Debut album released

Despite the issues, the band’s debut album, Third Eye Blind , was finished and released in April 1997. As a new artist, the album did not particularly debut high in the US all-format Billboard 200 album’s chart, and only ever peaked at number 25 on the chart, but consistently sold each week, staying on the chart for over a year straight. Sales approached one million in the US by the end of 1997. The album’s sales were propelled by the success of their first single, the long-worked-upon and finalized version of ” Semi-Charmed Life “. It performed well on rock radio, topping the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart for eight weeks and found crossover success, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Four subsequent singles – ” Graduate “, ” How’s It Going to Be “, ” Losing a Whole Year “, and ” Jumper ” – kept the album selling well into 1998. “How’s It Going to Be” and “Jumper” similarly succeeded “Semi-Charmed Life” as crossover hits as well, peaking at number 9 and 5, respectively, on the all-format Billboard Hot 100 chart. The album was certified platinum six times by the RIAA , indicating over six million copies sold in the US. Meanwhile, Billboard named it the number one modern rock track of the year. The band toured extensively in support of the album, including opening for large acts such as U2 and The Rolling Stones in late 1997, before quickly graduating to headlining status afterwards throughout 1998. The band toured extensively throughout the year, including a three-month tour with Smash Mouth and a larger venue amphitheater tour mid-year, and a college tour with Eve 6 . The touring was seen as a success, as the band continued to book increasingly higher profile shows but the touring was not without issues, including a 1997 show where Jenkins fell unconscious after falling off the side of a stage, Salazar missing some 1997 shows because he was hospitalized by a viral infection , and an incident at a festival in 1998 where Salazar and Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt got into a physical altercation.