When They Were the #1 Band in the WORLD…They REFUSED to Release Their BEST Song! | Professor of Rock

Poll: What is your pick for the GREATEST ALBUM since 1990?

"I know you'll be a star in somebody else's sky but why can't it be mine?" Sweet merciful baby Jeebus, that gets me every single time. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. If that was all he sang, it just kills. But the ways he stretches out the "why can't it be mine?" in such an agonizingly, painful way of intense pleading? Pure art.

I have been a long time listener. My brother and I were brought up in a home filled with books and music and not a lot of love. My brother passed away in January after a battle with Huntington’s disease. We grew up listening to our parent’s record collection. My brother Aaron was musically gifted as was every other member of our family except for me. We would go into the living room and pick out our favorite records and listen to them endlessly. He was the only one who would ask me to sing with him. I could not carry a tune to save my life, but that didn’t matter to him. We would listen to everything from Cat Stevens (he called him La-La as a child) to John Denver to the Beatles. Our musical tastes changed in the 80s. Me going towards Duran Duran and him going towards Ozzie Osbourne. I can remember him forming a band and the endless beats of “Smoke on water the water “ coming from the basement. He played in a few bands throughout his life. Our father had been a musician that gave it all up when we born, but Aaron kept on rocking until the end. We had fallen out of contact with each other for many years. Too many now that he is gone. I would watch your videos and say to myself that Aaron would love this. By the time I found my way back to him he could no longer talk. I told him about your videos and he showed me his phone and he was a fan of yours too. So thank you for bringing him comfort in his final days. Your work meant a lot to him and I wanted to let you know you made a difference to his world. I miss him, but am reminded of him with almost every video you produce. Thank you.

The video for Jeremy literally stopped me from unaliving myself at 11 years old. That's when I decided to dedicate myself to rock and roll. 90's rock is what kept me alive into adulthood, if it wasn't for those bands, and a small group of musician friends, I wouldn't be here today.

I'm a Boomer and Black completely amazes me. So glad they protected it so well. It's delicate and precious, rough and honest. When the album came out I raved to all my friends! This is possibly the greatest love song I've ever heard! I can't see how anybody could hear Black and not be changed! You hear these lyrics with your entire body. The anguish is so real and true, it's cathartic! It always uplifts. I do not know why. Great art does these things. It's a singular Masterpiece!

This song came out right when my first relationship ended. We were talking marriage, kids, the whole nine yards, then she left me for someone else. I heard Black and it broke me. It was so spot on to what I was going through and feeling! I love the song, especially the unplugged version. It is one of my all time favorites, despite the fact I still tear up anytime I hear it all these years later! I am very happily married now, but the song can immediately transport me back to that time, the emotions just as strong and overwhelming as they were then. It rips my heart out every time! I think it is a strong contender for one of the best songs ever written!

I lived Black for many years, anxiety and depression ruled my life. It took me a very long time to let go. Finally now I am happy.

Recently Eddie Vedder walked into my friend’s music store in Hawaii and bought guitars for three kids. Just like that. Respect.

Who else hits “LIKE” immediately? The professor has made the tapestry of musical memories so much richer and colorful - even with bands I may not have appreciated then but do today thanks to Adam!

One of my guilty pleasures is finding reaction videos to people that haven't heard Black and then watching them play it on Unplugged. "We belong together! Together!!" Chills.

I have a VHS tape I recorded in high school. It is the Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Aerosmith Unplugged shows. I pull that out often and watch it…commercials and all. It was an amazing time to be a teen.

Like so many others, "Black" holds a significant place in my life. A good friend of mine was always in my orbit, someone who i didn't have to say anything to, and she always knew what I was thinking. We were each other's life boats when life's curves came at us. There was mutual attraction, as well, but we'd never acted on it until the night before i was to leave for Montana for work. It was a magical night, but in the morning she told me that it was only the one night. When i got in my car, "Ten" was in my CD player, and the second song was "Black". Over time, i understood why she did what she did - it didn't hurt any less, but it was right. Even after returning back, we remained friends. She helped me through the demise of my first marriage, and again when my brother unexpectedly passed in 2020 ... when she placed her right hand on my heart, and her left caressed my cheek. To my wife's credit, she wasn't threatened when this happened. I've told her my history, and while my wife knew my friend as my "one that got away", my wife knows she is the love of my life.

Back in Oct of 91 in my radio days, a show came to town we were help promoting in Omaha, RHCP, Smashing Pumpkins, and Pearl Jam. We were told, we were the third station to ever play Alive. On a Sunday, the guys from Pearl Jam were so happy we were playing their music, they asked to spend the day at the station until they had to go to the show (we brought Billy Corgan to the station as well for an interview but that is another story). To say they were great guest DJ's is an understatement. It is a really long story I won't bore you all with, but I met a lot of people in alternative music from 89-94 and these were just the greatest guys. Eddie was introverted, just wanted to write poetry and he couldn't have been nicer. We were playing Alive at the time but all the guys were curious to the other songs we liked on the record. Long story short, I could not be happier for any band to make it and share their music with everyone. Great job as usual @ProfessorofRock!

I remember buying Pearl Jam “Ten”, and listening to it. The one song I listened to over and over again was “Black”.

I was born in 1957....the music produced in late 60s to the mid 70s impacted me profoundly....I never thought there would be another decade that would be like that...until the 90s.

Eddie sings the pain of loss and of love that didn't work out. Even though the song is full of anguish, it also supplies hope and connection. Listening to Black, you know that you're not the only one who's ever suffered a broken heart. Eddie's voice reached out, squeezes your hand and says "I've been there, too--and I made art out of it. Let's see what beautiful thing you can create with your pain."

College Freshman Years, leaving all behind to move to the city with hopes and dreams, walking through bitter roads and disappointments. As any college student (that drinks) there was the small Pub where all friends got together. Pearl Jam was there with "Black" and "Alive", at the Jukebox, telling us that for whichever reason we felt defeated, it would pass, and that we needed to get up and keep walking. Thank you man for those memories almost forgotten!

the “I know some day you’ll have a beautiful life . . .” verse is among the best lyrics ever!!! & got me through a high school break up in the 90s as well

I know its cliche, but this album saved by life. Ten came out when I was 10 or 11, my mother had just died after fighting cancer for most of my life and I was an angry, confused, kid. Pearl Jam was the first band that spoke to me, I learned that I wasn't the only person out there who was angry and confused at the world around me. I played that tape so much it wore out and I had to get a new one.

I was homeless in Boston when Ten came out, and certain I would take my own life. A friend had the CD, and when I heard Even Flow, I felt like someone heard us, noticed the homeless, acknowledged our humanity I was instantly in love with Pearl Jam. And that feeling of being seen, being heard, it saved my life. Today I've got a home and a family, and I credit Pearl Jam in part with keeping me alive during that time.