10 Perfect Debut Rock Albums Of The 90s

If you had to pinpoint the exact timeframe when the '90s started, it would have to have been the fall of 1991. In just a few short weeks, fans were graced with albums from the likes of Guns N Roses, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Nirvana, marking the moment when the musical landscape started to shift. A few weeks beforehand though, Pearl Jam were already carving their name into history off of the strength of Ten.

Then again, it's strange to even lump Pearl Jam into the category of grunge to begin with, considering how much they pulled from the sounds of classic rock. Compared to the usual sludgy sounds of a band like Alice in Chains, you weren't going to hear a guitarist like Mike McCready, who went for soaring leads reminiscent of guitar heroes like Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

The real strength behind the band though had to be Eddie Vedder, whose husky baritone voice and tortured lyrics became the calling card for what would become grunge in the coming years. While this record does sound of its time in some places, this is a great time capsule as to just how angry and frustrated this generation felt at the time. Many bands have tried (and failed) to make this kind of sound since...but then again, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.