On this day (November 6) in 1993, Pearl Jam debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with their sophomore album Vs. The LP retained the top spot for five weeks, giving the band the first of five chart-topping albums. It sold more than 900,000 copies in its first week, setting a first-week sales record that would stand for five years.
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Pearl Jam saw early success with their 1991 debut album Ten, which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. They supported the album with a massive tour that saw them playing 107 shows in the United States and 41 in Europe between September 1991 and June 1992. Seven months later, in February 1993, they went to the studio to record their follow-up album and prepare for another grueling tour.
The tour paid off for the band on several levels. It helped them hone their skills and build their chemistry as a musical unit. At the same time, it gave the band a reputation for their intense performances and brought countless new fans into the fold. Pearl Jam saw how well the tour worked for them when they released Vs. on October 11, 1993. It sold 950,378 copies in its first week, setting a first-week sales record. The LP held the record until Garth Brooks’ Double Live sold more than a million copies in its first week in November 1998.
Vs. Almost Contained One of Pearl Jam’s Biggest Hits
“Better Man” was a promotional single from Pearl Jam’s next album, Vitalogy. It topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart in 1995. However, it almost appeared on Vs., but the accusations of “selling out” made the band hold the song.
Pearl Jam rocketed to fame after the release of their debut album, which led to some in the Seattle music scene labeling them sellouts. As a result, “Better Man” didn’t make the album.
Producer Brendan O’Brien recalled hearing the band play the song in the studio. “After they finished, I was like, ‘Awesome! That’s a hit. That’s fabulous.’ They all just looked straight down, and the whole room was deflated,” he recalled. “I knew I’d said the wrong thing.”
They almost didn’t record the song at all. Eddie Vedder wanted to give it to Chrissie Hynde for a charity album. However, O’Brien and the band were able to talk him out of doing so.
Featured Image by Michel Linssen/Redferns
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