so...would pj be popular if their albums came out in reverse order?

i was thinking about this lately and feel like i may have asked the question somewhere, some time ago..maybe even on this board. i may have posted here a long while ago...either way i have been a regular lurker for years.

anyways, i think it is an interesting topic because i highly doubt the band would have taken off if their first record was pearl jam, followed by riot act and binaural.

and if ten was released in 2006,, or even vitalogy in 2000 i don't think anybody would really jump on the bandwagon...too late.

maybe this is a shitty subject because i can't see anybody thinking otherwise...but if so, please enlighten me.

Would Pearl Jam have had Ten's production, I wonder? Would the masses have enjoyed a reverbed WWS?

Although it's an interesting question!

I'm pretty much of the opinion that no band can be as a popular as a pearl jam (or their peers) were just because of how they industry has changed, how music is distributed, and all the rest.

But plenty of bands have started small and built up larger followings. There's no real reason that could not have happened. But those first 3-4 records were also defintiely responding to their times and it's hard to imagine them being written out of order.

Definitely. Can't see Eddie writing those lyrics today. Couldn't see him writing MARKER IN THE SAND in 1991.

I was wondering something similar..would Pj be more popular had they gone down the more commercial route? taking on sponsors, appearing in ads etc?

Do you want them to be more popular?

I think Eddie's voice is captivating enough that it wouldn't matter what order the albums arrived in. People would listen. You hear that voice and you pay attention. And think of it this way. If Avocado was their first album and Ten was released a few years ago people would be saying "Wow, they just keep getting better and better with each album!"

You don't think there will be a band that comes out in the next 20 years that can fill stadiums regularly U2 style?

There really aren't many bands/acts that are able to fill stadiums.

Has there been any in the last 10 years? I really don't know.

And as far as the original post -- no way. Avocado may have done ok, but anyone left after RA would be gone after Binaural. (judging solely the music, not the lyrics)

I think after U2 there won't be any bands doing stadiums at that level..I cant think of any.
Can't see Pj/KOL/DMB or whoever ever getting that big.

Wait till I make it big with my juggling skillz, I will show you guys.

DMB, and more than likely Pearl Jam, could sell out stadiums regularly here in the Northeast. And by regularly I mean once or twice per city per tour. The ampitheater here in Hartford is capacity 30-35,000 and they both sell it out every time with ease (DMB does 2-3 shows in a row, all sold out). And this is just Hartford. Boston, NY, Philly....

to jump in again...i don't even think rearranging ten and vs would work. maybe it would work, but definitely not as well. i think any catalog reordering would have lowered their appeal to the public.

In Europe PJ could but they'd have to start doing promotion. In some places, like Italy, though all they need to do is book one.

If Pj had released those albums in reverse, they wouldve been dropped by about riot act/binaural..even with those sales record companies dont give bands a long time to make it nowadays.

I think the original question was "would they be as popular/ the records have sold as well?". It's really hard to tell. As much as you can say Ten "captured the sound of an era", that's probably mostly colored by your own perceptions of that era influenced by Ten-- fact is, not a lot of music from the early 90s sounded like Ten. When it came out, anyway.

I have a strong feeling this post doesn't make much sense, but I'm too lazy to reread it and correct it.

lol @ pj being popular

One of the biggest bands in the world at one point. They're pretty popular, dude.

I agree. I agree, after Binaural, Pearl Jam would have been dropped from the record label. Maybe even after Riot Act. The albums didn't go platinum with Pearl Jam as a big name and radio stations just waiting to play the lead single. A band breaking in with any of the last three PJ albums would be lucky to sell 100,000 units and would very soon be dropped.