Mike is Incredible but Stone Gossard's intricacies on the guitar as a writer helped define the Pearl Jam sound. Stone is MUCH more of a complicated writer than Non-Musicians could fathom....
One of my top 5 favourite bands of all time. Seen them live every time they've been over to the UK. 11. Lightning Bolt 10. Riot Act 9. Backspacer 8. Gigaton 7. Pearl Jam 6. No Code 5. Vitalogy 4. Binaural 3. Yield 2. Vs 1. TEN
No Code really was a versatile album, it's my favorite album of all time. And the way they designed the packaging and cover for the album was super fucking cool too.
I tuned out after their ‘avacado’ album but they were always a very good band. In hindsight ‘Vitalogy’ may have been the creative peak. The subsequent albums did not suggest their side-project interests as well as that one.
@@joncumber2020 Odd, Pearl Jam is my 4th favorite album of theirs. The complain many have is it is just straight rock with no grunge, experimental or any of the other assorted styles they branched out too. My response was I know, the rock is good though. Love that album.
11. Backspacer 10. Lightning bolt 09. Riot act 08. Gigaton 07. Avocado 06. Ten 05. Yield 04. No code 03. Binaural 02. Vs. 01. Vitalogy My all time favorite band and I love every single album.
I think No Code has legs for many fans...it's my grower out of all their albums...the one I think could go up on my list out of all the others I've heard....
11. Backspacer 10. Gigaton 9. Lightning Bolt 8. Riot Act(this album gets a lot of hate, but I really like it!) 7. Avocado 6. Binaural 5. No Code 4. Ten 3. Vs 2. Yield 1. Vitalogy
I arrived in Erlangen, Germany during the early winter of 1991. Prior to me entering basic training, hair metal was still ruling the airwaves. Once I got settled I ventured out and found the nearest record store. I was lucky enough to find someone who spoke English and I asked him simply, "What's big in America, right now?" He pointed me in the direction of Ten by Pearl Jam. The next day, I asked someone else at the same store the same question and they introduced me to Nirvana. I listened to that first Pearl Jam album for nearly 3 years. It was and still is flawless. While stationed there I was able to see Faith No More, Soundgarden, Guns and Roses, Entombed and Violent Femmes live. I avoided going to Saudi Arabia by one week. It was a good year!
My Pearl Jam collection consisted of Ten and only Ten up until about a year ago. Watching your album ranking encouraged me to check out more of their albums. Currently listening to Yield after earlier hearing Vs. Also have Vitalogy, Pearl Jam and Riot Act. I pick up CDs on the cheap (buck or two). A great way to build a music library of amazing albums. I recently picked up Backspacer and their greatest hits compilation rearviewmirror. Wondering if you guys have ever considered doing a top 10 compilation album. I look for more than just the greatest hits type of album. As a music lover I appreciate the studio album experience but occasionally you find an amazing Greatest Hits as well.
My absolute favorite of the grunge bands! It would take some real thought to rank these for me. I think PJ consistently offers something great with every record.
Just discovered the channel in the last few weeks. This episode was a great presentation. I have every studio album plus Lost Dogs. I went back to my collection and I have Lightning Bolt and Riot Act at the bottom. I found Lost Dogs, although it wasn't reviewed, really worth the listen. I would rate it at 3 or 4 just below Ten and Vs, maybe Vitalogy. The big discovery for me was how the lyrics are overwritten and often twice as long as they need to be to get the point across.
Been waiting for you guys to rank the albums of my favorite band! For me: 1) VS 2) Ten 3) vitalogy 4) no code 5) "avocado" 6) yield 7) riot act 8) lightning bolt 9) gigaton 10) binaural 11) backspacer
It is annoying when people lump Eddie Vedder in with people like Scott Stapp. Vedder's vocal style is genuinely his and has been from the beginning, the copycats are clearly putting it on and it's not natural for them so it tends to sound ridiculous. Not sure why that is hard for some people to understand. I know a lot of people are mad at Jason for his rankings but that is what I appreciate about this channel. None of you are afraid to make a list that is right for how you feel about the music whether it falls under popular opinion or not.
I enjoy all the different opinions. I think it's interesting, there's always a new perspective to see. And I liked Creed back in the day, I still think they have many catchy songs though it's not exactly groundbreaking music. I don't consider them a great band but I didn't see what was so offensively bad about them either, the guitar player is great. As for the comparison of singers I just took them both as baritones I didn't see it as a put on or a copy. No singer has a voice like Eddie anyway. Out of that whole post-grunge/radio rock scene there were definitely many bad bands though.
Love the first three albums. No Code is a tough listen. I like Hail, Hail and a few others but I don’t think the songwriting is that strong and the flow seems off to me, like the album never properly finds it’s footing and it’s trying too hard to be different. Some good tracks here and there after that but I find the rest of their discography a bit plain actually. They became more of a legacy live act I think. Maybe I just need to give them another go around but I also think Vedder took too much control over the direction and they moved too far away from what made them great in the beginning, which was just great song after great song.
The first three albums are pretty important for me, worthy of being in my collection. I need to re-listen to Yield and a few others more but I just generally lose interest at some point. I don't like when some of the later stuff sounds safe and generic at times.
Alice In Chains is one of my favorite bands, any era, period. But Pearl Jam I think are a great rock band. Yes, I'll always love their first record most, which was the 'heaviest', but once I got over the fact they they weren't going to revert to the pre-Vitalogy sound, and I sort of embraced them as simply a great rock band, I love a lot of their music. I also think that if you think any of their songs are lacking a bit, find the live version of it. It's very likely it'll breathe new life into it for ya.
I’ve been watching your ranking videos, these are so neat and such a great concept, makes me want to deep dive these artist myself. I’d be interested to see a remastered list of Weezer once they release their next 4 albums of the seasons next year.
1. Ten. It’s what got me into them as a junior in high school fall ‘91. Such big songs here. Made my top-5 in 1991. In my top 50 of all time.(5/5) 2. Vs. yeah, there’s a couple of tracks that are misses for me. But the best ones here are all timers. For that reason it gets high marks. (4.5/5) 3. No Code. I liked this one a lot. I think it has aged well. Made my top-5 in 1996, nearly was AotY. SOme of my all time favorites are here, I have *just* behind VS, but depending on mood I could put it higher. Fantastic. (4.5/5) 4. Yield. I liked the pacing here. Made my top 5 in 1998. (4/5) 5. Vitology. I don’t have this one as high as most Pearl Jam fans. Still, got some great songs. Honorable mention for me in 1994 (3.5/4) 6. Backspacer. I found this one pretty fun. It’s grown on me even more since its release. In my top 5 for 2009. 3.5/5) 7. Gigaton. Solid album for an old band. (3.5/5) 8.Pearl Jam/Avocado. Decent, imo.(3/5) 9.Binaural. Average, maybe. Not overly memorable. (3/5) 10. Lightning Bolt. Yeah not great, but I still like it a bit over Riot Act. (2.5/5) 11. Riot Act. Only listened to this one a couple times. That’s enough.(2/5)
Same. I kind of get why people don't like it -- it's weird, and it's kind of like their White Album, where it's sort of a mish-mash of styles. But, I think that's it's charm. I think it sounds great. I think this was right after they worked with Neil Young, and it feels a lot looser than their other albums. Also, strong contender for greatest album packaging.
@@edgustafson White Album is the Beatles album I listen to most... Agree that the packaging is great. Wasn't until a few years ago that I realized that if you open it all up and lay it flat, the polaroids form into a triangle shape with a hole in the middle
@@edgustafson No Code is a close to perfect rock album the way it gives you the uptempo rockers, the mid paced rockers, the slower ballads/acoustic tracks, and the more experimental tracks. Its got something for everyone. I didnt like it when I first year it though. It took me years to get into it.
Yield does NOT get forgotten about. It's my #1. Wishlist, Faithfull, Do The Evolution, Given To Fly and especially In Hiding all have a good chance of making my Top 10 songs list. It's not a perfect album, but those high points are some of their highest. I haven't really listened to them much after Riot Act or their self-titled album. I'm sure #2 and #3 would probably be Ten and Vitalogy, but it would be difficult to go through them all as their albums are pretty consistent. I don't think I liked Vs. all that much. My actual favorite album of theirs might be the Live At The Benaroya Hall show.
I will have to check out Pearl Jam more. I have actually picked up a number of their CD's then never listened to them. Exception of 'Ten', just checked out of rock for a number of years when "grunge" invaded the radio, but did enjoy a few songs from this album. I still have a great deal of respect for them. Good show, as always.
1. Ten (1991) 5/5 2. Yield (1998) 4.5/5 3. Vs (1993) 4/5 4. Vitalogy (1994) 4/5 5. The Avacado Album (2006) 4/5 6. Riot Act (2002) 3.5/5 7. No Code (1996) 3.5/5 8. Gigaton (2020) 3.5/5 9. Backspacer (2009) 3/5 10. Binaural (2000) 3/5 11. Lightning Bolt (2013) 2.5/5 I was a PJ superfan back in the '90s. I've seen them in concert 9 times including a word-of-mouth-only "secret" show at a small club in Seattle (The Showbox/Sept. 1996). I consider it one of the 10 best shows I've ever seen. Albums-wise they're very consistent athough I think they only got beyond 4 stars twice.
never been able to get into them because of the vocal style, but i gave some of their stuff another shot today and i absolutely loved vs, i dig the more aggressive tracks on there for sure
Commenting as someone who has relatively limited exposure to this band, the only Pearl Jam record that ever leapt out and resonated with me was Vs. It's so visceral and focused. Had it on a C90 rip back in the day
Great band, one of the best to see live in concert. My ranking: 1. Yield (10/10) 2. Vs (10/10) 3. Ten (10/10) 4. Vitalogy (9,5/19) 5. Pearl Jam (9/10) 6. No Code (9/10) 7. Binaural (8,5/10) 8. Gigaton (8/10) 9. Backspacer (7,5/10) 10. Lightning Bolt (7/10) 11. Riot Act (7/10) Special Mention: Lost Dogs (7,5/10), one of the best collection of B-Sides and Outtakes Greetings from Canary Islands
Kramzer hit the nail on the head perfectly with Yield. Was my runner up to Lucinda Williams in ‘98,and is my favorite PJ album followed by Vitalogy then Ten. However, the version of this band after Binaural I find milquetoast, can’t get into any of it for some reason
to me it's pretty clear that yield was their step back into milquetoast. damaged, agitated eddie had left the building. finally got the punk inclinations out of his system w/ 'no code'
Here's what I enjoy of TLM: it pushes me to explore new records I wouldn't otherwise be aware of, and invites me to fill the gaps in the discography of artists I'm already familiar with. One year later, I feel comfortable to list Pearl Jam's albums: 1. Ten 2. Vitalogy 3. Binaural 4. Yield 5. Vs. 6. Pearl Jam (Avocado) 7. Riot Act 8. Backspacer 9. No Code 10. Gigaton 11. Lightning Bolt
11. Backspacer (Not the best lyrics, not the best songs) 10. Lightning bolt (I like it, but it misses cohesian the end doesn't work for me. Sleeping by myself is nice in this version, but would have worked better as a Christmas single) 09. Gigaton (It has more cohesion than LB, but it falls apart in three parts) 08. Avocado (I love the songs, but the production isn't quite my taste. Also I feel they could have done a better job of balancing the album. All the rock songs in the front and the ballades ) 07. Yield (I don't like the production on Yield. The songs are superb. Like Krem said about No code, I prefer the songs from Yield played live. ) 06. Riot act (I love Riot act. It feels a little artsier, I think the balance on this album is great between the heavier songs and the slower ones. They are well placed throughout the album. What it lacks in big songs, it makes up for in sound. You can hear it's produced by Adem Kasper, like Down on the upside it sounds like an attic door is opend and you find a dusty room full of hidden treasure. The cover matches the sound of the album perfectly. ) 05. Ten ( It is hard to rank Ten. On one hand it can easily take the top position. On the other hand it is almost a different band. There isn't a bad song on Ten, but still I feel there was better still to come) 04. Vs (I love Vs, it has a good balance in how the songs are placed. The opening Go/Animal is superb. I feel that later in their career they would have slapped Blood on the back of those two. Here they spread the punky side. I love how they show off all their different sides on Vs and still have it sound as a whole. Something they forgot to do on later albums) 03. Binaural (I have resequenced this, combining how they had intend the album and how it ended up. Had Fatal, Sad, In the moonlight and Education been on here this would have been their absolute masterpiece, now it is still a great batch of songs, but there is no cohesion whatsoever. I can't help but take in account how it should have been and then drop it two spots) 02. Vitality(Like Jason said, all the little weird parts serve a purpose and add to the ambiance of the album) 01. No code (This to me is pure magic. I love the live nature of the recording proces, I love the songs. I feel they form an eclectic whole, kinda like the White album. Jack Irons really stirs them into a different direction. It is a more admospheric album and at the same time very earthy. I love the straight forwardness of the album sound, the art work fits the albums eclectic nature. This is easily their best album and only if Binaural had been as it was intended, would it have a chance of dropping from the number one spot.)
pearl jams first 3 albums are indisputably great but after that their records never worked as cohesive statements imho , while they may have a few decent singles and radio hits amongst i could rarely listen to end to end. vitalogy i would consider their best artistic statement and ten having the best songs and overall most listenable work.
Agreed, thus the first three records are all that I own. I've owned a few others at various points but never connected with them much. Vs. is one of the best 90's rock follow-ups in my opinion, excellent few albums.
Thanks for doing this one. I bailed on PJ around their third album and feel like I should give the rest of their discography at least some kind of fair shake. Having a guide for approaching it is helpful. I might react with the big meh, but maybe not!
11-Gigaton....To be fair I have not listened to or picked this up yet 10-Lightning Bolt 9-Riot Act 8-Binaural 7-Backspacer 6-No Code 5-Pearl Jam 4-Vitalogy 3-Ten 2-Yield 1-Vs
I just got done a few days ago listening to everything of theirs to make an eventual top 9 songs list (just for myself, to listen to, not for anything). I think I could share my opinion on which albums I preferred, not exactly in chime with all of your lists, probably gonna tick some people off ah well never mind what can ye do lol. Opinions in music, right? For anyone interested in a random person's preferences: 1. Binaural... had to put this at the top. It's themed, grows on you, and contains more favourites than the others do. Best all rounder. 2. Riot Act... this one above all the others grows on me the more I listen. An unapologetic gem including their best song (You Are). 3. Gigaton... eclectic isn't my usual vibe but this bursts with so much creativity that it makes it my vibe. Experimental but lovely. 4. Ten... maybe my favourite production of them, really punchy and awesome songs, but they left off the best one (Alone). 5. Yield... very consistent album with great songs that also makes for a coherent thematic listen. Just overall really solid. 6. Avocado... it doesn't quite achieve what it sets out to do but it's so almost there, and Unemployable is such a damn track. 7. Backspacer... like what they were going for here, fun album but I don't think anything quite hits like the Fixer. 8. No Code... I like most of the stuff on here and adore one or two. It is a bit disconnected as a through-listen, though. 9. Vitalogy... way too much artsy-fartsy filler nonsense, if only your Corduroys weren't sandwiched between so much rough. 10. Vs... lots of filler like Vitalogy, but the highs are way less high as well. Don't see the fuss. Not honestly much to keep me here. 11. Lightning Bolt... just didn't sound like a Pearl Jam record to me, and wasn't memorable otherwise. Can't think of a single song off it. Best album cover: Vs. Worst album cover: No Code.
I sent this episode to my brother, who is P.J.'s #1 fan... I told him to reply with his list (and subscribe!)... Meanwhile, here's my list: 1. No Code (great work by Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons, LOL) 2. Yield 3. Vs. 4. Vitalogy 5. Pearl Jam 🥑 6. Gigaton (played it a ton during quarantine) 7. Ten (I hated it in 1991, but it's slowly grown on me) 8. Riot Act 9. Backspacer 10. Binaural 11. Lightning Bolt
I listened to No Code all the way through for the first time ever today. Became my #1 Wow is all I can say. I think when I was young I only listened to a few tracks and didn't give it a chance.
YIELD!!!!!!!! 🍻 Hey guys, I’ve really been enjoying your channel, keep it goin’!!! I would suggest Thin Lizzy for a worst-to-best treatment, if you guys are into them! 👍
1. Vs. (4.5 stars) 2. Ten (4 - almost 4.5) 3. Yield (4) 4. Vitalogy (4) 5. Pearl Jam (3.5) 6. No Code (3.5) 7. Backspacer (3.5) 8. Riot Act (3.5) 9. Lightning Bolt (3) 10. Binaural (3) 11. Gigaton (3) Joe definitely has the right idea with the top 2. “Glorified G”, “W.M.A.” and “Rats” on Vs. need more respect. 😜 Also, I love the production on Ten, although I understand why the band thought of it as inauthentically them and got away from it.
I agree that PJ is the best band to come from the grunge era. I always thought they had what it took to go the distance, unlike Nirvana. However, I stopped listening to PJ after Vitalogy because nothing grabbed me like the first two albums, which I absolutely love. If I you put a gun to my head, I'd have to say VS is my favorite by a hair but, I also really love Ten. I tried getting into PJ again w/Yield and No Code but, it didn't work for me. One day, I'll probably try again. Right now, I'm on a listening journey through the seventies because I think, other than the eighties, it's the greatest decade for music and, it's the decade when I was born. Lucky me😁
10. Riot Act 9. Lightning Bolt 9. Binaural 8. Gigaton 7. Backspacer 6. No Code 5. Yield 4. Pearl Jam 3. Vitalogy (the filler on this album lets it down badly, Heyfoxy..., Bugs, Ava.. Truly terrible and so annoying especially when listing on vinyl. The highs are some of the highest highs of their entire catalogue) 2 V's (An incredible follow up to and incredible debut. The slightly poorer songs on this blow the filler on Vitalogy out of the water hence this being at number 2) 1. Ten (Not only is this the best Pearl Jam album, it's right up there as one of the very best debut albums in Rock. The songs are epic, soaring, raw and emotional. This is as close to perfect as rock n roll gets)
I divide Pearl Jam albums in 3 categories: 1) The top: Ten (1991). It looks like a collection, 11 fantastic tracks, it's impossible to skip anyone while listening. But unlike collections, the 11 tracks of Ten fit together as a whole. 2) Close to the top: Vs (1993), Vitalogy (1994), Yield (1998). There are very good arguments to place anyone of them in the 2nd place of Pearl Jam's best albums. It's very hard to decide which one is better. 3) The rest
WMA is the epic centerpiece of Vs. It's not "just ok" and definitely not a lowlight, but just my opinion. My list would look like this: 1. No Code 2. Vitalogy 3. Yield 4. Vs. 5. Ten 6. Binaural 7. "avocado" 8. Binaural
yeah WMA is great. talking about some real problems in society with quite an informed take that wouldnt really make its way into the wider mainstream thinking for over a decade.
11- Backspacer ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Song: Just Breathe 10- Lightning Bolt ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Song: Mind Your Manners. 9- Avocado ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 Best Song: Inside Job 8- Gigaton ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 Best Song: Quick Escape 7- Bianural ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 Best Song: Light Years 6-Riot Act ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Song: I Am Mine 5-No Code ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Song: Hail, Hail 4- Vitalogy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Song: Better Man 3- Yield ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 Best Song: Do the Evolution 2- Ten ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Song: Even Flow 1- V.S. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Song: Daughter
Let‘s not forget Mirrorball by Neil Young (Pearl Jam was his backing band but was not mentioned on the cover for legal reasons) and the great EP Merkin Ball by Pearl Jam.
My favourite pearl jam record is Binaural. Only song I'm not a big fan of from that song is Rival but the rest just gets me in a very good mood, even though it is a very dark album. And for a better experience, turn off the lights!
Like Jason, I often agree with Vedder's politics, however I don't want to be preached at, which Vedder was guilty of often to cringeworthy levels. Far too earnest too often. I stopped listening around Yield so can't rank their albums. They were massive in Australia and the crowds to their sold out shows were much larger on the outside than inside. AC/DC was the only other band I remember getting this kind of attention. We couldn't get tickets but It was amazing to see the media attention they had at the time, especially fans pulling down fences or breaking into shows. I wished I'd been able to see them as to us at the time they were the best band around. There has been nothing like that here since. I couldn't sit through Ten easily these days but loved it at the time. It is a brilliantly crafted and sequenced record but a bit overwrought for me nowadays. I rate Vs. and Vitalogy much higher simply because they held my interest for much longer. I don't remember a single thing about No Code or Binaural. I might even like them more than the earlier three. So much music, so little time. As much as I loved Pearl Jam in the 90s, they are very firmly in my past. However, this video is the first thing in years that's made me want to at least revisit an earlier record or hear one of the newer albums. - I'll be guided by Jason and Kram's love for Yield and Jason's high rating of Binaural. Cheers for that! To their credit they very quickly outgrew grunge and although they had clear influences they forged their own path. Comparing them with other grunge (or post-grunge) acts isn't particularly useful and quite unfair like Kram said.
You guys are great. Brought back serious memories for me esp about Binaural which is a hidden gem IMO. It was also the first PJ album I bought. Haven't listened to it in years. Enjoying it now.
11. Gigaton (Boy does it lose momentum in the second half) 10. Riot act (too tong, too dull, but It has its moments) 9. No Code (they tried a little too hard to be uncommercial and Eddie has never sounded worse) 8. Binaural (First half: awesome second half: Snoozefest) 7. Lightning Bolt (All over the place, but a graceful way of ageing) 6. Backpacker (Very consistent, a little too Shirt maybe) 5.Vitalogy (Messy and inconsistent, but that's Part of the charm) 4. Yield (Laid Back and carefree, very very solid) 3. Avocado (Stripped down and powerful, very underrated) 2. Vs (Awesome contrast between the raging and the lowkey songs) 1. Ten (Every single Track could have been a Worldwide Hit. Lightning in a bottle Moment in music history)
Not being that familiar with their discography (blame being an Aussie) I listened to all 11 knowing my favourite music rankers were doing this... so from a relative novice: in best to worst order... 10 Vs Yield Vitality No code Lightning bolt Biannual Pearl jam Backspacer Riot act Gigaton
My top 4 are 4. Yield 3. Vs 2. Binaural 1. Ten They've all been regular plays, while others have been occasional listens that never really took hold. But when you guys were talking about some of the songs on Vitalogy I realised there are some great songs on there, so I really need to give it another listen! I have a couple of their live albums, but never actually got to hear them live.
11. Binaural 10. Riot Act 9. Lighting Bolt 8. Gigaton 7.Backspacer 6.Pearl Jam 5. Yield 4. No Code 3. Vs 2. Vitalogy ( If only it didn't include Stupid mop, Aye and the other track that I can't recall.) 1. Ten
Don't like them but see the talent. "The Fixer" might be my favorite. Even Flow is good. Maybe Alive is good but don't miss never hearing it again. Wish List I like. Covers like Leaving Here and Last Kiss are great.
The way I put it is that Pearl Jam have a ton of songs that make me say "yeah, that's really great" but they don't have very many songs that make me say "wow, that's bleeping amazing"... at least not compared to some of the other 'legendary' bands.
I have Vitalogy as my number one despite the nonsense tracks. I'm not sure I like my grunge perfectly perfect. Lol It just came out when PJ was kind of at the height of their popularity and their battle with Ticketmaster. I was a freshman in high school and just have good memories of it. Not that that makes it a great album but there is some nostalgia there. Corduroy is my favorite PJ song of all time and it just has a great mix of rockers, ballads, and deep cuts. Though I was a little disappointed with the album version of Not For You after seeing them do it on SNL before the record was released. They really let loose with that performance so I felt the album version was sort of bland in comparison.
I like Pearl Jam, but can't find it in me to love them. Alice in Chains and Nirvana are 2 of their peers I personally love so much more. Great to see them live though.
11. Lightning Bolt (A boring record that feels like a holding pattern.) 10. Riot Act (Really mixed feelings. I actually love how tired and downtrodden it feels, but it's so long and slow that it makes its point TOO well. I respect it, but it's not good for casual listening. A lot of the songs sound great live though.) 9. Ten (This is personal preference. It's a great album for what it is, but it comes off as really macho and aggressive and I think that they built to much more interesting and unique music. Also, though I love singles like Black and Jeremy with all my heart, I always found Even Flow and Alive to be super boring, even when I wasn't sick of them yet.) 8. Vs. (Still overly macho and aggressive, but with a more diverse sonic palate to keep it interesting. The acoustic-y country-esque experiments like Elderly Woman and Daughter work shockingly well. Eddie Vedder should do an alt-country album.) 7. Binaural (I hated this one on release, but it's really grown on me since. The songwriting on here is so unique and it has such a distinctive mood. It has a bit of that exhausted quality from Riot Act, but it sounds pissed off rather than resigned, which makes it more engaging to me. And having some pretty ballads in the mix keeps the whole thing fresh.) 6. Backspacer (Probably their catchiest and poppiest album. Most of the songs have a perfect level of polish, but I think sometimes they go overboard and it gets a little too sanitized.) 5. Gigaton (I really respect the level of sonic diversity on here, and I think some of these experiments work out beautifully. It's a little too long and slow when listened to in full, but it's so nice to see them keeping things interesting after 30 years.) 4. Pearl Jam (Partially nostalgia, because I saw them five times on this tour, but also just a really sharp album with a lot of great rock songs. I think that track for track it's one of their most consistent releases, even if the highs aren't quite as high as on these other three records.) 3. Yield (This one flows really well, has a great level of diversity and just enough weirdness to keep it engaging. The only reason it's not higher is that I think Given to Fly and Wishlist are two of their least engaging singles. I skip them pretty much every time. Other than that it's fantastic.) 2. No Code (As much as I love Matt Cameron and what he's contributed to the group I just can't get enough of Jack Irons' drums on Yield and No Code. Especially on this one. In My Tree... come on. This is just such a unique album, and it has them utilizing the studio in a really cool way. It's all so cohesive and specific. There's no other album that sounds like this. When bands try to make their "experimental" album it can feel self-conscious, like it's something they think they SHOULD do rather than a natural progression. This feels simply like the next evolutionary step for a band that constantly refused to settle for what they already had.) 1. Vitalogy (This album has nearly all of the benefits of No Code [the cohesion, the experimentation, the diversity, the uniqueness] but with a more engaging group of songs. I even love the bullshit tracks because it all works together to cultivate this uneasy, paranoid mood. It makes me queasy in a wonderful way. Corduroy and Betterman are probably the catchiest songs Pearl Jam ever wrote, and the fact that they work so seamlessly on an album with shit like Bugs and Stupid Mop just goes to show how perfectly this thing was sequenced and realized. It's not a concept album, but it feels like one. So much of it deals with alienation, and how uncomfortable Eddie clearly was with his fame. It feels very personal and very universal all at the same time. Combine that with the awesome packaging and that super cool booklet... this album was just everything I needed it to be when I was a teenager, and I look back on it with so much admiration and love.) Also, when you guys do your top 10s, don't forget about Lost Dogs/soundtracks/b-sides... So many of Pearl Jam's best and most interesting songs were never on albums.
Hey Joe, kinda interesting I just saw a video of some guys talking about power pop with Mike Portnoy and he said Jellyfish's Spilt Milk was one of his favorite albums of all time.
I haven't liked much since the Avocado. Backspacer was too 'happy' for me. I like Lightning Bolt more than Backspacer. I'll be honest, I haven't heard the latest one. I heard a single that I didn't like, and the LP was $45, so I haven't given it a go yet. I was in college when they broke, and I Adore the early records. I liked it a little less with the changed styles on Vitalogy, but then I loved Yield and Binaural, and ended up liking Vitalogy more as time went on. I wasn't interested in Riot Act, until I got that live DVD, and that totally lifted my opinion of several tunes, especially on Riot Act. I guess I rank em: 1. Ten 2. Vs 3. Yield 4. Binaural 5. Vitalogy 6. Avocado 7. Riot Act 8. No Code 9. Lightning Bolt 10. Backspacer 11. I can't rank gigaton List Dogs has some killer tracks. Yellow Ledbetter is killerx
Dude on the bottom, Joe, got the top four right and in the right order . Even his comment on Vs kinda being interchangeable with ten but not quite . He's right on point . Dont know what the other two are thinking keeping vs out of top 3. And dude on top right is def the weakest link . Even in other videos but they work well together , so I'll put up with his not knowing what's good....
I'm surprised at the Binaural love. I was a big Pearl Jam fan in the 90's, but Binaural was like their "jump the shark" moment for me. "Light Years" is great, but that's probably the only track I really like. Also, they cut some of the stronger tracks on it right before it came out, including "Sad", which later appeared on Lost Dogs.
Agreed, putting it in the top 5 is a bit crazy. I’ve owned it pretty much since it came out and although it’s fine while it’s on, a lot of the songs haven’t really stuck with me.
Everything they've have done with Matt Cameron has been partially poor. Matt was perfect for Soundgaden. Dave Abruzzee was the footnote of the Pearl Jam sound. Jack Irons follows closely behind with a phenomenal unique twist in the Pearl Jam sound. He was all about feel. Exceptional addition which blew me away in 1996. Brendan O'Brien is the master for Pearl Jam. Adam Casper just never worked well for me. O'Brien has a wonderful production quality that other engineers don't have. Theres a reason why people Mastodon work with him. Guy loves a good piccolo snare too.
Not a huge Pearl Jam or grunge fan, but they have no awful albums or anything. I like them a bit more now than I used to do a couple of years ago at least. 11. Riot Act (2002) ★★½ 10. Lightning Bolt (2013) ★★½ 9. Gigaton (2020) ★★½ 8. Binaural (2000) ★★★ 7. Backspacer (2009) ★★★ 6. Pearl Jam (2006) ★★★ 5. No Code (1996) ★★★ 4. Yield (1998) ★★★ 3. Vitalogy (1994) ★★★½ 2. Vs. (1993) ★★★½ 1. Ten (1991) ★★★★ ★★★★★ - Masterpiece ★★★★½ - Really great ★★★★ - Great ★★★½ - Really good ★★★ - Good ★★½ - OK ★★ - Bad ★½ - Really bad ★ - Awful ½ - The worst
You guys got me motivated to revisit No Code and Binaural. I remember being disappointed by No Code, and Binaural I don’t remember at all. Thing about Ten is that it was written to be a Mother Love Bone album. It’s a weird combo of glam grunge (?) and angsty Vedder lyrics.
Glad Kramzer spoke of the great guitar duo, Stone and Mike. Never get mentioned enough.
Mike is Incredible but Stone Gossard's intricacies on the guitar as a writer helped define the Pearl Jam sound. Stone is MUCH more of a complicated writer than Non-Musicians could fathom....
They were also in Green River, Skin Yard, and Mother Love Bone!
@@curly_wynNo, Mike wasn‘t in any of those bands. Stone was in Green River and Mother Love Bone, but not in Skin Yard.
One of my top 5 favourite bands of all time. Seen them live every time they've been over to the UK.
11. Lightning Bolt
10. Riot Act
9. Backspacer
8. Gigaton
7. Pearl Jam
6. No Code
5. Vitalogy
4. Binaural
3. Yield
2. Vs
1. TEN
No Code really was a versatile album, it's my favorite album of all time. And the way they designed the packaging and cover for the album was super fucking cool too.
One of the Most Underrated Albums Ever
Favorite album of all time? Really ?😮
I tuned out after their ‘avacado’ album but they were always a very good band. In hindsight ‘Vitalogy’ may have been the creative peak. The subsequent albums did not suggest their side-project interests as well as that one.
@@joncumber2020 Odd, Pearl Jam is my 4th favorite album of theirs. The complain many have is it is just straight rock with no grunge, experimental or any of the other assorted styles they branched out too. My response was I know, the rock is good though. Love that album.
@@rickstalentedtongue910 Inside Job is one of their best songs ever. I dig the album, too.
11. Backspacer
10. Lightning bolt
09. Riot act
08. Gigaton
07. Avocado
06. Ten
05. Yield
04. No code
03. Binaural
02. Vs.
01. Vitalogy
My all time favorite band and I love every single album.
Finally, another Binaural supporter! -Jason
Binaural is my favorite album as well!
good list
I don’t hate this list , but I got
Ten
Vs
No Code
Vitalogy
Yield
Lost Dogs
Riot act
Backspacer
Binaural
Avocado
GigAton
lightning bolt
Yield? First pick. Oh cause you were introduced with this album. Oh ok. I bought ten the week it came out
I think No Code has legs for many fans...it's my grower out of all their albums...the one I think could go up on my list out of all the others I've heard....
11. Backspacer
10. Gigaton
9. Lightning Bolt
8. Riot Act(this album gets a lot of hate, but I really like it!)
7. Avocado
6. Binaural
5. No Code
4. Ten
3. Vs
2. Yield
1. Vitalogy
I arrived in Erlangen, Germany during the early winter of 1991. Prior to me entering basic training, hair metal was still ruling the airwaves. Once I got settled I ventured out and found the nearest record store. I was lucky enough to find someone who spoke English and I asked him simply, "What's big in America, right now?" He pointed me in the direction of Ten by Pearl Jam. The next day, I asked someone else at the same store the same question and they introduced me to Nirvana. I listened to that first Pearl Jam album for nearly 3 years. It was and still is flawless. While stationed there I was able to see Faith No More, Soundgarden, Guns and Roses, Entombed and Violent Femmes live. I avoided going to Saudi Arabia by one week. It was a good year!
My Pearl Jam collection consisted of Ten and only Ten up until about a year ago. Watching your album ranking encouraged me to check out more of their albums. Currently listening to Yield after earlier hearing Vs. Also have Vitalogy, Pearl Jam and Riot Act. I pick up CDs on the cheap (buck or two). A great way to build a music library of amazing albums. I recently picked up Backspacer and their greatest hits compilation rearviewmirror. Wondering if you guys have ever considered doing a top 10 compilation album. I look for more than just the greatest hits type of album. As a music lover I appreciate the studio album experience but occasionally you find an amazing Greatest Hits as well.
My absolute favorite of the grunge bands!
It would take some real thought to rank these for me. I think PJ consistently offers something great with every record.
I really like that Kramzer mentioned Parachutes. One of my favourite songs by Pearl Jam.
Quite possibly my least favourite song on that album. I always skip it. It’s a snoozer.
Just discovered the channel in the last few weeks. This episode was a great presentation. I have every studio album plus Lost Dogs. I went back to my collection and I have Lightning Bolt and Riot Act at the bottom. I found Lost Dogs, although it wasn't reviewed, really worth the listen. I would rate it at 3 or 4 just below Ten and Vs, maybe Vitalogy. The big discovery for me was how the lyrics are overwritten and often twice as long as they need to be to get the point across.
1. Yield
2. Vitalogy
3. Ten
4. Vs.
5. Pearl Jam
6. No Code
7. Riot Act
8. Gigaton
9. Backspacer
10. Binaural
11. Lightning Bolt
Been waiting for you guys to rank the albums of my favorite band! For me:
1) VS
2) Ten
3) vitalogy
4) no code
5) "avocado"
6) yield
7) riot act
8) lightning bolt
9) gigaton
10) binaural
11) backspacer
Jeremy Irons joined the band after they saw his impressive performance in DIE HARD WITH A VENGEANCE.
Crazy that he left this gig to peruse the role of Armanis in ‘The Man in the Iron Mask’, but at least it paved the way for Matt Cameron to join…..
It is annoying when people lump Eddie Vedder in with people like Scott Stapp. Vedder's vocal style is genuinely his and has been from the beginning, the copycats are clearly putting it on and it's not natural for them so it tends to sound ridiculous. Not sure why that is hard for some people to understand.
I know a lot of people are mad at Jason for his rankings but that is what I appreciate about this channel. None of you are afraid to make a list that is right for how you feel about the music whether it falls under popular opinion or not.
From my vantage point Creed at least knew they were cheesy and derivative. Pearl Jam didn’t ....embarrassing.
I enjoy all the different opinions. I think it's interesting, there's always a new perspective to see. And I liked Creed back in the day, I still think they have many catchy songs though it's not exactly groundbreaking music. I don't consider them a great band but I didn't see what was so offensively bad about them either, the guitar player is great. As for the comparison of singers I just took them both as baritones I didn't see it as a put on or a copy. No singer has a voice like Eddie anyway. Out of that whole post-grunge/radio rock scene there were definitely many bad bands though.
Love the first three albums. No Code is a tough listen. I like Hail, Hail and a few others but I don’t think the songwriting is that strong and the flow seems off to me, like the album never properly finds it’s footing and it’s trying too hard to be different. Some good tracks here and there after that but I find the rest of their discography a bit plain actually. They became more of a legacy live act I think. Maybe I just need to give them another go around but I also think Vedder took too much control over the direction and they moved too far away from what made them great in the beginning, which was just great song after great song.
The first three albums are pretty important for me, worthy of being in my collection. I need to re-listen to Yield and a few others more but I just generally lose interest at some point. I don't like when some of the later stuff sounds safe and generic at times.
Including "Lost Dogs". Feels more like their "White Album" than outtakes.
1) Ten - 5*
2) Vs - 5*
3) Yield - 4.5*
4) No Code - 4*
5) Vitalogy - 4*
6) Lost Dogs - 4*
7) Riot Act - 3.5*
8) Gigaton - 3.5*
9) Backspacer - 3*
10) Pearl Jam - 3*
11) Binaural - 2.5*
12) Lightning Bolt - 2*
LOVE lost dogs.
This is close for me too
Riot Act is criminally under-rated. Gets better the more you listen
Alice In Chains is one of my favorite bands, any era, period.
But Pearl Jam I think are a great rock band. Yes, I'll always love their first record most, which was the 'heaviest', but once I got over the fact they they weren't going to revert to the pre-Vitalogy sound, and I sort of embraced them as simply a great rock band, I love a lot of their music. I also think that if you think any of their songs are lacking a bit, find the live version of it. It's very likely it'll breathe new life into it for ya.
Agreed with that last statement, changed my mind about back spacer because of hearing the songs live.
Glad they gave Binaural some respect. Doesn’t get talked about often so definitely deserves some recognition.
I’ve been watching your ranking videos, these are so neat and such a great concept, makes me want to deep dive these artist myself. I’d be interested to see a remastered list of Weezer once they release their next 4 albums of the seasons next year.
My top:
1. Ten
2. Yield
3. Vitalogy
4. VS
5. No Code
6. Riot Act
7. Binaural
8. Backspacer
9. Lightning Bolt
10. Pearl Jam
11. Gigaton
I’m obsessed with the album backspacer definitely in my top 3 for pearl jam albums currently !!
Wow - the comments about Glorified G baffle me. It’s a super interesting melody against the riff. Sheryl Crow? Bro wtf?!😂😂😂
Love you guys!
I love Glorified G. It’s awesome. - Joe
1. Ten. It’s what got me into them as a junior in high school fall ‘91. Such big songs here. Made my top-5 in 1991. In my top 50 of all time.(5/5)
2. Vs. yeah, there’s a couple of tracks that are misses for me. But the best ones here are all timers. For that reason it gets high marks. (4.5/5)
3. No Code. I liked this one a lot. I think it has aged well. Made my top-5 in 1996, nearly was AotY. SOme of my all time favorites are here, I have *just* behind VS, but depending on mood I could put it higher. Fantastic. (4.5/5)
4. Yield. I liked the pacing here. Made my top 5 in 1998. (4/5)
5. Vitology. I don’t have this one as high as most Pearl Jam fans. Still, got some great songs. Honorable mention for me in 1994 (3.5/4)
6. Backspacer. I found this one pretty fun. It’s grown on me even more since its release. In my top 5 for 2009. 3.5/5)
7. Gigaton. Solid album for an old band. (3.5/5)
8.Pearl Jam/Avocado. Decent, imo.(3/5)
9.Binaural. Average, maybe. Not overly memorable. (3/5)
10. Lightning Bolt. Yeah not great, but I still like it a bit over Riot Act. (2.5/5)
11. Riot Act. Only listened to this one a couple times. That’s enough.(2/5)
No Code is probably the one I listen to the most.
Same. I kind of get why people don't like it -- it's weird, and it's kind of like their White Album, where it's sort of a mish-mash of styles. But, I think that's it's charm. I think it sounds great. I think this was right after they worked with Neil Young, and it feels a lot looser than their other albums. Also, strong contender for greatest album packaging.
@@edgustafson White Album is the Beatles album I listen to most... Agree that the packaging is great. Wasn't until a few years ago that I realized that if you open it all up and lay it flat, the polaroids form into a triangle shape with a hole in the middle
@@edgustafson No Code is a close to perfect rock album the way it gives you the uptempo rockers, the mid paced rockers, the slower ballads/acoustic tracks, and the more experimental tracks. Its got something for everyone. I didnt like it when I first year it though. It took me years to get into it.
I completely agree with the guy who said some of the tracks are better live than on the album. Hail Hail, Off He Goes in particular.
jack irons is great on that album. 'hail, hail', 'off he goes' and 'red mosquito' are all fantastic and the rest of it is interesting at minimum
Yield does NOT get forgotten about. It's my #1. Wishlist, Faithfull, Do The Evolution, Given To Fly and especially In Hiding all have a good chance of making my Top 10 songs list. It's not a perfect album, but those high points are some of their highest. I haven't really listened to them much after Riot Act or their self-titled album. I'm sure #2 and #3 would probably be Ten and Vitalogy, but it would be difficult to go through them all as their albums are pretty consistent. I don't think I liked Vs. all that much. My actual favorite album of theirs might be the Live At The Benaroya Hall show.
I will have to check out Pearl Jam more. I have actually picked up a number of their CD's then never listened to them. Exception of 'Ten', just checked out of rock for a number of years when "grunge" invaded the radio, but did enjoy a few songs from this album. I still have a great deal of respect for them. Good show, as always.
1. Ten (1991) 5/5
2. Yield (1998) 4.5/5
3. Vs (1993) 4/5
4. Vitalogy (1994) 4/5
5. The Avacado Album (2006) 4/5
6. Riot Act (2002) 3.5/5
7. No Code (1996) 3.5/5
8. Gigaton (2020) 3.5/5
9. Backspacer (2009) 3/5
10. Binaural (2000) 3/5
11. Lightning Bolt (2013) 2.5/5
I was a PJ superfan back in the '90s. I've seen them in concert 9 times including a word-of-mouth-only "secret" show at a small club in Seattle (The Showbox/Sept. 1996). I consider it one of the 10 best shows I've ever seen. Albums-wise they're very consistent athough I think they only got beyond 4 stars twice.
never been able to get into them because of the vocal style, but i gave some of their stuff another shot today and i absolutely loved vs, i dig the more aggressive tracks on there for sure
Commenting as someone who has relatively limited exposure to this band, the only Pearl Jam record that ever leapt out and resonated with me was Vs. It's so visceral and focused. Had it on a C90 rip back in the day
Vs. was the band at the top of their game
This was a great video. You definitely have me curious to listen to Gigaton and to revisit Backspacer.
Great band, one of the best to see live in concert. My ranking:
1. Yield (10/10)
2. Vs (10/10)
3. Ten (10/10)
4. Vitalogy (9,5/19)
5. Pearl Jam (9/10)
6. No Code (9/10)
7. Binaural (8,5/10)
8. Gigaton (8/10)
9. Backspacer (7,5/10)
10. Lightning Bolt (7/10)
11. Riot Act (7/10)
Special Mention: Lost Dogs (7,5/10), one of the best collection of B-Sides and Outtakes
Greetings from Canary Islands
Good list, almost perfect ;-)
Riot Act is there best album start to finish 🤷♂️
Kramzer hit the nail on the head perfectly with Yield. Was my runner up to Lucinda Williams in ‘98,and is my favorite PJ album followed by Vitalogy then Ten. However, the version of this band after Binaural I find milquetoast, can’t get into any of it for some reason
to me it's pretty clear that yield was their step back into milquetoast. damaged, agitated eddie had left the building. finally got the punk inclinations out of his system w/ 'no code'
Here's what I enjoy of TLM: it pushes me to explore new records I wouldn't otherwise be aware of, and invites me to fill the gaps in the discography of artists I'm already familiar with. One year later, I feel comfortable to list Pearl Jam's albums:
1. Ten
2. Vitalogy
3. Binaural
4. Yield
5. Vs.
6. Pearl Jam (Avocado)
7. Riot Act
8. Backspacer
9. No Code
10. Gigaton
11. Lightning Bolt
11. Backspacer (Not the best lyrics, not the best songs)
10. Lightning bolt (I like it, but it misses cohesian the end doesn't work for me. Sleeping by myself is nice in this version, but would have worked better as a Christmas single)
09. Gigaton (It has more cohesion than LB, but it falls apart in three parts)
08. Avocado (I love the songs, but the production isn't quite my taste. Also I feel they could have done a better job of balancing the album. All the rock songs in the front and the ballades )
07. Yield (I don't like the production on Yield. The songs are superb. Like Krem said about No code, I prefer the songs from Yield played live. )
06. Riot act (I love Riot act. It feels a little artsier, I think the balance on this album is great between the heavier songs and the slower ones. They are well placed throughout the album. What it lacks in big songs, it makes up for in sound. You can hear it's produced by Adem Kasper, like Down on the upside it sounds like an attic door is opend and you find a dusty room full of hidden treasure. The cover matches the sound of the album perfectly. )
05. Ten ( It is hard to rank Ten. On one hand it can easily take the top position. On the other hand it is almost a different band. There isn't a bad song on Ten, but still I feel there was better still to come)
04. Vs (I love Vs, it has a good balance in how the songs are placed. The opening Go/Animal is superb. I feel that later in their career they would have slapped Blood on the back of those two. Here they spread the punky side. I love how they show off all their different sides on Vs and still have it sound as a whole. Something they forgot to do on later albums)
03. Binaural (I have resequenced this, combining how they had intend the album and how it ended up. Had Fatal, Sad, In the moonlight and Education been on here this would have been their absolute masterpiece, now it is still a great batch of songs, but there is no cohesion whatsoever. I can't help but take in account how it should have been and then drop it two spots)
02. Vitality(Like Jason said, all the little weird parts serve a purpose and add to the ambiance of the album)
01. No code (This to me is pure magic. I love the live nature of the recording proces, I love the songs. I feel they form an eclectic whole, kinda like the White album. Jack Irons really stirs them into a different direction. It is a more admospheric album and at the same time very earthy. I love the straight forwardness of the album sound, the art work fits the albums eclectic nature. This is easily their best album and only if Binaural had been as it was intended, would it have a chance of dropping from the number one spot.)
pearl jams first 3 albums are indisputably great but after that their records never worked as cohesive statements imho , while they may have a few decent singles and radio hits amongst i could rarely listen to end to end. vitalogy i would consider their best artistic statement and ten having the best songs and overall most listenable work.
Agreed, thus the first three records are all that I own. I've owned a few others at various points but never connected with them much. Vs. is one of the best 90's rock follow-ups in my opinion, excellent few albums.
I feel the same except I like Vs. better than Vitalogy
I like how you guys ranked yield higher very underrated album. I seem to like no code alittle more though
Thanks for doing this one. I bailed on PJ around their third album and feel like I should give the rest of their discography at least some kind of fair shake. Having a guide for approaching it is helpful. I might react with the big meh, but maybe not!
Better you than me, mate!
11-Gigaton....To be fair I have not listened to or picked this up yet
10-Lightning Bolt
9-Riot Act
8-Binaural
7-Backspacer
6-No Code
5-Pearl Jam
4-Vitalogy
3-Ten
2-Yield
1-Vs
Would love to see how you guys slide "Dark Matter" into this list. I really like the new record.
Somewhere towards the bottom. - Joe
Above Gigaton, Lightning Bolt, Backspacer, and Riot Act. Below everything else. -Jason
@@TastesLikeMusic Thanks for the replies both...yeah fair assessment I think.
I just got done a few days ago listening to everything of theirs to make an eventual top 9 songs list (just for myself, to listen to, not for anything). I think I could share my opinion on which albums I preferred, not exactly in chime with all of your lists, probably gonna tick some people off ah well never mind what can ye do lol. Opinions in music, right? For anyone interested in a random person's preferences:
1. Binaural... had to put this at the top. It's themed, grows on you, and contains more favourites than the others do. Best all rounder.
2. Riot Act... this one above all the others grows on me the more I listen. An unapologetic gem including their best song (You Are).
3. Gigaton... eclectic isn't my usual vibe but this bursts with so much creativity that it makes it my vibe. Experimental but lovely.
4. Ten... maybe my favourite production of them, really punchy and awesome songs, but they left off the best one (Alone).
5. Yield... very consistent album with great songs that also makes for a coherent thematic listen. Just overall really solid.
6. Avocado... it doesn't quite achieve what it sets out to do but it's so almost there, and Unemployable is such a damn track.
7. Backspacer... like what they were going for here, fun album but I don't think anything quite hits like the Fixer.
8. No Code... I like most of the stuff on here and adore one or two. It is a bit disconnected as a through-listen, though.
9. Vitalogy... way too much artsy-fartsy filler nonsense, if only your Corduroys weren't sandwiched between so much rough.
10. Vs... lots of filler like Vitalogy, but the highs are way less high as well. Don't see the fuss. Not honestly much to keep me here.
11. Lightning Bolt... just didn't sound like a Pearl Jam record to me, and wasn't memorable otherwise. Can't think of a single song off it.
Best album cover: Vs. Worst album cover: No Code.
ALBUM RANKING:
1. Ten (1991) - ★★★★★
2. Vs. (1993) - ★★★★★
3. Vitalogy (1994) - ★★★★½
4. Yield (1998) - ★★★★½
5. Pearl Jam (2006) - ★★★★½
6. Backspacer (2009) - ★★★★
7. Binaural (2000) - ★★★★
8. No Code (1996) - ★★★★
9. Gigaton (2020) - ★★★½
10. Lightning Bolt (2013) - ★★★½
11. Riot Act (2002) - ★★★½
RATING SCALE:
★★★★★ - Masterpiece (All-Time Favorite)
★★★★½ - Excellent (Really Love It)
★★★★ - Great (Love It)
★★★½ - Very Good (Really Like It)
★★★ - Good (Like It)
★★½ - Okay (Indifferent)
★★ - Bad (Dislike It)
★½ - Very Bad (Really Dislike It)
★ - Awful (Hate It)
½ - Terrible (Really Hate It)
I sent this episode to my brother, who is P.J.'s #1 fan... I told him to reply with his list (and subscribe!)... Meanwhile, here's my list:
1. No Code (great work by Academy Award winner Jeremy Irons, LOL)
2. Yield
3. Vs.
4. Vitalogy
5. Pearl Jam 🥑
6. Gigaton (played it a ton during quarantine)
7. Ten (I hated it in 1991, but it's slowly grown on me)
8. Riot Act
9. Backspacer
10. Binaural
11. Lightning Bolt
Thanks for spreading the love. And yeah, I know it’s JACK Irons 🤦🏻♂️
@@TastesLikeMusic Just teasing, buddy. You guys are the best
I listened to No Code all the way through for the first time ever today.
Became my #1
Wow is all I can say.
I think when I was young I only listened to a few tracks and didn't give it a chance.
YIELD!!!!!!!! 🍻
Hey guys, I’ve really been enjoying your channel, keep it goin’!!!
I would suggest Thin Lizzy for a worst-to-best treatment, if you guys are into them!
👍
1. Vs. (4.5 stars)
2. Ten (4 - almost 4.5)
3. Yield (4)
4. Vitalogy (4)
5. Pearl Jam (3.5)
6. No Code (3.5)
7. Backspacer (3.5)
8. Riot Act (3.5)
9. Lightning Bolt (3)
10. Binaural (3)
11. Gigaton (3)
Joe definitely has the right idea with the top 2. “Glorified G”, “W.M.A.” and “Rats” on Vs. need more respect. 😜 Also, I love the production on Ten, although I understand why the band thought of it as inauthentically them and got away from it.
Agree with your comment about those tracks off Vs. ..in your case, I would give Ten 4.25 stars. I use quarters.
The only two albums I can listen to entirely, are No Code and Yield.
1. Ten
2. Vitalogy
3. No Code
4. Vs.
Four great albums, and then went downhill starting with Yield.
I agree that PJ is the best band to come from the grunge era. I always thought they had what it took to go the distance, unlike Nirvana. However, I stopped listening to PJ after Vitalogy because nothing grabbed me like the first two albums, which I absolutely love. If I you put a gun to my head, I'd have to say VS is my favorite by a hair but, I also really love Ten. I tried getting into PJ again w/Yield and No Code but, it didn't work for me. One day, I'll probably try again. Right now, I'm on a listening journey through the seventies because I think, other than the eighties, it's the greatest decade for music and, it's the decade when I was born. Lucky me😁
11. Riot Act
10. Lightning Bolt
09. Self Titled
08. Gigaton
07. Backspacer
06. Yield
05. Ten
04. Binaural
03. Verses
02. Vitalogy
01. No Code
10. Riot Act
9. Lightning Bolt
9. Binaural
8. Gigaton
7. Backspacer
6. No Code
5. Yield
4. Pearl Jam
3. Vitalogy (the filler on this album lets it down badly, Heyfoxy..., Bugs, Ava.. Truly terrible and so annoying especially when listing on vinyl. The highs are some of the highest highs of their entire catalogue)
2 V's (An incredible follow up to and incredible debut. The slightly poorer songs on this blow the filler on Vitalogy out of the water hence this being at number 2)
1. Ten (Not only is this the best Pearl Jam album, it's right up there as one of the very best debut albums in Rock. The songs are epic, soaring, raw and emotional. This is as close to perfect as rock n roll gets)
Kramzer, all their songs are better live! Agree with you on Riot Act. Align to Joes list the most, so he is best! Great stuff, cheers
I divide Pearl Jam albums in 3 categories: 1) The top: Ten (1991). It looks like a collection, 11 fantastic tracks, it's impossible to skip anyone while listening. But unlike collections, the 11 tracks of Ten fit together as a whole. 2) Close to the top: Vs (1993), Vitalogy (1994), Yield (1998). There are very good arguments to place anyone of them in the 2nd place of Pearl Jam's best albums. It's very hard to decide which one is better. 3) The rest
1st. Ten 🔮
2nd. VS 🐐
3rd. Avocado 🥑
4. Yield ♾️
5. Backspacer 🚀
6. Binaural 🟥
7. Lighting Bolt 🚨
8. No Code 🎨
9. Gigaton 🌊
10. Vitalogy 🔑
11. Riot Act 🔥
Vitalogy at 10 is a choice. - Joe
The way I see it I don't like Spin The Black Circle, Pry To, Bugs, Satan's Bed or StupidMop
Aye Davanita is ok
Huge Pearl Jam fan, Yield is for the best album. They went from grunge to rock!
Ten at 5? 😮
WMA is the epic centerpiece of Vs. It's not "just ok" and definitely not a lowlight, but just my opinion. My list would look like this:
1. No Code
2. Vitalogy
3. Yield
4. Vs.
5. Ten
6. Binaural
7. "avocado"
8. Binaural
You have Binaural twice.
@@langdonalger9219 Sorry, I meant Riot Act in last place.
yeah WMA is great. talking about some real problems in society with quite an informed take that wouldnt really make its way into the wider mainstream thinking for over a decade.
11- Backspacer ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Song: Just Breathe
10- Lightning Bolt ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Song: Mind Your Manners.
9- Avocado ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 Best Song: Inside Job
8- Gigaton ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 Best Song: Quick Escape
7- Bianural ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 Best Song: Light Years
6-Riot Act ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Song: I Am Mine
5-No Code ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Song: Hail, Hail
4- Vitalogy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Song: Better Man
3- Yield ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 Best Song: Do the Evolution
2- Ten ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Song: Even Flow
1- V.S. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Best Song: Daughter
Let‘s not forget Mirrorball by Neil Young (Pearl Jam was his backing band but was not mentioned on the cover for legal reasons) and the great EP Merkin Ball by Pearl Jam.
Great analysis of a great band👍
30 min mark...So great the gang acknowledged and concurred "Jeremy Irons' " stellar drumming on No Code. True fans lol.
His name is Jack
@@contayjuslovesonedirection1817 Yeah, no shit mate.
My favourite pearl jam record is Binaural. Only song I'm not a big fan of from that song is Rival but the rest just gets me in a very good mood, even though it is a very dark album. And for a better experience, turn off the lights!
Rival is a great tune. Check out the Pink pop version. For me probably the highlight of that 2000 Pink Pop show👍
One of the best liveacts
Like Jason, I often agree with Vedder's politics, however I don't want to be preached at, which Vedder was guilty of often to cringeworthy levels. Far too earnest too often. I stopped listening around Yield so can't rank their albums. They were massive in Australia and the crowds to their sold out shows were much larger on the outside than inside. AC/DC was the only other band I remember getting this kind of attention. We couldn't get tickets but It was amazing to see the media attention they had at the time, especially fans pulling down fences or breaking into shows. I wished I'd been able to see them as to us at the time they were the best band around. There has been nothing like that here since.
I couldn't sit through Ten easily these days but loved it at the time. It is a brilliantly crafted and sequenced record but a bit overwrought for me nowadays. I rate Vs. and Vitalogy much higher simply because they held my interest for much longer. I don't remember a single thing about No Code or Binaural. I might even like them more than the earlier three. So much music, so little time. As much as I loved Pearl Jam in the 90s, they are very firmly in my past. However, this video is the first thing in years that's made me want to at least revisit an earlier record or hear one of the newer albums. - I'll be guided by Jason and Kram's love for Yield and Jason's high rating of Binaural. Cheers for that!
To their credit they very quickly outgrew grunge and although they had clear influences they forged their own path. Comparing them with other grunge (or post-grunge) acts isn't particularly useful and quite unfair like Kram said.
You guys are great.
Brought back serious memories for me esp about Binaural which is a hidden gem IMO.
It was also the first PJ album I bought.
Haven't listened to it in years.
Enjoying it now.
29:31
You tell them Jason...
No Code IS #1
My rank:
1º. Ten
2º. Yield
3º. Vs.
4º. Avocado
5º. Backspacer
6º. Riot Act
7º. No Code
8º. Vitalogy
9º. Binaural
10º. Lightning Bolt
11º. Gigaton
11. Gigaton (Boy does it lose momentum in the second half)
10. Riot act (too tong, too dull, but It has its moments)
9. No Code (they tried a little too hard to be uncommercial and Eddie has never sounded worse)
8. Binaural (First half: awesome second half: Snoozefest)
7. Lightning Bolt (All over the place, but a graceful way of ageing)
6. Backpacker (Very consistent, a little too Shirt maybe)
5.Vitalogy (Messy and inconsistent, but that's Part of the charm)
4. Yield (Laid Back and carefree, very very solid)
3. Avocado (Stripped down and powerful, very underrated)
2. Vs (Awesome contrast between the raging and the lowkey songs)
1. Ten (Every single Track could have been a Worldwide Hit. Lightning in a bottle Moment in music history)
Not being that familiar with their discography (blame being an Aussie) I listened to all 11 knowing my favourite music rankers were doing this... so from a relative novice: in best to worst order...
10
Vs
Yield
Vitality
No code
Lightning bolt
Biannual
Pearl jam
Backspacer
Riot act
Gigaton
1. Yield
2. Ten
3. Vs
4. Vitalogy
5. Binaural
6. No Code
7. Avocado
8. Riot Act
9. Lightning Bolt
10. Backspacer
I haven’t heard Gigaton yet
My top 4 are
4. Yield
3. Vs
2. Binaural
1. Ten
They've all been regular plays, while others have been occasional listens that never really took hold.
But when you guys were talking about some of the songs on Vitalogy I realised there are some great songs on there, so I really need to give it another listen!
I have a couple of their live albums, but never actually got to hear them live.
11. Binaural
10. Riot Act
9. Lighting Bolt
8. Gigaton
7.Backspacer
6.Pearl Jam
5. Yield
4. No Code
3. Vs
2. Vitalogy ( If only it didn't include
Stupid mop, Aye and
the other track that I
can't recall.)
1. Ten
Don't like them but see the talent. "The Fixer" might be my favorite. Even Flow is good. Maybe Alive is good but don't miss never hearing it again. Wish List I like. Covers like Leaving Here and Last Kiss are great.
The way I put it is that Pearl Jam have a ton of songs that make me say "yeah, that's really great" but they don't have very many songs that make me say "wow, that's bleeping amazing"... at least not compared to some of the other 'legendary' bands.
Jeremy Irons is the bad guy in Die Hard with a Vengeance and Danny the Champion of the World. He's a hello of a drummer too.
Wow I didn't even know there was a Danny the Champion of the World movie. It was a favorite book when I was a kid.
@@179rich Written by Jack Irons, ex Pearl Jam drummer :D
lol
The first three Jeremy Irons albums are Better than anything Pearl Jam did.
Don't put vs at 7!
no code, vitaology and binaural are my big 3, ten is in a class of its own
I really enjoyed this video.My top two would be 1.vs.2.Yield.
I like Eddie's early vocals the best. Later they took on a sort of quivering quality I'm not crazy about.
Love the quiver. -Jason
Yeah it’s sort of like mimicking the cowardly lion or something like that... and his over annunciation of certain vowels became sort of strange
Here's mine.
12. Lightning Bolt
11. Gigaton
10. Riot act
9. back spacer
8. avacado
7. Dark Matter
6. Binaural
5.Vitology
4. ten
3. No code
2. Yield
1. Vs
I have Vitalogy as my number one despite the nonsense tracks. I'm not sure I like my grunge perfectly perfect. Lol
It just came out when PJ was kind of at the height of their popularity and their battle with Ticketmaster. I was a freshman in high school and just have good memories of it. Not that that makes it a great album but there is some nostalgia there.
Corduroy is my favorite PJ song of all time and it just has a great mix of rockers, ballads, and deep cuts.
Though I was a little disappointed with the album version of Not For You after seeing them do it on SNL before the record was released. They really let loose with that performance so I felt the album version was sort of bland in comparison.
I like Pearl Jam, but can't find it in me to love them. Alice in Chains and Nirvana are 2 of their peers I personally love so much more.
Great to see them live though.
My ranker best to worest on this list
1. Joe
2. Kramzer
3. Jason
11. Lightning Bolt (A boring record that feels like a holding pattern.)
10. Riot Act (Really mixed feelings. I actually love how tired and downtrodden it feels, but it's so long and slow that it makes its point TOO well. I respect it, but it's not good for casual listening. A lot of the songs sound great live though.)
9. Ten (This is personal preference. It's a great album for what it is, but it comes off as really macho and aggressive and I think that they built to much more interesting and unique music. Also, though I love singles like Black and Jeremy with all my heart, I always found Even Flow and Alive to be super boring, even when I wasn't sick of them yet.)
8. Vs. (Still overly macho and aggressive, but with a more diverse sonic palate to keep it interesting. The acoustic-y country-esque experiments like Elderly Woman and Daughter work shockingly well. Eddie Vedder should do an alt-country album.)
7. Binaural (I hated this one on release, but it's really grown on me since. The songwriting on here is so unique and it has such a distinctive mood. It has a bit of that exhausted quality from Riot Act, but it sounds pissed off rather than resigned, which makes it more engaging to me. And having some pretty ballads in the mix keeps the whole thing fresh.)
6. Backspacer (Probably their catchiest and poppiest album. Most of the songs have a perfect level of polish, but I think sometimes they go overboard and it gets a little too sanitized.)
5. Gigaton (I really respect the level of sonic diversity on here, and I think some of these experiments work out beautifully. It's a little too long and slow when listened to in full, but it's so nice to see them keeping things interesting after 30 years.)
4. Pearl Jam (Partially nostalgia, because I saw them five times on this tour, but also just a really sharp album with a lot of great rock songs. I think that track for track it's one of their most consistent releases, even if the highs aren't quite as high as on these other three records.)
3. Yield (This one flows really well, has a great level of diversity and just enough weirdness to keep it engaging. The only reason it's not higher is that I think Given to Fly and Wishlist are two of their least engaging singles. I skip them pretty much every time. Other than that it's fantastic.)
2. No Code (As much as I love Matt Cameron and what he's contributed to the group I just can't get enough of Jack Irons' drums on Yield and No Code. Especially on this one. In My Tree... come on. This is just such a unique album, and it has them utilizing the studio in a really cool way. It's all so cohesive and specific. There's no other album that sounds like this. When bands try to make their "experimental" album it can feel self-conscious, like it's something they think they SHOULD do rather than a natural progression. This feels simply like the next evolutionary step for a band that constantly refused to settle for what they already had.)
1. Vitalogy (This album has nearly all of the benefits of No Code [the cohesion, the experimentation, the diversity, the uniqueness] but with a more engaging group of songs. I even love the bullshit tracks because it all works together to cultivate this uneasy, paranoid mood. It makes me queasy in a wonderful way. Corduroy and Betterman are probably the catchiest songs Pearl Jam ever wrote, and the fact that they work so seamlessly on an album with shit like Bugs and Stupid Mop just goes to show how perfectly this thing was sequenced and realized. It's not a concept album, but it feels like one. So much of it deals with alienation, and how uncomfortable Eddie clearly was with his fame. It feels very personal and very universal all at the same time. Combine that with the awesome packaging and that super cool booklet... this album was just everything I needed it to be when I was a teenager, and I look back on it with so much admiration and love.)
Also, when you guys do your top 10s, don't forget about Lost Dogs/soundtracks/b-sides... So many of Pearl Jam's best and most interesting songs were never on albums.
EvenFlow has such a great hook though.
Cool stuff!
Hey Joe, kinda interesting I just saw a video of some guys talking about power pop with Mike Portnoy and he said Jellyfish's Spilt Milk was one of his favorite albums of all time.
That’s awesome. If you know... you know. - Joe
I don't share his opinion but I thought you'd get a kick out of hearing that. ;-D
It’s cool, me and Mike will forever have this special moment. - Joe
Jack Irons is the drummer on No Code.
I haven't liked much since the Avocado. Backspacer was too 'happy' for me. I like Lightning Bolt more than Backspacer.
I'll be honest, I haven't heard the latest one. I heard a single that I didn't like, and the LP was $45, so I haven't given it a go yet.
I was in college when they broke, and I Adore the early records. I liked it a little less with the changed styles on Vitalogy, but then I loved Yield and Binaural, and ended up liking Vitalogy more as time went on.
I wasn't interested in Riot Act, until I got that live DVD, and that totally lifted my opinion of several tunes, especially on Riot Act.
I guess I rank em:
1. Ten
2. Vs
3. Yield
4. Binaural
5. Vitalogy
6. Avocado
7. Riot Act
8. No Code
9. Lightning Bolt
10. Backspacer
11. I can't rank gigaton
List Dogs has some killer tracks. Yellow Ledbetter is killerx
Avocado hasn’t aged well to me. I loved it when it came out, but I don’t listen to it much these days.
Dude on the bottom, Joe, got the top four right and in the right order . Even his comment on Vs kinda being interchangeable with ten but not quite . He's right on point . Dont know what the other two are thinking keeping vs out of top 3. And dude on top right is def the weakest link . Even in other videos but they work well together , so I'll put up with his not knowing what's good....
my ranking is
1. ten
2. vs
3. yield
4. no code
5. avocado
6. vitalogy
7. backspacer
8. gigaton
9. binaural
10. lightning bolt
11. riot act
I'm surprised at the Binaural love. I was a big Pearl Jam fan in the 90's, but Binaural was like their "jump the shark" moment for me. "Light Years" is great, but that's probably the only track I really like. Also, they cut some of the stronger tracks on it right before it came out, including "Sad", which later appeared on Lost Dogs.
It never stuck for me either. Just missing something..
Kram and Jason take it way too far. - Joe
I basically agree. The only thing keeping Binaural from being dead last on my list is Lightning Bolt.
Agreed, putting it in the top 5 is a bit crazy. I’ve owned it pretty much since it came out and although it’s fine while it’s on, a lot of the songs haven’t really stuck with me.
Binaural is dead last for me and the only one to get a bad rating.
Everything they've have done with Matt Cameron has been partially poor. Matt was perfect for Soundgaden. Dave Abruzzee was the footnote of the Pearl Jam sound. Jack Irons follows closely behind with a phenomenal
unique twist in the Pearl Jam sound. He was all about feel. Exceptional addition which blew me away in 1996. Brendan O'Brien is the master for Pearl Jam. Adam Casper just never worked well for me. O'Brien has a wonderful production quality that other engineers don't have. Theres a reason why people Mastodon work with him. Guy loves a good piccolo snare too.
Dave was a great drummer, but if some of your band mates don’t like you, you’re fucked no matter how good you are.
Finally, pearl jam is on listography
and ik he already made one
01 VS
02 Pearl Jam
03 Ten
04 Backspacer
05 Vitalogy
06 Yield
07 Gigaton
08 Lightning Bolt
09 Binaural
10 Riot Act
11 No Code
Not a huge Pearl Jam or grunge fan, but they have no awful albums or anything. I like them a bit more now than I used to do a couple of years ago at least.
11. Riot Act (2002) ★★½
10. Lightning Bolt (2013) ★★½
9. Gigaton (2020) ★★½
8. Binaural (2000) ★★★
7. Backspacer (2009) ★★★
6. Pearl Jam (2006) ★★★
5. No Code (1996) ★★★
4. Yield (1998) ★★★
3. Vitalogy (1994) ★★★½
2. Vs. (1993) ★★★½
1. Ten (1991) ★★★★
★★★★★ - Masterpiece
★★★★½ - Really great
★★★★ - Great
★★★½ - Really good
★★★ - Good
★★½ - OK
★★ - Bad
★½ - Really bad
★ - Awful
½ - The worst
The only PJ album that ever fully caught my attention/interest was 'No Code'. It seems a bit underrated.
It’s good for people who dislike regular rock. - Joe
VS at number one and it’s not even close in my opinion
Pearl Jam albums ranked:
1. Ten (1991)
2. Vs. (1993)
3. Yield (1998)
4. Lightning Bolt (2013)
5. Gigaton (2020)
6. Pearl Jam (2006)
7. Binaural (2000)
8. Backspacer (2009)
9. Riot Act (2002)
10. No Code (1996)
11. Vitalogy (1994)
It's funny how people listen to music differently. I personally REALLY like Lightning Bolt, but I get what you mean about the Foo Fighters reference.
Would love to see the three of you revisit The Cure's discography :D
Oh, we’ll get there
@@TastesLikeMusic Thank you :) Keep up the great work! All the best
You guys got me motivated to revisit No Code and Binaural. I remember being disappointed by No Code, and Binaural I don’t remember at all. Thing about Ten is that it was written to be a Mother Love Bone album. It’s a weird combo of glam grunge (?) and angsty Vedder lyrics.