# Yield (album)
**Yield** is the fifth studio album by the American rock band [Pearl Jam](https://www.edgepedia.org/pearl-jam), released on February 3, 1998 through [Epic Records](https://www.edgepedia.org/epic-records). Produced by Brendan O'Brien together with the band, it marked a return to more direct, accessible rock songwriting after the experimental *No Code* (1996), and it was the band's last album with drummer [Jack Irons](https://www.edgepedia.org/jack-irons).[1](https://pearljam.com/music/album/yield) • [2](https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000031540)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Release | February 3, 1998, Epic Records, catalog 68164; 13 tracks, 48:37[1](https://pearljam.com/music/album/yield) |
| Production | Brendan O'Brien and Pearl Jam; mixed by O'Brien, except "Push Me, Pull Me" mixed by Nick DiDia[1](https://pearljam.com/music/album/yield) |
| Recording | Studio Litho and Studio X (Seattle) and Southern Tracks Recording and Doppler (Atlanta)[1](https://pearljam.com/music/album/yield) |
| Lineup | Eddie Vedder (vocals, guitar), Mike McCready and Stone Gossard (guitar), Jeff Ament (bass), Jack Irons (drums)[1](https://pearljam.com/music/album/yield) |
| Chart peaks | Number 2 on the Billboard 200 in its first week; number 7 on the UK Official Albums Chart[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/pearl-jam-mn0000037730/biography) • [4](https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/pearl-jam-yield/) |
| Certification | Fifth straight Pearl Jam album certified platinum by the RIAA[5](https://shop.pearljam.com/products/yield-vinyl-reissue) |
| Drummer change | Jack Irons's last album with the band; Matt Cameron, formerly of Soundgarden, joined in 1998[5](https://shop.pearljam.com/products/yield-vinyl-reissue) |
## Background and recording
Pearl Jam entered *Yield* after two albums, *Vitalogy* (1994) and *No Code* (1996), that had moved away from the direct rock sound of *Ten* and *Vs.* AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine suggested the band was "shaken up by the chilly reception to the adventurous No Code" and returned to straight-ahead hard rock on *Yield*, calling it the most direct record the group had made since *Ten*.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000031540)
The album was recorded during 1997 at Studio Litho and Studio X in Seattle and at Southern Tracks Recording and Doppler Studios in Atlanta, with Brendan O'Brien producing for the fourth consecutive Pearl Jam record.[1](https://pearljam.com/music/album/yield) • [6](https://www.classicrockreview.com/2018/02/1998-pearl-jam-yield/) A key change was in how the songs were written: rather than leaning on [Eddie Vedder](https://www.edgepedia.org/eddie-vedder), the other members brought fully written songs to the sessions, with Vedder adding his lyrics afterward.[5](https://shop.pearljam.com/products/yield-vinyl-reissue) • [7](https://albumreviews.blog/reviews/1990s-album-reviews/pearl-jam/) According to Stereogum's retrospective, Vedder had insisted he could not carry all the weight himself and wanted everyone contributing songwriting and lyrics, a working method the band kept afterward.[8](https://stereogum.com/1981565/yield-turns-20/reviews/the-anniversary)
The making of the album was documented in *Single Video Theory*, directed by Mark Pellington, shot entirely in 16mm over three days in 1997, and released on August 4, 1998.[9](https://pearljam.com/music/album/single-video-theory)
## Songs
The 13-track album runs from the punk-inflected opener "Brain of J." through rockers such as "Do the Evolution" to quieter numbers like "Low Light," "In Hiding," and "All Those Yesterdays."[1](https://pearljam.com/music/album/yield) "Given to Fly," the album's first single, was heavily inspired by [Led Zeppelin](https://www.edgepedia.org/led-zeppelin)'s "Going to California," and "Wishlist," released as a single on May 5, 1998, features an e-bow solo played by Vedder himself.[7](https://albumreviews.blog/reviews/1990s-album-reviews/pearl-jam/) • [10](https://pearljam.com/music/album/wishlist) "Pilate" was bassist [Jeff Ament](https://www.edgepedia.org/jeff-ament)'s first lyrical contribution to a Pearl Jam track.[6](https://www.classicrockreview.com/2018/02/1998-pearl-jam-yield/) The album also contains short experimental pieces, the untitled track (listed as "●" on some releases) and the spoken-word "Push Me, Pull Me."[1](https://pearljam.com/music/album/yield) • [2](https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000031540)
## Release and commercial performance
*Yield* debuted at number two on the [Billboard](https://www.edgepedia.org/billboard-magazine) 200 in its first week of release and then slipped down the charts, a commercial rebound relative to *No Code* but far from the band's early-1990s peaks.[3](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/pearl-jam-mn0000037730/biography) In the United Kingdom it peaked at number 7 on the Official Albums Chart, entering the chart on February 14, 1998, and it reached number 1 on the UK Rock & Metal Albums Chart.[4](https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/pearl-jam-yield/) The album became the band's fifth straight to be certified platinum by the [Recording Industry Association of America](https://www.edgepedia.org/recording-industry-association-of-america).[5](https://shop.pearljam.com/products/yield-vinyl-reissue)
During the supporting tour the band relented on its boycott of [Ticketmaster](https://www.edgepedia.org/ticketmaster) venues, and Jack Irons left the band, replaced by [Soundgarden](https://www.edgepedia.org/soundgarden) drummer [Matt Cameron](https://www.edgepedia.org/matt-cameron), who remained Pearl Jam's drummer for decades afterward.[5](https://shop.pearljam.com/products/yield-vinyl-reissue)
## Critical reception
Contemporary and retrospective reviews have generally treated *Yield* as a solid, accessible record rather than a peak. Erlewine wrote that it is more consistent than *Vitalogy* and *No Code* but lacks songs reaching the highs of "Better Man," "Corduroy," or "Who You Are," and that Vedder is most compelling on the folk-tinged meditative numbers.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000031540) Stereogum's 20th-anniversary essay argued that the album has grown in standing over time, describing it as a turning point where the band "finally became more comfortable with themselves," and highlighted "In Hiding" as a fan favorite.[8](https://stereogum.com/1981565/yield-turns-20/reviews/the-anniversary) On BestEverAlbums.com, aggregated fan rankings place *Yield* fourth among Pearl Jam's 85 listed albums.[11](https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=1774)
## Reissues
Pearl Jam reissued *Yield* on 150-gram vinyl in 2016, its first vinyl availability since the original release, mastered for the format by engineer Bob Ludwig with recreations of the original packaging.[5](https://shop.pearljam.com/products/yield-vinyl-reissue) A 25th anniversary edition followed in October 2023 on Epic and Legacy.[12](https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/e88ee520-a5d1-40bd-84d4-649974435492)
## References
1. [Pearl Jam – Yield, official album page](https://pearljam.com/music/album/yield)
2. [Stephen Thomas Erlewine, "Yield Review," AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/album/mw0000031540)
3. [Pearl Jam biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/pearl-jam-mn0000037730/biography)
4. [Yield – Pearl Jam, Official Charts Company](https://www.officialcharts.com/albums/pearl-jam-yield/)
5. [2016 Yield Vinyl Reissue, Ten Club LLC](https://shop.pearljam.com/products/yield-vinyl-reissue)
6. [Yield by Pearl Jam, Classic Rock Review](https://www.classicrockreview.com/2018/02/1998-pearl-jam-yield/)
7. [Pearl Jam Album Reviews, Aphoristic Album Reviews](https://albumreviews.blog/reviews/1990s-album-reviews/pearl-jam/)
8. [Ryan Leas, "Yield Turns 20," Stereogum](https://stereogum.com/1981565/yield-turns-20/reviews/the-anniversary)
9. [Pearl Jam – Single Video Theory, official page](https://pearljam.com/music/album/single-video-theory)
10. [Pearl Jam – Wishlist, official single page](https://pearljam.com/music/album/wishlist)
11. [Yield by Pearl Jam, Best Ever Albums](https://www.besteveralbums.com/thechart.php?a=1774)
12. [Release group "Yield" by Pearl Jam, MusicBrainz](https://musicbrainz.org/release-group/e88ee520-a5d1-40bd-84d4-649974435492)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Albums and recorded releases › Studio albums › Indie and alternative albums › Studio albums of the 1990s › American and Canadian albums*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license