Do the Evolution: Pearl Jam's Top 5 Album Covers

The band just won Clio Music's first-ever Artist of the Year trophy

You don’t have to be a card-carrying member of the Ten Club to understand what Pearl Jam has meant to music. Their impact as recording artists and live performers is globe-spanning and transformative across several generations; thus, their crowning as Artist of the Year yesterday by the Clio Music Awards. However, you have to dig a little deeper into their catalog to understand the artistry and metaphorical significance of their cover art. Each of Pearl Jam’s 12 studio album sleeves has a unique story and appeal. So, choosing the top five was about as easy as deciphering the lyrics of “Yellow Ledbetter.” I called in an assist from a number of superfans to help keep me honest.

No. 5 

Pearl Jam (Avocado) (2006)

This self-titled release is often referred to as “Avocado.” The cover by photographer Brad Klausen is simple yet memorable, featuring the exposed flesh of a halved avocado, pit intact. The reverse side reveals the other half, this time without the pit. Like the avocado, the record has some minor imperfections, but overall, it is one of Pearl Jam’s most complete efforts, though frequently ranked lower than it deserves. The band has said the avocado symbolizes the fatigue they felt from making the disc. “I think that’s what happened,” guitarist Mike McCrready told the Grand Rapids Press. “And our art director goes, ‘Hey, that’s not a bad idea.’ I think we were watching the Super Bowl, and we had some guacamole or something.” The end result is polarizing but beloved. Singer Lucy Isabel put it in her all-time top-10 album covers; meanwhile, Pitchfork thought it was the pits. 

No. 4 

Vs. (1993)

Is it a sheep? Is it a dog? Is it a sheepdog? (Spoiler: It’s an Angora goat.) The cover art for Vs. features a powerful, unsettling image captured by bassist Jeff Ament in Montana. Most fans first encountered this artwork through the CD release—arguably the most anticipated of 1993. The cover represents how the band felt at that moment. Ament would tell Spin Magazine, “We were slaves.” Now one of the most famous acts in the world, Pearl Jam was struggling with the record, the industry and Ticketmaster. They would sue the latter for its monopolistic practices and see their tour canceled as a result. It only made them tighter, which was clearly reflected in the original title of the record: Five Against One. However, at the last minute, they went for the more subtle Vs. This abrupt change led to some misprints and album variations, which collectors now cherish.

No. 3 

Yield (1997)

Yield also features a photograph by Ament, taken in Montana, the state where he was born. Jeff has said: “How cool is it to have a yield sign where there’s nothing to yield to?” When you open the sleeve, you discover the same sign surrounded by water, with the valley and rolling hills swallowed by the flood. The visual contrast invites a reflection on impermanence and the battles fought by the band. Eddie Vedder told the New York Times: “Let’s say that hypothetically speaking, the title does mean something … You can fight so much, and then you have to think, ‘What are the real battles? What’s really important?’ You get to a certain point, and it’s really hard to remember what music is and to remember what drives you.” The title was also born from the idea of yielding to nature. This is the central theme of Daniel Quinn’s novel Ishmael, which members of the band were reading at the time. The second, more dire photo also symbolizes a commitment to the environment. The Vitalogy Foundation is dedicated to sustainability as one of its core causes.

No. 2 

No Code (1996)

A close-up of mouths. Dennis Rodman’s bloodshot eye (seriously). An open wound. What might be a beaver’s nose (or a sheepdog’s? I’m leaning towards beaver)—No Code seems to take inspiration from the chaotic collage style of the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main Street. It features 156 Polaroid photos that unfold into a square. When viewed from a distance, the expanded cover reveals an optical illusion of a human eye inside a triangle. This image, found on U.S. currency, represents the all-seeing orb of God. Here, the pics represent diverse tracks like “Hail, Hail,” “In My Tree” and “Red Mosquito”—a departure from the band’s traditional sound. Vedder told Rolling Stone: “If the record is a complete failure, you’ve kind of owned up to it in a subliminal way. No Code was the same thing. For me, No Code meant ‘Do Not Resuscitate.'”

No. 1 

Ten (1991)

Ten’s music and artwork are seared into many music fans’ brains. It shows the young band members standing with arms raised, a reminder that the men we’ve grown old with were once lean with thick, long hair. One of them wears an analog watch. The high five symbolizes team effort and focus. It’s also a nod to the band’s sports fandom. The group’s original name was Mookie Blaylock, in honor of the New Jersey Nets defensive wiz. While they didn’t end up fêting Blaylock with their band name, they used his jersey number: Ten.