Album · Janis Joplin
Pearl by Janis Joplin
Pearl is an album by Janis Joplin, released in 1971. 5 songs from it have charted on rock radio countdowns, with 84 countdown appearances in total. The biggest is “Me and Bobby McGee”, on 58 lists with a best position of #12.
Pearl, Janis Joplin's second and final solo album, came out on Columbia on January 11, 1971, three months after she died on October 4, 1970, and it's one hell of a way to say goodbye. Paul A. Rothchild produced it at Sunset Sound, and she's backed by the Full Tilt Boogie Band, her last touring outfit, on the only album she ever cut with them.
That powerhouse voice goes from a rasp to a roar to a whisper and back, pouring blues, soul and rhythm and blues into every corner. "Cry Baby" and "Move Over" tear the roof off, "Get It While You Can" pleads, and her own "Mercedes Benz" was the last thing she ever recorded. Her take on Kris Kristofferson's "Me and Bobby McGee" hit number one in March 1971, and the album sat at the top of the Billboard 200 for nine weeks.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz and Wikipedia.
Songs from Pearl on radio countdowns
| # | Song | Strength | Lists | Best | #1s | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Me and Bobby McGee | 58 | #12 | – | 1982–2026 | |
| 2 | Mercedes Benz | 9 | #252 | – | 2001–2023 | |
| 3 | Move Over | 8 | #242 | – | 1991–2023 | |
| 4 | Cry Baby | 6 | #202 | – | 2001–2023 | |
| 5 | Get It While You Can | 3 | #893 | – | 2001–2020 |
Only songs that appear on at least one countdown are listed. Release data from MusicBrainz.