#103 Ten by Pearl Jam

The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

2025 Album Rank

103

2011 Album Rank

69

Total Points

692

Year Released

1991

Billboard 200 Chart Peak

2

Weeks at #1

N/A

RIAA Sales Certification

13,000,000 (Multi Platinum)

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Ten Album Details

Released on August 27, 1991, Ten is Pearl Jam's thunderous debut album and one of the cornerstone releases of the 1990s grunge movement. Born from the ashes of the band Mother Love Bone, Ten introduced Eddie Vedder's impassioned vocals, introspective lyrics, and arena-sized dynamics to a generation looking for raw authenticity. With sweeping melodies, slashing guitars, and themes of alienation, trauma, and survival, the album struck a deep chord with listeners just as alternative rock was beginning its takeover of mainstream music.

While the band was often lumped in with the grunge scene, Ten leaned more toward classic rock than punk, with expansive solos, powerful arrangements, and anthemic choruses. Tracks like Alive, Even Flow, and Jeremy became iconic, each fueled by both personal and social narrative weight. Despite a slow start on the charts, the album exploded in popularity through word of mouth and constant touring, eventually becoming one of the best-selling debut albums of all time.

Interesting Facts about Ten

• The album was named after Mookie Blaylock, a former NBA player whose jersey number was 10. The band originally used his name before legal concerns forced a change.
• Alive, Once, and Footsteps form a trilogy dubbed the "Momma-Son" tape by fans and collectors. Vedder wrote lyrics for all three in one sitting after receiving an instrumental demo from Stone Gossard.
• Despite its later fame, Ten initially sold slowly. It took over a year to reach its commercial peak, largely due to the success of Jeremy's controversial music video and their relentless live performances.
• Jeremy was inspired by a real incident involving a Texas high school student who committed suicide in front of his classmates. MTV eventually banned the video due to its intense imagery.
• The original mix of the album was heavily reverberated, a point of contention for the band. In 2009, they released a remixed version by Brendan O'Brien that toned down the reverb and emphasized the raw energy of the performances.
• Release, the album's closer, was spontaneously written by Vedder in the studio, and its lyrics addressed his complex relationship with his biological father, whom he discovered was not the man who raised him.
• Black was never released as a commercial single at the band's request, even though radio stations played it heavily. Vedder felt it was too personal to be commodified or overexposed.
• The early sessions for Ten took place at London Bridge Studio in Seattle, with producer Rick Parashar. The studio was also home to recordings by Soundgarden and Alice in Chains.
• Oceans was written as a love song but came about because Vedder was locked out of rehearsal and started writing lyrics while waiting. Its lighter tone stands out among the darker themes of the album.
• The album has since gone 13x platinum in the U.S. and has influenced countless rock bands. It remains a foundational release in the rise of 1990s alternative rock, bridging the gap between underground grit and mainstream appeal.
• Jeremy won MTV's Music Video of the Year award in 1993.
• Even Flow was named #77 in a 2003 Rolling Stone magazine list of the 100 greatest guitar songs of all time.
• The guitar solo at the end of Alive was named #29 on a list of the 50 greatest guitar solos by Guitar World.
• The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2021 for its cultural and historical significance.

Ten Tracklist

1. Once
2. Even Flow
3. Alive
4. Why Go
5. Black
6. Jeremy
7. Oceans
8. Porch
9. Garden
10. Deep
11. Release

Even Flow Music Video