The reggae legends from Long Beach came in second, only behind the most recent Star Wars soundtrack by Disney.
Sublime, the trio of Bradley Nowell (Guitar/Vocals), Eric Wilson (Bass) and Bud Gaugh (Drums), nearly reached the top of the charts, nearly twenty-years after their last live performance. Sublime’s Jah Won’t Pay The Bills via Interscope Records, reached the number two spot on the Albums Chart for Record Store Day releases.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens “March of the Resistance” took home the top honor on Record Store Day. But, Sublime’s Record Store Day release bested releases from such prominent mainstream artists and bands like Phish, David Bowie, Metallica, Madonna, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Deftones, Grateful Dead, Sex Pistols, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The White Stripes, Johnny Cash and Fleetwood Mac, among others.
Sublime might not be more commercially accepted or recognized as a mainstream success story like many of the artists mentioned above, but the band’s cult-like following is still existent decades after their last official release as band.
Sublime’s last live concert with Bradley Nowell was on May 24, 1996. However, a re-release of early demo tracks on vinyl and cassette nearly beat out a Walt Disney Records release of Star Wars. That in itself is a true accomplishment for Sublime and reggae music.
Rewind back to the late 1980s, Sublime was an underground sensation, that fans only heard of by word of mouth and at live shows. That all began to change when Sublime released a cassette titled, Jah Won’t Pay the Bills in 1991.
Jah Won’t Pay The Bills, the ten-track album was sold exclusively at Sublime shows out of the back of the band’s van. The very first release from Sublime has become an extreme rarity in the reggae-rock community, and with the chart totals, a cult classic.
For more information on Sublime, the Jah Won’t Pay the Bills reissue and full track listing, follow the links below.
Jah Won’t Pay the Bills – Track List
1. D.J.s
2. Badfish
3. Let’s Go Get Stoned
4. New Song
5. Had a Dat
6. Don’t Push
7. Ball and Chain
8. Slow Ride
9. Date Rape
10. Live at E’s
Sublime Links
Website
Facebook
iTunes
YouTube
Video: Sublime – “D.J.s” (Live in Hollywood)