Song · Pearl Jam
“Nothing As It Seems” by Pearl Jam
From the album Binaural (2000)
“Nothing As It Seems” by Pearl Jam appears on 14 radio countdowns from 13 stations between 2000 and 2024. It was first released in 2000 on the album Binaural. Its best result is #23 on the 89X Top 89 Songs of 2000. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #72 alternative song of 2000.
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Jeff Ament wrote "Nothing As It Seems", words and music, and in the spring of 2000 Pearl Jam sent it out ahead of Binaural as the album's first single, a moody, brooding choice for a lead-off track. It began life as a little demo sketch with Ament tapping out hand drums, and he carries the finished song on upright bass, giving it a hazy, late-night atmosphere.
Tchad Blake produced and mixed it with the band, and they recorded it with binaural techniques, so the room seems to wrap itself around your head. Matt Cameron keeps a slow, patient pulse and Eddie Vedder sings it low and wary, until Mike McCready kicks on a Fender pedal and his guitar lets out a distorted wail he likened to a plane going down. Canada liked it enough to send it to the top of its singles chart.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
Hard Rock & Metal
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 87 | KROQ Los Angeles, CA | KROQ Top 106.7 Songs of 2000 | 107 |
| 2000 | 40 | Q101 Chicago, IL | Q101 Top 101 Songs of 2000 | 101 |
| 2000 | 56 | WHFS Washington, DC / Baltimore, MD | WHFS Top 99.1 Songs of 2000 | 100 |
| 2000 | 57 | 107.7 The End Seattle, WA | The End Top 107 Songs of 2000 | 107 |
| 2000 | 23 | 89X Detroit, MI / Windsor, ON | 89X Top 89 Songs of 2000 | 89 |
| 2000 | 94 | The Buzz Burlington, VT / Plattsburgh, NY / Montreal, QC | The Buzz Top 99 Songs of 2000 | 99 |
| 2000 | 57 | WCCC The Rock Hartford, CT | WCCC Top 106 Songs of 2000 | 106 |
| 2000 | 91 | WBCN Boston, MA | WBCN Top 104 Songs of Y2K | 102 |
| 2000 | 90 | 103.3 The Edge Buffalo, NY | 103.3 The Edge Top 103 of 2000 | 103 |
| 2000 | 67 | 102.7 WEQX Southern Vermont and the Capital District of New York (Albany) | WEQX Top 102.7 of 2000 | 102 |
| 2000 | 85 | Triple J Australia (national) | Triple J Hottest 100 of 2000 | 100 |
| 2000 | 77 | Radio & Records United States (national airplay chart) | Radio & Records Top 100 Songs of 2000 | 100 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 40 | 107.7 The End | The End Top 77 Pearl Jam Songs of All-Time (September 2005) | 77 |
| 2024 | 126 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs of the 21st Century | 1055 |
Also listed as: Nothing as it Seems; Nothing as It Seems.
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