Ten

Pearl Jam's debut.

This brings back memories. Move in day, freshman year of college, and someone anchored their speakers into their dorm window and blasted this album. Grunge music was everywhere, so naturally I had to hate it. But despite my attitude, this album wormed its way into my consciousness and has stayed with me for years. I usually can’t actively listen to it - the lyrics are too sad - but I appreciate the genius of this album and enjoy hearing it when it’s on.

Good in parts… some nice guitar solos… but overall too much same-same. I find the album lacked depth or complexity.

A very powerful album. Emotionally stirring at times. One of the best albums of all time. A must have for all fans of Grunge music.

An all-time top 10 album for me.

I had a hard time deciding how to rate this. On the one hand, it’s pretty nostalgic - “Even Flow” takes me right back to hours of playing Guitar Hero, and several of the other tracks were things I listened to as a teenager. However, I don’t think it really holds up; the vocal style gets grating pretty quickly. I don’t think I can fairly give it more than 3 stars, but there was a time I liked it better.

One of the albums that defined a new genre. 5/5

Not my first time listening and won’t be my last! This album is exactly the type of thing that should be on the list. It’s a true seminal album of the 90s with so many amazing songs.

A little bit too dreary in places but it really grew on me. Some excellant song composition on this album. I love Black.

Didn't understand this album when it first came out, and I still don't understand it.

Some mega hits on the first half but a bit repetitive towards the end. A staple of the genre though.

STANDOUTS: Even Flow Alive Black Jeremy OVERALL: 3/5

One of the best of the 90s

This is a true gem. Had no idea this was out there

Ok, aber mich hat keine der Songs so richtig gecacht. 2/5

Excellent album

Classsthhhhicccc 🤓

A quality classic. Still Alive is really good, as is the rest of it.

One of my favorite grunge bands/albums.

fucking love this album man, one of my first favorites and still definitely in my top 5. Especially the A-side is just so incredibly good in my eyes, made me fall in love with having music on vinyl.

Nope. Didn’t start appreciating Pearl Jam.

Dust and sunlight. I missed grunge when it came around as my musical attention was elsewhere in the jazz world and so this is the first time I’ve heard this album. Two gears here. Clean guitars with open tunings and ringing chords and heavy distortion. The bass cuts through everything and is some of the most interesting musicianship on the album. Vedder’s voice was the template for strong reserved rock singing. It makes his strained phrases so much more effective that he spends most of the time sitting in a restrained and thoughtful roar. Nothing too flashy here. The departure from late eighties metal was the addition of space and clean toned sections. And lyrically the subject matter is real, not fantasy which makes it more interesting poetry than the teenaged misogyny of the hair bands. I have no affinity for the band and have never seen their legendary performances. But they are an important part of American music and the is a banging debut in a new subgenre.

Another formative album on the list. They made better music after this one. More nuanced, more opened to the world, less muscular. But this kind of defined an era, for better or worse (the worse being the staggering number of bands that more or less built a career trying to copy this album). It also brought along a better model for masculinity in mainstream rock, where it was possible to play heavy and be compassionate and sensible and generally try to be a good human. How refreshing was that after the 80's? It was near the top of my playlist in the early 90's. It is not anymore, but still brings back good memories and smiles.

4 Favorite song is black. Tasty. Deep is also very good. change dont come all at once, it comes in waves

I've found it hard to decide how I feel about the 'between' albums that plot the course from the 70s classic rock I like to the 90s-00s garage rock I like. I know without some of them, we never end up with some of my favourites; the grunge movement is a crucial piece of the puzzle and this is a significant band and album of that movement. But I haven't got into most of them as much as I had hoped. I gave it a few listens and enjoyed it overall but it never quite felt like something I'd buy or consider essential. It's consistently good but never quite crosses into 'great' for me.

MOR grunge

Absolute classic for a reason

There's not a single bad track on this album, but Vedder's vocals are carrying most of the weight. His voice and melodies pair so well it will almost put you in a trance, until a mediocre guitar solo pops up or you focus too hard on the drums. The outro was the most gripping part, especially the hidden track.

Didn't know Pearl Jam was groovy like that. I like the variety of genres in the album, even though they follow the same rock pattern. Favorite tracks are "Once" and "Ocean".

Sucks

Well now, another gem all the way through front to back boy does this take me back to the glory days of my life 5 stars!!!

I actually really liked the music, but the vocals I found generally grating. (something I see in a lot of the reviews too) There were songs/parts of songs where it was exactly the right sound though. His voice is very distinct to me which can be a good thing or a bad thing in large doses and in this case it's the later. It's a shame there isn't a second vocalist to break things up. If so I think I would have quite liked this. I can definitely see where this sound evolved with other groups as time went on.

I suppose this album was decent. I do think some more variety couldn't hurt. The singer has a distinctly gravelly voice, but he seems to be able to make it smoother when he chooses. Not my favorite album, but I see the appeal.

3.5/5

Flawless

our lord and saviour steezus christ blessed this album.

This isn't an awful record, it just doesn't grab me particularly. Maybe it's just that it's not to my taste - I had listened to Pearl Jam back in the day but I never really liked grunge. The album just sort of exists. Was it influential? Not as far as I know. But I guess that since Pearl Jam hit the big time with this debut, and continued from there, it clearly hit a chord with the public. For me there's too much guitar histrionics.

Very much let down by the vocals

Histórico y redondísimo album, con un título que le da su puntaje.

Ten out of ten, five out of five. Ten in Spanish stands for “Here You Have” and I think that’s beautiful. Once Eddie Vedder’s voice grows on you, the guitars will guide you on a journey that will fill any void. And I think it’s when you have listened many many albums that you can recognize how unique this record is.

Solid 4. Black is the best song on this album, and showcases the best parts of Vedder's lyricism and singing style. 4/5

Buen disco. 3 megahits.

Pues Pearl Jam. Termina mejor que empieza.

Once upon a time I could control myself. Good lyrics. A gorgeous heavy sound and voice that can shout/scream and sing. Elvis Costello could never shout/scream like this.

One of the best albums of the 90s

Fantastic

solid

90s🖤🖤🖤🖤

I love the music. I don’t care for his voice. His voice is probably perfect for this music but it just doesn’t work for my ear. Actually, it’s not necessarily so much his voice as the way he uses it. I don’t like the screaming. I think it’s a great album. All my reviews are based on how I respond to it, completely subjective. For that reason, I give it three stars.

Incredible. Lyrics, vibe, and style, all on point.

pearl jam babyyyyyyy. this debut album is absolutely amazing. it's passionate, it's very charged and just full of that... i dunno it's a staple of grunge. say what you will about nirvana. nirvana's great, amazing even, but don't you dare sleep on pearl jam.

Standout Track- Even Flow

Once: 6/10 Even Flow: 8/10 Alive: 9/10 Why go: 8,5/10 Black: 8/10 Jeremy: 7,5/10 Oceans: 7/10 Porch: 8,5/10 Garden: 6,5/10 Pearl: 7/10 Release: 5/10

straight heat

I had pull the disc out for this one. I first bought it on cassette way back, but upgraded to CD shortly after. This album was such an influence on my formative years. “Even Flow” was the first “grunge” song I heard and I have been dedicated to PJ ever since. The day I broke up with my first girlfriend I heard “Black”, and it became a reminder of that first heartbreak ever since. “Once” taught me how to grab people’s attention, and “Jeremy” was pleasantly inescapable, especially when feelings of being an outsider were a daily occurrence (damn 10th grade!). Eventually I lost interest in PJ in early college because the commercial nature of their radio play but it was an acoustic bootleg of “Black” and “Release” that reignited my interested, and I have grown with them. They are not a great grunge band: they are a great band for our entire generation and continue to be part of my ever evolving life soundtrack.

There are clearly some classic tracks on this one. I don't love it like a child of the 90s should. For whatever reason I've always been pretty neutral to Pearl Jam. Anyway, some of the tracks are simply iconic (Alive, Evenflow, Jeremy). Pearl Jam is right there at the turning of the tide when grunge and alternative took over the mainstream in 1991.

Solid 90's rock/alternative album. Lots of really great tracks. "Porch" is a standout. Close to a 4.5 for me.

Great!!

Man what a banger. One of the best debuts of the 90s. Guitars, guitars, guitars, just like I remember it. It was always obvious to me that this record was more a hard rock 70s arena revival than the grunge that grew directly out of punk. For some reason I never got into any later Pearl Jam albums, but this one is perfect. Four stars.

Definitely has that 70s sound to it. Never noticed that before. Eddie Vedder has a great singing voice but I couldn't quite connect to his lyrics on this album- or on most songs for that matter. Still a fantastic album that brings me back to my childhood.

Timless Classic

Explain this Atheists: How the fuck did these blokes predict that Mookie Blaylock would be an All-Star and make the All-Defensive first team twice?? Bro would pick your pocket then laugh about it. He was a quality college baller but it was still early doors for him. Now, why is Mookie relevant? Mookie Blaylock was their original band name and Mookie wore the No.10 jersey. Hence, the debut being titled "Ten". "Ten" was released during the peak of grunge and given there was an abundance of bands trying their luck, success wasn't guaranteed. It would take something special like this release to help Pearl Jam be acknowledged as a part of the 'Big Four' during this era. The cover art is the members standing in a circle with their arms risen, hands meeting in the middle. Bassist Jeff Ament stated this signified being together as a group and entering into the world of music as a true band...a sort of all-for-one deal. Ok, seems reasonable enough and a suitable choice for a debut. It's never been a personal favourite cover but it is serviceable. But all of this background information means fuck all if the music is nothing of note… right? We kick things off with "Once", an intro containing some nice percussion, droned out vocals from Eddie which then kick shit into gear with an immense main guitar riff and heavy drumming. It tells the tale of man who "once upon a time, could control myself" but descends into madness and turn into a serial killer. Intense songwriting choice for an opener but I think it pays off massively. I understand many peoples gripes with Eddie as a vocalist but my word is this a good start. The almost rapped pre-chorus is cool. A tight solo follows into a belter of a performance from Eddie on the final chorus, strained and passion filled. Great start. Next… Explain this Atheists "Even Flow" has what debatably could be one of the most recognisable intro riffs of all time. Now, this is an occasion of which I could agree with the gripes surrounding Eddie's vocal style as through the verses in this, his delivery of certain lines sound awkward to me. His performance on the chorus is better. The guitar work on this one is absolutely marvellous, duelling lead and rhythm parts from Mike and Stone which harmonise in parts are just brilliant. Dave Krusen's drumming here is tight and rocksteady, audible on the bridge. It's iconic, it's great What's up with these iconic intro riffs?? Well next up we have "Alive" which has a nice duelling between the electric main riff and an steady acoustic chord progression under it. Dave's drumming is also of interest in this intro, with the open hi-hat punching straight through the mix. Eddie tells a personal story of which his mother tells him the man who he thought was his father was actually his stepfather, his biological father no longer alive. A strong piece of songwriting, an absolute barnstormer of a chorus which then leads into more great guitar play. Eddie croons as he does best in parts here then explodes again for the final chorus before another tight solo from Mike which has Dave thrashing the living shit out of the kit. Absolute brilliance, one of their best with no real gripes from me here. "Why Go" reverses the approach, the intro is done through a tight drum pattern from Dave and a thick bassline from Jeff. The main riff here is rather subdued, a palm muted affair that doesn't really come to life until the chorus riff. However the same dark storytelling resumes. It is about a girl who was put in mental hospital against her will and without any mental illness. “Why Go” refers to the lack of motivation to go back home after spending time unjustly in this place. Eddie's performance is solid, nothing outstanding though and the droned out backing vocal through the chorus I find rather odd to be honest. The star of the show here is again the solo from Mike. Good, doesn't really compare with the first three tracks though and CERTAINLY NOT the next two that follow. Did you think you would get given a reprieve from the dark storytelling here? May I offer you an opportunity to double down with "Black" instead. My fucking word what a song. Who said a song about a relationship falling to pieces had to be done through a soppy slow ballad, clearly not Eddie. Again, easily recognisable intro riff which kicks the song off, a clean guitar riff might I add here which is a rarity here. Again a lovely duelling lead and rhythm pairing are present with some underlying piano playing courtesy of guest performer Rick Parashar. The distorted guitar lick leading into the chorus sounds fucking great. It's the back half of this song that makes it seriously incredible. Eddie belts and croons his ass off, a nice lead solo from Mike is played over the main riff and the doo-doo-doo's harmonise with it and work perfectly. A very well written and played song paired with an absolutely unreal vocal performance, especially on the back half. Special, special song. Could anything top "Black" for me, well surprisingly yes. For me personally, "Jeremy" is far and away my favourite Pearl Jam ever released and it begins with that goddamn bassline and some sharp cymbal work from Dave. The song takes its main inspiration from a newspaper article about a 15-year-old boy named Jeremy Wade Delle from Richardson, Texas, who shot himself in front of his teacher and his second-period English class of 30 students on the morning of January 8, 1991. Eddie details who Jeremy was and I think the chorus solely being "Jeremy spoke in class today, Jeremy spoke in class today" is an absolutely chilling and genius line. Aside from the story behind it, again some seriously good duelling guitar work is on display as well as guest performer Walter Gray on the cello. It is all capped with the iconic climax where Eddie belts something along the lines of "AH AIGH AI AI AY YEAHHH", sounds good to me mate. Top tier, their best in my eyes. So that's the A-Side down and well, it was pretty stellar. "Why Go" is the weakest on that side but that is only because it has 5 behemoths strategically sandwiching it. "Oceans" is the first track on the B-Side and… it's alright. Comfortably the shortest track on the album, clocking in at 2:41, it may also be the weakest on the album. Eddie details that he doesn't want a lover of his to stray away as he will return to them. I don't know about this one to be honest, it's a little cliché with the use of 'ocean' terms and metaphors. It's also nothing really special musically. The acoustic guitar work sounds nice and is honestly maybe the highlight of this, or maybe the underlying bassline of loses any audibility after Eddie intensifies his vocal. It's decent but never a song I'd come back to. Next up is in my opinion maybe the most underrated song on the album, "Porch". I absolutely love Eddie's fast, almost rapped delivery through the verse. The guitars are crunchy as all fuck through the chorus, nearly ear piercing. The underlying bassline is ever present and sounds great, the double tracked guitar solo sound fantastic. The little drum fill before the final chorus booms and the little guitar licks in that chorus while Eddie belts combine for a brilliant little track. "Garden" kicks off with the opening and main riff for the track, a lovely clean one at that. The verses are fine but my word does Eddie put on a killer performance for one of my favourite choruses on the album. With what is meant to be with reference to the Gulf War, Eddie belts: "Yet I'll go with my hands bound. I will walk with my face, blood. I will walk with my shadow flag Into your garden, garden of stone, yeah." On first listen it took my attention immediately. Aside from this, some chunky distorted guitars come in for the 2nd chorus and progress onward. A lovely solo intersects and acts as the bridge with more duelling guitars, you really need to listen to this through headphones for the isolating channel experience. This continues through to the final chorus which is a culmination of everything, Eddie belting, guitars soloing either channel, a chunky main riff played under it and some ever steady drumming. Fantastic song. We then run into a bit of an oddball, "Deep". The guitar driven intro is fun but simultaneously sounds like an AIC rip off. The subject matter stays dark, describing a man that is contemplating suicide by jumping off a building, in too deep to stop himself. I can't pinpoint exactly what about this song doesn't do it for me but I suppose not everything has to click. The main riff is ominous, dark and near disorienting, the storytelling is there, the slick bridge transition is cool and the drum fill finish the song off nicely but as a whole it's just a good track, not amazing. So, how do you cap this album off? With an appropriately titled "Release" of course. Eddie's approach on the first verse here took my interest. It's noticeably in a deeper and more guttural sounding register. Do I necessarily like it? Fuck knows, but it's interesting and makes sense given what follows. He belts "release me" and that's where the switch to typical Eddie occurs. The guitar effects give the track a unique atmosphere. What I don't understand is why the 'hidden' track is latched onto this and done where the transition is rather odd. Would've rather it just cut at the end of "Release". Good song and a suitable closer to the album nonetheless. My final thoughts on this and especially what to score this are somewhat convoluted. It's a great debut, do not get that twisted. Eddie has moments of magic and some where I can see the hatred toward his vocal style being justified. Instrumentation is superb for the most part. I do not like how it closes with the transition to the hidden track and I just feel like that the drop off from Side-A to B is rather significant. "Ten" also has been attributed to significantly influencing the post-grunge/dad rock/butt rock scenes that many hate and I can also see that. It's great, but I feel it may very well be the weakest amongst it's big four counterparts. Also, they could've fucked off "Oceans", then they would have an album called "Ten" that actually has 10 tracks, idiots. Track Ratings Once: 4.5/5 Even Flow: 4.5/5 Alive: 5/5 Why Go: 4/5 Black: 5/5 Jeremy: 5/5 Oceans: 3.5/5 Porch: 4.5/5 Garden: 4.5/5 Deep: 4/5 Release: 4/5 AVERAGE TRACK RATING = 48.5/55 x 10 = 8.8/10 ALBUM RATING = 8/10 TOTAL RATING = 8.4/10

What a debut album ! 5 stars

This was the first Pearl Jam album that I bought when I was younger, I still love it.

5 stars for Black alone

My sort of music some great tunes

too hard rock for me, not a fan

I bought one of those classic Pearl Jam 'Alive' t shirts from HMV in the mid 90s, except mine was long sleeved and have purple instead of the usual red writing. I put it on eBay a few years ago and it sold for £280. I wasn't expecting that. This is a bona-fide classic 90s album that I adore as much now as I ever did - only a few seem to have that quality (Nevermind, Downward Spiral, Vast by Vast).

This album basically is the 90s. With probably 4 of the best songs to come out of grunge, this album undeniably had a major impact on music. Arguably some of the best musicianship of the grunge era, the outro guitar solo on Alive and the guitar tone across the whole album in general is enough to make this one of the best grunge records. Certainly a definitive album and one that I feel like most anyone who's a rock fan would enjoy. 4/5

decent. Only a few really good tracks, everything else is like middle of the road

As far as I'm concerned, the only Pearl Jam album with no skips. A little top heavy? Sure, but no skips

Exceptional. Eddie Vetter with powerful vocals. Excellent guitar playing. Overall just a rocking in your face album. 4.5 due to “Oceans” being meh.

Amazing album. Every song

It wasn't too great but I really enjoyed it still

I will never understand why people like Pearl Jam. Just meh

Good stuff. Lot of bangers. Some filler. 77/100

I really dont think this one deserves to be called Grunge, and nowhere near Nevermind. Not too bad dad rock record, but not that interesting for me.

I really liked Even Flow. It sounds very similar to Soho’s 1990 single Hippy Chick, but that’s surely coincidental. Other tracks I liked: Why Go, Jeremy. Anthemic rock with shoegazey stuff going on in the background.

I have to give this a 5 simply because, well..Eddie Vedder. While the grunge wra did not resonate with me at first, I have grown to appreciate it especially getting to know Vedder and Dave Grohl. Notable songs are Alive, Even Flow and Garden.

Highlights: Even Flow, Jeremy, Porch, Garden. In a nutshell: a pillar of the Seattle sound. Ten by Pearl Jam is easily one of the best debut studio albums of the 90s. Haunting and piercing are the only words I have to describe songs not overplayed on the radio. PS. if you have the original CD, you will find a secret track which starts at the end of Release (I miss the days of secret tracks on albums). Enjoy! Overall: 8/10

A lot heavier than I expected. Grooves for days!!!!

Just like Soundgarden the other day, I didn’t hate it as much as I expected to. I really don’t care for Pearl Jam. But they’re not bad. I’ve had Better Man in my head all day.

proper vibes this one. clean & well written songs with just the right amount of scuzz 4/5

I like this music, but hear it all the time...

I've listened to Ten for years, and it's always an amazing experience. Honestly, the first 6 songs (Once -> Jeremy) are perfect in my eyes. The last 5 (Oceans -> Release) are mid to weak tracks. All in all I keep coming back for the first half of the album, but the second isn't strong enough for me to give near a 5. 3.7/5 -> 4/5

More like 4.

what a funny voice he has!

Some bangers here, and I think Pearl Jam get a little too much discredit for their song writing - some songs here are bona fide classics both musically and lyrically. As a record though it sadly tapers very much towards the last quarter, but for most of it, it's a strong debut, and of course, a stalwart of the Seattle-era. Nice to revisit, even though I'm rather weary of it after all these years.

A real classic, and set the stage for a lot of other bands.

I died, I died & you just stood there. I died & you watched. I died & you said no. I'm dead. Just a monster of an album.

Eh

A classic.

first 3 song slap and then it all kinda just blends together idk

All time great.

classic 90s grunge rock that feels pretty nostalgic - all of the songs are pretty fun to listen to, albeit a bit repetitive.

Probably the first non-Nirvana grunge that's clicked for me at all. "Evenflow" genuinely rips, and I was pretty alright with the rest of it

Once 3.8 Even Flow 4 Alive 4.3 Why Go 3.6 Black 4.4 Jeremy 4.5 Oceans 3.2 Porch 3.4 Garden 3.6 Deep 3.7 Release 3.3 Score: 3.8

Not a favorite genre of mine but you have to respect the appreciate the significance of this album. Huge hits and the other tracks were good as well. 7/10 (3.5/5)

Not a bad album per se. But not my cup of tea at all.

The band that launched a thousand imitators. As a debut record, it's up there with Boston's self-titled in terms of impressiveness, front-to-back bangers. Having never actually sat down and listened to this thing, I already know (and enjoy) half the songs. I know Eddie Vedder's vocals are often lampooned, but man, they're distinctive, and no one can manage that vocal edge like he can. Favorite tracks: "Why Go", "Black", "Jeremy", "Even Flow"

A classic album that “flows” track to track seamlessly. One of my favorite albums that takes me back to high school.

Rock n roll

Classic. 4.75

One of my all time favorites

Man, I listened to this a lot. It might be 'basic', but it's definitely 5/5 for that time of my life.

I just really don't like Pearl Jam. And I know that's a me problem, but it doesn't make me like their music any more. That being said, this was a solid rock album that I'm sure others enjoy a lot.

Liked, great debut

God I would've got so sick of hearing this voice everywhere at their peak. Thank god I wasn't around then and this shit kicks major ass EEVEEEN FLOOOOOOW

Fucking mood

April Fools

20 years since I listened to this album. Time machine back to high school.

I'm not trying to be a hater, but this album just never has done it for me. My wife is convinced I hate Pearl Jam because I always skip/change the station whenever a song from Ten comes on. I actually like (and owned) Yield and Vitalogy back in the day, but I don't think I ever had the slightest inclination to buy Ten. There's just something about Vedder's moaning/warbling on this album that grates me, and I probably wouldn't have such a strong opinion if the songs hadn't been etched into my eardrums for 30 years due to MTV/Alt Rock Radio/Classic Alt radio. I had to suppress an audible "Ugh" when the Alive intro came on, and skipped half the album because I already know it by heart, despite not being a huge fan. The non-megahit songs are mediocre, and there were no hidden gems for me. This might have been a 3 star review if I wasn't sick and tired of most of the hits, but there were multiple skips in this one for me.

I knew this album by heart and I still like it. There's a lot of raw energy combined with great melodies and some interesting rhythms. I love Porch - can't get enough of that.

It would be hard to name and album that was more foundational to my music tastes and Fandom. So, for that reason alone it gets a 5 despite some overplayed singles.

Surprised by how much even the hits I had thought were overplayed (Jeremy, Evenflow) held up. Given Russ hates Eddie Vedder's voice, it could also be that never getting to listen to a band for 10+ years could make anything sound fresh.

The quintessential grunge album and arguably one that helped usher in 90s rock. Nirvana may get the main credit for this scene, but Pearl Jam were probably the purest demonstration of the sound. The music immediately takes me back to that time. The music holds up incredibly well, particularly given how short lived grunge was.

This is a rough one because I understand how important of an album this is, the members of Pearl Jam seem like genuinely good people, and I can understand how structurally this is supposed to kick ass, yet this album does absolutely nothing for me whatsoever.

What a great album. Eddie Vedder's voice has an incredible tone and the songs are classic. The whole band meshes perfectly. I spent the rest of the day listening to their entire library. This is a classic

no

3.5

The boomer vibes are strong in this one. Ist mir zu cheesy und langweilig. Trotzdem nicht kompletter Schrott. 2,8.

Eine echte Perle. Mit ordentlichem Einfluss auf den Grunge.

Kann nicht behaupten, dass ich es schlecht finde Pööhl Dschääm

I remember watching the Jeremy music video on MTV when I was waaaay too young. The school shooting imagery kinda fucked me up … and now look at where we are in America. Great nostalgic album, but I never cared much for Eddie’s singing. I wish Seattle was still known for music like this.

I could karaoke this whole album without a lyrics screen. And not just the big four radio songs, but Garden and Release too. The first time I went down on a girl, Black was playing (I doubt, looking back, it was probably all that memorable for her, but for me I’ve got a soundtrack!). I remember the texture of the matte silver portable anti shock discman I wore this album out in. And Eddie was just everything a budding surfer wannabe guitarist artistically ambitious kid could want. He embodied the chance we all feel like we have at that age to be on stage in front of an arena crowd. I still get that sense of hunger and pregnancy and possibility listening to this. It still makes me feel like I belong in front of 100,000 people. By the time I started listening to Ten—probably, what, 1994?—there were at least two others out already, but Ten was always my jam. They got better and better, clearly, and Eddie is still getting better, not that Ten is the best, musically, but it’s got the most magic for me.

This absolutely rules. I think I was 12 by the time it made it to me and it hit at just the right time. One of my favorite memories is New Years 1993 when I was hanging out with Greg Reevie, who was the absolute man. My brother was supposed to be watching us but left for several hours to do cool kid shit and so me an Reevie put this on and turned my parents’ new sound system all the way up and just went completely bananas running around and dancing and ripping some righteous mid-air guitar riffs as we jumped from balcony to balcony in my parents crazy ass house. I distinctively remember the picture frames rattling on the walls and thinking how fucking cool that was. My brother lost it on us when he came back but just got really really angry because he knew he had no leverage. What was he gonna do? Tell mom? Beat me and Reevie up at the same time when both of us were already hopped up on these kick ass tunes and big enough to take him on our own? The answer is he wasn’t going to do anything except get angrier. We did turn it down a little bit, but kept on letting these beautiful soundwaves wash us into the new year.

10 מתוך 10.

Was not looking forward to this album but the amount of variety really surprised me. My favorites were “Even Flow” and “Jeremy.”

Never really was into the grunge thing. It’s not bad and he’s got a powerful voice.

Easy no skip track album! One of my favorites!

The seminal grunge masterpiece. Eddie Vedder's distinct vice punches through some of the finest crafted rock guitars and drums of the '90s.

Great ebb and flow. Good guitar tones and lots of emotion. 4 stars

One of the 90s better rock albums. Really strong start, but tails off a bit at the end.

One of the great 90s albums. I would say Veder is an acquired taste but their popularity would suggest otherwise.

Not great

🛹

4/5⭐️ Best song: Even Flow Worst song: Garden Comments: Such a good album, makes me want to skateboard like Jesus

Tedious slog. Maybe you had to be there.

lotta the same. 2 but would have been a 3 if I didnt finish the album

No bad

Alive, Garden, Release

A defining album in my musical education. Still my favorite Pearl Jam album.

One of the greatest grunge albums ever, and in my opinion the best debut album ever

Classic Pearl Jam. Next step beyond Nirvana. Not my cup of tea. Never had been, but for "Evermore" will be a great album

Très bon grunge, Even Flow c’est d’la bombe, mais je trouve que les instruments sont trop pognés en tapon, si c’était mieux mixé ça vaudrait un peut-être un cinq

Very good album. Got a bit muddled 3/4 through where it didn't seem like there was much going on.

5/10 okay I guess? it’s not terrible, but it’s impossible for me to get into grunge I have no idea how these guys are famous

Good album, good music, good tunes, good band.

Great Album, very close to 5 stars.

Great album. Originally owned this on CASSETTE TAPE! Vedder is still a top notch frontman... swinging from rafters 50ft in the air, solid MTV unplugged performance, or even now still playing 2-3hr (and 2-3 bottle of wine) shows.

Loses a star because it's been overplayed to death. It's also not my fav PJ album, so I need a star above it for those. Yield and Vs are better in my personal record book.

Back in the day this blew me away. Not really my thing any more.

My problem with Pearl Jam is that almost every song sounds exactly the same to me. It's fine, it's not bad, but it isn't something I would go out of my way to put on, or listen to an entire album of really. Even the more popular songs are just kinda "meh" to me. I can see why people like it, and overall it is a decent album, but it doesn't do a whole lot for me personally.

staple

Hell yeah borther

I was never a Pearl Jam fan, and after listening to this album, I'm still not a fan.

Listened to this album on a windy day at the beach. My drink went flying off the table. I still don’t know whether it was the wind or the music. Relentless.

Hell Yeah

Owwwwww classic. Hot one. Ten.

First time listening to an album by Pearl Jam. I had always thought they were a hair band from the 70s. Great album. Not too much to say though. It’s some psych rock with good storytelling. At points, mesmerizing. Release is a really great closer to the album. It’s difficult to remember what the songs I thought were okay even sounded like, though. Standouts: Once, Even Flow, Black, Jeremy, Garden.

This is an album that everyone who loves music in general, must listen! 4,5/5

A masterpiece of 90s rock/grunge from beginning to end. All killer, no filler. A must listen for any music fan.

One of my favorite albums

Wow, I thought this was all the same song?!

Legendary album. End to end bangers. Just, so, so good. I'm here for it, I love it. Rock on.

I didn't love it at first but I must admit that this list gave me the opportunity to reevaluate it

I didn't listen to this pearl jam album. I DID listen to Bruce Springsteen's "darkness on the edge of town" which I enjoyed unexpectedly as I've never been a Springsteen fan. "Racing in the street" made me cry.

i just really don't like pearl jam

Вроде бы и неплохо, но эти роковые депрессии совсем не в настроение, в другое время может быть и понравилось бы, а пока увы

Honestly always liked Pearl Jam the least of any of the big grunge 90s bands. That being said, this album is still really good. Top tracks: Even Flow, Jeremy, Oceans

One of the best

New more songs than I thought I did. Which I could understand the lyrics.

Good hard rock

Awful album cover Ten isn't quite the masterpiece some claim it to be. Sure, it's packed with catchy tunes - "Alive," "Jeremy," "Even Flow" - that dominated the radio back in the day. But catchy doesn't always equal classic. Vedder's angst-ridden vocals can get a bit samey, and the lyrical themes, while relatable, feel a tad overwrought. The band's musicianship is undeniable, but the riffs lean on repetition a bit too much. Ten is a decent debut, a solid snapshot of grunge's early days, but it doesn't quite live up to its legendary status. 2/5

The hits are HITS but the rest is just filler mostly. Too many AUOOOOOHS and YEAAAAAAHSSSSS

Like 5/10? Front half is radio hits. Some of these are long dong songs. Would probably drink coffee to again. I suspect this will be among my higher-ranked on this list, sad to say.

I hated this alum when it was released. I tried to give it a fair shake now, years later, but my opinion is largely the same. Possibly the worst representation of the Seattle scene at the time. There are a few good riffs throughout but largely this is watered down radio rock; a safe and accessible way for the major labels to play in an underground sandbox without getting hurt. Can't finish this out without touching on the fact the Vedder's vocals are god awful; floating somewhere between unintentional comedy and unlistenable garble. Hard to believe half this band was in Green River.

Niet mijn smaak, maar wel leuk

Kreeg dit album vroeger met de paplepel ingegoten. Luister het nu niet vaak meer, maar Black is nog steeds een van mn favo nummers. Door nostalgie toch maar 5/5.

eddie vedder, altijd +1, heerlijk album, goeie nummers, wel af en toe beetje zeik, maar dat maakt niet uit, voor mijn beleving een 5!

Black blijft toch wel erg mooi en sad Rest van het album ook wel nice Maar had er meer van verwacht op basis van de hits die ik ervan al kende

The hits are entirely overplayed and the rest was just okay. I found myself wanting to skip.

Not as bad as I thought, but still not for me.

(5,8/6) This one has a special place in my heart. Funny that it came up at day ten. Probably also in the top ten of my most heard and loved albums on the list. The only bad thing about it? Time goes by...so f'king fast!

That what this is a ten.

One of the all-time-great rock albums and possibly the best of its era. So good then and still so good today. Lyrically and musically strong and haunting and energizing. This one needs to be on the shelf within arms reach indefinitely.

YEAAAaaahieeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh. Like the energy and variety of songs. Also good hooks. Would recommend. Voice singer sometimes a tiny bit annoying.

A classic

Never listened to too much Pearl Jam but an old neighbor was into them enough for the both of us!! Amazing A-side with hit after hit, but 2nd half dropped off a little bit — could be that I just wasn’t as familiar. There were some songs I didn’t know the title but that, once started, seemed to come back to me. Fantastic debut album, for me it’s a 4.5... I wish they would allow half-star ratings but rounding up

Not good, not terrible.

And the hits just keep on coming! I’m not the world’s biggest PJ fan, but they were far and away the catchiest grunge band of the time. I get a little bit bored, listening to this record, having been so familiar with all of the hits for years but that’s not fair assessment to judge this album because the hits are GREAT! If I had to, I would rename this album 7 out of 10 by Pearl Jam.

I find it difficult to take this band seriously.

I LOVED THIS ALBUM. NO BAD SONGS. Eddie Vedder has one of the best rock voices ever. His sometimes dark and emotive lyrics tie in so well with the guitar-strong anthems. Overall this album is such a gorgeous amalgamation of honest raw talent and emotional poetry. Not to be cheesy but I did really love this album and can't believe I hadn't listened to it earlier. Wieners: Other than the obvious Even Flow, Alive, and Black I really enjoyed the lyricism in Garden. Losers NONEEEEEE

Meh

This is one of the greatest albums on the history of all human knowledge.

4.5

I dig this! Very solid grunge

Låter jätte platt o Eddie Vedders röst är olidlig. Hade fått en tvåa om de inte satt en tio minuter lång dirge i slutet

Good album with great players, but I've never really gotten into this band, though I've tried in the past. Sonically very pleasing with incredibly tight playing and Dave Krusen doing a phenomenal job. It's primarily Vedder I don't particularly resonate with. 3.5

It's not my favorite Pearl Jam album, but it's their most consistent and the one with the broadest appeal. A classic.

The guitar solos are cool :D But a bit too heavy and boring.

A genuinely likable album. I spent years rolling my eyes at Pearl Jam but enjoyed this loads. Felt very much in my wheelhouse, sonically. 90s, grungey, not sure what else I’d want.

Excellent.

Great album.

Ten is one of the first albums I ever fell in love with. Side A is smash hit after smash hit. While usually just pegged as grunge, it really is a bridge between classic rock and grunge. McCready is not a just grunge guitarist. Vedder’s voice will be iconic forever, he is truly one of the great front men of all time. Ten is so raw and emotional, which is incredible considering Vedder has never even met the band before writing the lyrics. Black one of the greatest songs of all time. Side B doesn’t quite stand up to Side A but Porch and Release are both incredible. 9.3/10

There was a student singing Even Flow in Science last week. They immediately gained a bit of cred because if it. I wasn't a massive Pearl Jam fan first time around, but you have to give credit where it is due, and Ten is a work of art.

This is peak Grunge at just about its peakiest. Some real old school corkers on this album.

pearl jam is NOT for me, i feel like im having a stroke EVEN FLOOOOOOOOOOOW [incoherent gibberish]

Damn good album

I almost skipped this since I know the record inside and out, and I'm really glad I didn't. I took the opportunity to listen to Brendan O'Brien remix of the album (listed as "Ten Redux" on streaming) which I think I was dismissive of originally; after a dedicated listen I think it sounds phenomenal compared to the original mix while still being respectful of and faithful to it. The "big 4" being rock radio staples for the better part of 30 years have done nothing to diminish the impact and quality of the entire album. 1001 Albums has got me better attuned as to what albums I enjoy purely for their nostalgia factor vs. what have truly gone the distance, and this album in my eyes is easily the latter and a 5/5 masterpiece.

It's good, but this record is responsible for Nickelback and Creed. Favorite song: Deep.

Not a big PJ guy but it's hard to deny that this album has some bangers. And I know bangers

My favorite album of all time. One of the best things that’s ever happened to me. My first band. Mine. Connected forever.

I first heard this in the 90’s and it has stuck with me as an absolute favorite and I still listen to it today! Classic!

EVEN FLOW

Rockin'

I’ve already listened to this album many times and it really is one of the best albums ever. Stacked tracklist with no skips. It’s a grunge album, but some of the songwriting and compositions can still feel delicate and graceful - a pleasant mix that can suit a lot of moods. Black is a masterpiece and Release is a phenomenal way to close the album. The production captured not only the bands raw grunge sound well but was also mixed and layered in a way that makes it so fresh and interesting on each new listen.

Perfect debut album from start to finish. A timeless classic!

Pretty good just not my jam. Low 3.

I don't really like Pearl Jam, but this is a very well made album. 3.4.

Never been a big Pearl Jam fan but I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Still not crazy about them but thought this was a good album

Easiest 5 stars so far! Don’t even have to review this album, it’s a masterpiece from beginning till the end.

Amazing. The instrumentals of each song fully enveloped me.

3,6

Good album

Didn't think I liked Pearl Jam based on their songs I'd heard before but this was pretty good.

Kinda crummy grandpa rock

I didn't like much that came after it, but this album is a winner. Love it start to finish.

A classic, great sounds Top tracks: Even Flow, Black

SO many amazing and influential cuts on one album...and their debut? What?!

Good

as a teenager, I loved the shit out of this as an old man, its pretty meh now.

Good noise. Can't always hear him, but the lyrics sink in hard

that was certainly noise

Really fucking solid rock album. I loved this. I have to say the first half of the album is better than the second, partially drops off but overall it was such an enjoyable album, could see myself binging this many a time.

This has to be one of the greatest debut albums of all time, and it remains one of Pearl Jam's strongest - if not their best record. Overall the songwriting and performances on this are brilliant, it's heartfelt, emotional and full of passion. They mix the raw, brash elements of grunge well, with some obvious 70s rock influences and flourishes of more stadium oriented sounds.

Enjoyed this much more than I thought. Alive was unbelievable. Overall really solid album with good average and a few good highs. Strong 7

Bangers. 4.

Pearl Jam is so good I won't fault them for one album.

Not for me.

Can't imagine a better Pearl Jam album. Eddie is pretty incoherent but it rocks hard.

This record is energetic, loud, catchy and Eddie's voice is just incredible. Plus it sounds great. Such an enjoyable listen.

Yeah, like for sure dude.

If it weren't for the vocals this would be a 4

Awesome!!

Even Flow and Alive were already on my Spotify liked library, but I only like some of Pearl Jams music. Eddy's deep monotone voice is quite recognisable albeit the lyrics are just boring and unimaginative punched out in Eddy's one key delivery. The album, or rather Pearl Jam in general, is all very very samey... apart from a few guitar riffs that momentarily grab your attention in some tracks... but the whole thing, we'll it's just lacking, so it's a middle of the road 3 from me.

3.63 per track. I like Pearl Jam more that I remember.

Great album!

Good

This was really great overall. It's a little bit before my time, but it apparently was one of the top selling albums of the '90s and it has most of Pearl Jam's most famous songs ("Even Flow", "Alive", "Black", "Jeremy"). I really enjoyed it overall, and it's earned it's place as an iconic album. It is extra impressive as their debut album, not a lot of bands come out swinging like this right from the start. Pearl Jam is one of the iconic grunge bands, and from what I've heard so far I think I'm higher on them than Soundgarden, but not quite to Nirvana level. I guess Kurt Cobain was not a Pearl Jam fan, and felt like they sold out. I can see it a bit, this definitely has a bit more of a polished sound. It's a little more alt rock than some of the other grunge albums I've heard (I almost hear some R.E.M.-type sounds in here, where I don't feel that way for Nirvana). It's still great though, the highs are really high on this one. I'm really tempted to give this a 5, but I don't think it quite gets there for me. The front half of the album is incredibly strong, but the back half fell a bit flat for me (though I did like "Oceans" a lot). It's very good and in the 4.5 territory, but just a bit lacking on the back side. Favorite song: Even Flow Other: Alive, Black, Jeremy, Oceans, Porch, Release 2/9/24

I can't listen to Even Flow anymore because of a video that ruined it, but Pearl Jam is a grunge icon and I respect that, 3/5

This is like RockTM. Like how I imagined all of 'rock' music and every 'rock band' sounded like when I was 13.

One of my favorite albums. Wish I listened to them more in the 90s but I was fairly young.

Out of all the big Grunge bands, Pearl Jam is probably the uncoolest. For a genre that was marketed as more austere, punk and down-to-earth than the hair metal of the 80s, Pearl Jam seems to disprove this notion by showing grunge can be as slick, heavy and appreciative of classic rock (and long-haired) as glam metal. A lot of Pearl Jam's strengths on display on Ten are probably also very controversial for the grunge snob. The songs are on the long side for rock, often containing guitar solos or other musical show offs, or veering off into the melodramatical. For example, in classic track Even Flow, the guitar is flourished with some light, glammy tremolo. (Some tracks even feature odes to bassist legend Mick Karn; what is less grunge-like than tributes to a glam new waver?) But the most controversial part of Pearl Jam is probably Eddie Vedder's singing. Even though slurred singing is a proud tradition in alternative rock, from Michael Stipe to Kurt Cobain himself, Eddie Vedder sings out of theatrical passion rather than ironic ambiguity, which gives songs like Black a lot of power, but is probably tragically uncool in the "real" (read ironic) 90s. It doesn't help that Vedder's mumbly style sometimes clashes with the clear stories he wants to tell; Alive has long been misinterpreted as a life-affirming song, and I only get the meaning of Jeremy because the music video has made it explicit (despite the bands protestation for literal music videos and the censorship of said video ironically also twisting the meaning into something more gruesome) Perhaps because Pearl Jam was not afraid to bear their hearts, their loves and passion, into this album, that made a lot of detractors say Pearl Jam wasn't really grunge when not only do they embody many of the facets of the genre, they (in one form or another) have been at it the longest before the break-through of grunge. Perhaps in being so passionate and as theatrical as the hair metal of the past, they were too real for the "REAL" 90s. Or at least this album was. Strong 4 to light 5

Große Hits, aber auch ein bisschen Füllmaterial

I’d have loved this as a teen but it’s not for me now

Nope, still don't like Pearl Jam. I can kind of appreciate why they are "good" but I wouldn't listen again. Heard enough of them played constantly on the radio in the 90s, thanks.

Great album. Such a powerful voice. The song “Black” just epitomizes heartbreak.

Albumet var bra. Jag tycker om att det är en blandning av rock och grunge. Tycker dock att det kan blir lite väl mycket upprepning och många av låtarna låter väldigt lika. Men utöver det tycker jag om att man tydligt gör instrumenten och speciellt gitarren som ger hela albumet en ikonisk stämpel. Min favoritlåt från albumet var Why go home. Jag älskar trummorna i låten och även gitarrsolot som är i slutet av låten.

One day you’re at karaoke with your friends singing “Jeremy” and they start chanting “teeth, teeth, teeth” during his ad libs, and that’s all you can hear now. Stellar album.

Pearl Jam reviving 50s death rock with the cover of “last kiss”: yay! This album and Pearl Jam in general: nay! For some reason I just don’t vibe with PJ. Probably because it’s “big serious masculine hard rock” without any speed, fun or new sounds. Love Vedders soundtrack for Into the Wild though. Pearl Jams influence on American rock is probably a big reason why it has been terrible the last 30 years (I can’t help exaggerating like this).

Bit headache making. Probably good live!

Indie rock-ish / grunge-ish but the not annoying one

Damn.

Alive //

Ég er svo hrikalega biased. Þetta er alveg hrikalega góð rokkplata og mótaði minn tónlistarsmekk alveg rosalega mikið. Þeir sem eru grunge megin í lífinu fatta. En svona án alls gríns finnst mér þetta bara fullkomin plata fyrir 1991 senuna. Vedder með iconic rödd, lögin og textarnir löðrandi í óvissu ungdómsins, hljóðfæraleikurinn er líka frábær. Þá er heildarverkið svo þétt. Black er eitt fallegasta rokklag sem ég veit um og Jeremy er sturlað. Svo eru hinir hittararnir bangers og ekki hittararnir orðnir jafn góðir í mínum eyrum eftir svona 10.000 hlustanir. Það var aldrei spurning um annað en 5/5 frá mér...

Veit ekki alveg hvað ég á segja. Hörkugott rokk, en of mikið seventís rokk í þessu fyrir minn smekk. Svo er það Eddie Vedder, sem bara fellur því miður ekki að mínum eyrum. Bestur í rólegu lögunum, fannst mér, finnst miðkaflinn bestur, Black, Jeremy og Oceans. Margt alls ekki fyrir minn smekk, en með áframhaldandi sjálfsvinnu og opnum huga mun ég kannski ná að fíla Even Flow og Alive. Set 4* í þeirri von.

Not a big fan of Pearl Jam

What I was expecting but better, thought it would be butt rock's blueprint. It is, but it is actually good, Black is amazing. Overall good time.

Loved this album. I still remembered nearly every song by heart. Took me back to my teen years.

Бэйт-ревью: Pearl Jam всегда воспринимался мной как такие Imagine Dragons 90-ых: огромная аудитория, знаменитые песни, но все какое-то... Ээ? Nickelback - вот еще похожая группа! Лучшая песня - Once.

Rather outdated for me, but still ohne of the best rock albums of the 90s.

I was thrilled to see this album pop up today. I've always really enjoyed Pearl Jam when I've heard them, but hadn't taken the time to sit down and listen to their albums all the way through. It's just as good as I'd hoped it would be.

Too loud music - difficult to hear the lyrics. Alternative Rock is difficult for me to appreciate.

Got some good stuff on here, and it's their first album! But, not enough for me to run out and buy it.

Grunge go hard

There's a lot to like about this album. My favorite thing was how good they sound playing guitar.

Great sounds, not the biggest fan of the voice.

Not a huge fan of this album but Black is a great song. They usually have at least one great song per album

Classic Pearl Jam

Solid front to back from Pearl Jam. Not much else to say.

This album is really good But not my thing at all I have had a copy of it for 15 years and I'm not sure I listened to it until today I think its good but led to alot of bad music that it inspired Very high three

I've heard 3/4 of this album a million times but rarely the last couple of songs. Never really got into Pearl Jam, I know a couple of other songs from elsewhere but this band really never truly grabbed me the way Nirvana did. Great first 6 or 7 songs though.

An excellent album!

I hate pearljam with a passion

forgettable

Classic grunge!

Naja, nicht so meines. Aber manche gute Songs sind dabei. 5.1/10

This album is the proof of Pearl Jam, at the right hand of Nirvana, with Sound Garden and Alice in Chains battling it out for the left hand, of alt. grunge's unholy trinity.

Outstanding, creative, energetic

Grijsgedraaid 😁

To me every song sounds the same..... as do the tormented vocals ....

Man. Eddie Vedder's voice is really something. Added an extra layer to the already-great songs.

Nicht gut gealtert. 90er Powerrock mit starken Powermännern fand ich mal richtig gut, aber nervt jetzt eher. Noch ein Stern für die guten alten Zeiten

This album really made me feel Alive. Iconic album with a pretty unique sound. These guys rock.

It’s a vibe, listened on a rainy day drive, but blends together and sounds like one big song, got boring. I did a grunge workout playlist the prior day, that I enjoyed more than this particular experience. Closing song Release stood out

clásico del grunge, jeremy y once mis favs

Taba bien, guardé mas canciones de las que esperaba.

Liked that. I can see why it's their best selling album.

Ten is decent. It has some very good songs, but it also runs the risk of sounding too samey at times. Black is definitely the standout track as it contains so much emotion and really enables Eddie Vedder to show off his vocal prowess.