10 Perfect Hard Rock & Metal Albums That Bands HATE

No rock fan in history is going to find too much wrong with Pearl Jam's Ten.

After Nirvana had kicked down the door for alternative rock at the start of the '90s, this anger fueled debut sent Eddie Vedder and co. into the stratosphere, with Alive and Even Flow still being staples of their set lists to this day. There's a difference between liking the songs and not liking the actual record though.

Almost as soon as the record was released, Eddie Vedder was already talking down its potential, saying that it sounded too much like an arena rock record. Since their idols had always been underground bands like the Pixies and REM, hearing the demos of songs like Why Go and Alive turning larger than life felt like watching their babies grow up too quickly.

Then again, that same slick production is what made them superstars around the world, having that signature echo that makes these riffs ideal to be played in stadiums around the world. In fact, the band would end up pulling back on the production so hard that they would eventually make their next few records a deliberate attempt to move away from their signature style.

While it's nice to be respected by your peers, Pearl Jam are one of the few that were actively trying to push away from their own legacy.