Pearl Jam's 'Ten' Album Hits 10 Million in U.S. Sales

2/20/2013 by Keith Caulfield

Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder (and guitarist Stone Gossard) perform during PJ's Sunday night headlining set at the Budweiser Made In America Festival on September 2, 2012 in Philadelphia.

Landmark album is the 22nd full-length to reach 10 million sales in the SoundScan era.

Pearl Jam's landmark debut album "Ten" becomes the latest addition to the 10 million-sellers club in the U.S.

This week, the 1991 Epic Records release surpasses the 10 million U.S. sales mark according to Nielsen SoundScan, making it the 22nd album to reach the threshold since the company began tracking data in 1991.

In the week ending Feb. 17, the album sold nearly 4,000 copies (up 159% over the previous week). That brings its total sales to about 1,000 over 10 million.

"I'm happily shocked to hear that. Wow," Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready tells Billboard on hearing of the feat. Back when the album was recorded, "we had no idea that it was going to ever do that well. I just felt like it was a really cool record and that I was in a good band."

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"Ten" is the fourth album to hit 10 million U.S. sales since the start of 2012. In that span of time, "Ten" follows Linkin Park's "Hybrid Theory," Usher's "Confessions" and Adele's blockbuster "21."

"21" now stands as the No. 15 best-selling album of the SoundScan era, with 10.4 million sold. It is currently about 186,000 copies behind Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time," which is in 14th place.

It should be a while before another album crosses the 10 million mark. While we had a quick succession of albums hit 10 million in the last year, the next-closest album to 10 million is still 400,000 copies away: Celine Dion's "Let's Talk About Love" (9.6 million). At the present, the album is selling well below 1,000 copies a week.

Since 1991, the highest selling album -- according to SoundScan -- is Metallica's self-titled 1991 release, which has moved 15.86 million. Shania Twain's "Come On Over" is in second place with 15.53 million and Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill" is in third with 14.82 million.

In fourth place is Backstreet Boys' "Millennium" (12.21 million), followed by the Beatles' "1" (12.16 million), "The Bodyguard" soundtrack (12.06 million), Santana's "Supernatural" (11.73 million), Creed's "Human Clay" (11.64 million) and Bob Marley and the Wailers' "Legend" (11.26 million) at Nos. 5-9.

Rounding out SoundScan's top 10 selling albums since 1991 is 'N Sync's "No Strings Attached," with 11.14 million.

additional reporting by Jessica Letkemann (@Letkemann)