Pearl Jam’s Backspacer Hits Number One

October 2nd, 2009

Val

Provided by Spin

Pearl Jam’s spark is back! The revitalized alt-rock sound of Pearl Jam’s, Backspacer, has secured the Seattle band the No. 1 position on the Billboard Top 200 Chart, with 189,000 album copies sold in the first week of release!

The triumph is the quintet’s first chart-topper since 1996’s No Code, and career fourth. Their last studio album, 2006’s self-titled effort, debuted and peaked at No. 2, Billboard reports. Elsewhere on the charts, Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 slid to the No. 2 spot, while Brand New’s Daisy debuted at No. 6 with 46,000 copies sold, delivering the band’s first top 20 release.

Pearl Jam’s ascent to No. 1 started this past summer with a succession of excellent live performances, which included spot-on renditions of Backspacer tracks like “The Fixer” and “Get Some.” EdVed and crew opened their North American tour with a bang in Toronto, headed south for a pair of awesome sets in Chicago, wowed a massive crowd at San Francisco’s Outside Lands fest, and slayed the home team with a set of classics and rarities — and debuted a four-piece string section!

Pearl Jam continue their U.S. tour this weekend in Los Angeles. From there, they hit Austin City Limits, San Diego, and cap with a Halloween gig in Philadelphia.