The Shins Take Classic Indie Label Sub Pop Into the Top 10

When the indie pop band the Shins debuted at #2 on the pop album chart this week, it was not only a tremendous accomplishment for a band that had never reached higher than #86 on the chart before, it was also the first top 10 album ever for legendary independent record label Sub Pop Records.

Sub Pop Records evolved from a music fanzine that began publishing in Seattle in the late 1970's. The label released its first album in 1986. Sub Pop sealed its place in pop/rock history with the release of Nirvana's first album Bleach in 1989. The album eventually sold over 4 million copies, but it never reached higher than #89 in the charts. In fact, until this week, no album released on Sub Pop ever charted higher than #79.

The Shins gained significant national notice with rave critical reviews of their album Chutes Too Narrow and the inclusion of 2 of the band's songs on the successful soundtrack for the movie Garden State. Pre-release music industry buzz and the appearance of the single "Phantom Limb" on the Modern Rock chart combined to help the band sell over 100,000 copies of Wincing the Night Away in its first week.

To hear and see the Shins yourself, check out the video for "Phantom Limb."

Watch "Phantom Limb."