Pearl Jam

Guide Note

Pearl Jam is a Seattle-based Rock band that came to prominence during the Grunge Rock craze of the early 1990s. In contrast to contemporaries such as Nirvana and Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam have continued to write and record new material, as well as maintain a rigorous touring schedule.

Fast Facts

1. Formed: 1990
2. Label: J Records
3. Albums Sold: 31 Million
4. Hometown: Seattle, Washington
5. Grammy Awards: 1
6. MTV Video Music Awards: 4
7. Golden Globe win: Eddie Vedder, best original song for theme from Into the Wild

Formed from the ashes of the seminal Seattle bands Mother Love Bone and Green River, Pearl Jam rose to fame as part of the early 1990s Grunge scene. Along with fellow bands Nirvana and Soundgarden, Pearl Jam's Alternative Rock music and dark, brooding sound epitomized the emergence of Grunge music on the national stage. After the massive success of their debut album Ten, the band began to grow wary of their newfound fame and attention. While their follow-up album debuted at #1, the band decided not to release any more Music Videos and gave fewer and fewer interviews. While the band has continued to record and perform new material, their visibility in the press has decreased significantly since their Grunge-Rock heyday.

In 1994, the band became immersed in a well-publicized feud with ticket vendor Ticketmaster. After balking at the service charges that the company was adding to the price of their tickets, the band decided to boycott any venues that had contracts with Ticketmaster. Because of this, the band was unable to play shows (besides a few exceptions) inside the United States. After losing an Anti-Trust lawsuit to Ticketmaster in 1998, the band rescinded their boycott and returned to extensive touring.

• Jeff Ament - Bass
• Stone Gossard - Rhythm Guitar
• Mike McCready - Lead Guitar
• Eddie Vedder - Vocals
• Matt Cameron - Drums

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