Giving Respect to Pearl Jam
October 30th, 2009 by Robert Warner
I just came across an article from a few years ago that stated that Americans chose Pearl Jam as the greatest American rock band of all-time in a survey. Don’t get me wrong – I really like Eddie Vedder and the rest of the band, but I was shocked to see Pearl Jam as number one!
We’re not talking about the best band of the alternative music movement and we’re not talking about the best band of the last 20 years. This is the best American band of all-time.
From there, I was determined to make a long list of American bands who were better than Pearl Jam. As I began thinking about it, I realized that everyone I had in mind was a solo artist. I tried coming up with bands that many would agree were better, and they didn’t make the cut because of where they came from.
Then I realized that I genuinely couldn’t come up with a better American rock band than Pearl Jam. I tried, but I saw their point.
When all is said and done, other contenders were bands like Aerosmith, Van Halen, REM, Journey, the Eagles, and others.
After thinking about it, I guess Pearl Jam really is worthy of the spot. Think about it. They were amongst the top of the pack when it came to the grunge and alternative movement, and they churned out a massive number of hits in the 1990s.
Not only were they big in the 90s, but they’re still producing some great music today. Take their latest release, Backspacer, for example. This album is packed with catchy songs, and almost 20 years later, the band has produced one of it’s best records yet.
Pearl Jam is a breath of fresh air in a music world that’s been tainted by corporate interests. They’ve never broken up, never have had any of the drug issues that so many other bands suffer from, and they’re all about pleasing their fans. I tip my hat to Pearl Jam for these very reasons.
While this author loves music, he also enjoys writing about the gas fireplace blowers and blowers for wood fireplacess.
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