PJ Album Rank

2

Comments

  • BlackSmile
    BlackSmile Posts: 95
    YIELD / NO CODE / VITALOGY / TEN / RIOT ACT / VS / BINAURAL / AVOCADO / DARK MATTER / BACK SPACER / LIGHTNING BOLT / GIGATON
    Calgary, Alberta (1993) / Missoula, Montana (2003) / Calgary, Alberta (2005) / Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (2005) /Chicago, Illinois (2007) / Calgary, Alberta, (2009) / Calgary, Alberta (2011) / Calgary, AB (2013) / Missoula, Montana (2018) / Vancouver, BC (2024)
  • spankyMP
    spankyMP NY to NC to NH Posts: 2,019
    edited May 2024
    Gern Blansten said:
    I can't believe RA and Binaural get ranked so low by so many....those are my tops

    If either would be released today you all would shit your panties
    Any ranking I'd do starts at 6 (although 2-5 are interchangeable), so I technically have Riot Act/Binaural pretty high at 8/9 :)
    Post edited by spankyMP on
    Randall's Island 9/29/96, Continental Arena 9/8/98, MSG 9/10/98, Jones Beach 8/23/00, 8/24/00, 8/25/00, Nassau Coliseum 4/30/03, MSG 7/8/03, 7/9/03, Continental Arena 6/1/06, 6/3/06, MSG 6/24/08, 6/25/08, Spectrum 10/30/09, 10/31/09, MSG 5/20/10, 5/21/10, PJ20 9/3/11, 9/4/11, Charlottesville 10/29/13, Charlotte 10/30/13, Global Citizen 9/26/15, Raleigh 4/20/16 :( Baltimore 3/28/20 :( Austin 9/18/23, 9/19/23, Forum 5/21/24, Baltimore 9/12/24, Fenway 9/17/24, Nashville 5/6/25, 5/8/25
  • Lifted
    Lifted Posts: 1,836
    edited May 2024
    1. Ten, vs, vitalogy, no code, yield, dark matter (the first five always change depending on how I feel at the moment. Still not sure where I'd rank Dark Matter, but I think it's in the upper echelon, and is arguably the band's best work)
    7. Binaural
    8. Riot Act
    9. Pearl Jam
    10. Gigaton
    11. Backspacer
    12. Lightning Bolt

    This is how I feel today

    1. Vs 9.5/10
    2. Ten 9.5/10
    3. Dark Matter 9.5/10
    4. Yield 9/10
    5. No Code 9/10
    6. Vitalogy 9/10
    7. Binaural 8/10
    8. Riot Act 8/10
    9. Pearl Jam 7/10
    10 Gigaton 7/10
    11. Backspacer 6/10
    12. Lightning Bolt 4.5/10
    Post edited by Lifted on
  • VINNY GOOMBA
    VINNY GOOMBA Posts: 1,825
    edited May 2024
    bicyclejoe said:
    Vitalogy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (artistic growth, flow and quality of songs, lack of filler)

    Ten ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️(quality of songs and flow, lack of filler)
    Vs ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (quality of songs and artistic growth)
    Yield ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 (quality of songs)
    No Code ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 (artistic growth)
    Dark Matter ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2 (quality of songs) 
    Avocado ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (flow)
    Riot Act ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2 (flow)
    Binaural ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
    Gigaton ⭐️⭐️ 1/2
    Backspacer ⭐️⭐️1/2
    Lightning Bolt ⭐️⭐️
    This one is the closest to my idea of them.

    1 - 6 are identical as of right now, and honestly, I almost love all of those albums equally and there's not a lot separating them.  I think Dark Matter could eclipse No Code or possibly even Yield for me, but with the newness of it all, I am reserving judgment on that.  It's really really hard to beat the first 3 in the catalog.

    I would put Riot Act at 7, Binaural at 8, Gigaton at 9, Avocado at 10, Backspacer at 11, and Lightning Bolt at 12.

    I would give the lower tier ones higher ratings though.  Everything at least 3 or 3.5+
    Post edited by VINNY GOOMBA on
  • wnh1977
    wnh1977 Iowa Posts: 650
    I would advise letting this one simmer and do this at least a year down the road.  I think most folks would suffer from recency bias.  I know I had the last 3 albums much higher initially compared to where I would rank them now.  

    That being said, I have a few early opinions.  I do like how collaborative of an effort this seems to have been.  I think the album is very strong... great opener, great closer, great McCready solos, some epic builds and climaxes.  I would say "Something Special" is one that I would have contemplated leaving off... kind of doesn't fit the rest of the album, in my opinion, with both musicality and cheese-factor. 

    I tend to agree with a lot of folks that it's really difficult to break into the top 5 considering the 90's greatness.
    1998: 6/26, 6/27, 6/29
    2000: 8/15, 8/18, 10/9, 10/11, 10/12
    2003: 6/18, 6/21, 6/22
    2005: 9/9, 9/28
    2006: 5/16, 5/17, 6/26, 6/27
    2007: 8/5
    2009: 8/23, 8/24
    2010: 5/3, 5/4, 5/21
    2011: 9/3, 9/4, 9/11, 9/12
    2013: 7/19, 11/16
    2014: 10/3, 10/9, 10/12, 10/17
    2016: 4/16, 8/20, 8/22
    2018: 8/18, 8/20, 9/2
    2022: 9/18
    2023: 8/31, 9/2, 9/5
    2024: 5/18, 6/29
  • Lifted
    Lifted Posts: 1,836
    wnh1977 said:
    I would advise letting this one simmer and do this at least a year down the road.  I think most folks would suffer from recency bias.  I know I had the last 3 albums much higher initially compared to where I would rank them now.  

    That being said, I have a few early opinions.  I do like how collaborative of an effort this seems to have been.  I think the album is very strong... great opener, great closer, great McCready solos, some epic builds and climaxes.  I would say "Something Special" is one that I would have contemplated leaving off... kind of doesn't fit the rest of the album, in my opinion, with both musicality and cheese-factor. 

    I tend to agree with a lot of folks that it's really difficult to break into the top 5 considering the 90's greatness.
    I think you should let 'something special' simmer. Though I initially held the same opinion, I've come to realize that it's actually an excellent pearl jam song and absolutely belongs on the album. 
  • tschav
    tschav Posts: 2,900
    Might as well be the first to break Gigaton into the top 5...
    1. Ten 
    2. Yield 
    3. Vs
    4. Vitalogy
    5. Gigaton  
    6. No Code
    7. Avocado
    8. Dark Matter
    9. Binaural
    10. Riot Act
    11. Lightning Bolt
    12. Backspacer
    Earliest albums had to remain in the top. Gigaton would've slipped a spot or two lower if the context of a pandemic wasn't connected to it. Regardless, a lot tougher to rank 4-10 in this. 
  • kypjfan
    kypjfan Northern Kentucky Posts: 35
    I have thought about ranking PJ's albums for years, but felt it would be too difficult.  While it was a challenge, and I am sure the order would be different at various times in my life, here's my list after the new release.  What a wonderful ride the past 30+ years have been, since I went to Phil's Records in Northern Kentucky immediately after hearing Alive for the first time in the summer of 1991 - on Cincinnati's WEBN.
    1) Vs.
    2) Ten
    3) Vitalogy
    4) Yield
    5) No Code
    6) Dark Matter
    7) Riot Act
    8) Avocado
    9) Backspacer
    10) Gigaton
    11) Lightning Bolt
    12) Binaural

                                     Pittsburgh night 2 - 2025
    Dana Point night 1 - 2024                                Dana Point night 2 - 2024 
    Louisville - 2022                                               Indy - 2024
    Dana Point - 2021                                            Nashville - 2022
    Lexington - 2016                                              Chicago - 2018
    Chicago - 2011 (EV solo)                                 Cincinnati - 2014
    Chicago - 2009                                                 Indy - 2010                                          
    Portland - 2006                                                 Gorge - 2006
    Kitchener - 2005                                               Cincinnati - 2006
    Santa Barbara - 2003                                       Toledo - 2004                          
    Lexington - 2003                                               MSG - 2003
    Cincinnati - 2000                                              Chicago - 2000
    Toledo - 1996                                                    Indy - 1998
  • Mawky1103
    Mawky1103 Posts: 311
    1. Vs
    2. Vitalogy
    3. Ten
    4. No Code
    5. Yield
    6. Avocado
    7. Riot Act
    8. Dark Matter
    9. Binaural
    10. Backspacer
    11. Gigaton
    12. Lightning Bolt 

  • Robbert
    Robbert Rotterdam, the Netherlands Posts: 1,054
    1. Yield
    2. Binaural
    3. Vs
    4. Vitalogy
    5. No Code
    6. Ten
    7. Riot Act
    8. Avocado
    9. Dark Matter
    10. Gigaton
    11. Backspacer
    12. Lightning Bolt
  • Niko80
    Niko80 Posts: 1,613
    edited May 2024
    VS, Ten, Vitalogy - 5 stars
    Yield - 4,5 
    No Code, Dark Matter - 4
    Binaural, Avocado - 
    Backspacer, Riot Act - 3
    Gigaton - 2,5
    Lightning Bolt - 2
    Post edited by Niko80 on
    I will swallow poison
  • BrainofBGA
    BrainofBGA Australia Posts: 4,558
    Vitalogy
    Yield
    No Code.          ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    Vs.                     5 star albums
    Dark Matter
    Ten

    Binaural
    Avocado.            ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    Gigaton             4 star albums          
    Riot Act.          

    Lightning Bolt.      ⭐️⭐️⭐️
    Backspacer.       3 star albums  

    That’s how I’d rank them now. Obviously some recency bias on DM but I’m absolutely
    loving it at the moment. Haven’t listened to Ten in so long and I’d choose listening to other albums ahead of it. I honestly don’t think the band have done a ‘bad’ album. Every album stands alone in one way or another. The ones I found the toughest to rank were Binaural-Riot Act. 
    Melbourne #1 '98
    Melbourne #2 '03
    Melbourne #3 '03
    Melbourne #1 '06
    Melbourne #3 '06
    Melbourne '09
    Melbourne '14
  • Johnny Abruzzo
    Johnny Abruzzo Philly Posts: 12,381
    Just a question for the Vitalogy 5 star folks - do you enjoy 8 minutes of Stupid Mop? Do you listen to that when you're spinning this record? How's that song factor in to your stars? Not starting anything - just curious.
    Spectrum 10/27/09; New Orleans JazzFest 5/1/10; Made in America 9/2/12; Phila, PA 10/21/13; Phila,  PA 10/22/13; Baltimore Arena 10/27/13; Phila, PA 4/28/16; Phila, PA 4/29/16; Fenway Park 8/7/16; Fenway Park 9/2/18; Asbury Park 9/18/21; Camden 9/14/22; Las Vegas 5/16/24; Las Vegas 5/18/24; Phila, PA 9/7/24; Phila, PA 9/9/24; Baltimore Arena 9/12/24; Pittsburgh 5/16/25; Pittsburgh 5/18/25

    Tres Mtns - TLA 3/23/11; EV - Tower Theatre 6/25/11; Temple of the Dog - Tower Theatre 11/5/16
  • tino_11
    tino_11 Posts: 2,185
    Depends on your approach to rating an album. Are you focusing on the highlights or the lows?

    Is an album with all time classics like Corduroy, Nothingman, Immortality, Better Man, Not for You worthy of 5 stars alone? Or do you look at the likes of Bugs, Stupid Mop and Aye Davanita and say that detracts a star? 

    For me it's a five star album, in addition to the above I love Tremor Christ, Whipping and Last Exit. Spin the Black Circle and Satan's Bed are great too.

    It's not perfect but name an album which is. There's other albums that are more consistent, e.g. Yield, but it doesn't have as many top tier songs IMO. 
    'F*** the pessimists. F*** 'em.' Eddie Vedder
  • spankyMP
    spankyMP NY to NC to NH Posts: 2,019
    Johnny Abruzzo said:
    Just a question for the Vitalogy 5 star folks - do you enjoy 8 minutes of Stupid Mop? Do you listen to that when you're spinning this record? How's that song factor in to your stars? Not starting anything - just curious.
    No, I don't listen to it or count it toward the rating. It is a throw in/throw away song, like other filler songs. Take away Pry, to, Aye Davinita, and Stupid Mop and you still have an 11 song album. I'm not a professional reviewer LOL and I threw the stars and order up in about 3 minutes. It could change at any point. A couple of 5s could really be 4.5s, but then I'd really have to split hairs and give it more time than I have since each .5 threshold would then have to be reevaluated.
    Randall's Island 9/29/96, Continental Arena 9/8/98, MSG 9/10/98, Jones Beach 8/23/00, 8/24/00, 8/25/00, Nassau Coliseum 4/30/03, MSG 7/8/03, 7/9/03, Continental Arena 6/1/06, 6/3/06, MSG 6/24/08, 6/25/08, Spectrum 10/30/09, 10/31/09, MSG 5/20/10, 5/21/10, PJ20 9/3/11, 9/4/11, Charlottesville 10/29/13, Charlotte 10/30/13, Global Citizen 9/26/15, Raleigh 4/20/16 :( Baltimore 3/28/20 :( Austin 9/18/23, 9/19/23, Forum 5/21/24, Baltimore 9/12/24, Fenway 9/17/24, Nashville 5/6/25, 5/8/25
  • MikeDigs
    MikeDigs Santa Monica, CA Posts: 1,680
    Johnny Abruzzo said:
    Just a question for the Vitalogy 5 star folks - do you enjoy 8 minutes of Stupid Mop? Do you listen to that when you're spinning this record? How's that song factor in to your stars? Not starting anything - just curious.
    I just listened to Stupid Mop last night, on the freeway, with the just an annoying amount of traffic.   I let it run.  It's uncomfortably enjoyable if that makes sense?  The drums are there to keep you grounded, and the random guitar licks are interesting.   Plus the ambient noise.  It kind of has a NIN ambient vibe.  Understandable that it's not well liked.  But I think this track was ahead of its time a bit.

    The Bugs slander ends now.   Its unique with the accordion.  It's not too serious.  A fun track.  Like Something Special.   A very cool interlude.

    Pry, To is a cool short interlude.

    Aye Davanita is an excellent composition, how could anyone not like this one?

    If you accept the above in some way,  Vitalogy easily earns its praise and then some 
    I'm spinning, oh-oh-oh I'm spinning
  • BSully
    BSully Indiana Posts: 1,501
    spankyMP said:
    Johnny Abruzzo said:
    Just a question for the Vitalogy 5 star folks - do you enjoy 8 minutes of Stupid Mop? Do you listen to that when you're spinning this record? How's that song factor in to your stars? Not starting anything - just curious.
    No, I don't listen to it or count it toward the rating. It is a throw in/throw away song, like other filler songs. Take away Pry, to, Aye Davinita, and Stupid Mop and you still have an 11 song album. I'm not a professional reviewer LOL and I threw the stars and order up in about 3 minutes. It could change at any point. A couple of 5s could really be 4.5s, but then I'd really have to split hairs and give it more time than I have since each .5 threshold would then have to be reevaluated.
    I love Vitalogy and only skip Stupid Mop.
    Most times, I'm playing the Mp3 version and I just leave it off the list.
    1998: Noblesville, IN 08-17
    2000: Noblesville, IN 08-18
    2003: Noblesville, IN 06-22
    2006: Cincinnati, OH 06-24
    2010: Noblesville, IN 05-07
    2016: Lexington, KY 04-26, Wrigley Field 2 08-22
    2018: Wrigley Field 1 08-18, Wrigley Field 2 08-20
    2022: St. Louis, MO 09-18
    2024: Noblesville, IN 08-26, Wrigley Field 1 08-29, Wrigley Field 2 08-31
    2025: Pitt 1 05-16, Pitt 2 05-18
  • Kusy
    Kusy Posts: 351
    12) Dark Matter
    11) Backspacer
    10) Lightning Bolt
    9) Yield
    8) S/T
    7) Gigaton
    6) Vs
    5) Vitalogy
    4) Ten
    3) Binaural
    2) No Code
    1) Riot Act 

    2007: Chorzow, PL
    2014: Gdynia, PL
    2017: EV Solo Berlin, DE
    2018: PinkPop Festival, NL; London #1, UK; Padova, ITA; Prague, CZ; Krakow, PL; Berlin; DE; London #2, UK
    2019: EV Solo Berlin, DE
    2022: Berlin, Budapest, Krakow
  • MJ178168
    MJ178168 Posts: 237
    Robbert said:
    1. Yield
    2. Binaural
    3. Vs
    4. Vitalogy
    5. No Code
    6. Ten
    7. Riot Act
    8. Avocado
    9. Dark Matter
    10. Gigaton
    11. Backspacer
    12. Lightning Bolt
    I think this is pretty close to how I would rank but from my perspective 1-7 change depending on the day.  The ranking of Avocado and later is how I have it at the moment with the understanding that Dark Matter may change a year from now.
  • kmcmanus
    kmcmanus Posts: 893
    Vitalogy is the hardest to rank for me. There are 7 songs that would probably make my personal top 15 or 20 PJ tunes (Corduroy is my favorite song by anyone ever, plus Last Exit, Not For You, Tremor Christ, Nothingman, Better Man & Immortality). But the other 7 might not even make my top 100 (hot take: Spin the Black Circle is the most overrated PJ song). But between the amazing highs of those 7 and a healthy dose of nostalgia I generally rank it 3rd or 4th.

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