The "Return to No. 1"

BF25394

I just want to make a comment that the observation I've seen made in several places, mostly in the press (but also on the board), about "Backspacer" being Pearl Jam's first number one album in 13 years is kind of overblown. It's a true statement, but it's not like this band has been in the commercial wilderness for all of that time. The intervening studio albums have hit #2, #2, #5 and #2. If Tool or Britney Spears hadn't released an album the same week as the prior albums, Pearl Jam would have hit #1. By the same token, if Tool or Britney Spears had released an album the same week as "Backspacer," it probably wouldn't have hit #1.

On a related note, regarding whether the band "gives a shit" about having number one records, as Ed put it last night, I don't know the answer. But I'll say this, if they did want a number one record, releasing it exclusively through Target (for major retail) was not a high-percentage strategy, even if it "worked."

DewieCox

BF25394 wrote:

I just want to make a comment that the observation I've seen made in several places, mostly in the press (but also on the board), about "Backspacer" being Pearl Jam's first number one album in 13 years is kind of overblown. It's a true statement, but it's not like this band has been in the commercial wilderness for all of that time. The intervening studio albums have hit #2, #2, #5 and #2. If Tool or Britney Spears hadn't released an album the same week as the prior albums, Pearl Jam would have hit #1. By the same token, if Tool or Britney Spears had released an album the same week as "Backspacer," it probably wouldn't have hit #1.

On a related note, regarding whether the band "gives a shit" about having number one records, as Ed put it last night, I don't know the answer. But I'll say this, if they did want a number one record, releasing it exclusively through Target (for major retail) was not a high-percentage strategy, even if it "worked."

Don't forget the Titanic sndtrk holding off Yield.

Backspacer_Backer

it's good publicity - it's sad how many people don't even realize pearl jam is still making music.

BF25394

Backspacer_Backer wrote:

it's good publicity - it's sad how many people don't even realize pearl jam is still making music.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not knocking it. I'm glad to see it. I just think the "return" aspect of it is overblown.

dustinpardue

Backspacer_Backer wrote:

it's good publicity - it's sad how many people don't even realize pearl jam is still making music.

exxxxxactly

Spiritual_Chaos

In what way is it better to have a no1 record with 190k sold than a no2 record with 290k sold.

Avocado was a bigger success, and that one came after Riot Act. Backsapcer came after a "succesful" record that had brought Pearl jam back into awarness in some way.

How much would Backsapcer have sold coming after a less succesful album like Riot Act?

So Avocado was a bigger feat. I think the Backspacer numbers are a tad dissipointing so far.

Commy

tool is'nt even in the same ballpark as britney spears. its not even the same fucking game.

Ricsard

Spiritual_Chaos wrote:

In what way is it better to have a no1 record with 190k sold than a no2 record with 290k sold.

Avocado was a bigger success, and that one came after Riot Act. Backsapcer came after a "succesful" record that had brought Pearl jam back into awarness in some way.

How much would Backsapcer have sold coming after a less succesful album like Riot Act?

So Avocado was a bigger feat. I think the Backspacer numbers are a tad dissipointing so far.

Very few people buy cds today, less than in 2006, personally I have a huge collection but ever since I have my iPod I only buy Pearl Jam records 'cos they are my favourite band you know. So if you say there were 189.000 folks who felt the need to go out to Target and buy it in first week it's not disappointing at all

Uncle Neil

Do those numbers include the albums sold on itunes?

BF25394

Yes.

Uncle Neil wrote:

Do those numbers include the albums sold on itunes?

decides2dream

Backspacer_Backer wrote:

it's good publicity - it's sad how many people don't even realize pearl jam is still making music.

so true!

Adm. Glen Scotia

decides2dream wrote:

Backspacer_Backer wrote:

it's good publicity - it's sad how many people don't even realize pearl jam is still making music.

so true!

I honestly can't fathom how someone who is aware of Rock music as a genre would not be aware that PJ is still making music. Their new singles always get airplay (at least at first), and they've done a significant amount of press for at least the last 3 albums. Not to mention TV appearances.

decides2dream

Adm. Glen Scotia wrote:

decides2dream wrote:

Backspacer_Backer wrote:

it's good publicity - it's sad how many people don't even realize pearl jam is still making music.

so true!

I honestly can't fathom how someone who is aware of Rock music as a genre would not be aware that PJ is still making music. Their new singles always get airplay (at least at first), and they've done a significant amount of press for at least the last 3 albums. Not to mention TV appearances.

t be fair, i barely listen to radio. seriously. this place, and my husband and friends....are really my best sources for new music, or old faves putting out new albums, etc. i know plenty of people like me. and amongst many of those people, very casual pj fans, some not at all....so sure, i know lotsa people who think pj fell off the face of the earth years ago. pj just aren't in the radar. however, getting some press is a good thing, and might wake up some latent fans and/or garner attention from possible new fans. win-win.

Backspacer_Backer

quite honestly, this may be a post better suited for the "PJ fanatic" thread, but most of my new-found music aside from PJ is discovered when PJ covers a new act that I haven't been turned onto before.

i can't stand listening to rock radio here in Columbus. they play the top 2 or 3 hits from each band's career over and over. they play pj fairly often, but it's ALWAYS Alive, Jeremy, and Even Flow. Fuckin' Always. Same with other bands.

ever

BF25394

Commercial radio is a wasteland. About seven or eight years ago, a radio station in Boston adopted the following slogan: "Songs You Know By Artists You've Heard Of." I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It was like something out of The Onion. The reality is that every song you like was once a song you had never heard, and every artist you like was once an artist you'd never heard of. If your criteria for music are that it must be a song you know by an artist you've heard of, you would literally never hear anything.

I don't know what was worse-- the cynicism of the radio station for adopting the slogan, or the fact that it reflects the reality of how most people listen to music. Radio stations program accordingly. I mean, KROQ in Los Angeles-- one of the most influential rock stations in the country-- still has Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" as its third most-played song. It came out ten months ago! Two weeks ago, MGMT's "Kids" was KROQ's most-played track. It came out twelve months ago! It is next to impossible to get something new into rotation on these stations. Oh, how we miss you, Indie 103.1...

beeswax

when i hear pearl jam in german radio its usually daughter - actually a song i never liked.

otherwise its same in (most) discos here. they still play the same songs. over and over again. same program every week. add maybe 5 new songs per year. and i think you can still fill the dancefloor with "self esteem" :shock:

btw: german charts
#3 (http://www.mix1.de/charts/longplaycharts.htm)
and #2 (http://www.musiknews.de/musik-charts-deutschland.html)