Pearl Jam Lands First Rock & Alternative Airplay No. 1 With ‘Dark Matter’

23 February, 2024

Pearl Jam reaches No. 1 on Billboard’s Rock & Alternative Airplay chart for the first time, as “Dark Matter” jumps from No. 6, where it debuted a week earlier, to the top of the tally dated March 2.

The song earned 5.6 million airplay audience impressions in its second week on the survey – and following its first full week of availability (Feb. 16-22) – according to Luminate. The song was released Feb. 13.

With a two-week trip to No. 1, “Dark Matter” completes the quickest sprint to the summit since Linkin Park’s “Lost” debuted at No. 1 on the Feb. 25, 2023, list.

Pearl Jam’s first ruler on Rock & Alternative Airplay, which began in 2009, surpasses the band’s previous best, “The Fixer,” which debuted and peaked at No. 2 in August 2009.

As Pearl Jam was on the inaugural Rock & Alternative Airplay ranking (June 20, 2009) with “Brother” at No. 48, the band ends the longest wait between a first appearance and first No. 1 on the chart: 14 years, eight months and two weeks.

Concurrently, “Dark Matter” leaps into the top 10 of both Mainstream Rock Airplay and Alternative Airplay. It jumps 17-6 on the former, becoming the band’s 24th top 10 and first since “Superblood Wolfmoon” (No. 4, May 2020). On the latter, it leaps 18-10, marking Pearl Jam’s 20th top 10, good for sixth all time dating to the survey’s September 1988 inception. Foo Fighters lead all acts with 30 top 10s.

Most Top 10s, Alternative Airplay

  • 30, Foo Fighters
  • 28, Red Hot Chili Peppers
  • 26, Green Day
  • 23, U2
  • 21, Weezer
  • 20, Pearl Jam
  • 18, Linkin Park
  • 18, The Offspring
  • 17, Muse
  • 17, The Smashing Pumpkins

“Dark Matter” is Pearl Jam’s first Alternative Airplay top 10 in more than a decade, since the No. 4-peaking “Sirens” in December 2013. The band’s best peak in between was for “Dance of the Clairvoyants” (No. 15, February 2020).

“Dark Matter” also debuts at No. 39 on Adult Alternative Airplay.

On the most recently published multimetric Hot Hard Rock Songs chart (Feb. 24), “Dark Matter” bowed at No. 3. In addition to its airplay, the song drew 946,000 official U.S. streams and sold 1,000 downloads Feb. 9-15.

“Dark Matter” is the lead single and title track from Pearl Jam’s 12th studio album, due April 19. Its predecessor, Gigaton, debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart in April 2020 and has earned 172,000 equivalent album units to date.

All Billboard charts dated March 2 will update on Billboard.com on Tuesday, Feb. 27.

Kevin Rutherford

Billboard