Pearl Jam vs Nirvana (1 Viewer)

[Hastur]

I've often wondered how Kurt Cobain would have felt about Nirvana t-shirts being sold at Target.

The subtle dark humor is off the charts great. Too soon though.

 

[FarFromHome]

51 to 51. Prolly about how it should go. No wrong answer here people.

 

[Eephus]

51 to 51. Prolly about how it should go. No wrong answer here people.

Are you new around here?

 

[FarFromHome]

51 to 51. Prolly about how it should go. No wrong answer here people.

Are you new around here?

That was a good one. Ha ha

 

[Terminalxylem]

Nirvana is the Kobe Bryant of the music world.

Bold statement, and that is going to mean different things to different people. Some will think you are saying Nirvana is overrated.

That's exactly what I'm saying.

Kurt's early death made people think more highly of him than they ought, same as Kobe.

I agree with Kobe.

Disagree with Nirvana. But that's part of what I was alluding to in my first post. Its popular to lean into PJ>Nirvana just to be contrarian, and pointing to Kurt's death as why he is overrated.

Maybe it isn't contrarian, and many people actually prefer Pearl Jam? I mean, this board is comprised of the demographic who heard both bands in their primes, and the poll is a dead heat.

I like both bands, but chose Pearl Jam. Enjoy more songs from Ten than Nevermind, and it seemed like the former had more radio airplay. Smells Like Teen Spirit is certainly the most iconic single from either band though.

ETA Surprised to see Nevermind outsold Ten by 3-to-1. Was this mostly due to international popularity?

 

[SWC]

liked them both and teen spirit did change everything but i just always thought pear jam had better actual music take that to the bank brohans

 

[B Maverick]

Nirvana is the Kobe Bryant of the music world.

Bold statement, and that is going to mean different things to different people. Some will think you are saying Nirvana is overrated.

That's exactly what I'm saying.

Kurt's early death made people think more highly of him than they ought, same as Kobe.

I agree with Kobe.

Disagree with Nirvana. But that's part of what I was alluding to in my first post. Its popular to lean into PJ>Nirvana just to be contrarian, and pointing to Kurt's death as why he is overrated.

Maybe it isn't contrarian, and many people actually prefer Pearl Jam? I mean, this board is comprised of the demographic who heard both bands in their primes, and the poll is a dead heat.

I like both bands, but chose Pearl Jam. Enjoy more songs from Ten than Nevermind, and it seemed like the former had more radio airplay. Smells Like Teen Spirit is certainly the most iconic single from either band though.

ETA Surprised to see Nevermind outsold Ten by 3-to-1. Was this mostly due to international popularity?

That may be true. And this board is probably a good metric for both those bands. But it did become a thing for people to choose PJ just to say they were anti-Nirvana. Perhaps that was at a specific time and place in life and now there can be a genuine discussion of the two. Hope so. Both are icons of a genre and an era.

When the bands burst onto the scene, I preferred the song "Jeremy" to anything in Nirvana's catalog. As time went on I connected more with songs like Come as you Are and most of the unplugged album. PJ's catalogue didn't resonate with me as much and became a little tired. So I chose Nirvana.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

I like both bands.... but, as stated upthread at least once, due to Cobain's untimely suicide, they obviously didn't have the staying power that PJ has had. Therefore I voted PJ, but who knows what could have happened if Cobain didn't take his own life....

I had literally typed out a response regarding the shorter career length of Nirvana that included the qualifier "Through no fault of their own.." before I realized that.....uh....yeah, I'm an idiot.

 

[SWC]

rolling stone says the no 1 nirvana song is lithium pear jam is black and ok thats a solid battle but by the time you get to 7 its nirvana aneurism vs pj even flow by 10 its nirvana lounge act vs pj elderly woman behind a counter blah blah blah i mean nirvana had some big songs but after 5 or 6 you are sort of searching for songs that many non hardcore nirvana fans probably dont know all that well that is all i am saying take that to the bank brohans

 

[skol asylum]

I like both groups, but given the choice, I'd usually prefer to put on Nirvana. So Nirvana.

In fairness, I only know Pearl Jam's first few albums, but I imagine that the case for a large majority of people.

Name more than 2 Nirvana albums.

Ten, Versus & Vitalogy are all better than any single Nirvana album.

Nirvana is the Kobe Bryant of the music world.

I'm sure it's been mentioned but they only made (3) . 2 big commercial ones and their original because you know Cobain dying and all

5 albums

Bleach
Nevermind
Incesticide (very underrated - great album)
MTV Unplugged
In Utero

 

[skol asylum]

If I were to name my favorite 10 songs between the two bands, more are Nirvana. Overall, I thought PJ was a more consistant and better band though. The electricity of Nirvana Live at Reading is truly special.

Yeah, amazing. Especially this...

- YouTube

Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.

youtu.be

 

[skol asylum]

One band was pretentious.

Can you give some examples?

Let me google that for you.

I always rolled my eyes at Kurt's attitude towards being famous or mainstream. He seemed to look down on everyone else that just wanted to be rock stars. He even had a name for it called "**** rock". In Bloom was basically about his disdain for fanboys who weren't "genuine enough" or didn't know what the lyrics meant.

Please, his girlfriend was Courtney Love for Pete's sake. They played SNL and MTV Unplugged. He was super mainstream and then tried to act like he was too cool for mainstream.

You realize he eventually stuck a shotgun in his mouth and pulled the trigger? Maybe...just maybe...he was a little messed up in the head,

Allegedly. I have some doubts.

 

[skol asylum]

Slight nod to Pearl Jam. More of their songs stick in my head. I don't think either band was great. They were solid grunge and a nice answer to bad pop music and the end of hair metal. But there's no depth to their catalogs. 5-7 decent songs. Then nada. I much preferred STP who also had limited depth, but IMO had better songs. Sex Type Thing, Interstate, Creep, Plush, Wicked Garden. All excellent tunes.

No depth to PJ's catalogue? You're obviously a VERY casual fan. They are super deep.

 

[uwillbsoon]

Nirvana is the Kobe Bryant of the music world.

Bold statement, and that is going to mean different things to different people. Some will think you are saying Nirvana is overrated.

That's exactly what I'm saying.

Kurt's early death made people think more highly of him than they ought, same as Kobe.

I agree with Kobe.

Disagree with Nirvana. But that's part of what I was alluding to in my first post. Its popular to lean into PJ>Nirvana just to be contrarian, and pointing to Kurt's death as why he is overrated.

Maybe it isn't contrarian, and many people actually prefer Pearl Jam? I mean, this board is comprised of the demographic who heard both bands in their primes, and the poll is a dead heat.

I like both bands, but chose Pearl Jam. Enjoy more songs from Ten than Nevermind, and it seemed like the former had more radio airplay. Smells Like Teen Spirit is certainly the most iconic single from either band though.

ETA Surprised to see Nevermind outsold Ten by 3-to-1. Was this mostly due to international popularity?

I'm surprised it was only three to one. Nirvana was the biggest band in the world. Pearl Jam only got noticed because of Nirvana. Ten came out a month earlier if I remember right.

 

[uwillbsoon]

Aneurysm is a fantastic song. Especially live.

Nirvana's obscure stuff is great. Sappy is one of my favorite songs. By any band.

Who knew a song about a pet turtle could be so good.

They also win the song title battle with Moist Vagina.

And while we're on the topic of vaginas, the album art battle isn't even close. Not only the iconic baby reaching for the dollar, but also the collage on the back...

Nirvana is more the Beatles meet punk rock. Pearl Jam is like 70s classic rock mixed with the Who and a touch of Hendrix thanks to McCready.

I prefer Nirvana by a long shot. But it's mostly taste - it's not like they're really anywhere near each other musically, aside from the Seattle area origin for some band members.

 

[Jayrod]

Another note, Pearl Jams' touring and live act was consistently amazing as they brought intensity with every show and are considered one of the best live rock acts ever. With Nirvana it depended on which version/mood they were in and if Kurt's experimentation landed or whiffed.

 

[dkp993]

Slight nod to Pearl Jam. More of their songs stick in my head. I don't think either band was great. They were solid grunge and a nice answer to bad pop music and the end of hair metal. But there's no depth to their catalogs. 5-7 decent songs. Then nada. I much preferred STP who also had limited depth, but IMO had better songs. Sex Type Thing, Interstate, Creep, Plush, Wicked Garden. All excellent tunes.

No depth to PJ's catalogue? You're obviously a VERY casual fan. They are super deep.

Yeah the no depth is a very strange (ie wrong) take. Depth is PJ’s greatest strength. There are 3-7 greats songs off of every one of their 12 albums. The catalog is super deep.

 

[uwillbsoon]

Another note, Pearl Jams' touring and live act was consistently amazing as they brought intensity with every show and are considered one of the best live rock acts ever. With Nirvana it depended on which version/mood they were in and if Kurt's experimentation landed or whiffed.

But when they were on - in mid to late '91 - they were fantastic. Better than Pearl Jam.

Nirvana was made for smaller, intimate clubs. That tour when they were blowing up they were so tight. Drugs definitely killed that and the In Utero tour - which also was bigger arenas - wasn't nearly as good.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Another note, Pearl Jams' touring and live act was consistently amazing as they brought intensity with every show and are considered one of the best live rock acts ever. With Nirvana it depended on which version/mood they were in and if Kurt's experimentation landed or whiffed.

Very fair, and another tally for PJ's favor to me is their access they give to fans with their easily available live shows. I had quite a few of those on CD and now there are a ton of shows on Spotify as well.

 

[Terminalxylem]

Nirvana is the Kobe Bryant of the music world.

Bold statement, and that is going to mean different things to different people. Some will think you are saying Nirvana is overrated.

That's exactly what I'm saying.

Kurt's early death made people think more highly of him than they ought, same as Kobe.

I agree with Kobe.

Disagree with Nirvana. But that's part of what I was alluding to in my first post. Its popular to lean into PJ>Nirvana just to be contrarian, and pointing to Kurt's death as why he is overrated.

Maybe it isn't contrarian, and many people actually prefer Pearl Jam? I mean, this board is comprised of the demographic who heard both bands in their primes, and the poll is a dead heat.

I like both bands, but chose Pearl Jam. Enjoy more songs from Ten than Nevermind, and it seemed like the former had more radio airplay. Smells Like Teen Spirit is certainly the most iconic single from either band though.

ETA Surprised to see Nevermind outsold Ten by 3-to-1. Was this mostly due to international popularity?

I'm surprised it was only three to one. Nirvana was the biggest band in the world. Pearl Jam only got noticed because of Nirvana. Ten came out a month earlier if I remember right.

Nirvana put grunge on the map, but it’s a real stretch to attribute PJs success to them. If Nevermind was released 6 months or a year later, I’m pretty sure Pearl Jam would’ve done just as well.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

- YouTube

Auf YouTube findest du die angesagtesten Videos und Tracks. Außerdem kannst du eigene Inhalte hochladen und mit Freunden oder gleich der ganzen Welt teilen.

youtu.be

they don’t play the same type of music even though they are labeled as such, pearl jam never sounded like this.

 

[Eephus]

Nirvana put grunge on the map, but it’s a real stretch to attribute PJs success to them. If Nevermind was released 6 months or a year later, I’m pretty sure Pearl Jam would’ve done just as well.

Ten was actually released a month prior to Nevermind in 1991 but didn't gain any traction until the following year after "Smells Like Teen Spirit" broke.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

Another note, Pearl Jams' touring and live act was consistently amazing as they brought intensity with every show and are considered one of the best live rock acts ever. With Nirvana it depended on which version/mood they were in and if Kurt's experimentation landed or whiffed.

you win fisherman of the month for the month of september.

 

[uwillbsoon]

Nirvana is the Kobe Bryant of the music world.

Bold statement, and that is going to mean different things to different people. Some will think you are saying Nirvana is overrated.

That's exactly what I'm saying.

Kurt's early death made people think more highly of him than they ought, same as Kobe.

I agree with Kobe.

Disagree with Nirvana. But that's part of what I was alluding to in my first post. Its popular to lean into PJ>Nirvana just to be contrarian, and pointing to Kurt's death as why he is overrated.

Maybe it isn't contrarian, and many people actually prefer Pearl Jam? I mean, this board is comprised of the demographic who heard both bands in their primes, and the poll is a dead heat.

I like both bands, but chose Pearl Jam. Enjoy more songs from Ten than Nevermind, and it seemed like the former had more radio airplay. Smells Like Teen Spirit is certainly the most iconic single from either band though.

ETA Surprised to see Nevermind outsold Ten by 3-to-1. Was this mostly due to international popularity?

I'm surprised it was only three to one. Nirvana was the biggest band in the world. Pearl Jam only got noticed because of Nirvana. Ten came out a month earlier if I remember right.

Nirvana put grunge on the map, but it’s a real stretch to attribute PJs success to them. If Nevermind was released 6 months or a year later, I’m pretty sure Pearl Jam would’ve done just as well.

Why? They weren't getting radio play. Or on MTV. Pretty sure the record didn't go Gold until late 92. Nirvana was doing something like 300k A WEEK in early 92. That prompted the search for the next Nirvana and garnered more promotion from their label than they likely would have done.

Mother Love Bone didn't sell millions of records. Ten was all MLB songs with Vedder's singing/lyrics. They likely would have been like AIC and Soundgarden pre-Nirvana. Modest successes.

I'm pretty confident Ten wouldn't have gone platinum without Nirvana. I'm surprised that's controversial.

 

[CGRdrJoe]

Nirvana is the Kobe Bryant of the music world.

Bold statement, and that is going to mean different things to different people. Some will think you are saying Nirvana is overrated.

That's exactly what I'm saying.

Kurt's early death made people think more highly of him than they ought, same as Kobe.

I agree with Kobe.

Disagree with Nirvana. But that's part of what I was alluding to in my first post. Its popular to lean into PJ>Nirvana just to be contrarian, and pointing to Kurt's death as why he is overrated.

Maybe it isn't contrarian, and many people actually prefer Pearl Jam? I mean, this board is comprised of the demographic who heard both bands in their primes, and the poll is a dead heat.

I like both bands, but chose Pearl Jam. Enjoy more songs from Ten than Nevermind, and it seemed like the former had more radio airplay. Smells Like Teen Spirit is certainly the most iconic single from either band though.

ETA Surprised to see Nevermind outsold Ten by 3-to-1. Was this mostly due to international popularity?

I'm surprised it was only three to one. Nirvana was the biggest band in the world. Pearl Jam only got noticed because of Nirvana. Ten came out a month earlier if I remember right.

Nirvana put grunge on the map, but it’s a real stretch to attribute PJs success to them. If Nevermind was released 6 months or a year later, I’m pretty sure Pearl Jam would’ve done just as well.

Why? They weren't getting radio play. Or on MTV. Pretty sure the record didn't go Gold until late 92. Nirvana was doing something like 300k A WEEK in early 92. That prompted the search for the next Nirvana and garnered more promotion from their label than they likely would have done.

Mother Love Bone didn't sell millions of records. Ten was all MLB songs with Vedder's singing/lyrics. They likely would have been like AIC and Soundgarden pre-Nirvana. Modest successes.

I'm pretty confident Ten wouldn't have gone platinum without Nirvana. I'm surprised that's controversial.

i’m just gonna go ahead and quote some of the dumbest things ever said on this board. i’ve been here since 1999, and this entire thing is
jayrod is either fishing with the best bait ever, drunk, stoned, or…..

 

[uwillbsoon]

Nirvana also plays better covers

D7: https://youtu.be/0oBHEvYAJnY?si=WddINH7Hr5iAUKFO
Love Buzz: https://youtu.be/ZEh3mO9MPV0?si=eF-Cq3OpdIxR8eWV
Where did you sleep last night: https://youtu.be/CISzg6yi8YE?si=esIZBgbeeNRkw1-U

To name just a few.

 

[BeTheMatch]

Love all the musical opinion being presented as fact in here. Super fun.

 

[SWC]

Nirvana also plays better covers

D7: https://youtu.be/0oBHEvYAJnY?si=WddINH7Hr5iAUKFO
Love Buzz: https://youtu.be/ZEh3mO9MPV0?si=eF-Cq3OpdIxR8eWV
Where did you sleep last night: https://youtu.be/CISzg6yi8YE?si=esIZBgbeeNRkw1-U

To name just a few.

vedders and pearl jam with young keep on rocking in the free world crushes them both take that to the bank brohans

 

[Terminalxylem]

Nirvana put grunge on the map, but it’s a real stretch to attribute PJs success to them. If Nevermind was released 6 months or a year later, I’m pretty sure Pearl Jam would’ve done just as well.

Ten was actually released a month prior to Nevermind in 1991 but didn't gain any traction until the following year after "Smells Like Teen Spirit" broke.

So do you believe Pearl Jam owes their success to Nirvana?

Nirvana is the Kobe Bryant of the music world.

Bold statement, and that is going to mean different things to different people. Some will think you are saying Nirvana is overrated.

That's exactly what I'm saying.

Kurt's early death made people think more highly of him than they ought, same as Kobe.

I agree with Kobe.

Disagree with Nirvana. But that's part of what I was alluding to in my first post. Its popular to lean into PJ>Nirvana just to be contrarian, and pointing to Kurt's death as why he is overrated.

Maybe it isn't contrarian, and many people actually prefer Pearl Jam? I mean, this board is comprised of the demographic who heard both bands in their primes, and the poll is a dead heat.

I like both bands, but chose Pearl Jam. Enjoy more songs from Ten than Nevermind, and it seemed like the former had more radio airplay. Smells Like Teen Spirit is certainly the most iconic single from either band though.

ETA Surprised to see Nevermind outsold Ten by 3-to-1. Was this mostly due to international popularity?

I'm surprised it was only three to one. Nirvana was the biggest band in the world. Pearl Jam only got noticed because of Nirvana. Ten came out a month earlier if I remember right.

Nirvana put grunge on the map, but it’s a real stretch to attribute PJs success to them. If Nevermind was released 6 months or a year later, I’m pretty sure Pearl Jam would’ve done just as well.

Why? They weren't getting radio play. Or on MTV. Pretty sure the record didn't go Gold until late 92. Nirvana was doing something like 300k A WEEK in early 92. That prompted the search for the next Nirvana and garnered more promotion from their label than they likely would have done.

Mother Love Bone didn't sell millions of records. Ten was all MLB songs with Vedder's singing/lyrics. They likely would have been like AIC and Soundgarden pre-Nirvana. Modest successes.

I'm pretty confident Ten wouldn't have gone platinum without Nirvana. I'm surprised that's controversial.

You’re certainly entitled to your opinion, but I don’t think recognizing Pearl Jam is awesome in their own right, deserving the success they’ve achieved, is a controversial take.

 

[BLOCKED_PUNT]

Maybe it's just me but I think "You know you're right" is a ****ing banger

 

[Eephus]

So do you believe Pearl Jam owes their success to Nirvana?

Artistically no but commercially yes (possibly).

Ten didn't find its audience until after "Smells Like Teen Spirit" broke huge and Epic/CBS refocused their promotional muscle behind Pearl Jam. It was extremely rare in the industry to promote a record that had already been out on the street for six months. Especially in that era, major labels were all about the next big thing. Countless bands were signed and dropped without ever earning back their advance.

If Ten hadn't hit on its second at bat, Pearl Jam would still be a great band remembered fondly by everyone who was lucky enough to see them live but they probably wouldn't be playing stadiums thirty years later. They were fortunate to get caught in the slipstream of the Nirvana phenomenon of 1991-2 when everybody wanted a piece of bands from the Pacific Northwest. That's taking nothing away from Pearl Jam as a band but it's just the way the music industry works.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

So do you believe Pearl Jam owes their success to Nirvana?

Artistically no but commercially yes (possibly).

Ten didn't find its audience until after "Smells Like Teen Spirit" broke huge and Epic/CBS refocused their promotional muscle behind Pearl Jam. It was extremely rare in the industry to promote a record that had already been out on the street for six months. Especially in that era, major labels were all about the next big thing. Countless bands were signed and dropped without ever earning back their advance.

If Ten hadn't hit on its second at bat, Pearl Jam would still be a great band remembered fondly by everyone who was lucky enough to see them live but they probably wouldn't be playing stadiums thirty years later. They were fortunate to get caught in the slipstream of the Nirvana phenomenon of 1991-2 when everybody wanted a piece of bands from the Pacific Northwest. That's taking nothing away from Pearl Jam as a band but it's just the way the music industry works.

I understand your point but are there any OTHER bands from the early 60s in Liverpool that hit it big for 30 years? It still had more to do with Pearl Jam being a great and popular band than people just wanting to listen to the next Nirvana. Especially when they really didn't sound like Nirvana that much. But certainly, people looking for the next Nirvana sold Pearl Jam some more records and then their talent took it from there. I'd just peg that as contributing about 10-15% of Pearl Jam's success. I feel like your post (and others) sound like they peg it closer to 50%.

 

[Jayrod]

Nirvana is the Kobe Bryant of the music world.

Bold statement, and that is going to mean different things to different people. Some will think you are saying Nirvana is overrated.

That's exactly what I'm saying.

Kurt's early death made people think more highly of him than they ought, same as Kobe.

I agree with Kobe.

Disagree with Nirvana. But that's part of what I was alluding to in my first post. Its popular to lean into PJ>Nirvana just to be contrarian, and pointing to Kurt's death as why he is overrated.

Maybe it isn't contrarian, and many people actually prefer Pearl Jam? I mean, this board is comprised of the demographic who heard both bands in their primes, and the poll is a dead heat.

I like both bands, but chose Pearl Jam. Enjoy more songs from Ten than Nevermind, and it seemed like the former had more radio airplay. Smells Like Teen Spirit is certainly the most iconic single from either band though.

ETA Surprised to see Nevermind outsold Ten by 3-to-1. Was this mostly due to international popularity?

I'm surprised it was only three to one. Nirvana was the biggest band in the world. Pearl Jam only got noticed because of Nirvana. Ten came out a month earlier if I remember right.

Nirvana put grunge on the map, but it’s a real stretch to attribute PJs success to them. If Nevermind was released 6 months or a year later, I’m pretty sure Pearl Jam would’ve done just as well.

Why? They weren't getting radio play. Or on MTV. Pretty sure the record didn't go Gold until late 92. Nirvana was doing something like 300k A WEEK in early 92. That prompted the search for the next Nirvana and garnered more promotion from their label than they likely would have done.

Mother Love Bone didn't sell millions of records. Ten was all MLB songs with Vedder's singing/lyrics. They likely would have been like AIC and Soundgarden pre-Nirvana. Modest successes.

I'm pretty confident Ten wouldn't have gone platinum without Nirvana. I'm surprised that's controversial.

i’m just gonna go ahead and quote some of the dumbest things ever said on this board. i’ve been here since 1999, and this entire thing is
jayrod is either fishing with the best bait ever, drunk, stoned, or…..

Yes I'm crazy to think something that 47% of the FFA agrees with.

Now who's drunk or stoned again?

 

[uwillbsoon]

So do you believe Pearl Jam owes their success to Nirvana?

Artistically no but commercially yes (possibly).

Ten didn't find its audience until after "Smells Like Teen Spirit" broke huge and Epic/CBS refocused their promotional muscle behind Pearl Jam. It was extremely rare in the industry to promote a record that had already been out on the street for six months. Especially in that era, major labels were all about the next big thing. Countless bands were signed and dropped without ever earning back their advance.

If Ten hadn't hit on its second at bat, Pearl Jam would still be a great band remembered fondly by everyone who was lucky enough to see them live but they probably wouldn't be playing stadiums thirty years later. They were fortunate to get caught in the slipstream of the Nirvana phenomenon of 1991-2 when everybody wanted a piece of bands from the Pacific Northwest. That's taking nothing away from Pearl Jam as a band but it's just the way the music industry works.

I understand your point but are there any OTHER bands from the early 60s in Liverpool that hit it big for 30 years? It still had more to do with Pearl Jam being a great and popular band than people just wanting to listen to the next Nirvana. Especially when they really didn't sound like Nirvana that much. But certainly, people looking for the next Nirvana sold Pearl Jam some more records and then their talent took it from there. I'd just peg that as contributing about 10-15% of Pearl Jam's success. I feel like your post (and others) sound like they peg it closer to 50%.

Look at Soundgarden, then. Before Nirvana, they were on a major label and put out Louder Than Love. They were a great live band and toured with some of the biggest acts like GNR and Metallica. But their record didn't sell.

Or, Temple of the Dog. It was basically Pearl Jam playing songs Cornell wrote. That album got no love until Nirvana and then Pearl Jam broke through.

They needed Nirvana to break through so that alternative music got airplay. That airplay led to record sales.

I'm not saying Pearl Jam isn't a great band. They certainly are. But without Nevermind blowing up, they don't sell nearly as many records as they did.

 

[SWC]

I think its true that nirvana catching lightning in a bottle most likely helped pearl jam get a foothold but just because nirvana hit first doesnt diminish how great pearl jam is that argument just makes little sense to me i mean i think pearl jams record sort of speaks for itself take that to the bank brohans

 

[Brony]

rolling stone says the no 1 nirvana song is lithium pear jam is black and ok thats a solid battle but by the time you get to 7 its nirvana aneurism vs pj even flow by 10 its nirvana lounge act vs pj elderly woman behind a counter blah blah blah i mean nirvana had some big songs but after 5 or 6 you are sort of searching for songs that many non hardcore nirvana fans probably dont know all that well that is all i am saying take that to the bank brohans

Now who can argue with that? I think we're all indebted to SWC for clearly stating what needed to be said. I'm particulary glad that these lovely children were here today to hear that speech. Not only was it authentic frontier gibberish, it expressed a courage little seen in this day and age.

 

[Willy]

Hair bands were cranking out stuff like Cherry Pie and Unskinny bop. The genre had been played out. Rock music was ready to move in a different direction. Seems like Nirvana gets all the credit, but for people like me who were in college, listening to college radio and watching 120 minutes, we knew something was changing before Smells Like Teen Spirit came out. I don't think anyone expected how far reaching that wave would be. I have no idea how much credit goes to Nirvana for that, but it feels like they get too much.

 

[TripItUp]

Thank God the FFA course corrected and put Nirvana in the lead here...was losing my faith in the collective wisdom of the FFA. Pearl Jam is great, but never was and never will be Nirvana.

And Nirvana Unplugged is one of the best live albums of all time...take that to the bank bromigos.

 

[TripItUp]

Also, longevity points are for losers...give me lightning in a bottle every time.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

but just because nirvana hit first doesnt diminish how great pearl jam is

I think it's two different discussions. It could be true that both Pearl Jam is a great band (and even better than Nirvana) and Nirvana opened the door for the rest of the Seattle bands to break out (including Pearl Jam).

I don't think any fans of the Who or the Kinks would feel slighted by bringing up how the Beatles and the Stones opened the door for the rest of the British Invasion bands gaining popularity. It doesn't mean the Who and Kinks aren't great bands.

Making it big in the music industry involves luck and timing - there's 1,000s of great bands that don't get their chances.

 

[Pipes]

Nirvana slightly ahead of PJ. Just not a huge Vedder fan but Black is an amazing song. Also as far as Grunge Bands goes these are 4th and 5th in my book behind STP, AIC and Soundgarden.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

Also, longevity points are for losers...give me lightning in a bottle every time.

Better to burn out than fade away, huh?

 

[uwillbsoon]

Any guesses on who would have done that if not Nirvana?

And Nirvana did more than push out hair metal. They also pushed Michael Jackson out of the top slot. They were the biggest thing in pop music, not just rock music.

 

[Major]

Folks ranking STP above PJ and Nirvana give me a chuckle

 

[Dr_Zaius]

AiC is the best live band

I've always liked this short but sweet riff of an AIC song:

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As much as I like that one, I love the riff to Check My Brain.

They were probably third or fourth in my rotation back in the day, but Alice in Chains has aged really well in my opinion. Much better than Soundgarden, for example. And I feel like if I spin up one of their albums, I pretty much listen to the whole thing straight through, as there are very few weak songs.

 

[B Maverick]

At the end of the day, give me some Velvet Revolver and Candlebox instead!!!

Look at Soundgarden, then. Before Nirvana, they were on a major label and put out Louder Than Love. They were a great live band and toured with some of the biggest acts like GNR and Metallica

Saw Soundgarden open for GNR in San Diego. Great show.

ok done hijacking. Back to Nirvana > PJ

 

[Jayrod]

Greatest tour of all time that I missed in 1992:

• Pearl Jam - Ten tour (opening act)
• Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream tour
• Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magic tour (headliner)

I'd give up a big toe to go back in time and see this lineup. Word was that PJ killed it the whole time and Smashing Pumpkins struggled to keep up.

 

[The General]

Pearl Jam gets the vote. Both all-timers. Longevity gets the nod. PJ still crushes it live.

 

[Jayrod]

I get the casual music fan thinking Nirvana was a bigger deal, but for a 90's kid, Nirvana was a 3-5 hit band while PJ cranked out about 20 great songs in their first three albums.

You try to put together a set list for a concert and Nirvana drops off a cliff in a hurry and PJ has to cut some great songs just to keep it under 3 hours. And I'm not even counting anything after PJ's first 3 albums so the Cobain early death doesn't even come into play there. I'm actually not all that familiar with PJ's later stuff and was underwhelmed with No Code, Yield and Binural.

 

[Jayrod]

Thank God the FFA course corrected and put Nirvana in the lead here...was losing my faith in the collective wisdom of the FFA. Pearl Jam is great, but never was and never will be Nirvana.

And Nirvana Unplugged is one of the best live albums of all time...take that to the bank bromigos.

Probably a bunch of REM, Phish and Dave Matthews fans chiming in.