10 Perfect Debut Albums In Rock Music History
5. Ten - Pearl Jam
As the grunge wave first started to pick up steam, the Seattle scene had to carry on without one of its favorite sons. Just before Smells Like Teen Spirit took over the world, Andy Wood of Mother Love Bone passed away of a heroin overdose, leaving the rest of the band unsure of where to go. After they found a singer from San Diego named Eddie Vedder though, Ten made sure that there was life after death.
Although grunge may have a specific sludgy sound to it across every single band, Pearl Jam’s debut may have been the most classic rock infused of the bunch, having just as many arena rock ready songs as they did introspective bangers. Thanks to Mike McCready’s lead guitar work, the band had more of a leg up on the rest of the Seattle scene, being much more influenced by bands like Zeppelin and the Who than they did with the straight punk influences of Nirvana. They don’t shy away from the hard topics here though, and the years this has been on the radio almost makes you forget how dark it is.
On each track, Eddie was clearly unpacking some of his feelings, from ripping his heart out of his chest on Black to telling the story of a girl who’s unwillingly put into a mental institution on Why Go until we reach Jeremy, a song detailing a real life incident when a kid committed suicide in front of his classmates. The lyrics might not be for the faint of heart, but the hooks are still here in spades, having just as much fondness for the stadium brand of rock and roll as the more obscure bands in their record collection. Despite the initial darkness, it’s music like this that helps get past all of those depressing moments in life.