Grunge is often credited with curtailing the hair metal era, but there’s a band from the ’90s not associated with that scene that still has a grudge with one of the grunge forefathers that took over the spotlight in the early ’90s. That would be the Spin Doctors and singer Chris Barron says he’s still not a fan of Pearl Jam due to their dominance and where that placed his band on the ladder of promotion at their label.Spin Doctors are currently back on the scene with Face Full of Cake, their first new album in 13 years. But back at the start of their career they were amongst a new wave of bands vying for attention in 1991 with their debut album, Pocket Full of Kryptonite.Though the album fared very well (No. 3 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart, five times certified platinum record), Spin Doctors frontman Chris Barron feels the ceiling could have been even higher if their label had not favored Pearl Jam at the time.What Chris Barron Said About Pearl JamBarron let his feelings be known about Pearl Jam while speaking on the Rolling Stone Now podcast. He revealed that he still has trouble getting on board as a Pearl Jam fan all these years later because he felt that his band was always further down the pecking order of priorities for their label at the time.“I still can’t listen to Pearl Jam,” Barron shared. “No offense to anybody who likes Pearl Jam, but I just can’t do it.”Elaborating on why he wasn’t a fan of the band, he recalled, “We would get to a town and back then they had these like little newspapers, the local rag and I’d open it up and there’d be like a full page ad of Pearl Jam’s gig and Pearl Jam’s record. And you couldn’t find the Spin Doctors anywhere. You’d go to the record store, it’d be a big Pearl Jam display and one copy of our record. It was maddening.”Ten Vs. Pocket Full of KryptoniteOn one hand, Spin Doctors fared quite well back in 1991. They benefitted from a Rolling Stone cover, appeared as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live in 1992 and their video for “Two Princes” was in heavy rotation on MTV throughout 1992 catapulting them to fame.The record yielded five big singles, with “Little Miss Can’t Be Wrong,” “Jimmy Olsen’s Blues,” “What Time Is It?” and “How Could You Want Him (When You Could Have Me?” all earning solid radio and MTV play.READ MORE: Why 1991 Had the Best 6-Month Release Period in Rock + Metal HistoryAs previously stated, the album was a Top 5 record peaking at No. 3 and it became a multi-platinum smash with the RIAA currently certifying it at over 5 million copies sold.But, in fairness, Pearl Jam’s returns for the Ten album were quite loftier.The album peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. Four singles – “Alive,” “Even Flow,” “Jeremy” and “Oceans” – emerged from the record. “Jeremy” also became an MTV favorite and the video went on to win Best Video of the Year. Accolades included multiple Grammy nominations and an eventual induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame and fans helping to make it a Diamond certified album in the U.S. with over 13 million sold.Pearl Jam have also maintained a pretty steady career after their initial breakout, while Spin Doctors faltered a bit commercially with their sophomore set and the band exited Epic after their third studio album.Spin Doctors’ Chris Barron Speaks With Rolling Stone Now Podcast75 Best Rock Songs of the ’90sYou won’t want to miss a thing.Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire
