As the 1980s came to a close, the excesses of that decade were becoming a bit tiresome, especially in the music world. Rock and roll, in particular, had enjoyed incredible success, but copycats and less talented bands started to water down the product.
Despite the enormous success of bands like Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Morley Crue, Poison, and others, all the makeup, the big hair, the loud clothes, and the sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll themes had run their course.
Audiences and musicians were looking for something else and Pearl Jam and Nirvana were two flagship bands that helped transition rock and roll from the glitzy heavy metal of the eighties to the raw, alternative sound of the early nineties.
Pearl Jam's debut album Ten was not only a brilliant record, but it was also a commercial success, eventually hitting number two on the Billboard record charts. This was all despite unusual vocals on the part of Eddie Vedder. He doesn't always enunciate well while singing, especially on this album. Still, it works here. The mystery of what the heck Eddie just sang was part of the appeal of some of these songs.
Ranking all 11 songs on the Pearl Jam Ten album
No. 11 - "Oceans"
This short track is a bit of an anomaly in comparison to the other songs on the album. There are two poetic verses, if you can decipher what Eddie is singing, but there is no hook, no chorus. The song just kind of floats (pun intended) along without much purpose when you consider the rest of the album.
Lyrically, there is a direction to the song, but it is hard to make out the words, and with no hook, it isn't really a song people can sing along. It just doesn't fit with the rest of the record.
No. 10 - "Porch"
This track is one of a handful that reveals the influences of past rock and roll bands that made an impact on Pearl Jam. Those influences certainly don't seem to include anything from the raucous heavy metal acts from the 1980s. "Porch" feels a bit like a Led Zeppelin in places.
Instrumentally, the song is as good as any on the record. It also features Vedder's most uneven vocals on the album. His delivery is a bit herky-jerky, and though at times, he does make us remember Robert Plant in style, this song lacks the smoothness and effortlessness of Plant's vocals.
This song also lacks a true chorus, but with better vocals, this song might have ranked a few places higher.