10 Best Follow Up Albums In Hard Rock
8. Vs. - Pearl Jam
Out of all the up and coming bands coming out of Seattle, no one hit the ground running quite like Pearl Jam did with the album Ten. The entire record was full of introspective rock tunes whose hooks made them irresistible for the average Gen-X misfit. After a lengthy tour and fame driving the band up the wall, there was much speculation as to where the band would go next.
The answer: turn the heaviness all the way up. On the surface, Vs. is not all that different from Ten in terms of sound, but the actual songwriting on display here shows much more frustration than many were probably expecting. From the opening blast of "Go," Pearl Jam's typical musical moments are juxtaposed with songs that seem to be taking a few cues from punk rock. For every track like "Dissident," songs like "Blood" and "Leash" show more of a bite that was no doubt influenced by their struggles with fame.
The band even take a few tracks to experiment like on the funky sounds of "Rats" or the tribal like drumbeat on "W.M.A." Being equal parts heartfelt and maniacal, Vs. showed that Pearl Jam were a band that were going to leave a solid legacy on the rock world at large.