10 Amazing Albums Turning 30 In 2021
4. Ten - Pearl Jam
You can't really avoid the word grunge when talking about the new influx of bands of 1991. As hair metal was starting to wear out its welcome, rock's watchful eye shifted towards Seattle, with bands that were writing songs that were a lot more nervy than your average Motley Crue single. Though acts like Nirvana and Soundgarden may have paved the way for grunge, you weren't going to find anyone as vicious as Pearl Jam.
Molded in the tradition of grunge, Ten is about as close to the perfect grunge album as you can find, with each song being both edgy and emotional in equal measure. Though something like Jeremy might seem like a bit much for your average rock listener, the riff is so immediate that the lyrics don't even seem to matter. When you do take the time to pay attention though, songs like Black and Alive are so raw in their emotional weight that they hit you like a ton of bricks before they even finish.
If you were to place a bet on it though, Pearl Jam were never going to be the biggest grunge band in the world, nor did they really want to be when all was said and done. That being said, Ten is the sound of five young and hungry musicians swinging for the fences and shooting to make the best rock and roll record ever made...and very nearly succeeding.