1 / 6 photos Pearl Jam

Pearl Jam formed in 1990, originally under the name Mookie Blaylock, in tribute to the famous NBA star. Due to trademark concerns, however, the group was forced to rename themselves. Pearl Jam's first album, Ten, was named after Blaylock's jersey number. (Lance Mercer)

By 1992, Pearl Jam had three hit singles from Ten: "Alive," "Jeremy" and "Evenflow." These songs, along with notable appearances on Saturday Night Live and MTV Unplugged, helped bring the Seattle grunge movement to mainstream audiences. (Lance Mercer)

After playing together during a Bob Dylan tribute concert in 1992, Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder befriended music legend Neil Young. The group later covered Young's "Rockin' In the Free World," and Vedder inducted Young into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. (Lance Mercer)

During their early years Pearl Jam toured incessantly, and became known not only for their intense performances but also for their loyalty to fans. In 1994, the members of the group went so far as to cancel their tour in protest of Ticketmaster's steep service charges to concertgoers. (Lance Mercer)

Less concerned with commerical success and more eager to experiment creatively, Pearl Jam began bold experiments with their sound following the release of their second album, Vs. While their new sound alienated a portion of their original fan base, the group developed a smaller, more fiercely loyal following. (Anton Corbijn)

In 2011, Pearl Jam celebrated the 20th anniversary of their first album. To commemorate the event, the group released a retrospective film, Pearl Jam Twenty, directed by Cameron Crowe, with an accompanying book. They also announced plans to reissue their entire back catalog of music. (Danny Clinch)