Pearl Jam Strikes Billboard Chart With No. 1 ‘Lightning Bolt’
Rock legends Pearl Jam are on top of the world right now.
After one week of sales, Pearl Jam’s latest studio album, Lightning Bolt, is at the top of the Billboard Top 200 with 165,000 copies sold. It marks Pearl Jam’s fifth No. 1 album, following 2009’s Backspacer for consecutive chart-toppers.
The good news comes in the middle of “Pearl Jam Week” on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Soundgarden singer Chris Cornell kicked off the week, paying homage to Pearl Jam with his take on their b-side fave “Footsteps” along side the Avett Brothers. Tuesday night saw Fleet Foxes’ Robin Pecknold doing Pearl Jam’s “Corduroy” and, for Wednesday’s musical performance, “country superstar Dierks Bentley will team up with Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready and the Roots for a one-of-a-kind performance,” according to LateNightWithJimmyFallon.com.
Thursday and Friday, Pearl Jam themselves hit the Fallon stage to do things the way only Pearl Jam can.
Pearl Jam’s Lightning Bolt had been given a warm reception:
- Rolling Stone offered Pearl Jam 3.5 Stars, saying “the grunge survivors are now America’s foremost torchbearers of classic rock.”
- Chris Barton, for the L.A. Times, said “the long-awaited album is a solid reflection of the band, but breaks little new ground… Pearl Jam sound just like who they are right now, but after more than 20 years, that’s not so bad.”
- The Onion‘s A.V. Club rates Lightning Bolt a B+ and calls Pearl Jam “the last classic-rock band the world might ever produce.”
According to a Republic Records press release, Pearl Jam is also serving as the official soundtrack to the 2013 MLB World Series.
“A partnership with Fox Sports will include extensive use of 48 Pearl Jam songs across the promotional and music beds for this month’s World Series coverage, set to air Oct. 23-31 on Fox,” the release reads.
What do you think of Pearl Jam’s latest? What is your favorite Pearl Jam album? Would you go see Pearl Jam live?
