Ranking all 11 songs from Pearl Jam's brilliant debut 'Ten' album

Ranking all 11 songs on the Pearl Jam Ten album (3-1)

No. 3 - "Jeremy"

"Jeremy" is the most clear and visual of all the songs on Ten. According to Richard Milner at Grunge, the song is based on a real person and event. Lyrically, the song is vivid and harsh. Vedder narrates the song from a personal point of view, but he's actually inserting himself as society as a whole as far as how the youth in the song was treated.

The video for "Jeremy" just adds to the vividness of the song, or maybe it provoked that visual. The video is shocking and in your face. It is as stunning and thought-provoking as any video this side of Metallica's "One." The band is clearly blaming society and the system on what happened to "Jeremy."

It is a powerful song, accompanied by powerful images, and should be engrained into everyone's consciousness. It was probably this video that gained the band a far-reaching audience and made them an early alternative, commercial success.

No. 2 - "Alive"

After "Release," this song may be the most personal. It is obviously the story of when his mother told him about his real father. You can feel the anguish of this deception and the fact he never got to meet his real father.

Despite the depressing, painful verse lyrics, the melodic, flowing chorus offers optimism and hope. He's stressing the fact that he can survive that aspect of his childhood, and be strong. While the personal story is gut-wrenching, the message is as positive as any on the album.

This song is highly listenable, with a strong hook, and peaked as high as 16 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.

No. 1 - "Black"

Of all the songs on this great album, "Black" is the most relatable to most people. While it may tell a personal story, it is a common one - of love lost. Lost love can be soul-crushing and it is probably the most common theme in the history of songwriting. Still, Pearl Jam pulls off their version of the theme with beautiful aplomb.

It's not a surprise that the top three songs on this list are also the easiest when coming to discerning the lyrics with the naked ear. On all three, Vedder's vocals are clearer than on the other songs, though most certainly some of the words are not what you've been singing in your head for all these years.

Again, the band pulls off something that isn't common in the industry and especially is off-script for rock and roll bands. This song is a massive hit (hit number three on the Mainstream Rock Airplay chart), yet it lacks the classic sing-along hook. It's basically one long, soulful verse that commands your attention because most everyone has felt the words Vedder is singing. "All the love gone bad turned my world to black." Who hasn't felt that at some point in their lives?

Over time, this song has held up the best, probably because of that universal theme of loss and hurt. It is the best song on an incredible, generation-defining, iconic album. Ten is powerful, personal, unorthodox, and barely restrained, and it is lyrically intense. It helped change rock music forever.

Unfortunately, there isn't an official video for "Black," but there is an unplugged version of this song that is terrific.

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