You have to give it to The Pretty Reckless — they laid the groundwork before so many others. In an era where every rapper is now talking all about rock and rock stars and how rock will change the world, it’s cool to see that this band, fronted by former child actor Taylor Momsen, are doing so well after having dedicated themselves to rock music over a decade ago. Case in point, it’s now been announced that the band’s new album, Death by Rock and Roll, has become a new milestone for Momsen and Co. — it’s their first record to reach the #1 spot on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart.
According to Billboard, Death by Rock and Roll moved 16,000 copies in the U.S., resulting in the band reaching #1 on Top Album Sales for the first time in their twelve-year career. It’s worth noting that the Top Album Sales chart relates solely to the traditional sale of records and doesn’t account for streaming, meaning that 16,000 people bought a CD or downloaded the album. It also means that The Pretty Reckless are going to be blaring out of some cars in the coming weeks, and probably draw in a more seasoned demographic these days (which is a nice way for old people like us to say ‘old people’).
But wait: not only did Death by Rock and Roll reach #1 on Top Album Sales, it also topped the Current Rock Albums chart, the Record Label Independent Albums chart and Internet Albums chart. So maybe it wasn’t just older fans who checked out the record after all. Meanwhile, on the infamous Billboard Top 200, which also takes into account streaming, the album came in at a still-impressive #28.
So: cheers to The Pretty Reckless for this career milestone! As more and more pop stars suddenly start wearing studded leather and talking about how they’ve always believed that rock will never die, we’ll never forget that you were at the forefront.
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Words by Chris Krovatin
