Album · A Perfect Circle
Mer de noms by A Perfect Circle
Mer de noms is an album by A Perfect Circle, released in 2000. 3 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 80 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Judith”, on 37 lists with a best position of #4.
Mer de noms, French for "Sea of Names", is the debut album from A Perfect Circle, released on May 23, 2000, and it sounds like a supergroup that actually has something to say. Guitarist Billy Howerdel produced the record, and Maynard James Keenan's voice floats above it, from a whisper to a scream and back again. Troy Van Leeuwen on guitar, Paz Lenchantin on bass and strings, and Josh Freese on drums round out a lineup that plays with muscle and finesse.
It was cut at Perfect Circle Studios, Extasy Recording Studios, Sound City and the Chop Shop, and it blends alternative metal, hard rock and art rock into something lush and bruising. "Judith" is the fist, a furious, churning blast of guitars, "3 Libras" is the caress, all swirling strings and heartache, and "The Hollow" charges in hard and never lets up. All three singles hit the top 20 on both the US Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts.
It entered the Billboard 200 at No. 4, the highest debut there ever for a rock band's first album, sold more than 188,000 copies in its first week and went platinum before the year was out.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Mer de noms on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Judith | 37 | #4 | – | 2000–2026 | |
| 2 | 3 Libras | 31 | #3 | – | 2000–2026 | |
| 3 | The Hollow | 12 | #23 | – | 2001–2008 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.