10 Legendary Songs That Almost Weren't Released

The origins of Black go back to before Pearl Jam was even a band. Just after Mother Love Bone fell apart after the loss of Andy Wood, the main chord progression for the song was originally on a demo tape that Stone Gossard shopped around the Northwest before eventually finding Eddie Vedder. While the results were amazing in Vedder's hands, things got a bit complicated when it came time to put out the record.

With the release of Ten, songs like Alive and Jeremy became massive hits on the rock charts, bringing far more attention to the band that Vedder had ever expected. When it came time to go with other singles though, Vedder shot down the idea of Black going forward, considering it a far too personal song to be released for mass consumption.

That didn't stop the stations from playing it though, with alternative radio blaring it as an album cut rather than the mass produced single. Ever since, Black has been heralded as one of the greatest Pearl Jam songs, which made Vedder both proud and hollow at the exact same time. Instead of the typical feel good rock song, this is the case where the song might be too raw a nerve to put out in the open.