Pearl Jam’s Influence On Alternative Rock
Rock and Roll and many of its influencers have been around for nearly a century now and are still important today. Rock music has changed and evolved extensively from its original form into many different subgenres of the modern day. One of which is the ever expanding alternative rock. Alternative rock has many extensive roots and influencers. From hard rock to classic rock and even some blues, alternative rock is a primarily newer genre that is still popular today. One of the artists that sparked and lead the grunge and alternative rock start was Pearl Jam. Pearl Jam is coined as one of the founders of the alt rock scene, but they have extensive classic rock influence as well (Cohen). This dynamic
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The music scene in Seattle was primarily grunge at the time of the nineties and definitely favored alternative rock more than other areas. Other bands like Nirvana and Soundgarden also developed in the Seattle scene, growing the grunge/alternative movement even more (Jensen). Seattle was slowly becoming known for the alternative music sound, and Pearl Jam used this to their advantage. They played a lot of live shows, toured and got their name on the headliners list of festivals. Their following was growing, yet they did not favor commercial success. A so called trait of many of the alternative groups at this time was the unfavorable attitude towards commercialism, “selling out” and the commercial success that ridded the music industry (Jensen). Groups like Pearl Jam spoke up against this ideal, one of their many influences on the music business itself, not just the alternative genre. They did not do many interviews, music videos, and even took TicketMaster to court due to the high service fees on concert tickets to Pearl Jam shows in 1994 (Cohen). They along with other alternative and punk bands led a wave of disdain of the industry that music had become. Pearl Jam and their 11 studio released albums have shaped the alternative genre into what it has become. Not only their attitude, but their focus on the music, spread of the genre and steady production have aided their intense influence on