RANK THE ALBUMS

[Fuzzcharger]

This is how I feel. I can flip 2 & 3 depending on my mood that day.

1. Vitalogy
2. No Code
3. Yield
4. Binaural
5. Riot Act
6. Ten
7. Pearl Jam
8. Lightning Bolt
9. Vs.
10. Backspacer

[Fuzzcharger]

Oh I just noticed that my top 5 run sequentially. How funny. That 1995 - 2003 were probably my peak music absorbing years 17 - 25.

[samiad]

Update after another six months or so:

1. No Code
Sublime artistic pinnacle of their career.
2. Vs
Ten, with more grit, better production, and an urgency never repeated again.
3. Vitalogy
A cementing of their sound - and filled with the majority of their best songs - but also some pretty shoddy experiments.
4. Ten
Awesome, awesome, awesome - just a tiny weency bit dated.
5. Yield
PJ play it safe after No Code - and it's a shame - but it's still pretty flawless.
6. Binaural
The second time they try to do something "different" and it mostly works. Could have been bolder, for sure.
7. Riot Act
A cracking 10 or 11 song album let down by some serious filler.

<huge quality gap here>

8. Backspacer
Fun, silly, summer bbq/frat party music. Fine if you're into that.
9. Lightning Bolt
The first album where they genuinely sound like a heritage act.
10. Pearl Jam
Come Back is lovely. Inside Job is overblown, but passable. The rest is the sound of a band going through the motions.

[bart]

I haven't listened to most of them in a while. I think I would say it's:

Yield
Vs
Vitalogy
No Code
Ten
Binaural
Riot Act
(etc)

Yield is much more musically interesting than its reputation suggests. It's just not as ostentatiously diverse as No Code.

[epilogue]

Yield is much more musically interesting than its reputation suggests. It's just not as ostentatiously diverse as No Code.

aw huh

[parasolmonster]

1. Vitalogy - my favorite album of all-time

2. No Code - My love of this has decreased in the last few years, but I absolutely adore most of the album. Jack brought so much to the band

3. Vs. - There are a lot of songs from this album that I have started to hate live, but hearing the studio versions reminds me of what this band used to be capable of. Plus, I love me some Dave A

4. Ten - I prefer the remaster to the original, and the recorded Even Flow, but there are so many solid songs on here it's ridiculous

5. Yield - Jeff was on fire with Low Light and Push Me, Pull Me. It also took Live on Ten Legs for me to finally appreciate In Hiding

6. Riot Act - 3 years ago I would have had this as dead last but it continues to grow. I definitely like the second half much more than the first half

7. Pearl Jam - This one has not aged well for me. I love the first half and then the band runs out of energy. Despite the general board consensus, I really like Inside Job

8. Binaural - I started enjoying this more after hearing ridleybradout's Tchad Blake heavy compilation. Sleight of Hand just recently clicked with me, while Insignificance is my least favorite album song (my least favorite in the whole catalogue belongs to Turning Mist)

9. Lightning Bolt - Mind Your Manners, Yellow Moon, and My Father's Son are some of my favorite PJ songs. This album needed more Jeff and less Brendan and Eddie

10. Backspacer - Ain't nobody got time for that. . .

[Leatherhead]

I really like Inside Job

Insignificance is my least favorite album song

[Monkey_Driven]

Right now...

Binaural/Vitalogy
No Code
Yield
Riot Act
Ten
Lightning Bolt
Vs.
Pearl Jam (would be a tad higher if the album didn't give me a headache)
Backspacer

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Monkey_Driven]

Right now...

Binaural/Vitalogy
No Code
Yield
Riot Act
Ten
Lightning Bolt
Vs.
Pearl Jam (would be a tad higher if the album didn't give me a headache)
Backspacer

Have you listened to the Binaural Deluxe yet? It's a ranking game-changer.

It's always been a favorite of mine. The Deluxe Version just confirmed it. I'm ranking the albums they released. If you count b-sides it is clearly number one for me.

[tragabigzanda]

pearl jam sucks now

[Monkey_Driven]

The lows on Vs. really bring it down for me. Leash, Blood, Glorified G, and Dissident are all 3 stars or less for me.

[E.H. Ruddock]

Ugh. How is this thread still a thing?

[Monkey_Driven]

Ugh. How is this thread still a thing?

Clickbait.

[chewm]

Insignificance is my least favorite album song

Seriously, what the actual Fuck.

[LoathedVermin72]

It's definitely one of the weaker songs on Binaural.

[E.H. Ruddock]

It's definitely one of the weaker songs on Binaural.

I agree

[chewm]

You people are crazy

[parasolmonster]

Insignificance is my least favorite album song

Seriously, what the actual Fuck.

I will be the first to admit that in terms of songwriting it's a very solid song. However, for my specific taste there is something about it that is like nails on a chalkboard.

[LoathedVermin72]

Insignificance is my least favorite album song

Seriously, what the actual Fuck.

I will be the first to admit that in terms of songwriting it's a very solid song. However, for my specific taste there is something about it that is like nails on a chalkboard.

There really is something "off" about that song and it kinda drives me crazy too.