In this major biography, Martin Clarke investigates one of the most popular and influential bands of our time, painting a detailed portrait of its enigmatic leader, Eddie Vedder. Pearl Jam exploded onto the world stage in 1991, captivating a generation with their inspirational live shows and being hailed as the kings of grunge . Their first album, Ten, went multi-platinum and won four MTV awards. Yet this massive popularity brought problems. In a rivalry fanned by the media, Kurt Cobain condemned Pearl Jam s popularization of grunge, calling them a corporate group. He later apologized, but the remark damaged the band s reputation. They won it back with multi-million sales and critical acclaim.