10 Best Two Guitar Bands

When alternative rock became the norm for rock in the 90's, the focus on guitar work had fallen by the wayside a bit. The guitar was ceasing to be a soloing instrument and more a tool to affect sonic textures. Amid all the guitar innovations, Pearl Jam stood out among the rest by bringing a perfect shot of classic rock into the mix.

Guitarist Stone Gossard's riffs were always groove-laden, as if he were trying to conceive an off-kilter version of a Led Zeppelin classic. Instead of falling into parody, these riffs became funky arena rock anthems from the groove of "Even Flow" to the soul-stirring energy of "Alive."

Instead of leaning fully into the groove, Mike McCready's solo work was a blast from the past that somehow felt completely modern. The flow of McCready's tone was reminiscent of blues guitarist like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix, only injected with a certain sense of abandon that could leave fans in tears after his solo was over.

Even if everybody was just playing from the heart and forgoing the flashiness of classic rock, Pearl Jam's two-guitar assault was the perfect amalgamation of guitar solos that were both musically nostalgic and forward-looking at the same time.