Evanescence's Amy Lee Was 'Addicted' to Pearl Jam's 'Ten'

Evanescence’s Amy Lee Was ‘Addicted’ to Pearl Jam’s ‘Ten’

Story by Cat Badra

Singer says she wanted to ‘live inside the songs’ of Pearl Jam’s Ten

Nirvana’s Nevermind comes up on its 20th anniversary on Sept. 24, and that’s reason to celebrate, as the release was clearly responsible for bringing alternative rock to a huge mainstream audience, creating a new genre in grunge and forever changing the definition of popular rock music. But with the fanatical attention to Nevermind, sometimes it’s easy to forget the other significant albums that debuted in 1991. The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Blood Sugar Sex Magik, Soundgarden’s Badmotorfinger, the Smashing Pumpkins’ Gish, Temple of the Dog’s self-titled release– so many groundbreaking alternative rock albums were birthed from the year.

To commemorate all things 1991, MTV News asked Evanescence’s Amy Lee for her thoughts on Pearl Jam’s legendary debut, Ten, which was released Aug. 27, 1991. Lee says the album helped her thought a rough time, right after she moved to Rockford, Ill., when she was 13 and just didn’t fit in.

“… It was really hard, you know, right at the wrong age, didn’t have any friends, didn’t know anyone, moved to a new school. It was real preppy, didn’t fit in… all that classic stuff,” she said. “And, at the same time, there was some music that I was addicted to, like, needed it, and Pearl Jam’s Ten was one of those records. I had the tape… and I would listen to it, turn it over, listen to the whole other side, start it over again. All night. Like, I could just lie in bed and cry or think… that was the outlet.

Lee added that she felt a connection with every song on the record, especially “Black” (“That song’s just so totally beautiful, [and] I could listen to that one over and over” she said), “Alive” and the album’s pioneering single, “Jeremy.”

“‘Jeremy,’ [was] probably the biggest song on the record for me,” she said. “… That had to be the song for me. I wore that tape out, completely. And, I remember, the [liner] had them with their hands raised, together, and I had that on my wall… They felt like I felt, and their music described things I couldn’t say out loud. And that idea and revelation was so inspiring to me, like, I wanted to live inside the songs.”

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Cat Badra

Meet the expert - Cat Badra is a music writer for Audio Ink Radio and a range of other music, sports and lifestyle publications. She's a graduate of Michigan State University with a master's degree in theater and speech. Contact her at cat@audioinkradio.com.