On September 30th, Eddie Vedder stood in front of the microphone and delivered some good news to the packed house at the Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles: "We just found out our new album is number one. We had some number one albums a while ago. We didn't give a s*** then. We don't give a s*** now, but some of us our dads. So now we can say to our kids 'Hey, just remember, your dad is #1.'"
For a band that doesn't care about chart position, their newest album has done surprisingly well. Although
Pearl Jam has kept a strong presence on the charts through the years, it hasn't had a number one album in 13 years. They last reached the top of the Billboard Top 200 in 1996, when "
No Code" debuted at #1.
Still, the album hasn't performed nearly as strong as their previous #1 albums, which include "Vs", "Vitalogy", and "No Code" (surprisingly, "Ten" only peaked at #2). "Backspacer" sold 189,000 units in its first week when it hit the top, but "No Code" managed to sell nearly 400,000 in its first week. Nearly a month month after its release, "Backspacer" has been on a gradual slide and currently rests at #21 on the Top 200.
Although Pearl Jam may not be faring as well on the charts in recent years, that hasn't stopped them from being one of rocks most preeminent live acts. The tour for "Backspacer" has already hit some European dates, and is currently wrapping up the American leg of the tour with a 4 night stand at the Wachovia Spectrum Arena in Philadelphia Oct 27-31. They will then continue on with some shows in Australia and New Zealand in November. The band has also hinted that some South American dates may be forthcoming in early 2010.
As for their most recent surprising chart success, any number of reasons could be cited. Many have pointed to the successful return of long time producer Brendan O'Brien (he was their producer for their previous #1s). Perhaps its their exclusive deal with target. Or perhaps it is due in part to an aggressive marketing campaign which included a stop on Conan O'Brien, playing snippets of the first single "The Fixer" during the MLB All-Star game, and a TV commercial. It also could be due to the Cameron Crowe directed music video for the aforementioned single. Or, maybe it's just the band's ability to connect to a younger crowd.
"We're super lucky," guitarist Stone Gossard explained in an interview with Metro International. "Sometimes kids just find out about bands and dive into their history."
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