PEARL JAM

Despite being regarded as one of 'the big four' of grunge along with Nirvana, Alice In Chains and Soundgarden, Eddie Vedder and chums (guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready, bassist Jeff Ament and drummer Matt Cameronare) are just as likely to name check The Who and Queen as influences. But without the success of Nirvana, the road may never have been clear for the success of Pearl Jam's debut Ten. Led by Vedder's pit-bull howl, the Seattle five-piece outsold Nirvana in the 90s, fusing 70s, riff-heavy stadium rock with post-punk fury. Their refusal to release singles or videos from follow up album, 1993's Vs, only made them bigger heroes with alt-rock fans, pushing the album to 1m sales in its first week of US release. 1994's Vitalogy was similarly a multi-platinum seller but 1996 album No Code alienated their fanbase with its weird mix of rock, worldbeat and experimentalism. 1998's Yield was a return to harder rock pastures although not as commercially successful as previous albums. But the band have never let their fame dictate their music, whether it's baiting George Bush or battling Ticketmaster against exorbitant concert ticket prices or experimenting with their sound. Their latest eponymous album sees them still railing at injustices, whether it's the Bush administration or the Iraq war, the band remain unrepentant rockers...