ABSTRACT
Pearl Jam's debut album is a special and important record in the context of both the alternative music grunge phenomenon of the 1990s and the band's own growth as important rock musicians and artists in the subsequent 20 years. The genesis of Pearl Jam as a band is well documented. The spine of the band was the pairing of Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, who had been musical partners in the grunge pioneers Green River. In the backlash and uncertainty that surrounded the commercial explosion of Seattle bands, and later the death of Kurt Cobain, Ten became the perfect benchmark from which Pearl Jam could stress their authenticity and in doing so redefine themselves on their own terms. Ten's ability to be both a critical and commercial success epitomizes the album's position as both a symbol of a movement and the prototype of a scene and a sound that had been appropriated into a brand.
