Features
Pearl Jam Breaks Chart Record
Now, it appears the Seattle band will take it even further with a bootleg series from their current North American outing of 47 dates.
The 25 CD bootleg series was released September 26, but rather than diluting the market, the series is thriving – scoring five records in Billboard’s Top 200, with two more just missing the cut.
This marks the first time more than two titles by the same artist have debuted simultaneously on the chart. It’s also the only instance where an artist has had more than one live album on the chart.
The record-setting discs are: Katowice, Poland (103), Milan, Italy (125), Verona, Italy (134), London, England (137), and Hamburg, Germany (175).
The boots were initially conceived by Pearl Jam as a way to provide fans – who were purchasing high priced, low quality unofficial recordings – with a better alternative.
Reports of unofficial recordings from the North American tour going for as high as $40-$50 may have influenced the band’s decision to release CDs of those shows as well.
According to Pearl Jam’s Sony Music Web site, the release date hasn’t been decided but will likely come after Christmas.