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{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}}
{{Infobox album
| name       = Vitalogy
| type       = studio
| artist     = [[Pearl Jam]]
| cover      = PearlJamVitalogy.jpg
| alt        = A plain black background with a gold foil title in script
| released   = {{start date|1994|11|22}}
| recorded   = November 1993&nbsp;– October 1994
| studio     =
* [[Bad Animals Studio|Bad Animals]], Seattle
* Southern Tracks, Atlanta
* [[Doppler Studios|Doppler]], Atlanta
* Kingsway, New Orleans
| genre      = {{hlist|[[Alternative rock]]|[[punk rock]]|[[grunge]]|[[art rock]]}}
| venue         = [[Fox Theatre (Atlanta)|Fox Theatre]], Atlanta<ref name=RB>{{Cite AV media |last1=O'Brien |first1=Brendan |author-link1=Brendan O'Brien (record producer)|last2=Beato |first2=Rick |author-link2=Rick Beato |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfoOvO6Xguw&list=PLW0NGgv1qnfzRbBVRUFWxAwJbU1v5ET_R&index=23 |title=Brendan O'Brien Interview: The Unsung Hero Of Rock Music |via=[[YouTube]] |date= 23 May 2024 |access-date= 7 June 2025}}</ref>
| length     = 55:09
| label      = [[Epic Records|Epic]]
| producer   = {{hlist|[[Brendan O'Brien (record producer)|Brendan O'Brien]]|Pearl Jam}}
| prev_title = [[Vs. (Pearl Jam album)|Vs.]]
| prev_year  = 1993
| next_title = [[No Code]]
| next_year  = 1996
| misc       = {{Singles
 | name        = Vitalogy
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[Spin the Black Circle]]" / "[[Tremor Christ]]
 | single1date = November 7, 1994
 | single2     = [[Not for You]]
 | single2date = February 13, 1995
 | single3     = [[Immortality (Pearl Jam song)|Immortality]]
 | single3date = June 6, 1995
}}
}}

'''''Vitalogy''''' is the third studio album by the American [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Pearl Jam]], released on November 22, 1994, on [[Epic Records]]. Pearl Jam wrote and recorded ''Vitalogy'' while touring behind its previous album ''[[Vs. (Pearl Jam album)|Vs.]]'' (1993). The album's sound is more diverse than previous releases and consists of aggressive rock songs, ballads and other styles, making it Pearl Jam's most experimental album at that period. Considered a departure from the grunge sound of the band's first two albums, the record focuses more on [[punk rock]] and [[hardcore punk|hardcore]] styles in its production.<ref name="flannel">{{Cite web |title=Pearl Jam's 'Vitalogy' represents a change in the band's sound |url=https://www.hairandflannel.com/pearl-jam/vitalogy/ |access-date=April 18, 2022 |website=Hair and Flannel}}</ref><ref name="GP">{{Cite web |title=Pearl Jam – Vitalogy {{!}} Golden Vault #19 |url=https://www.goldenplec.com/pearl-jam-vitalogy-golden-vault-19/ |access-date=October 20, 2022 |website=GoldenPlec}}</ref>

The album was first released on [[LP record|vinyl]], followed by a release on [[Compact disc|CD]] and [[Compact Cassette|cassette]] two weeks later on December 6, 1994. The LP sold 34,000 copies in its first week of release, and until [[Jack White]]'s 2014 album ''[[Lazaretto (album)|Lazaretto]]'' it held the record for most vinyl sales in one week since SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991.<ref name="billboard6-18-2014">{{cite magazine|last=Caulfield|first=Keith|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6121606/jack-white-lazaretto-debuts-billboard-200-sets-vinyl-sales-record|title=Jack White's 'Lazaretto' Debuts at No. 1, Sets Vinyl Sales Record|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=June 18, 2014|access-date=June 18, 2014}}</ref> Upon its CD release, ''Vitalogy'' became the second-fastest selling album in history, behind only the band's previous release ''Vs.'', selling 877,000 copies in its first week and quickly going multi-platinum.<ref name="latimes12-15-1994">{{cite news|last=Philips|first=Chuck|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-12-15-ca-9311-story.html|title=Vitalogy' Makes for a Real Pearl Jam of a Seller|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=December 15, 1994|access-date=June 18, 2014}}</ref> The album received critical acclaim and has been certified [[RIAA certification|5× platinum]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) for sales of at least five million copies in the United States. The album was included on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s 2003 and 2012 "[[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|500 Greatest Albums of All Time]]" lists at number 485, but was dropped from the 2020 edition. It is Pearl Jam's second and last album to feature drummer [[Dave Abbruzzese]], who was fired from the band before recording was finished. He was initially replaced by session drummers and later officially replaced by former [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]]' drummer [[Jack Irons]], who completed the recording of the album.<ref name="riaadb" />

==Recording==
For the band's third album, Pearl Jam again worked with producer [[Brendan O'Brien (record producer)|Brendan O'Brien]]. The band wrote many of the songs during soundchecks on its [[Vs. Tour]], and the majority of the album's tracks were recorded during breaks on the tour. The first session took place late in 1993 in [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], where the band recorded "[[Tremor Christ]]" and "[[Nothingman]]".<ref name="musician">{{cite magazine|last=Garbarini|first=Vic|title=Mother of Pearl|magazine=[[Musician (magazine)|Musician]]|date=May 1995}}</ref> The rest of the material was written and recorded in 1994 in sessions in [[Seattle]], [[Washington (state)|Washington]] and [[Atlanta]], [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]], with the band finishing the album at [[Bad Animals Studio]] in Seattle after the tour's completion.<ref name="guitar world">{{cite magazine|last=Gilbert|first=Jeff|title=Alive|magazine=[[Guitar World]]|date=April 1995}}</ref> "[[Immortality (Pearl Jam song)|Immortality]]" was written in April 1994 when the band was on tour in Atlanta.<ref name="Hilburn, Robert">{{cite news|last=Hilburn|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Hilburn|url=http://www.fivehorizons.com/archive/articles/la112094.shtml|title=All Revved Up (As Usual)|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=November 20, 1994|access-date=March 16, 2008}}</ref> Sources state that most of the album was completed by early 1994, but it was not released until November due to either a forced delay by Epic or the band's battle with ticket vendor [[Ticketmaster]].<ref>{{cite book|last=DeRogatis|first=Jim|author-link=Jim DeRogatis|title=Milk It!: Collected Musings on the Alternative Music Explosion of the 90's|publisher=[[Da Capo Press]]|location=Cambridge|year=2003|isbn=0-306-81271-1|page=60}}</ref>

Tensions within the band had dramatically increased by the time they were working on ''Vitalogy''. Producer [[Brendan O'Brien (record producer)|Brendan O'Brien]] said: "''Vitalogy'' was a little strained. I'm being polite—there was some imploding going on."<ref name="tenpast">{{cite magazine |last=Weisbard |first=Eric |display-authors=etal |date=August 2001 |title=Ten Past Ten |magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]] |volume=17 |issue=8}}</ref> Bassist [[Jeff Ament]] said that "communication was at an all-time low".<ref name="tenpast"/> Drummer [[Dave Abbruzzese]] stated that the communication problems started once guitarist [[Stone Gossard]] stopped acting as the band's mediator.<ref name="tenpast"/> According to Gossard, ''Vitalogy'' was the first album for which lead vocalist [[Eddie Vedder]] made the final decisions.<ref name="tenpast"/> At the time, Gossard thought of quitting the band.<ref name="wayout">{{cite news|last=Hilburn|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Hilburn|title=Working Their Way Out of a Jam|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=December 22, 1996}}</ref> Gossard said the band was having trouble collaborating, so most of the songs were developed out of [[jam session]]s. He added that "80 percent of the songs were written 20 minutes before they were recorded."<ref name="musician"/> During the production of ''Vitalogy'', lead guitarist [[Mike McCready]] went into rehabilitation to receive treatment for alcohol and cocaine abuse.<ref name="guitar world"/><ref name="tenpast"/>

Months after finishing the initial recording sessions for ''Vitalogy'', Abbruzzese was fired in August 1994 due to personality conflicts with other band members.<ref name="tenpast"/> Gossard said: "It was the nature of how the politics worked in our band: It was up to me to say, 'Hey, we tried, it's not working; time to move on.' On a superficial level, it was a political struggle: For whatever reason, his ability to communicate with Ed and Jeff was very stifled. I certainly don't think it was all Dave Abbruzzese's fault that it was stifled."<ref name="tenpast"/> [[Jack Irons]], the original drummer for the [[Red Hot Chili Peppers]] and Abbruzzese's successor, plays drums on "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me". Gossard said: "Jack entered the band right at the end of making ''Vitalogy''. Jack's a breath of fresh air, a family man. Everybody had a strong sense of friendship with him immediately. He was just there to play drums and help out."<ref name="tenpast"/>

==Music and lyrics==
{{Listen
 |filename     = Better_Man.ogg
 |title        = "Better Man"
 |description  = A sample of "Better Man", from ''Vitalogy''. Considered a "blatantly great pop song" by producer Brendan O'Brien, Pearl Jam was reluctant to record it and rejected it from the band's previous album ''Vs.'' due to its accessibility. The lyrics for the song, written by Vedder, are about an abusive relationship.
 |filename2    = Immortality.ogg
 |title2       = "Immortality"
 |description2 = A sample of "Immortality", the third single released from the album. The lyrics for the song have been claimed by some to be about Kurt Cobain; however, Vedder has denied this, suggesting instead that it is about "the pressures on someone who is on a parallel train".
}}

Overall, ''Vitalogy'' has been identified as a [[punk rock]] album by both critics and members of Pearl Jam, departing the [[grunge]] sound of the band's previous work.<ref>{{cite web |last=Staff |title=1994: The 40 Best Records From Mainstream Alternative's Greatest Year |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/1994-the-40-best-records-from-mainstream-alternatives-greatest-year-29203/pearl-jam-vitalogy-3-171714/ |website=[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]] |date=April 17, 2014 |access-date=April 19, 2022}}</ref><ref name="flannel"/><ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="GP"/> Despite this, some publications have labeled the album as grunge.<ref>{{cite web |last=Childers |first=Chad |date=September 28, 2012 |title=The 10 Best Grunge Bands of All Time |url=https://loudwire.com/best-grunge-bands/ |access-date=August 9, 2020 |website=[[Loudwire]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=October 11, 2021|title=Top 30 Grunge Albums|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/top-grunge-albums/|access-date=December 18, 2022|website=Ultimate Classic Rock}}</ref><ref name="pitchfork.com">{{cite web |title=The 25 Best Grunge Albums of the '90s |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-best-grunge-albums-of-the-90s/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=16 March 2023 |date=6 October 2022}}</ref>

In a 1995 interview, ''[[Guitar World]]'' writer Jeff Gilbert described ''Vitalogy'' as "strange" and "very eclectic". McCready agreed, saying: "There is some weird stuff on there." McCready attributed the album's sound to the group recording it on tour.<ref name="guitar world"/> During this period Vedder began to contribute in a large capacity as a guitarist. Gossard said: "''Vitalogy'' is the first one where Ed plays guitar and he wrote three to four songs. I remember thinking, 'This is so different. Is anyone going to like this?'...It had a more [[Punk rock|punk]] feel to it. Simple songs recorded really quickly."<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite magazine|title=Interview with Stone Gossard and Mike McCready|magazine=[[Total Guitar]]|date=November 2002}}</ref> The album has a notable lack of guitar solos compared with the band's first two albums. McCready said: "''Vitalogy'' is not really a 'solo' album. I don't think the songs demanded solos; it was more of a rhythmic album."<ref name="guitar world"/>

[[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] of [[AllMusic]] said that "thanks to its stripped-down, lean production, ''Vitalogy'' stands as Pearl Jam's most original and uncompromising album."<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/vitalogy-mw0000121446|title=''Vitalogy'' – Pearl Jam|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=March 21, 2009}}</ref> He added that "in between the straight rock numbers and the searching slow songs, Pearl Jam contribute their strangest music—the mantrafunk of 'Aye Davanita', the sub-[[Tom Waits]] accordion romp of 'Bugs', and the chilling [[sound collage|sonic collage]] 'Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me'." "Bugs" features Vedder playing an accordion that he found at a thrift shop,<ref name="Marks">{{cite magazine|last=Marks|first=Craig|title=Let's Get Lost|magazine=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|volume=10|issue=9|date=December 1994}}</ref> while "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me" was created using looped recordings of real patients from a [[psychiatric hospital]].<ref name="lycos">{{cite web|url=http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/PearlJam/echoes/echoes9.html|title=Pearl Jam's First Online Chat at Lycos|website=[[Lycos]]|date=May 15, 2000|access-date=March 16, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070210062742/http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/PearlJam/echoes/echoes9.html|archive-date=February 10, 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Tim Coffman of ''[[WhatCulture]]'' considers ''Vitalogy'' to be a delve into [[art rock]], commenting that the band "[threw] every outlandish idea into the mix."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Coffman |first1=Tim |title=10 Horrible Hard Rock Songs By Great Artists |url=https://whatculture.com/music/10-horrible-hard-rock-songs-by-great-artists?page=9 |website=WhatCulture |access-date=February 8, 2024 |page=9 |date=October 10, 2020}}</ref>

Many of the songs on the album address the pressures of fame and dealing with the resulting loss of privacy.<ref name="rollingstone">{{cite magazine|last=Weisel|first=Al|author-link=Al Weisel|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/vitalogy-19941215|title=''Vitalogy''|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=December 15, 1994|access-date=March 1, 2008}}</ref> These include "[[Not for You]]", "Pry, To", "[[Corduroy (song)|Corduroy]]", "Bugs", "Satan's Bed" and "[[Immortality (Pearl Jam song)|Immortality]]". Vedder said: "I'm just totally vulnerable. I'm way too fucking soft for this whole business, this whole trip. I don't have any shell. There's a contradiction there, because that's probably why I can write songs that mean something to someone and express some of these things that other people can't necessarily express."<ref name="Marks"/> The lyrics of "Not for You" express anger at the bureaucracy of the music industry and "how youth is being sold and exploited",<ref name="Hilburn, Robert"/> while Vedder said "Corduroy" is about "one person's relationship with a million people."<ref name="Hilburn, Robert"/> In "Pry, To" the phrase "P-r-i-v-a-c-y is priceless to me" is repeated. Many {{Who|date=May 2022}} think that the lyrics of "Immortality" may be about [[Nirvana (band)|Nirvana]] frontman [[Kurt Cobain]]'s suicide, although Vedder has denied this, suggesting instead that it is about "the pressures on someone who is on a parallel train."<ref name="Hilburn, Robert"/> The lyrics that appeared in the first live version of "Immortality" were altered before the song was released as part of the album. Vedder said, regarding "[[Nothingman]]", that "if you love someone and they love you, don't fuck up...'cause you are left with less than nothing."<ref name="Hilburn, Robert"/> "[[Better Man (Pearl Jam song)|Better Man]]" is a song about an abusive relationship.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/58253/pearl-jam-tells-its-story-at-vh1-taping|title=Pearl Jam Tells Its 'Story' At VH1 Taping|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=June 2, 2006|access-date=March 16, 2008}}</ref> Vedder wrote the song when he was in high school and performed it with his previous band, [[Bad Radio]]. Considered a "blatantly great pop song" by producer Brendan O'Brien, Pearl Jam was reluctant to record it and had initially rejected it from ''[[Vs. (Pearl Jam album)|Vs.]]'' due to its accessibility.<ref name="tenpast"/>

=== Outtakes ===
"Hard to Imagine", a song previously rejected from ''Vs.'',<ref name="spreading">Cohen, Jonathan. [http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/80213/pearl-jam-spreading-the-jam "Pearl Jam: Spreading The Jam"]. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. March 30, 2001.</ref> was also recorded during the ''Vitalogy'' sessions. This version found its way on to the soundtrack for the 1998 film ''[[Chicago Cab]]''. "Hard to Imagine" is also included on the 2003 rarities compilation ''[[Lost Dogs (album)|Lost Dogs]]'', though that version is the one from the ''Vs.'' sessions.<ref name="lostdogs">(2003) Album notes for ''Lost Dogs'' by Pearl Jam, [CD booklet]. New York: Sony Music.</ref> According to Gossard, "Hard to Imagine" was cut from ''Vitalogy'' because it did not fit with the other songs the band was writing at the time.<ref>Letkemann, Jessica. "Interview with Stone Gossard". ''Tickle My Nausea'' Pearl Jam Fanzine. 1998.</ref>

"Out of My Mind", which is featured as a B-side on the "Not for You" single, was premiered on the band's 1994 spring tour of the United States and was played twice.<ref>[http://www.pearljam.com/song/out-my-mind "Pearl Jam Songs: "Out of My Mind""] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614230040/https://pearljam.com/song/out-my-mind|date=2012-06-14}}. pearljam.com.</ref> According to Vedder, the song was just a live [[Musical improvisation|improv]].<ref>[http://www.fivehorizons.com/tour/cc/t2000p3.shtml "2000 Concert Chronology part 3"]. fivehorizons.com.</ref>

==Title and packaging==
The original title for the album was ''Life''. The first single, "Spin the Black Circle", was released before the album was released, and on the back of the single it states: "From the [[Epic Records|Epic]] album ''Life''".

The title ''Vitalogy'', which literally means "the study of life",<ref name="rollingstone" /> came from an early 20th-century medical book that Vedder found at a garage sale. This book was also the inspiration for the album's cover art and [[liner notes]].<ref name="tenpast" /> Ament stated: "Ed brought in that book, and we said man that would make a great album cover."<ref name="tenpast" /> After explaining that, from ''Vs.'' onward, the band tried to take different approaches to packaging its records, he said: "We tried really hard, to make it like a book, kind of tipped it so it opened horizontally, which pissed off record stores: they had to put it in sideways."<ref name="tenpast" /> Packaging the album in this way cost an extra 50 cents per copy. When the band discovered that later versions of the medical book were still under copyright, they had to confer with their lawyers as they worked out which material they wanted to utilize in the final version of the artwork.<ref name="tenpast" />

The booklet contains outdated discussions of health and well-being, as well as other notes, dealing with life and death reflections, which seem to be more personal, like a message typed on the "Immortality" page that seems to be referring to the loss of a loved one ("I waited all day. You waited all day...but you left before sunset...and I just wanted to tell you the moment was beautiful. Just wanted to dance to bad music...drive bad cars...watch bad TV...should have stayed for the sunset... if not for me."). It also includes some poems or original sayings that do not belong to the songs' lyrics, but can be interpreted as commentary on the songs or, again, as a reflection on how life should or should not be lived. An example is the poem typed on the "Aye Davanita" page. The song's subtitle is listed as "The song without words", as it is an instrumental track, but the page also displays a sort of poem about the wasted life of a young girl. Another episode of "intruder words" is on the "Not for You" page. After the second refrain, instead of the actual lyrics, the typed words give a hint about the [[Sisyphus]] myth ("Call me Sisyphus love. Yeh, I move the rock. I just don't want to talk about moving the rock. Get pictures taken of me while moving the rock. Anything that distracts me from moving the rock."). The lyrics to "Whipping" are written on a copy of a petition to [[Bill Clinton]] against "pro-life" killings of [[abortion]] doctors. An X-ray of Vedder's teeth was pictured instead of lyrics on the page for "Corduroy".<ref name="Hilburn, Robert" />

==Release and reception==
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="allmusic"/>
| rev2 = ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]''
| rev2score = {{Rating|3|4}}<ref name="DeRogatis">{{cite news|last=DeRogatis|first=Jim|author-link=Jim DeRogatis|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4261112.html|title=Wide-Ranging 'Vitalogy' Isn't Pearl Jam's Best|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|date=December 11, 1994|access-date=May 20, 2009|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121102034609/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4261112.html|archive-date=November 2, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev3score = B+<ref name="entertainmentweekly">{{cite magazine|last=Browne|first=David|author-link=David Browne (journalist)|url=https://ew.com/article/1994/12/09/vitalogy/|title=''Vitalogy''|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=December 9, 1994|access-date=May 20, 2009}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating|4|4}}<ref name="Hilburn">{{cite news|last=Hilburn|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Hilburn|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-11-20-ca-64789-story.html|title=Pearl Jam 'Vitalogy' Epic|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=November 20, 1994|access-date=May 20, 2009}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev5score = 8.3/10<ref>{{cite web|last=Greene|first=Jayson|url=http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15263-vs-legacy-edition-vitalogy-legacy-edition-live-at-the-orpheum-theatre-boston/|title=Pearl Jam: ''Vs.'' [Legacy Edition] / ''Vitalogy'' [Legacy Edition]|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=March 30, 2011|access-date=May 4, 2016}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| rev6score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="q">{{cite magazine|title=Pearl Jam: ''Vitalogy''|magazine=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|issue=100|date=January 1995|pages=248–49}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="rollingstone"/>
| rev8 = ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]''
| rev8score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="Cross">{{cite book|last=Cross|first=Charles R.|author-link=Charles R. Cross|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-first=Nathan|editor2-last=Hoard|editor2-first=Christian|chapter=Pearl Jam|title=The New Rolling Stone Album Guide|title-link=The Rolling Stone Album Guide|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|edition=4th|year=2004|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|pages=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/625 625–26]}}</ref>
| rev9 = ''[[USA Today]]''
| rev9score = {{Rating|3.5|4}}<ref name="Gundersen">{{cite news|last=Gundersen|first=Edna|author-link=Edna Gundersen|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/access/55269526.html?dids=55269526:55269526&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+21%2C+1994&author=Edna+Gundersen&pub=USA+TODAY+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Pearl+Jam+cuts+the+consumer+culture+no+slack&pqatl=google|title=Pearl Jam cuts the consumer culture no slack|work=[[USA Today]]|date=November 21, 1994|access-date=May 20, 2009|page=01.D|url-access=subscription|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160420193610/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/USAToday/doc/306715400.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov%2021,%201994&author=Edna%20Gundersen&pub=USA%20TODAY%20(pre-1997%20Fulltext)&edition=&startpage=&desc=Pearl%20Jam%20cuts%20the%20consumer%20culture%20no%20slack|archive-date=April 20, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev10 = ''[[The Village Voice]]''
| rev10score = A−<ref name="Christgau">{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv395-95.php|title=Consumer Guide|work=[[The Village Voice]]|date=February 21, 1995|access-date=May 20, 2009}}</ref>
}}

''Vitalogy'' was released first on vinyl on November 22, 1994, two weeks before its CD and cassette release, and debuted at No. 55 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] album chart.<ref>{{cite web|last=Basham|first=David|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451247/11292001/creed.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001064118/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1451247/11292001/creed.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 1, 2007|title=Got Charts? Creed Vs. Pearl Jam, Shakira's Machisma, Kid Rock's Curse|website=[[MTV]].com|date=November 29, 2001|access-date=March 9, 2008}}</ref> The LP sold 34,000 copies in its first week of release, and, until [[Jack White]]'s ''[[Lazaretto (album)|Lazaretto]]'' in 2014, it held the record for most vinyl sales in one week on [[Soundscan]].<ref name="billboard6-18-2014" /> It was also the first album to chart on the ''Billboard'' 200 due to vinyl sales alone since the CD became the dominant format for album sales.<ref>{{cite news|last=Strauss|first=Neil|author-link=Neil Strauss|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D07E0DA1239F93BA35751C1A962958260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=all|title=Music Lovers Are Voting for Vinyl|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 8, 1994|access-date=March 9, 2008}}</ref> When ''Vitalogy'' was released on CD and cassette on December 6, 1994, it went to No. 1 on the ''Billboard'' 200 album chart, selling more than 877,000 copies in its first week.<ref name="latimes12-15-1994" /> It was the second-fastest selling album in history, behind only the band's previous release ''[[Vs. (Pearl Jam album)|Vs.]]''<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080109033804/http://www.pearljam.com/timeline/ "Pearl Jam: Timeline"]. pearljam.com.</ref> ''Vitalogy'' has been certified five times platinum by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]],<ref name="riaadb">[http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&title=Vitalogy&artist=Pearl+Jam&perPage=25&go=Search Gold and Platinum Database Search] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626051113/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS |date=2007-06-26 }}. RIAA.com. Retrieved on February 12, 2007.</ref> and, as of July 2013, has sold 6.9 million<nowiki>&nbsp;</nowiki>copies in the United States, according to [[Nielsen SoundScan]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greasylake.org/the-circuit/index.php?/topic/113673-rem-pearl-jam-and-nirvanausa-album-sales/|title=R.E.M., PEARL JAM and NIRVANA.....USA album sales|website=Greasy Lake Community|access-date=August 27, 2014|archive-date=June 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200621113255/https://www.greasylake.org/the-circuit/index.php?/topic/113673-rem-pearl-jam-and-nirvanausa-album-sales/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In July 2013, ''Rolling Stone'' ranked ''Vitalogy'' second in a reader's poll of Pearl Jam's best albums.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictures/readers-poll-the-10-best-pearl-jam-albums-20130724/2-vitalogy-0403927|title=Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Pearl Jam Albums|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=July 24, 2013|access-date=July 24, 2013}}</ref>

''[[Rolling Stone]]'' staff writer [[Al Weisel]] gave ''Vitalogy'' a positive four out of five stars, describing the album as "a wildly uneven and difficult record, sometimes maddening, sometimes ridiculous, often powerful." While Weisel praised several songs, saying that " Vitalogy has a number of gripping songs that match the soaring anthems of ''[[Ten (Pearl Jam album)|Ten]]'', the extended grooves of ''Vs.'' or the poetry of either record", he somewhat criticized some of the more [[Experimental music|experimental]] songs as "throwaways and strange experiments that don't always work".<ref name="rollingstone"/> [[Jon Pareles]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised the album's diversity compared to the band's previous records, commenting that the band incorporated "fast but brutal punk, fuzz-toned [[Psychedelic music|psychedelia]] and judicious [[Folk rock|folk-rock]], all of it sounding more spontaneous than before." He felt the band continued to be "unremittingly glum", and described the majority of the songs as "tortured first-person proclamations", commenting that "Vedder sounds more alone than ever."<ref name="thenewyorktimes">{{cite news|last=Pareles|first=Jon|author-link=Jon Pareles|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9900E0DC1030F937A35751C1A962958260|title=Pearl Jam Gives Voice To Sisyphus|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=December 4, 1994|access-date=December 13, 2007}}</ref> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' reviewer [[Christopher John Farley]] singled out "Bugs" as one of the album's "share of stinkers", but added "that's one admirably experimental failure on a largely successful album."<ref name="time">{{cite magazine|last=Farley|first=Christopher John|author-link=Christopher John Farley|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,982023,00.html|title=Scathing Guitars, Pretty Tunes|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=December 19, 1994|access-date=March 15, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229123210/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,982023,00.html|archive-date=December 29, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> Despite writing negatively of the album's "shapeless high-energy riff-rockers", ''[[Newsday]]'' staff writer Ira Robbins lauded ''Vitalogy''{{'}}s sound and called it a "compelling triumph of surface over substance".<ref name="Robbins">{{cite news|last=Robbins|first=Ira|url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/101898398.html?dids=101898398:101898398&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+27%2C+1994&author=BY+IRA+ROBBINS.+STAFF+WRITER&pub=Newsday+(Combined+editions)&desc=RECORDINGS+Vedder+Victorious&pqatl=google|title=Vedder Victorious|work=[[Newsday]]|date=November 27, 1994|access-date=March 15, 2008|page=25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022220641/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/newsday/access/101898398.html?dids=101898398:101898398&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Nov+27,+1994&author=BY+IRA+ROBBINS.+STAFF+WRITER&pub=Newsday+(Combined+editions)&desc=RECORDINGS+Vedder+Victorious&pqatl=google|archive-date=October 22, 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In a mixed review of the album, Mark Jenkins of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' perceived a lack of subject matter or lyrical substance as ''Vitalogy''{{'}}s weakness.<ref name="Jenkins">{{cite news|last=Jenkins|first=Mark|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/business/technology/1995/01/25/the-vinyl-alternative/2f98ebc9-16fc-4f64-901e-3cddfe6646b1/|title=Pearl Jam, Vitalogy, Epic|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=December 7, 1994|access-date=June 15, 2020|page=c.07}}</ref>

''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' magazine gave the album four out of five stars, stating: "It speaks volumes for Pearl Jam's continuing creative acumen that they can respond so confidently to a new punk scene that has sprung up."<ref name="q"/> [[Robert Christgau]] of ''[[The Village Voice]]'' gave the album an A− rating, writing that "Three or four of these songs are faster and riffier than anything else in P. Jam's book, token experiments like "Bugs" are genuinely weird, and in an era of compulsory irony [Vedder's] sincerity is something like a relief—a Kurtlike relief at that."<ref name="Christgau"/> David Browne of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' gave the album a B+, saying that "''Vitalogy'' marks the first time it's possible to respect the band's music as much as its stance", but "despite its musical advances, ''Vitalogy'' leaves an odd, unsettling aftertaste. You walk away from it energized, but wondering what price Eddie Vedder, and Pearl Jam, will ultimately pay for it."<ref name="entertainmentweekly"/> ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' writer [[Jim DeRogatis]] gave that album three out of four stars and commended Pearl Jam for their earnest songwriting. However, DeRogatis also wrote that the album "leaves you wishing that they'd just lighten up".<ref name="DeRogatis"/> ''[[USA Today]]''{{'}}s [[Edna Gundersen]] gave ''Vitalogy'' three and a half out of four stars and stated that it "delivers the band's most compelling, inventive and confident music to date", while calling it "the rebel yell of a band that is maturing without mellowing".<ref name="Gundersen"/> ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' critic [[Robert Hilburn]] gave ''Vitalogy'' four out of four stars and viewed its music as an improvement over Pearl Jam's previous work, writing: "This isn't just the best Pearl Jam album but a better album than the band once even seemed capable of making".<ref name="Hilburn"/> [[AllMusic]] staff writer [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] gave the album four and a half out of five stars, saying: "Pearl Jam are at their best when they're fighting, whether it's Ticketmaster, fame, or their own personal demons."<ref name="allmusic"/> According to ''[[Rolling Stone Album Guide|The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' (2004): "By ''Vitalogy'' PJ hit their apex … the band's creative zenith, finding them doing a ''[[Led Zeppelin III]]'' on acoustic tracks like 'Corduroy' and turning in a [[Tom Waits]]-like weird attack on 'Bugs'".<ref name="Cross"/>

Three singles were released from ''Vitalogy''. The lead single, "[[Spin the Black Circle]]" (backed with [[A-side and B-side|B-side]] "[[Tremor Christ]]", also from the album), was the band's first to enter the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], reaching number 18.<ref name="billboard singles">[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=pearl-jam-p5118/charts-awards/billboard-singles|pure_url=yes}} Pearl Jam&nbsp;– Billboard Singles]. [[AllMusic]]. Retrieved on June 11, 2007.</ref> At the [[Grammy Awards of 1996|1996 Grammy Awards]], "Spin the Black Circle" won the band its first [[Grammy Award]], receiving the award for [[Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance|Best Hard Rock Performance]].<ref name="rockonthenet"/> Neither of the album's other commercially released singles, "[[Not for You]]" and "[[Immortality (Pearl Jam song)|Immortality]]", charted on the Hot 100, but both placed on the [[Mainstream Rock (chart)|Album Rock]] and [[Alternative Songs|Modern Rock]] charts. Album tracks "[[Better Man (Pearl Jam song)|Better Man]]" and "[[Corduroy (song)|Corduroy]]" also charted. "Better Man" was the most successful song from ''Vitalogy'' on the rock charts, spending a total of eight weeks at number one on the Album Rock chart and reaching number two on the Modern Rock chart.<ref name="billboard singles" /> At the 1996 Grammy Awards, ''Vitalogy'' received nominations for [[Grammy Award for Album of the Year|Album of the Year]] and [[Grammy Award for Best Rock Album|Best Rock Album]].<ref name="rockonthenet">[http://www.rockonthenet.com/archive/1996/grammys.htm 38th Grammy Awards]. Rockonthenet.com. Retrieved on September 5, 2007.</ref> In 2003, the album was ranked number 492 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine's list of [[Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|the 500 greatest albums of all time]].<ref>[https://archive.today/20120913063816/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/vitalogy-pearl-jam-19691231 492) Vitalogy]. ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. November 2003. Retrieved on April 27, 2007</ref>  The magazine listed the album at number 485 on its revised list in 2012, saying it showed the band's "mastery of rock's past and future".<ref name=":0">Wenner, Jann S., ed. (2012). Rolling Stone&nbsp;– Special Collectors Issue&nbsp;– The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. USA: Wenner Media Specials. {{ISBN|978-7-09-893419-6}}</ref> In May 2014, [[Loudwire]] placed ''Vitalogy'' at number ten on its "10 Best Hard Rock Albums of 1994" list.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://loudwire.com/best-hard-rock-albums-1994/ |title=10 Best Hard Rock Albums of 1994 |date=May 20, 2014 |website=[[Loudwire]] |access-date=May 21, 2014}}</ref> In July 2014, ''[[Guitar World]]'' placed the album on its "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994" list.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.guitarworld.com/superunknown-50-iconic-albums-defined-1994 |title=Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994 |date=July 14, 2014 |website=[[Guitar World]] |access-date=July 14, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140715053900/http://www.guitarworld.com/superunknown-50-iconic-albums-defined-1994 |archive-date=July 15, 2014 }}</ref>

In 2011, Pearl Jam released a remastered ''Vitalogy'', along with ''[[Vs. (Pearl Jam album)|Vs.]]'', in three formats: an Expanded Version, a three-CD Deluxe Edition, and a Limited Edition Collector's Boxed Set. The Expanded Version features three bonus tracks: the previously unreleased guitar/organ-only mix of "Better Man"; a previously unreleased alternate take of "Corduroy" from the ''Vitalogy'' sessions (recorded by Brendan O'Brien); and a previously unreleased demo version of "[[Nothingman]]", taken from the original DAT (recorded at John and Stu's in Seattle on October 14, 1993, featuring [[Richard Stuverud]] on drums). The three-CD Deluxe Edition features both the Legacy Versions of ''Vitalogy'' and ''Vs.'' with their bonus tracks and a copy of ''Live at the Orpheum Theater, Boston, April 12, 1994''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://pearljam.com/news/vs-and-vitalogy-20th-anniversary-editions|title=''Vs.'' and ''Vitalogy'' 20th Anniversary Editions|website=pearljam.com|access-date=September 15, 2011}}</ref>

==Tour==
{{Main|Vitalogy Tour}}
Pearl Jam promoted the album with tours in Asia, [[Oceania]], and the United States in 1995.<ref>[http://pearljam.com/tour/shows.php Pearl Jam: Set Lists]. pearljam.com.</ref> The band was joined by new drummer [[Jack Irons]]. The short tour of the United States focused on the [[Midwestern United States|Midwest]] and the [[West Coast of the United States|West Coast]]. The band continued its boycott against [[Ticketmaster]] during its tour of the United States, refusing to play in Ticketmaster's venue areas, but was surprised that virtually no other bands joined it in refusing to play at Ticketmaster venues.<ref>{{cite book|last=DeRogatis|first=Jim|author-link=Jim DeRogatis|title=Milk It!: Collected Musings on the Alternative Music Explosion of the 90's|publisher=[[Da Capo Press]]|location=Cambridge|year=2003|isbn=0-306-81271-1|page=64}}</ref> The band chose to use alternate ticketing companies for the shows.

The tour of the United States faced various troubles. Ament said the band and its crew had to "[build] shows from the ground up, a venue everywhere we went".<ref name="tenpast"/> In June 1995, the band was scheduled to play at [[San Francisco]], [[California]]'s [[Golden Gate Park]] in front of 50,000 people. Before the concert, Vedder was forced to stay at a hospital after suffering from the effects of [[Foodborne illness|food poisoning]]. He left the hospital to play the show, but he was not able to finish and ended up performing just seven out of 21 songs with the band.<ref>[http://www.fivehorizons.com/tour/cc/t1995.shtml "1995 Concert Chronology"]. fivehorizons.com.</ref> [[Neil Young]] filled in for Vedder for the rest of the show that day. Vedder said: "That whole [Golden Gate Park] thing was a blur based on some bad food. It was really, really bad. Looking back at it, it doesn't seem as intense as it was, but it was horrible. I just felt not human and looking back I should have got through that show somehow, and I think the fact that Neil [Young] was there made me feel like I could get off the hook in some way and I did go out for a few songs."<ref name="tenpast"/> Because of Vedder's health, the band was forced to cancel the remaining dates of its tour of the United States.<ref name="wayout"/> Some dates were later reinstated, while the rest were rescheduled for the fall. About canceling the dates, Vedder said: "I think we all agreed that it had gotten insane, that it was no longer about the music."<ref name="spin">Marks, Craig. "The Road Less Traveled". ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''. February 1997.</ref> Ament later said: "We were so hardheaded about the 1995 tour. Had to prove we could tour on our own, and it pretty much killed us, killed our career."<ref name="tenpast"/>

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| headline        = ''Vitalogy'' track listing
| all_lyrics      = [[Eddie Vedder]]. All music is credited to [[Pearl Jam]] except as noted
| title1          = Last Exit
| length1         = 2:54
| title2          = [[Spin the Black Circle]]
| length2         = 2:48
| title3          = [[Not for You]]
| length3         = 5:52
| title4          = [[Tremor Christ]]
| length4         = 4:12
| title5          = [[Nothingman]]
| music5          = Ament
| length5         = 4:35
| title6          = Whipping
| length6         = 2:34
| title7          = Pry, To
| length7         = 1:03
| title8          = [[Corduroy (song)|Corduroy]]
| length8         = 4:37
| title9          = Bugs
| length9         = 2:44
| title10         = Satan's Bed
| music10         = Gossard
| length10        = 3:30
| title11         = [[Better Man (Pearl Jam song)|Better Man]]
| music11         = Vedder
| length11        = 4:28
| title12         = Aye Davanita
| length12        = 2:57
| title13         = [[Immortality (Pearl Jam song)|Immortality]]
| length13        = 5:28
| title14         = Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me" a.k.a. "Stupid Mop
| length14        = 7:28
| total_length    = 55:09
}}
{{Track listing
| headline        = Reissue bonus tracks
| title15         = Better Man
| note15          = guitar and organ only mix
| music15         = Vedder
| length15        = 3:55
| title16         = Corduroy
| note16          = alternate take
| length16        = 4:44
| title17         = Nothingman
| note17          = 1993 demo featuring [[Richard Stuverud]] on drums
| music17         = Ament
| length17        = 4:36
}}

==Personnel==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Pearl Jam'''
* [[Eddie Vedder]]&nbsp;– lead vocals, guitar, accordion on "Bugs"; credited as "e.v." for book concept, theory of ''Vitalogy'', [[Typing|typist]]
* [[Jeff Ament]]&nbsp;– bass guitar, [[standup bass]], backing vocals, black-and-white photography
* [[Stone Gossard]]&nbsp;– guitar, [[Mellotron]], backing vocals
* [[Mike McCready]]&nbsp;– guitar, slide guitar, backing vocals
* [[Dave Abbruzzese]]&nbsp;– drums (except on "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me")

{{col-2}}
'''Additional musicians and production'''
* [[Jack Irons]]&nbsp;– drums on "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me"
* Barry Ament&nbsp;– [[Page layout|layout]]
* John Burton, Caram Costanzo, Karl Heilbron, [[Adam Kasper]], Kevin Scott, [[Trina Shoemaker]]&nbsp;– assistance
* [[Nick DiDia]]&nbsp;– [[Audio engineering|engineering]]
* Brett Eliason&nbsp;– recording/[[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing]] on "Hey Foxymophandlemama, That's Me"
* Lance Mercer&nbsp;– 8-Baby photo
* [[Brendan O'Brien (record producer)|Brendan O'Brien]]&nbsp;– [[record producer|production]], recording, [[pump organ]], [[Hammond organ]], [[Crumar]] [[bass pedals]],<ref name=RB>{{Cite AV media |last1=O'Brien |first1=Brendan |author-link1=Brendan O'Brien (record producer)|last2=Beato |first2=Rick |author-link2=Rick Beato |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfoOvO6Xguw&list=PLW0NGgv1qnfzRbBVRUFWxAwJbU1v5ET_R&index=23 |title=Brendan O'Brien Interview: The Unsung Hero Of Rock Music |via=[[YouTube]] |date= 23 May 2024 |access-date= 7 June 2025}}</ref> piano
* Pearl Jam&nbsp;– production
* [[Bob Ludwig]]&nbsp;– [[Mastering (audio)|mastering]]
* Joel Zimmerman&nbsp;– [[Art director|art direction]]
{{col-end}}

==Charts==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Weekly chart performance for ''Vitalogy''
!scope="col"|Chart (1994)
!scope="col"|Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|Australian Albums ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref name="AUS">{{cite web|url=https://australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Pearl+Jam|title=Discography Pearl Jam|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|1
|-
!scope="row"|Austrian Albums ([[Ö3 Austria Top 40|Ö3 Austria]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://austriancharts.at/showitem.asp?interpret=Pearl+Jam&titel=Vitalogy&cat=a|title=Pearl Jam - Vitalogy|publisher=Hung Medien|language=de|access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|7
|-
!scope="row"|Danish Albums ([[Hitlisten]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://danishcharts.dk/showitem.asp?interpret=Pearl+Jam&titel=Vitalogy&cat=a|title=Pearl Jam - Vitalogy|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|4
|-
!scope="row"|[[Album Top 100|Dutch Albums]] ([[Dutch Charts|Album Top 100]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/showitem.asp?interpret=Pearl+Jam&titel=Vitalogy&cat=a|title=Pearl Jam - Vitalogy|publisher=Hung Medien|language=nl|access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|7
|-
!scope="row"|Finnish Albums ([[The Official Finnish Charts|Suomen virallinen lista]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://finnishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Pearl+Jam&titel=Vitalogy&cat=a|title=Pearl Jam - Vitalogy|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|3
|-
!scope="row"|French Albums ([[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|SNEP]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Pearl+Jam&titel=Vitalogy&cat=a|title=Pearl Jam - Vitalogy|publisher=Hung Medien|language=fr|access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"|22
|-
{{album chart|Germany|8|id=1982|artist=Pearl Jam|album=Vitalogy|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}}
|-
!scope="row"|Irish Albums ([[Irish Recorded Music Association|IRMA]])<ref name="POR">{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAgEAAAAMBAJ&q=pearl+jam| access-date=February 19, 2008| title=Billboard| date=1994-12-24}}</ref>
|align="center"| 1
|-
!scope="row"|[[Oricon Albums Chart|Japanese Albums]] ([[Oricon]])<ref name="JAP">{{cite web|url= http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/129344/ranking/cd_album/| access-date=February 19, 2008| title=パール・ジャムのアルバム売上ランキング}}</ref>
|align="center"| 28
|-
!scope="row"|New Zealand ([[Official New Zealand Music Chart|RMNZ]])<ref name="NZ">{{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Pearl+Jam|title=Discography Pearl Jam|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"| 1
|-
!scope="row"|Norwegian Albums ([[VG-lista]])<ref name="NOR">{{cite web|url=https://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Pearl+Jam&titel=Vitalogy&cat=a|title=Pearl Jam - Vitalogy|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"| 7
|-
!scope="row"|Portuguese Albums ([[Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa|AFP]])<ref name="POR"/>
|align="center"| 4
|-
{{album chart|Scotland|5|date=19941204|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}}
|-
!scope="row"|Spanish Albums ([[Productores de Música de España|PROMUSICAE]])<ref>{{cite book |last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st |date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref>
|align="center"|11
|-
!scope="row"|Swedish Albums ([[Sverigetopplistan]])<ref name="SWE">{{cite web|url=https://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Pearl+Jam&titel=Vitalogy&cat=a|title=Pearl Jam - Vitalogy|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"| 1
|-
!scope="row"|Swiss Albums ([[Swiss Hitparade|Schweizer Hitparade]])<ref name="SWI">{{cite web|url=https://hitparade.ch/album/Pearl-Jam/Vitalogy-1982|website=Schweizer Hitparade|title=Pearl Jam - Vitalogy|publisher=Hung Medien|access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"| 17
|-
!scope="row"|[[UK Albums Chart|UK Albums]] (OCC)<ref name="UK">{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/29062/pearl-jam/|title=Pearl Jam {{!}} full Chart History|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"| 4
|-
!scope="row"|US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/pearl-jam/chart-history/tlp/|title=Pearl Jam Chart History (Billboard 200)|work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"| 1
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+1995 weekly chart performance for ''Vitalogy''
! Chart (1995)
! Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|[[Canadian Albums Chart|Canadian Albums]] (''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine
| url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.2714&volume=60&issue=25&issue_dt=January%2023%201995&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=lhaled67omcph7v3aq7fbveid1
| title=Top Albums/CDs - Volume 60, No. 25, January 23, 1995
| magazine=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]
| access-date=March 7, 2008
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519134805/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.2714&volume=60&issue=25&issue_dt=January%2023%201995&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=lhaled67omcph7v3aq7fbveid1
| archive-date=May 19, 2011
| url-status=dead
}}</ref>
|align="center"| 2
|}
{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+1994 year-end chart performance for ''Vitalogy''
!scope="col"|Chart (1994)
!scope="col"|Position
|-
!scope="row"|Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/1994/albums-chart|title=ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1994|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association|access-date=February 17, 2022}}</ref>
|align="center"| 12
|-
!scope="row"|Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1994&cat=a|title=Jaaroverzichten – Album 1994|website=dutchcharts.nl|access-date=February 17, 2022}}</ref>
|align="center"| 64
|-
!scope="row"|UK Albums (OCC)
|align="center"| 73
|}
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+1995 year-end chart performance for ''Vitalogy''
!scope="col"|Chart (1995)
!scope="col"|Position
|-
!scope="row"|Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.aria.com.au/charts/1995/albums-chart|title=ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1995|publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association|access-date=February 17, 2022}}</ref>
|align="center"| 31
|-
!scope="row"|German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1995|title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts|language=de|website=[[GfK Entertainment]]|publisher=offiziellecharts.de|access-date=February 17, 2022}}</ref>
|align="center"| 67
|-
!scope="row"|New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-albums/1995-12-31|title=Top Selling Albums of 1995|publisher=Recorded Music NZ|access-date=February 17, 2022}}</ref>
|align="center"| 20
|-
!scope="row"|US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1995/top-billboard-200-albums|title=Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1995|magazine=Billboard|access-date=February 17, 2022|archive-date=January 23, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123044853/https://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/1995/the-billboard-200|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|align="center"| 6
|}

===Decade-end charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+Decade-end chart performance for ''Vitalogy''
!Chart (1990–1999)
!Position
|-
! scope="row"| US ''Billboard'' 200<ref name="1990sbb">{{cite magazine | author = Geoff Mayfield | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=9w0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=RA1-PA4 | title = 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade - The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s | magazine = [[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] | date = December 25, 1999 | access-date = October 15, 2010}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|76
|}
{{col-end}}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for ''Vitalogy''}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|relyear=1994|certyear=1999|type=album|award=Platinum|number=4|source=book|id=214}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|relyear=1994|certyear=1996|title=Vitalogy|artist=Pearl Jam|type=album|award=Platinum|number=5}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Netherlands|artist=Pearl Jam|title=Vitalogy|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1994|certyear=1995|access-date=July 16, 2022}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|relyear=1994|certyear=1995|title=Vitalogy|artist=Pearl Jam|type=album|id=1995-07-07|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|award=Platinum}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Poland|relyear=1994|certyear=1995|title=Vitalogy|artist=Pearl Jam|type=album|award=Gold}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Spain|artist=Pearl Jam|title=Vitalogy|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=1994|certyear=1995|certref=<ref>{{cite book |last=Salaverrie |first=Fernando |date=September 2005 |url=http://www.mediafire.com/file/vqzno2c0fe48zam/Spanish+Certifications+for+1991-1995.pdf |title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 |language=es |edition=1st |location=Madrid |publisher=[[Sociedad General de Autores y Editores|Fundación Autor/SGAE]] |page=939 |isbn=84-8048-639-2 |access-date=18 September 2019}}</ref>}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|relyear=1994|certyear=1994|title=Vitalogy|artist=Pearl Jam|type=album|award=Gold|id=7997-1667-2}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|relyear=1994|certyear=1995|title=Vitalogy|artist=Pearl Jam|type=album|award=Platinum|number=5}}
{{Certification Table Bottom}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book| author = Nathan Brackett, Christian Hoard | title = The New Rolling Stone Album Guide | others = Completely Revised and Updated 4th Edition | publisher = Simon and Schuster | year = 2004 | isbn = 0-7432-0169-8| title-link = Rolling Stone Album Guide }}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* ''[http://www.discogs.com/Pearl-Jam-Vitalogy/master/73769 Vitalogy]'' at [[Discogs]]
* [https://pearljam.com/music/album/vitalogy ''Vitalogy'' information and lyrics at pearljam.com]
* [https://archive.org/details/vitalogyorencycl00woodiala 1906 edition of ''Vitalogy: Encyclopedia of Health and Home''] at the [[Internet Archive]].

{{good article}}
{{Pearl Jam}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1994 albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Brendan O'Brien (record producer)]]
[[Category:Epic Records albums]]
[[Category:Pearl Jam albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Stone Gossard]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Eddie Vedder]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Jeff Ament]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Mike McCready]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Jack Irons]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Dave Abbruzzese]]
[[Category:Punk rock albums by American artists]]
[[Category:Art rock albums by American artists]]