its grunge reputation, Ten displays strong classic rock influences, drawing comparisons to Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.

Quick Facts

Origin city: Seattle, Washington
Formation year: 1990
Key genre: Grunge; Alternative Rock
Debut album: Ten

Lore & Background

The band's formation began after Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, former members of Green River and Mother Love Bone, spent months grieving Andrew Wood's 1990 overdose. Gossard wrote harder-edged material and practiced with Mike McCready, whose band Shadow had broken up. The trio recorded demos with Matt Cameron and Chris Friel (Cameron on some tracks, Friel on others), compiling five tracks—'Dollar Short', 'Footsteps', 'Richard's E', 'E Ballad', and 'Alive' (instrumental)—onto the Stone Gossard Demos '91 tape. San Diego musician Eddie Vedder received a copy in September 1990 from Jack Irons, surfed, and wrote lyrics for three songs the next day. Impressed by his vocals on 'Alive', 'Once', and 'Black', Ament and Gossard flew Vedder to Seattle. Arriving October 13, he rehearsed with Dave Krusen for a week, writing lyrics to existing instrumentals before being hired.

Reader's Guide

Ten achieved massive success, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 by late 1992 after a slow start. It produced three hit singles: 'Alive', 'Even Flow', and 'Jeremy'. The song 'Jeremy' became a best-known track, inspired by a true story of a high school student's suicide, earning Grammy nominations for Best Rock Song and Best Hard Rock Performance at the 35th Awards. Its video entered heavy rotation on MTV, winning four awards at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year. By February 2013, Ten sold 10 million copies in the US, becoming the 22nd record to hit that mark in the Nielsen SoundScan era and earning a 13× Platinum certification from the RIAA. The album remains Pearl Jam's most commercially successful release.

Origins and Formation

Guitarist Stone Gossard and bassist Jeff Ament had played together in Green River and later Mother Love Bone until vocalist Andrew Wood died of a drug overdose in 1990. Months later, Gossard began practicing with guitarist Mike McCready. The trio recorded instrumental demos with drummers Matt Cameron and Chris Friel. Five songs—'Dollar Short', 'Agytian Crave', 'Footsteps', 'Richard's E', and 'E Ballad'—were compiled onto a tape called Stone Gossard Demos '91. San Diego musician Eddie Vedder acquired the demo in September 1990 from former Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons. Vedder wrote lyrics for three tracks after surfing, retitling them 'Alive', 'Once', and 'Black'. Impressed by his vocals, Gossard and Ament flew him to Seattle. Vedder arrived on October 13, rehearsed with the band (now joined by Dave Krusen) for a week, and wrote eleven songs.

Recording Process and Production

The band, then named Mookie Blaylock, entered London Bridge Studios in Seattle in March 1991 with producer Rick Parashar. The sessions lasted one month as most material was pre-written; only 'Alive' was carried over from a January session. Tracks like 'Porch', 'Deep', 'Why Go', and 'Garden' were recorded during these sessions. Parashar contributed piano, organ, percussion, co-wrote vocal harmonies, and co-wrote the intro/outro. Drummer Dave Krusen left after the May 1991 completion to enter rehab due to alcoholism. In June, the band traveled to England to mix with Tim Palmer at Ridge Farm Studio in Dorking. Palmer added guitar solos to 'Alive', tweaked the intro to 'Black', and overdubbed a pepper shaker and fire extinguisher on 'Oceans'. Band members later expressed dissatisfaction with the mix, citing excessive reverb and an 'over-rocked' sound.

Commercial Trajectory and Critical Reception

Ten was not an immediate commercial success but reached number two on the Billboard 200 by late 1992. It produced three hit singles: 'Alive', 'Even Flow', and 'Jeremy'. 'Jeremy' received Grammy nominations for Best Rock Song and Best Hard Rock Performance at the 35th Grammy Awards. Its video was in heavy rotation on MTV, winning four awards at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards, including Video of the Year. While noted as a quintessential grunge album, it is often cited for its stronger classic rock influence compared to contemporaries, drawing comparisons to Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. By February 2013, it had sold 10 million copies in the US, becoming the 22nd record to do so in the Nielsen SoundScan era, and was certified 13× Platinum by the RIAA.

Legacy and Cultural Impact

Ten is considered instrumental in consolidating the mainstream success of grunge rock and driving the rise of alternative rock throughout the 1990s. It remains Pearl Jam's most commercially successful album and has been ranked by several publications as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 2021, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.