Pearl Jam was a band that defined the 1990s and one of the few colossally successful bands of that era to survive into the present. Just how would Pearl Jam albums be ranked from worst to best?

Not just grunge superheroes and rivals of Nirvana, I’ve always considered the band to be one of the most important of recent decades and have long felt that some of their most important musical contributions have largely gone unnoticed.

This is the reason why I’ve thoroughly gone back to inspect each of the studio albums in their discography and think I can now express my opinion about which Pearl Jam albums are essential to alternative-rock fans.

Best Pearl Jam Albums

12. “Binaural” (2000)

Pearl Jam had made it all too clear in the past that they were determined to follow their muse. Largely, it had worked, and audiences had bought into their rebelliousness.

“Binaural” is the first serious misstep.

Some may accuse its frosty reception on the success of trends such as nu-metal. But that would be to ignore the fact that the collection of songs on “Binaural” is simply below par with their excellent previous records.

The best Pearl Jam albums always have an undercurrent of emotion tying all of the songs together. “Binaural” may just be the only one that feels more like a collection of disparate demos from various era of the band.

The playing, however, is great. Matt Cameron replaces Jack Irons behind the drums and immediately gels with the group.

Mike McCready provides some of his very finest lead guitar work, especially on the album’s highlight, “Nothing as It Seems.”

“Light Years” is another strong track that emphasizes the band’s already evident love of classic rock.

While I loved McCready’s solos, this was the first Pearl Jam record that left me feeling underwhelmed.

However, little else impresses here.

11. “Gigaton” (2020)

Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder was never shy about raging against certain issues when he felt he had something to say. Few would argue about the band’s genuinely good intentions.

“Gigaton” is a strange beast. It’s partly a protest record and partly a classic rock album.

Once again, the interaction between band members is good, and there’s plenty of goodwill accumulated from their fanbase. But the songs are just not there.

And history had shown that Pearl Jam could not be at its best if the quality of the songs weren’t up to scratch. On a list of the best Pearl Jam albums, going from worst to best, this doesn’t fare excellently.

It’s surprising, really, as all of the band members receive writing credits. Even Stone Gossard, the man who’d largely helmed the excellent “Ten”, isn’t quite delivering the goods.

“Dance of the Clairvoyants” could be considered a highlight, perhaps, but the funky groove feels somewhat out of place.

On my review of “Gigaton,” I called “Superblood Moon” the clear standout track, an opinion which I maintain.

Overall, “Gigaton” is not an impressive record, but considering Pearl Jam’s excellent track record, some missteps can be forgiven by fans.

Fortunately, this will not be the last Pearl Jam album. The group will release in 2024 a new record titled “Dark Matter,” and early signs have made the fans high optimistic.

10. “Lightning Bolt” (2013)

Pearl Jam had largely won the war by the time they were heading into the second decade of their career.

They had sold millions but hardly done any promotion. They were regarded as grunge icons but had made entire artwork albums.

With little left to prove, the band returns to their first love, one that they’d tried to conceal for a while, classic rock.

“Lightning Bolt” sounds like a collection of songs meant to be jammed on stage by the band. This means that flourishes from McCready and Ament are frequent. Still, you have to applaud Eddie Vedder‘s willingness to relinquish some of his creative control. He had, after all, helmed much of the band’s work ever since “Vitalogy.”

“Mind Your Manners” features some of the fury of old. Other highlights include the title track, “Sirens,” and “Let the Records Play.”

9. “Dark Matter” (2024)

For their twelfth studio, “Dark Matter,” make a bold choice – they won’t rely on the good vibes capital they’ve accumulated, and they won’t be plunged back into nostalgia anymore. 

In fact, this is how Eddie Vedder pitched this record in pre-release interviews. This is an album helmed by a hot shot producer (Andrew Watt) filled with songs brimming over with rage about the state of the world. That’s the claim.

But does Pearl Jam do all of this? Can they muster the same anger now that they’re older and less able to call upon adrenaline to drive them? 

For the most part, yes, “Dark Matter,” is a step in the right direction. It’s a record that hardcore fans (Pearl Jam has many of those) will hear, buy on vynil, and listen to. But will they be digging it up five years from now to hear it again? If I’m being honest, probably no. 

Modern production, old thrills

The title track, “Dark Matter,” is the highlight of the record. This is because Pearl Jam resists the instinct to be themselves at their garage-rock-bashing best. It sounds like a pop tune. And, while it’s a little light, it works. 

I also liked “Running,” a song meant to show that Pearl Jam can still play fast, agony rock music, albeit another tune where the hook is rather forgettable.

Listen, I love Pearl Jam just like anyone else. I love them in the way that I love a great athlete on the verge of retirement. Am I comfortable with Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo being able to do less than they once did? Am I happy one day soon, they’ll call it a day? 

“Scared of Fear” brings to mind Gaslight Anthem’s heartland rock. “React, Respond” is the closest Pearl Jam can close to a nasty protest rock song, but the lyrics aren’t exactly worthy of being printed on T-shirts. 

Andrew Watt’s fingerprints are all over the songs. He does two things very well here. He makes Pearl Jam sound like a modern rock band, regardless of what old fans may think of this. 

And, he makes Eddie Vedder’s vocals sound as good as they have in over a decade. This is, after all, a record tailored to Vedder’s talents. The singer even gets to bring in his touring guitarist, former Red Hot Chili Peppers six-string wiz Josh Klinghoffer, on board.  

I love Pearl Jam, and if that’s the emotion you have for this band, you’ll want to support it. It’s a good, mature rock record. 

However, Pearl Jam was accused early in its career of being a corporate rock band. Kurt Cobain said it and never took it back. It wasn’t exactly true when he uttered those words, but the prophecy may have come later down the road. 

Just like Eddie Vedder, I, too, hate telling the truth sometimes…

8. “Backspacer” (2009)

On “Backspacer,” Pearl Jam finally sounds at peace with its legacy. As they should’ve been. They were now frantically touring arenas, largely playing songs from their first albums.

“Backspacer” sounds like an artsy, arena-rock album. It dispels any fears that the group might want to revert to tactics used on “No Code” and create a subdued, moody record.

For the most part, it’s a real relief to hear a straight-ahead rock record with some gentle acoustic numbers thrown in.

“The Fixer” is one of the band’s best songs in years, with Matt Cameron handling much of the writing on it.

“Just Breathe” is another hand-on-heart song from Eddie Vedder and acts almost like a would-be soundtrack to his distaste for fame exhibited throughout his career.

It’s a strong record. At times, it feels almost like a gift received by members of the fan club. It’s unlikely, though, to convince bring on board new fans.

7. “No Code” (1996)

For all intents and purposes, by “No Code,” Pearl Jam was one of the last grunge bands standing. But the band was working hard to wash off that label.

Fortunately, the abilities of the band members could support their ambition. Jeff Ament’s bass playing and Mike McCready’s guitar heroics add new layers to the band’s sound.

It’s a strange addition to the Pearl Jam discography. For much of the record, the band hardly sounds itself. But this is most likely on purpose.

Unfortunately, Stone Gossard’s songwriting is pushed further into the background. It was much of his knack for writing catchy rock riffs that had made “Ten” what it was.

Instead, singer Eddie Vedder is firmly in control of procedures. This is not entirely a bad thing. Neither is the fact that he rarely screams as much as in previous records.

“No Code” is largely an album where Vedder and the band take stock of their situation. Highlights include “Who You Are,” “Smile,” and the somber “Off He Goes”.

But it’s on songs like “Lukin,” where the band rocks out for just one minute, that the band still sounds most comfortable.

6. “Pearl Jam” (2006)

Their self-titled eighth album marked the longest gap between records for Pearl Jam. By this time, their reputation was well established. Grunge bands had acquired an almost legendary status.

Pearl Jam responds to all of this by making an honest, typical representation of the band. There are few surprises here, but many of the songs are very good.

“World Wide Suicide” is a distorted anti-war number. “Life Wasted” is an earnest tribute to Johnny Ramone. “Come Back” rings out almost like REM playing soul music.

The band members interact brilliantly with one another, and the group is confident in their craft. There is, however, just a little less energy and inspiration than on previous records.

The group is chasing a live sound. After all, they’d become masters of this. How many albums does Pearl Jam have? Well, if you count the official bootleg albums, that would be 314 live albums. Harder to collect then Pokemon characters, we would understand if you do not own them all.

This is entirely understandable, considering the pure rage on which their career-defining early records were made. Take the excellent but slightly subdued rockers “Big Wave” and “Severed Hand” for evidence.

I remember purchasing the physical copy of the record and being immensely excited. It was as if a new gateway into the world of this great, mysterious band had opened. I’ve played the album often but occasionally have nearly felt guilty about not liking it more.

5. “Yield” (1998)

Pearl Jam was only five records in by the time they made “Yield.” But they’d already survived their colossal success and largely outlived their contemporaries.

By 1998, Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, and Nirvana were no more. Screaming Trees would only hang on for a little bit longer before calling it quits.

Maybe it was because Pearl Jam were the unlikely last men standing, or perhaps it had to do with the relative lack of success of “No Code,” but “Yield” is largely a straightforward rock record.

“Brain of J.” and “Do the Evolution” are highlights. They power through power chords as in yesteryear, but a stronger interest in politics can be observed.

Meanwhile, “Wishlist” and “All Those Yesterdays” are tender songs. The darkness is still here, but it is starting to be replaced by hope.

“Last Kiss,” their U.S. #2 cover, is ostensibly not here. It’s a brave choice. It’s inclusion might’ve hurt the groove of the album.

The band’s CDs and, of course, vinyl records were still flying off the shelves. “Yield” is one of Pearl Jam’s most popular albums. It’s the fifth most popular, to be exact, with record sales of 1.6 million units. This is just slightly upstaged by Pearl Jam’s greatest hits collection, “Rearviewmirror. This has sold 1.7 million units. How many albums have Pearl Jam sold? The band has sold over 90,000,000 albums worldwide, including 31,587,000 in the United States.

Pearl Jam was still one of the biggest bands in the world, and they had seemingly fought for their success every step of the way.

4. “Riot Act” (2002)

“Riot Act” is a return to form for Pearl Jam. It is, perhaps, no coincidence that the album was made at a time when, finally, grunge and alternative rock were no longer the dominant forces in the music charts.

Whereas “Binaural” was moody and ambitious but didn’t have the songs to back it up its claims, “Riot Act” has many terrific songs.

Best of all, the band finds a way to blend its experimental tendencies with straight-ahead, classic rock songs effortlessly.

The band even finds a compromise with their record label by promoting the album with two music videos. The format, which was still popular, had not been used by Pearl Jam since their debut album.

“Save You” is a frantic rocker. The singles “Love Boat Captain” and “I Am Mine” are also highlights, ringing like well-intentioned Eddie Vedder mantras.

“Bushleaguer” again showcases the band’s distrust of the political elite.

“Riot Act” was a strong album that showed that Pearl Jam was above the musical trends and not nearly as self-destructive as the first decade of their career might have had some believe.

3. “Vs.” (1993)

“Vs.” was Pearl Jam’s second album and another commercial and artistic success. It was also the first indication of the band’s distrust of the music business.

Grunge, of which Nirvana and Pearl Jam were the symbols, was arguably as much based on a sound as on an anti-corporate attitude.

Soon enough, Pearl Jam would be wrestling with Ticketmaster, music award ceremonies, and even the record label calling out for the band to release more music videos (they would not).

Much of the record takes the aggressive energy of their live shows and amps it up. Album openers “Go” and Animal” are frenzied expressions of rage. “Dissident” and “Rearviewmirror” express the band, especially Vedder’s general skepticism.

Highlights also include the slower and largely acoustic numbers. “Daughter” and “Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town” show that the band was determined to fight the good fight.

The first song that I heard from this record was “Daughter.” I was intrigued by how the intensity of this performance was carried out on almost all songs here.

“Vs.” is nearly as good as “Ten.” Still, there are some signs of overindulgence which would get more pronounced with time.

2. “Vitalogy” (1994)

By 1994, Pearl Jam had become one of the most beloved live bands in the U.S.A. Furthermore, they’d also largely won over the music critics.

Some of them had previously accused the band of jumping on the grunge bandwagon, a statement largely proven false by history.

That same year, the figurehead of grunge and occasional Pearl Jam critic, Kurt Cobain, had lost his life. The sense of disbelief and anger informs some of the songs here.

Musically, the band is stretching past the format used in their first two releases. It contains fourteen songs and moves freely between styles. The darkness surrounding the making of the album is rarely hidden.

There are many highlights. “Corduroy” is one of them. It includes Eddie Vedder’s fighting words, “I would rather starve than eat your bread“.

“Last Exit,” “Not for You,” and “Spin the Black Circle” are powered by the singer’s excellent, enraged delivery.

Songs like “Bugs,” “Nothingman,” and “Tremor Christ” show that Pearl Jam’s musicians were anxious to move past the confines of grunge and alternative rock.

This was the first Pearl Jam record that felt challenging to me. The rewards, I found, were well worth the effort.

Meanwhile, “Betterman” works nearly as a power ballad and unsurprisingly became one of the band’s biggest songs.

Best Pearl Jam Album

1. “Ten” (1991)

No band could hope for a better debut album than “Ten.” Few could have done better in carrying the load of having to follow a record with so many great and famous songs.

While a landmark and one of the greatest-selling grunge albums, “Ten” suffers from being unjustly compared to Nirvana’s “Nevermind.” Both albums came out in 1991 and ignited incredible interest in Seattle bands.

Critics of “Ten” will point to how easily this collection of punk and hard-rock-inspired songs flows. Fans of the album will mention the same thing. It’s hard not to mention it, at the very least near the top, when producing a Pearl Jam albums ranked list.

It’s hard to explain the sheer quality and energy of the songs. Timing, however, seems to be the biggest factor.

Mother Love Bone had come close to mainstream success. Their arena-rock ambitions were never a secret. Stone Gossard, who dominates songwriting on “Ten,” cleverly takes on the lessons learned from his previous band.

I remember purchasing this record on cassette. I had no expectations and had, in fact, only bought this together with two other Nirvana albums. From the moment I played it, I was shocked by its intensity and the quality of the songs. It became one of my most often played cassettes.

Meanwhile, Eddie Vedder was a diamond in the rough, a soon-to-be-famous rock singer that was largely an unknown quantity. His enthusiasm for performing is prevalent throughout.

Yes, highlights include the singles “Jeremy,” “Alive,” and “Evenflow.” But there is no poor song in sight. “Once” is a roaring album opener, and “Black” pitches Vedder as a singer of the same quality as Alice in Chains’ Layne Staley or Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell.

“Why Go” and “Deep” capture a manic punk-like energy that would be transferred onto the album’s follow-up. And “Release” impresses by showing just what Pearl Jam could do while jamming over even the simplest of chords.

“Ten” was a monumental success, received a bit of unwanted criticism, and it took Pearl Jam much of its career to fully accept. Yeah, it may just be the best Pearl Jam album. In fact, once the dust did settle, most fans accepted it as one of the best rock releases of the decade.