n the greatest american rock band is...

pearl jam!
hands down! (i've always thought so but now it seems that i'm not the only one...)

i read in USA Today's Pop Candy column that readers feel the same way. Columnist posed the question a week ago, asking readers to email her with what they feel is the top band. She said she was expecting to see Aerosmith top the list. But
Pearl Jam beat out Aerosmith, Van Halen, The Eagles, Journey (who rounded out the top five).
And here's why:
*They've stayed true to themselves.
"Instead of selling out with videos and constant press coverage, they pulled back at their height, and focused on the music," wrote Willie McNabb in El Dorado, Ark. "They belong up there with Neil Young, Zeppelin and The Beatles because they never compromised their integrity, which is really all any of us have."

*The music rocks.
From Atlanta reader Tom Baker: "They've continually reshaped their sound, album
after album, and are still making great, vital music 12+ years into their career. What else could you want?"

*Their records sell
"... because they're good, not because they've been hyped to death by the media," McNabb added.

* There have been scores of imitators.
"How many Pearl Jam/Eddie Vedder knockoffs have invaded rock radio since Ten?" asked Scott Jordan, another Atlanta fan.


*Their concerts are first-rate and affordable.
Jake Mohlman from Barrington, R.I., praised the band for keeping ticket prices low. "It's unique in an era when most artists gouge their fans to the limit," he wrote. "Likewise, releasing their shows on low-cost bootlegs brings a new dimension
to seeing one of their shows."