RANK THE ALBUMS

[Strat]

JFC. You all know I hate ranking things, but because some of you seem to think Gigaton is God's jizz, here is a proper ranking:

Vitalogy
Binaural
Yield
Vs.
No Code
Ten
Riot Act
S/T
Gigaton (subject to move up, but being rational and waiting for it to age properly)
Lightning Bolt
Backspacer

u mad bro

kinda

This too shall pass

[darth_vedder]

JFC. You all know I hate ranking things, but because some of you seem to think Gigaton is God's jizz, here is a proper ranking:

Vitalogy
Binaural
Yield
Vs.
No Code
Ten
Riot Act
S/T
Gigaton (subject to move up, but being rational and waiting for it to age properly)
Lightning Bolt
Backspacer

I can't believe we just got an E.H. Ruddock ranking. Wow. You should go rank other things while you're at it

[scrub12]

Yeah I'd have to sit down and think about everything but the only for sure for me would be it's above LB and Backspacer. It probably is above Self-Titled but not sure on Riot Act. It took me years to appreciate Riot Act due to being young and dumb when it came out and not sure I can put Gigaton above it.

[epilogue]

JFC. You all know I hate ranking things, but because some of you seem to think Gigaton is God's jizz, here is a proper ranking:

Vitalogy
Binaural
Yield
Vs.
No Code
Ten
Riot Act
S/T
Gigaton (subject to move up, but being rational and waiting for it to age properly)
Lightning Bolt
Backspacer

But you've only heard it a few times. How can you possibly be sure it won't move down?

[PHATJ]

Come on, though. You can't call it the best PJ album after only a few listens. You have to respect their catalog enough to let it settle in for a while, give a tour, a year or so. Calling it the best album in a 30 year career is just jumping on the newness of it. I love this album too, but hmmph.

My post was tongue in cheek, but I also want to be the first to rank it number one.

[FlatSideofaDog]

Come on, though. You can't call it the best PJ album after only a few listens. You have to respect their catalog enough to let it settle in for a while, give a tour, a year or so. Calling it the best album in a 30 year career is just jumping on the newness of it. I love this album too, but hmmph.

My post was tongue in cheek, but I also want to be the first to rank it number one.

It's really not so unreasonable - it depends how you respond to new pearl jam. I don't know where you ranked LB originally. For me, Binaural, Riot Act, Backspacer, and LB were from first listen right at the bottom and stayed there until being displaced by the next one (LB is still there).

[stip]

McParadigm had a really good post about this in another thread, but if this is an album that you have a strong reaction to that drops at a time that you are particularly receptive it could easily rank among the very top albums.

[PHATJ]

I do legitimately love this album, and I think it’s miles ahead of several other PJ albums.

[liebzz]

I do legitimately love this album, and I think it’s miles ahead of several other PJ albums.

I agree with this. I will also add that while I do not think there’s that much revolutionary about it, I am constantly excited that they took unexpected turns all throughout the album. It feels unexpected but at the same time very much them.

[Strat]

Honestly it feels like with this record ... they have perfected everything they’ve every attempted to me.

Not saying every song is the best version of pearl jam. But the overall offering feels this way to me.

Quirkiness, power, raggedness, pop, anthemic, and intimate. It’s all here in various forms of greatness

[PHATJ]

Honestly it feels like with this record ... they have perfected everything they’ve every attempted to me.

Not saying every song is the best version of pearl jam. But the overall offering feels this way to me.

Quirkiness, power, raggedness, pop, anthemic, and intimate. It’s all here in various forms of greatness

[mikejasond]

Yeah, Pearl jam has gone through many distinct eras, and if you compare songs from each of them they barely sound like each other. This album combined all those sounds, and its a brilliant love letter to their history, while still finding fresh sounds like Dance of the Clairvoyants.

Quick Escape is a song I never thought I'd hear again...

This album is just so Pearl Jam because it's everything Pearl Jam has ever been, and even more that it could be.

[Tsuga]

It's alright to rank 'em high
to listen to an album
and not roll your eyes

it's alright to love a thing
to even like it more
than some other loved things

[Leatherhead]

Yeah, Pearl jam has gone through many distinct eras, and if you compare songs from each of them they barely sound like each other. This album combined all those sounds, and its a brilliant love letter to their history, while still finding fresh sounds like Dance of the Clairvoyants.

Quick Escape is a song I never thought I'd hear again...

This album is just so Pearl Jam because it's everything Pearl Jam has ever been, and even more that it could be.

I'm so glad you like the album.

[BoltofLightning]

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

[Toots McSharty]

1. No Code
2. Yield
3. Vitalogy
4. Vs.
5. Binaural
6. Ten
7. Riot Act
8. S/T
9. Gigaton
10. BS
11. LB

So before Gigaton came out, there was a gigantic chasm for me between BS and S/T. When I first listened to Gigaton, it teetered on the bad side of the chasm. I'm definitely liking the album more than the first couple listens when it felt like merely an improvement on LB. So, it has comfortably leaped the chasm and is sitting right in S/T's rearview mirror for me currently. Hearing a better quality version should do nothing but improve its standing in my book.

[Gigalogy84]

I have listened to Gigaton so much I have decided where I wanted to place it. It really is a great album overall. Best post-90s album for sure.

1. Vitalogy
2. Yield
3. Vs
4. Ten
5. Gigaton
6. Backspacer
7. Self Titled
8. Riot Act
9. No Code
10. Binaural
11. Lightning Bolt

[Strat]

I hate how much im loving this album.

[Clem Halibut]

Vitology
No Code
Yield
Vs.
Binaural
TEN
Gigaton
Avacado
Riot Act
Backspacer
Lightning Bolt

[oceanic156]

For the time being...

Ten (5/5)
Vitalogy (4.5/5)
No Code (4.5/5)
Vs (4.5/5)
Gigaton (4/5)
Riot Act (4/5)
Binaural (4/5)
Yield (4/5)

S/T (3/5)
Lightning Bolt (2.5/5)
Backspacer (2/5)

Very thin margins between the top albums. Big gap between Yield and S/T. S/T has some incredible standouts (Unemployable, Army Reserve), but much of the album is hampered by clunky/ugly riffs and very abrasive mixing/mastering. Lightning Bolt is full of good ideas arranged and presented very poorly. Backspacer is just depressing - feels like the band went out of their way to make a set of tacky, undercooked pop-rock songs that lack depth and ambition.

While not without its flaws, I think Gigaton is excellent and deserves to be considered alongside their best work. They are passionate, creative songwriters again!