"Just Breathe" DID IT

wnh1977 · November 2009

For those out there that predicted "Just Breathe" was going to be a great radio smash and create a little Backspacer sales spike, it doesn't look like it's going to turn out that way.

On the Rock charts, "Just Breathe" is actually down one spot from its peak position of #22 last week to #23 this week. "The Fixer" is still sitting at #9 on the Rock charts after 17 weeks, falling one spot over the past week as well.

given2fly23 · November 2009

who cares what radio and critics think? radio sucks anyways. I never understand why people want everyone to love PJ. I actually wish the fanbase would get smaller and the band could play theaters someday.

Just Breathe = awesome

that's all that matters.

RedMosquito02 · November 2009

I've been secretly hoping that it wouldn't be a big hit...

...because I'm planning on it being my wedding song

dcfaithful · November 2009

given2fly23 wrote:

who cares what radio and critics think? radio sucks anyways. I never understand why people want everyone to love PJ. I actually wish the fanbase would get smaller and the band could play theaters someday.

Just Breathe = awesome

that's all that matters.

Agreed. Fuck commercial radio....and yeah, seeing them in theaters would be a dream come true.

Brisk. · November 2009

Why they chose Just Breathe i will never know.. Amongst The Waves or Force Of Nature would have been amazing.

blondieblue227 · November 2009

Wow. I figured all those yuppies that proclaimed pj fandom because they loved Last Kiss would go gaga for Just Breathe too.

dcfaithful · November 2009

blondieblue227 wrote:

Wow. I figured all those yuppies that proclaimed pj fandom because they loved Last Kiss would go gaga for Just Breathe too.

Haha...that's kind of what I was thinking too...

Gardenparty · November 2009

It's currently the #1 requested song on KROQ in LA:
http://kroq.radio.com/2009/11/10/kroq-most-requested/

often, these things take time. With a new video out i see this hanging around for a little bit longer

LikeAnOcean · November 2009

blondieblue227 wrote:

Wow. I figured all those yuppies that proclaimed pj fandom because they loved Last Kiss would go gaga for Just Breathe too.

All those yuppies are 10 years older now. The decade really thinned out Pearl Jams popularity with the mainstream. 10 years ago, most people understood how big the band was at one point. Many people now have never even heard of them.

blondieblue227 · November 2009

LikeAnOcean wrote:

All those yuppies are 10 years older now. The decade really thinned out Pearl Jams popularity with the mainstream. 10 years ago, most people understood how big the band was at one point. Many people now have never even heard of them.

well the group i'm referring to seemed like they didn't know who pj was until last kiss came out. it annoyed the hell out of me.

Ledbetterman10 · November 2009

wnh1977 wrote:

For those out there that predicted "Just Breathe" was going to be a great radio smash and create a little Backspacer sales spike, it doesn't look like it's going to turn out that way.

On the Rock charts, "Just Breathe" is actually down one spot from its peak position of #22 last week to #23 this week. "The Fixer" is still sitting at #9 on the Rock charts after 17 weeks, falling one spot over the past week as well.

I was saying from the beginning that releasing Just Breathe as a single would be a brain-dead idea. Don't get me wrong, it's a great song. But after The Fixer's success on rock radio, I gotta believe that Got Some would have potential to top the charts. It's a 3 minute long, catchy, in-your-face rock song.

Pearl Jam used to not care about how their singles did on the charts. This was evidenced by the release of Who You Are and Nothing As It Seems as lead singles when each album had more "radio friendly" tunes. But it seems that now they actually are trying for chart success and I'm really surprised with the decision to release Just Breathe.

Edit: Is this post really wide on your guys' browsers? It is on mine and I have no idea why.

BF25394 · November 2009

wnh1977 wrote:

For those out there that predicted "Just Breathe" was going to be a great radio smash and create a little Backspacer sales spike, it doesn't look like it's going to turn out that way.

On the Rock charts, "Just Breathe" is actually down one spot from its peak position of #22 last week to #23 this week. "The Fixer" is still sitting at #9 on the Rock charts after 17 weeks, falling one spot over the past week as well.

Despite the downward move on the chart, "Just Breathe" actually gained in airplay this week. (That's why it has a bullet. So, the song's run at rock radio is not over quite yet.

As the primary advocate of the theory you're referencing, let me remind you of the context that you are missing. First, I never said that "Just Breathe" would be a smash at rock radio. I said that it has the potential to be a smash at CHR/Top 40 radio. That is how you get a big sales spike-- a crossover hit that drives people outside your core audience to buy the record. (Look at Green Day as a perfect example. The albums before and after "American Idiot" ("Warning" and "21st Century Breakdown") went gold. "American Idiot" went quintuple platinum. Why? Because "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" was a smash hit at Top 40 radio, hitting #2 on the Hot 100. In fact, it hit #1 on the Mainstream Top 40, Adult Top 40, Alternative Songs and Triple A charts. "Just Breathe" is the only song on "Backspacer" with that kind of potential.)

Having said all that, my theory presumes that "Just Breathe" would actually be promoted to mainstream radio. I have seen no indications that "Just Breathe" has been worked to Top 40 radio. However, it typically takes months for a song to cross over. For example, Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" first hit rock radio in September 2008. It did not debut on the Hot 100 until February 2009, five months later.

BF25394 · November 2009

blondieblue227 wrote:

LikeAnOcean wrote:

All those yuppies are 10 years older now. The decade really thinned out Pearl Jams popularity with the mainstream. 10 years ago, most people understood how big the band was at one point. Many people now have never even heard of them.

well the group i'm referring to seemed like they didn't know who pj was until last kiss came out. it annoyed the hell out of me.

It wasn't "yuppies" that drove the success of "Last Kiss." It was teenage girls.

LikeAnOcean · November 2009

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

wnh1977 wrote:

For those out there that predicted "Just Breathe" was going to be a great radio smash and create a little Backspacer sales spike, it doesn't look like it's going to turn out that way.

On the Rock charts, "Just Breathe" is actually down one spot from its peak position of #22 last week to #23 this week. "The Fixer" is still sitting at #9 on the Rock charts after 17 weeks, falling one spot over the past week as well.

I was saying from the beginning that releasing Just Breathe as a single would be a brain-dead idea. Don't get me wrong, it's a great song. But after The Fixer's success on rock radio, I gotta believe that Got Some would have potential to top the charts. It's a 3 minute long, catchy, in-your-face rock song.

Pearl Jam used to not care about how their singles did on the charts. This was evidenced by the release of Who You Are and Nothing As It Seems as lead singles when each album had more "radio friendly" tunes. But it seems that now they actually are trying for chart success and I'm really surprised with the decision to release Just Breathe.

Edit: Is this post really wide on your guys' browsers? It is on mine and I have no idea why.

Still too early.. hits can take months to finally take off. I think Just Breathe has a fair shot. That or Amongst the Waves. Got Some is great, but I'm not sure about it. It reminds me of Save You or Life Wasted and we know they didn't go anywhere.

Ledbetterman10 · November 2009

BF25394 wrote:

Having said all that, my theory presumes that "Just Breathe" would actually be promoted to mainstream radio. I have seen no indications that "Just Breathe" has been worked to Top 40 radio. However, it typically takes months for a song to cross over. For example, Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" first hit rock radio in September 2008. It did not debut on the Hot 100 until February 2009, five months later.

I don't think stuff could be "promoted" for mainstream radio if it's not mainstream. That Kings of Leon track crossed over, as we've seen many rock band do (Foo Fighters, etc), but it's never intended. It's made for rock radio and then the people decide if it's "mainstream" enough to crossover. That's why Pearl Jam, being an alternative rock band, should release singles to intended for alternative rock stations...and if they crossover to the mainstream, it's a bonus.

djjazzy276 · November 2009

RedMosquito02 wrote:

I've been secretly hoping that it wouldn't be a big hit...

...because I'm planning on it being my wedding song

I have a feeling it's going to become a popular wedding song. I'm also going to use it at mine.

Ledbetterman10 · November 2009

LikeAnOcean wrote:

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

wnh1977 wrote:

For those out there that predicted "Just Breathe" was going to be a great radio smash and create a little Backspacer sales spike, it doesn't look like it's going to turn out that way.

On the Rock charts, "Just Breathe" is actually down one spot from its peak position of #22 last week to #23 this week. "The Fixer" is still sitting at #9 on the Rock charts after 17 weeks, falling one spot over the past week as well.

I was saying from the beginning that releasing Just Breathe as a single would be a brain-dead idea. Don't get me wrong, it's a great song. But after The Fixer's success on rock radio, I gotta believe that Got Some would have potential to top the charts. It's a 3 minute long, catchy, in-your-face rock song.

Pearl Jam used to not care about how their singles did on the charts. This was evidenced by the release of Who You Are and Nothing As It Seems as lead singles when each album had more "radio friendly" tunes. But it seems that now they actually are trying for chart success and I'm really surprised with the decision to release Just Breathe.

Edit: Is this post really wide on your guys' browsers? It is on mine and I have no idea why.

Still too early.. hits can take months to finally take off. I think Just Breathe has a fair shot. That or Amongst the Waves. Got Some is great, but I'm not sure about it. It reminds me of Save You or Life Wasted and we know they didn't go anywhere.

Good comparison of Save You and Life Wasted being second singles that didn't go anywhere in debate of Got Some, but I gotta disagree. I think that Got Some is much more of a "punch in the face" type of song than Save You or Life Wasted AND a lot catchier. Amongst the Waves is a good thought too...but I wonder if your typical alternative rock radio listener even has the patience these days for a song that builds and tells a story. They just seem to like loud, pointless rock...which I think Got Some could exploit.

BF25394 · November 2009

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

wnh1977 wrote:

For those out there that predicted "Just Breathe" was going to be a great radio smash and create a little Backspacer sales spike, it doesn't look like it's going to turn out that way.

On the Rock charts, "Just Breathe" is actually down one spot from its peak position of #22 last week to #23 this week. "The Fixer" is still sitting at #9 on the Rock charts after 17 weeks, falling one spot over the past week as well.

I was saying from the beginning that releasing Just Breathe as a single would be a brain-dead idea. Don't get me wrong, it's a great song. But after The Fixer's success on rock radio, I gotta believe that Got Some would have potential to top the charts. It's a 3 minute long, catchy, in-your-face rock song.

Rock radio is a niche. KROQ is one of the most widely listened to rock radio stations in the country, in the second-biggest market in the country. Yet its audience is half that of KIIS, the #1 Top 40 station in the market, and also less than KPWR, the #2 Top 40 station in the market. In most markets, the difference is even greater. Having a #1 hit at rock radio doesn't really do much for record sales. Look at the bands that are atop the Rock Songs chart right now: Breaking Benjamin, Foo Fighters, Three Days Grace, Alice In Chains, Muse, Weezer, Chevelle and Rise Against. None of the albums that contain these tracks have outsold "Backspacer." Heck, just look at "The Fixer." "The Fixer" is still in the top 10 at rock radio yet "Backspacer" is selling less than 10,000 copies a week. "Got Some" would not change that, even if it were a hit at rock radio. It has no crossover potential.

Bear in mind also that Pearl Jam did release "Got Some" to rock radio, as a double A-side with "Just Breathe." And all of the stations that picked it up went with "Just Breathe."

BF25394 · November 2009

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

BF25394 wrote:

Having said all that, my theory presumes that "Just Breathe" would actually be promoted to mainstream radio. I have seen no indications that "Just Breathe" has been worked to Top 40 radio. However, it typically takes months for a song to cross over. For example, Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" first hit rock radio in September 2008. It did not debut on the Hot 100 until February 2009, five months later.

I don't think stuff could be "promoted" for mainstream radio if it's not mainstream. That Kings of Leon track crossed over, as we've seen many rock band do (Foo Fighters, etc), but it's never intended. It's made for rock radio and then the people decide if it's "mainstream" enough to crossover. That's why Pearl Jam, being an alternative rock band, should release singles to intended for alternative rock stations...and if they crossover to the mainstream, it's a bonus.

I don't think Pearl Jam is that narrow-minded. They want as many people to hear their music as possible. They're not necessarily going to change the music toward that end, but once it's out there, they want it to be heard. Pearl Jam didn't write "Just Breathe" thinking, "Hey, this will get us on Top 40 radio." And Kings of Leon didn't write "Use Somebody" thinking that. However, once the songs were written and recorded, the bands and their management heard them and said, "Hey, I think this song will appeal to a pop audience."

iOnlyownMymind · November 2009

I'd have chosen 'force of nature.' Best song on the album IMO. Stand out track.

Ledbetterman10 · November 2009

BF25394 wrote:

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

BF25394 wrote:

Having said all that, my theory presumes that "Just Breathe" would actually be promoted to mainstream radio. I have seen no indications that "Just Breathe" has been worked to Top 40 radio. However, it typically takes months for a song to cross over. For example, Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody" first hit rock radio in September 2008. It did not debut on the Hot 100 until February 2009, five months later.

I don't think stuff could be "promoted" for mainstream radio if it's not mainstream. That Kings of Leon track crossed over, as we've seen many rock band do (Foo Fighters, etc), but it's never intended. It's made for rock radio and then the people decide if it's "mainstream" enough to crossover. That's why Pearl Jam, being an alternative rock band, should release singles to intended for alternative rock stations...and if they crossover to the mainstream, it's a bonus.

I don't think Pearl Jam is that narrow-minded. They want as many people to hear their music as possible. They're not necessarily going to change the music toward that end, but once it's out there, they want it to be heard. Pearl Jam didn't write "Just Breathe" thinking, "Hey, this will get us on Top 40 radio." And Kings of Leon didn't write "Use Somebody" thinking that. However, once the songs were written and recorded, the bands and their management heard them and said, "Hey, I think this song will appeal to a pop audience."

I'm sure they want as many people to hear their music as possible. I just don't think Just Breathe is the song that's gonna get it to them.

Quarterman98 · November 2009

I didn't even realize Just Breathe was released as a single. I haven't heard it once on any radio station in Boston. Still hear the Fixer quite a bit though.

Personally, I don't think Just Breathe is a good song. The strumming, bass and vocals are great up until "Did I say that I need you??" I don't know why, but I hate that line and the way it's delivered...it's very un-Pearl Jam to me. And I love their slower songs like Man of the Hour, Parachutes, Come Back, etc. Just Breathe just isn't a song I like.

I honestly think most songs on the album could be singles, except for Just Breathe, The End, and Johnny Guitar. Everything else, definitely single worthy. Gonna See My Friend and Supersonic, to me, are the best rock songs they've had in a while, better than any rocker from their last album. Unthought Known and Speed of Sound are my favorites. Fresh sounds from the band.

drummerboy_73 · November 2009

I heard it over the speakers while eating a 12" BMT at Subway yesterday...it made my sandwich a little bit more delicious.

Ernie Vedder · November 2009

dcfaithful wrote:

given2fly23 wrote:

who cares what radio and critics think? radio sucks anyways. I never understand why people want everyone to love PJ. I actually wish the fanbase would get smaller and the band could play theaters someday.

Just Breathe = awesome

that's all that matters.

Agreed. Fuck commercial radio....and yeah, seeing them in theaters would be a dream come true.

I agree.

- F**k Commercial Radio, F**k KROQ
- Yes, Force Of Nature would have been a Great 2nd Single
- No, I'm never getting married, but I would Definitely pick a Pearl Jam song
- and even if BACKSPACER doesn't go Gold, I'm still gonna support Pearl Jam no matter what!!!!

i am a target · November 2009

if there are two songs on the album that are NOT meant for radio it would be "just breathe" and "the end". to fans they may be great songs, but for the masses? not a chance. they aren't epic heart-breakers like "black". they aren't sing alongs like "elderly woman". they aren't even a "daughter".

just a poor choice of singles if you ask me. if they were dying to get this one out there it should have been the fourth single after "amongst the waves" and "got some". no one wants some plodding pseudo-neil young wanna be song.

Ledbetterman10 · November 2009

i am a target wrote:

if there are two songs on the album that are NOT meant for radio it would be "just breathe" and "the end". to fans they may be great songs, but for the masses? not a chance. they aren't epic heart-breakers like "black". they aren't sing alongs like "elderly woman". they aren't even a "daughter".

just a poor choice of singles if you ask me.

Totally agreed. It's comparable to like putting out Sleight of Hand as a single.

justam · November 2009

It's a beautiful song.

I think it must be hard to predict what non-fans will grab onto. *shrugs*

LikeAnOcean · November 2009

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

i am a target wrote:

if there are two songs on the album that are NOT meant for radio it would be "just breathe" and "the end". to fans they may be great songs, but for the masses? not a chance. they aren't epic heart-breakers like "black". they aren't sing alongs like "elderly woman". they aren't even a "daughter".

just a poor choice of singles if you ask me.

Totally agreed. It's comparable to like putting out Sleight of Hand as a single.

NO WAY!

Sleight of Hand is very experimental. It took me a dozen listens to get. A much more complex and VERY mellow song.

Just Breathe is a really simple song and has a hook. I didn't like what I heard from the clips, but was surprised to find myself really liking it after only a few listens.

AtlantaJammer · November 2009

Just Breathe .... Just Blows

mca47 · November 2009

Couldn't give a shit about ratings.

Just Breathe is one of PJ's best tunes of late and is far superior to "The Fixer".
If idiot America can't realize that, then that's THEIR problem and fuck 'em!

dustinpardue · November 2009

Just Breathe will hit as soon as it plays on Grey's Anatomy or something like that.

&quot;Just Breathe&quot; DID IT

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"Just Breathe" DID IT