1. Pearl Jam created Nirvana.
Forget all what everyone has told you, even MTV for that matter. Long before Nirvana were formed Stone Gossard (Rhythm Guitar, Pearl Jam) and Jeff Ament (Bass Guitar, Pearl Jam) were in a Seattle band called Green River. Matt Cameron (Drums, Pearl Jam) was in Soundgarden, Eddie Vedder was in a band called Bad Radio which was based in San Diego. Green River became huge in Seattle, but Gossard and Ament wanted more from Green River, not for money (Yes, I can prove that too), they wanted their music to be heard. Green River broke up and Gossard and Ament went on to form Mother Love Bone and released the album Mother Love Bone, the other members of Green River formed Mudhoney with their album Superfuzz Bigmuff Plus Early Singles.This was at the time Nirvana released their first album Bleach and this was long after Pearl Jam members were making music. Kurt Cobain admitted Green River were a heavy inspiration for Nirvana (Green River - 50% Pearl Jam), which in turn means if the members of Pearl Jam never existed Nirvana's music would have been a lot different. Even though Nirvana's first album didn't go on to be that big, Mother Love Bone was going to be huge until their frontman Andy Wood died of heroin overdose. This got the Seattle bands in the news and major record labels started chashing in on their popularity.
Eddie Vedder came to Seattle to record an album Ten with members of Mother Love Bone and formed Pearl Jam with was months before Nevermind. Nirvana were signed on by a major label because of all the hype surrounding Seattle bands (All of which had Pearl Jam members). Ten wasn't much noticed as compared to Nevermind because of the music videos. Ten had no music videos while Nevermind had music videos which dominated MTV. Pearl Jam weren't even in a rush to make videos, Pearl Jam members didn't care at all about being real huge anymore, Jeff Ament & Stone Gossard more realized it was about the music after Andy's death, Pearl Jam didn't even care when they heard their album started going platinum. Nevermind knocked Michael Jackson off the charts well Ten knocked Nevermind off the charts.
Nirvana got recognized because of what the Pearl Jam members did... and Nirvana got signed, because of what the Pearl Jam members did... would Pearl Jam's music of been any different whether or not Nirvana existed? NO - would Nirvana's music been any different whether or not the Pearl Jam members existed? YES.
Need I say more.
2. The Numbers Game.
All facts are according to Soundscan (for the ignorant it is the information system that tracks music sales).
Nirvana - Bleach (1990) : 1.7 million copies (some pre-soundscan era)
Nirvana - Nevermind (1991) : 8.5 million copies (it came out one month before soundscan)
Nirvana - in Utero (1993) : 4.0 million copies
Nirvana Total : 14.2 million
Pearl Jam - Ten (1990) : 9.5 million copies (Ten was released three months before soundscan)
Pearl Jam - Vs (1993) : 4.7 million copies
Pearl Jam - Vitalogy (1994) : 5.9 million copies
Pearl Jam Total : 19.1 million
Yes, I am limiting it to the part where Nirvana stopped making new music.
3. Lyrics and Fame.
You can see and hear the angst in Vedder as he powers his way through staples Black', Alive', Even Flow', Rearviewmirror' and Jeremy'. Each of his songs are so passionate, so emotive and so heartfelt.
Cobain too was a master at creating an entire novel's worth of story in a four minute song. Smells Like Teen Spirit' became as big an anthem for the generation as Alive did, both songs defined the disenchanted youth of the era.
Both bands quickly generated an army of loyal fans and both lead singers were faced with the realities of stardom, neither were fond of the degree in which their bands found success. Thrust into the spotlight so rapidly the two greatest musical icons of the 90's began to question their own validity as artists.
For Cobain the only way out was in the most dramatic fashion, he committed suicide. Vedder, on the other hand, countered his suicidal thoughts by fighting. There were much publicized battles with both MTV and Ticketek. Neither of these battles was winnable and both took their toll on the bands popularity.
The end result, however, was that Pearl Jam survived and Nirvana were torn apart. In all fairness, Nirvana were probably never really going to last the long run. Cobain was well known for his mood swings and temper. The reality is, as Cobain alluded too in his suicide note, Nirvana had reached their peak. From that point on, had Cobain not taken his own life, the band were staring at a rapid decline and potential break up. Kurt felt it was "better to die out than fade away".
It is sad that we never got to see a mature Kurt Cobain, it would be interesting to see how far he could have gone either as lead singer of Nirvana, or as a solo artist. Vedder has grown out of his angst-riddled early persona and is now a champion of all causes just and true.
While both bands have their rightful place in the history of rock assured, only one has endured. When determining the greatness of a band, one must look at longevity, after all, success is a marathon, not a sprint event. Nirvana came in with a bang and went out just as quickly. Pearl Jam have gone on to attract a new generation of loyal fans.
Pearl Jam, to this day, remains the greatest band to come out of the Seattle alternative scene. Nirvana are a fantastic side note. Nevermind' will go down in history as one of the best rock/alternative albums ever made. Ten' will be right there beside it, the difference is that Pearl Jam will also be remembered for Verses', Vitalogy' and Yield' too, amongst others.
For every Nirvana song we have two equally good Pearl Jam songs, it isn't my fault Nirvana decided to leave the party early. You snooze, you lose buddy.
Nirvana wouldn't have been hailed so much as they are done now if Kurt Cobain had been alive. People stop giving me that Nirvana would have won by a landslide, they so wouldn't. It was all hype, they weren't that great as people say they were. Nirvana were only famous because all the other Pearl Jam imitators were horrible! As soon as I heard Pearl Jam, I forgot Nirvana. It was like having Natalie Portman in bed and then sleeping on the couch.
Pearl Jam would mop floors with Nirvana, and then do it again for good measure.
Yes, people do read this.
