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{{Infobox album
| name         = No Code
| type         = studio
| artist       = [[Pearl Jam]]
| cover        = PearlJam-NoCode.jpg
| alt          = A set of Polaroid photos. On the upper side the title "Pearl Jam&nbsp;– No Code" is written in red letters.
| caption      = One of four alternative covers to the album—all feature similar montages of Polaroid photos.
| released     = {{Start date|1996|08|27}}
| recorded     = {{Start date|1995|07|12}} – {{End date|1996|05}}
| studio       = *[[Chicago Recording Company|CRC]] (Chicago)
*Kingsway (New Orleans)
*[[Studio Litho|Litho]] (Seattle)
| genre        = *[[Alternative rock]]
*[[art rock]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Bray|first=Ryan|date=August 27, 2016|title=Pearl Jam Knew What They Were Doing on No Code, Even if I Didn't|url=https://consequence.net/2020/03/pearl-jam-no-code-anniversary/|access-date=June 20, 2018|website=[[Consequence (publication)|Consequence]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Coffman |first1=Tim |title=The Pearl Jam album that almost made Jeff Ament quit |url=https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-pearl-jam-album-that-almost-made-jeff-ament-quit/ |website=Far Out Magazine |access-date=February 8, 2024 |date=December 6, 2023}}</ref>
* [[garage rock|garage punk]]<ref>{{cite book|last=Buckley|first=Peter|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C&pg=PA778|title=The Rough Guide to Rock|date=2003|publisher=[[Rough Guides]]|isbn=978-1-84353-105-0|page=778}}</ref>
| length       = {{Duration|m=49|s=30}}
| label        = [[Epic Records|Epic]]
| producer     = [[Brendan O'Brien (music producer)|Brendan O'Brien]], Pearl Jam
| prev_title   = [[Vitalogy]]
| prev_year    = {{Start date|1994}}
| next_title   = [[Yield (album)|Yield]]
| next_year    = {{Start date|1998}}
| misc         = {{Singles
 | name        = No Code
 | type        = studio
 | single1     = [[Who You Are (Pearl Jam song)|Who You Are]]
 | single1date = {{Start date|1996|07|30}}
 | single2     = [[Hail, Hail]]
 | single2date = {{Start date|1996|10|21}}
 | single3     = [[Off He Goes]]
 | single3date = {{Start date|1997|01|11}}
}}
}}
'''''No Code''''' is the fourth studio album by the American [[rock music|rock]] band [[Pearl Jam]], released on August 27, 1996, through [[Epic Records]]. Following a troubled tour for its previous album, ''[[Vitalogy]]'' (1994), in which Pearl Jam engaged in a much-publicized boycott of [[Ticketmaster]], the band went into the studio to record its follow-up. The music on the record was more diverse than what the band had done on previous releases, incorporating elements of [[garage rock]] and [[worldbeat]].

Although ''No Code'' debuted at number one on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], making it Pearl Jam's third consecutive number one album, it left a large section of the band's fanbase unsatisfied and quickly fell down the charts. Critical reviews were also mixed, with praise to the musical variety but criticism to the album's inconsistency. The album became the first Pearl Jam album to not reach multi-platinum status, receiving a single [[RIAA certification|platinum]] certification by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) in the United States.

==Recording==
For its fourth album, Pearl Jam again worked with producer [[Brendan O'Brien (music producer)|Brendan O'Brien]], with whom they had worked on predecessors ''[[Vs. (Pearl Jam album)|Vs.]]'' (1993) and ''[[Vitalogy]]'' (1994). ''No Code'' was the band's first album with drummer [[Jack Irons]], who had joined the band as ''Vitalogy'' was being completed. Following the summer U.S. leg of the band's [[Vitalogy Tour]], the band began work on ''No Code'' at the [[Chicago Recording Company]] studios in [[Chicago]] for a week in July 1995 during the infamous [[1995 Chicago heat wave|Chicago heat wave]]. During a break in a string of make-up dates for the 1995 tour the band went into the studio for a week-long session in [[New Orleans]], [[Louisiana]], where the band recorded "[[Off He Goes]]".<ref name="lostdogs">(2003) Album notes for ''Lost Dogs'' by Pearl Jam, [CD booklet]. New York: Sony Music.</ref><ref>Vedder, Eddie. (Speaker). (2000). ''8/14/00, New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, Louisiana'' [Audio Recording]. Epic Records.</ref> The rest of the recording took place in the first half of 1996 in [[Seattle]] at Studio Litho, which is owned by guitarist [[Stone Gossard]]. The album was then mixed by O'Brien at his mixing facility at Southern Tracks in [[Atlanta]].<ref>(1996) Album notes for ''No Code'' by Pearl Jam, [CD booklet]. New York: Sony Music.</ref>

The sessions for the album began with strife and tension. Bassist [[Jeff Ament]] was not made aware that the band was recording until three days into the sessions, and said that he "wasn't super involved with that record on any level".<ref name="tenpast">Weisbard, Eric, et al. "Ten Past Ten". ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''. August 2001.</ref> Guitarist [[Mike McCready]] said, "I'm sure Jeff was pissed, but it was more about separating, because if we played all together nothing would get done. We'd all just get pissed off at each other."<ref name="tenpast"/> At one point Ament even walked out of the recording sessions,<ref name="Garbarini">Garbarini, Vic. "All For One: Pearl Jam Yield to the Notion That United They Stand and Divided They Fall". ''[[Guitar World]]''. March 1998.</ref> and considered quitting the band due to lead vocalist [[Eddie Vedder]]'s control of the creation process.<ref>Sculley, Alan. [http://www.aceweekly.com/Backissues_ACEWeekly/2003/030417/music030417.html "Kick Out The Jams: Seattle sound gears up for Rupp"]. ''ACE Weekly''. 2003.</ref> Due to Pearl Jam balancing recording and touring, Irons commented that the band was "more on-the-fly during the making of ''No Code'', and some good things happened out of that, but we were also really tired. It was difficult to tour and play these shows that were two or three hours long and then force ourselves to produce something in a studio."<ref name="Peiken">Peiken, Matt. "Jack Irons: This Inner Life". ''[[Modern Drummer]]''. June 1998.</ref>

McCready said that a lot of the songs were developed out of [[jam session]]s, and said "I think we kind of rushed it a little bit."<ref>Engleheart, Murray. "Interview with Mike McCready". ''Massive!''. February/March 1998.</ref> Ament said that the band members would bring in fragments of songs, and it would take hours before Vedder could have music to which he could add vocals.<ref name="Garbarini"/> He added that "Ed's typically the guy who finishes off the songs...But by the end of ''No Code'', he was so burnt, it was so much work for him."<ref name="philadelphia">Moon, Tom. "Calling Off the Crusades". ''[[The Philadelphia Inquirer]]''. February 8, 1998.</ref> The band's mood had gotten better by the time the album was finished, and the bandmembers gave credit for this to Irons. Regarding Irons, O'Brien stated that "everybody was on their best musical behavior around him."<ref name="tenpast"/> McCready said that Irons urged the band members to discuss their problems, and called him "a big spiritual influence, if not the biggest."<ref name="Garbarini"/> Vedder said, "Making ''No Code'' was all about gaining perspective."<ref name="spin">Marks, Craig. "The Road Less Traveled". ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''. February 1997.</ref> Commenting upon the sessions as a whole, O'Brien said, "It was really a transitional record. We had a good time making it."<ref name="tenpast"/>

===Outtakes===
Two outtakes from the recording sessions ended up as [[A-side and B-side|B-side]]s, "Black, Red, Yellow" on the "[[Hail, Hail]]" [[single (music)|single]],<ref name="lostdogs"/> and "Dead Man", which was originally intended for the film ''[[Dead Man Walking (film)|Dead Man Walking]]'', on "Off He Goes".<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/60731/dead-man-walking-reborn-with-live-dvd|title='Dead Man Walking' Reborn With Live DVD|magazine=Billboard|date=2005-11-11|access-date=2012-05-23}}</ref>  Both songs were included on the 2003 ''[[Lost Dogs (album)|Lost Dogs]]'' collection of rarities, along with four other tracks from the ''No Code'' sessions, two of which ended up on compilations – "[[Leaving Here]]", which appeared on ''[[Home Alive]]'', and "Gremmie Out of Control", featured on ''[[Music for Our Mother Ocean Vol. 1]]''. The other rejected songs were "All Night" and "Don't Gimme No Lip".<ref name="lostdogs"/> "Olympic Platinum", written by the album's mixer [[Nick DiDia]] around the time of the [[1996 Summer Olympics]], was recorded by the band and released on its 1996 fan club Christmas single.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dev.pearljam.com/song/olympic-platinum|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120708175004/http://dev.pearljam.com/song/olympic-platinum|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-08|title=Olympic Dream info|publisher=PearlJam.com|access-date=2012-05-22}}</ref>

==Music and lyrics==
{{Listen
 |filename     = Who_You_Are.ogg
 |title        = "Who You Are"
 |description  = A sample of "Who You Are", the first single released from the album. The song has an Eastern-influenced guitar sound and a polyrhythmic drum pattern created by Irons.
 |filename2    = HailHail.ogg
 |title2       = "Hail, Hail"
 |description2 = A sample of "Hail, Hail", the second single released from the album. The song is heavily influenced by [[garage rock]].
}}
While ''Vitalogy'' had shifted away from the earlier albums' accessible compositions and polished production, ''No Code'' represented a deliberate break from ''[[Ten (Pearl Jam album)|Ten]]'''s [[Arena rock|stadium]] sound, favoring [[Experimental rock|experimental]] ballads and noisy [[garage rock]] songs. It stood out with its emphasis on subtle harmony ("[[Off He Goes]]"), [[Music of Asia|Eastern]] influences ("[[Who You Are (Pearl Jam song)|Who You Are]]"), and [[spoken word]] ("I'm Open"). Irons lends a tribal drum sound on the songs "Who You Are" and "In My Tree". Irons stated, "To turn my drum music into a song is pretty challenging, but the guys have been really supportive of me doing it, and we've worked some things into a few songs."<ref name="Peiken"/> Vedder said, "We realized that we had an opportunity to experiment."<ref name="spin"/> David Browne of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' stated that "''No Code'' displays a wider range of moods and instrumentation than on any previous Pearl Jam album."<ref name="entertainmentweekly"/>

The lyrical themes on the album deal with issues of spirituality, morality, and self-examination.<ref name="allmusic"/><ref name="wayout">Hilburn, Robert. "Working Their Way Out of a Jam". ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. December 22, 1996.</ref> Vedder said, "I think there's a little self-examination in those songs, something that a lot of my friends are going through too, as they approach 30."<ref name="wayout"/> Ament said, "In some ways, it's like the band's story. It's about growing up."<ref name="wayout"/> The lyrics of "[[Hail, Hail]]" refer to two people in a troubled relationship struggling to hold it together.<ref name="thenewyorktimes"/> Vedder has said that he wrote the song "Off He Goes" about himself and how he is a "shit friend", adding, "I'll show up and everything's great and then all of the sudden I'm outta there..."<ref name="tenpast"/> "Lukin" is about the "pretty intense stalker problem" Vedder faced during the mid-1990s.<ref name="tenpast"/><ref name="secondcoming">{{cite magazine | last = Hiatt | first = Brian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429081700/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/pearl_jam_the_second_coming/page/2|archive-date=2009-04-29 | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/pearl_jam_the_second_coming | title = The Second Coming of Pearl Jam | magazine = [[Rolling Stone]] | date = 2006-06-16 | url-status = dead | access-date = 2007-06-22}}</ref> "Around the Bend" was written by Vedder as a [[lullaby]] that Irons could sing to his son.<ref name="tenpast"/>

The lyrics to "Smile" are taken from a note that [[Dennis Flemion]] of [[The Frogs (band)|The Frogs]] hid inside Vedder's notebook while he was onstage performing.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20090327142136/http://www.twofeetthick.com/concert-chronology/pj2006/#06/29/06 "Pearl Jam Concert Chronology: 2006"]}}. TwoFeetThick.com.</ref> The words used in the note are taken from the Frogs songs "This Is How I Feel" and "Now I Wanna Be Dead". Flemion is given credit in the [[Gramophone record|vinyl]], but the credit is absent from the CD version. The lyrics to "[[Red Mosquito]]" were inspired by the events surrounding Pearl Jam's June 24, 1995, concert at San Francisco's [[Golden Gate Park]], which happened on the same day Vedder was hospitalized due to [[Foodborne illness|food poisoning]].<ref name="Vedder">Vedder, Eddie. (Speaker). (2006). ''7/18/06, Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco California'' [Audio Recording]. Ten Club.</ref><ref>Kava, Brad. [https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1290&dat=19951110&id=LDRUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jI4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3034,3144586 "'I'm Just looking to make it right.' --- E.V."]. ''[[San Jose Mercury News]]''. November 3, 1995.</ref> Vedder only made it through seven songs and the band was forced to cancel the remaining dates of the short tour that it was on.<ref name="wayout"/> For the first time on a Pearl Jam album, a band member other than Vedder contributed lyrics, with Gossard writing the lyrics to "Mankind".<ref name="spin"/> Gossard also sang lead vocals on the track.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8xEEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA19|title=Epic's Stone Gossard Makes Pearl Jam's First Solo Move|date=September 1, 2001|magazine=Billboard|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan}}</ref>

==Packaging and title==
[[File:Nocode - triangle.jpg|thumb|right|The album cover unfolded, creating the ''No Code'' logo|alt=A triangle with an eye figure inside is seen out of a montage of photographs.]]
The album package consists of 156 [[Instant film#Polaroid|Polaroid]] photos that unfold into a 2×2 square. The Polaroid photos are seemingly random. One of the photos featured on the front cover is the eyeball of [[Dennis Rodman]], former [[Chicago Bulls]] player and friend of the band,<ref name="lostdogs"/><ref>Rolph, Amy. [http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2011/07/04/what-album-covers-say-about-seattle/#216-7 What album covers say about Seattle]. ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]'' (July 4, 2011). Retrieved on May 24, 2012</ref> while another photo is of Vedder's foot after he had been stung by a [[stingray]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080610101207/http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/PearlJam/rumorpit/pit24.html "Pearl Jam: Rumor Pit Issue #24"]. sonymusic.com. June 10, 1997.</ref> The pictures, when viewed from afar, blend to form the ''No Code'' triangle/eyeball logo that is the theme throughout the album. Later pressings of the CD featured a 1x4 format packaging, losing the hidden message effect. The CD and vinyl came with lyrics printed on the back of replica Polaroids. Only nine Polaroids came in a set, (with a catalog number Suffix of 'C' 'O' 'D' or 'E')leaving one to have to obtain another set to accumulate all thirteen songs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/amplifier/grading-pearl-jams-album-covers.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115071152/http://music.yahoo.com/blogs/amplifier/grading-pearl-jams-album-covers.html|archive-date=January 15, 2012|title=Grading Pearl Jam's Album Covers|first=Daniel|last=Kreps|publisher=Amplifier – [[Yahoo! Music]]|date=April 26, 2011|access-date=2012-05-22}}</ref>

When discussing the album's title, Vedder said "it's called ''No Code'' because it's full of code. It's misinformation."<ref>Vedder, Eddie. [https://web.archive.org/web/20030707054340/http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/PearlJam/echoes/fritz2.html "Fritz, Drugs & Rock 'n' Roll - Eddie Vedder Radio Show"]. Radio Fritz, Berlin, Germany. November 3, 1996.</ref> In medical terminology, a "no code" order is a medical order to withhold CPR on a patient. It is also known as a "do not resuscitate" order. In another interview, Vedder said that "if the record is a complete failure you've kind of owned up to it in a subliminal way. ''No Code'' was the same thing. For me, ''No Code'' meant 'Do Not Resuscitate'."<ref>Dwyer, Michael. [http://www.fivehorizons.com/archive/articles/rs_oz_0800.shtml "Steady Eddie"]. ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. August 2000.</ref>

==Tour==
{{Main|No Code Tour}}
Pearl Jam promoted the album with tours in North America and Europe in the fall of 1996.<ref>[http://www.pearljam.com/tour/shows/1996 Pearl Jam: 1996 Set Lists]. pearljam.com.</ref> The short tour of North America focused on the [[East Coast of the United States]]. As with ''Vitalogy'', very little touring was done in the United States to promote ''No Code'' because of the band's refusal to play in [[Ticketmaster]]'s venues.<ref>Philips, Chuck. "Pearl Jam to Tour on Own Terms Again". ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. July 25, 1996.</ref> The band chose to use alternate ticketing companies for the shows. A European tour followed in the fall of 1996, of which the band's November 3, 1996, show in Berlin, Germany at [[Deutschlandhalle]] was broadcast on many radio stations worldwide.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080610101152/http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/PearlJam/rumorpit/pit20.html "Pearl Jam: Rumor Pit Issue #20"]. sonymusic.com. October 21, 1996.</ref>

During the North American tour fans complained about the difficulty in obtaining tickets and the use of non-Ticketmaster venues, which were judged to be remote and impersonal.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.eonline.com/news/pearl_jam_yields_ticketmaster/35954 | title=Pearl Jam Yields to Ticketmaster | access-date=June 27, 2007 | last=Symonds |first=Jeff | publisher=[[E!|E! Online]] | date=February 14, 1998}}</ref> Gossard stated that there was "a lot of stress associated with trying to tour at that time" and that "it was growing more and more difficult to be excited about being part of the band." He added, "Ticketmaster, as monopolistic as it may be, is very efficient so we weren't playing the venues we wanted to play."<ref name=tenpast/>

On October 17, 2014, at the [[iWireless Center]] in [[Moline, Illinois]], during the [[Lightning Bolt Tour]], Pearl Jam played the entire album in order as part of their set.<ref name="Moline">{{cite web | url=http://qctimes.com/entertainment/music/pearl-jam-puts-on-electrifying-show-in-first-q-c/article_f2e843ba-4b51-5119-bfd9-0614421a54fb.html | title=Pearl Jam puts on electrifying show in first Q-C visit | date=2014-10-18 | access-date=2014-10-18 | publisher=QC Times}}</ref><ref name="NoCodeRS">{{cite web | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/pearl-jam-play-entire-no-code-debut-new-song-at-moline-concert-20141018 | title=Pearl Jam Play Entire 'No Code,' Debut New Song at Moline Concert | date=2014-10-18 | access-date=2014-10-18 | publisher=Rolling Stone}}</ref>

==Release and reception==

===Commercial performance===
''No Code'' sold 366,500<nowiki>&nbsp;</nowiki>copies in its first week of release, topping the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], but falling short of analysts' predictions of at least 535,000 copies. This was significantly less than what the band's previous two albums sold in their respective first weeks of release. It was, however, the seventh biggest-selling debut of what was a slow year for the industry.<ref name="wayout"/><ref>Mayfield, Josh. [https://books.google.com/books?id=wQkEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA103 "Between the Bullets: Big But Not Huge"]. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''. September 14, 1996.</ref> It stayed at number one for two weeks, and was Pearl Jam's last album to debut at number one on the album chart until ''[[Backspacer]]'' was released in 2009.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/chart-beat/267218/chart-beat-thursday-black-eyed-peas-pearl-jam-frank-sinatra|title=Chart Beat Thursday: Black Eyed Peas, Pearl Jam, Frank Sinatra| last=Trust |first=Gary | magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| date=October 1, 2009| access-date=May 25, 2012}}</ref> By its sixth week, the album had sold 790,000 copies.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.canoe.com:80/JamMusicArtistsN/nirvana.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19991109094228/http://www.canoe.com/JamMusicArtistsN/nirvana.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 9, 1999|title=Death can't stop Nirvana|last=Sakamoto|first=John|date=October 9, 1996|access-date=December 7, 2020}}</ref> ''No Code'' was certified platinum by the [[Recording Industry Association of America|RIAA]],<ref name=RIAA>[http://riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&title=No+Code&artist=Pearl+Jam&perPage=25&go=Search Gold and Platinum Database Search] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626051113/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS |date=June 26, 2007 }}. [[RIAA]]. Retrieved on May 28, 2008.</ref> but was the band's first album to not reach multi-platinum status. As of 2013, the album has sold 1.7 million<nowiki>&nbsp;</nowiki>copies in the United States according to [[Nielsen SoundScan]].<ref name="billboard">{{cite magazine| url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/72091/10ask| title=Ask Billboard: Ready for a Riot| last=Caulfield | first=Keith| magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| date=March 2003| access-date=July 25, 2007}}</ref>

Three singles were released from ''No Code''. The lead single "[[Who You Are (Pearl Jam song)|Who You Are]]" peaked at number 31 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]], and reached number one on the [[Alternative Songs|Modern Rock]] charts and number five on the [[Mainstream Rock (chart)|Mainstream Rock]] charts. Neither of the album's other singles, "[[Hail, Hail]]" and "[[Off He Goes]]", charted on the Hot 100, but both placed on the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts, as did album track "Red Mosquito".<ref>{{cite web
| url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=no-code-r239233/charts-awards/billboard-single|pure_url=yes}}
| title=Pearl Jam&nbsp;– ''No Code'' – Billboard Singles
| publisher=[[AllMusic]]
| access-date=June 11, 2007}}</ref>

"Present Tense" reached No. 1 on [[iTunes]]' Top 40 US Rock Songs chart on May 18, 2020, after being featured in the ending of the [[ESPN]] documentary series ''[[The Last Dance (miniseries)|The Last Dance]]''.

===Critical response===
{{Music ratings
| rev1 = [[AllMusic]] 
| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web|last=Erlewine|first=Stephen Thomas|author-link=Stephen Thomas Erlewine|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/no-code-mw0000185938|title=No Code – Pearl Jam|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=March 21, 2009}}</ref>
| rev2 = ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''
| rev2score = C<ref name="entertainmentweekly">{{cite magazine|last=Browne|first=David|author-link=David Browne (journalist)|url=https://ew.com/article/1996/08/23/no-code/|title=Northwest Passage|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=August 23, 1996|access-date=May 28, 2008}}</ref>
| rev3 = ''[[The Guardian]]''
| rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref>{{cite news|last=Sullivan|first=Caroline|title=Pearl Jam: No Code (Epic)|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=August 30, 1996}}</ref>
| rev4 = ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''
| rev4score = {{Rating|4|4}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Hilburn|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Hilburn|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-08-25-ca-37396-story.html|title=Getting Back to Fundamentals|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=August 25, 1996|access-date=October 17, 2017}}</ref>
| rev5 = ''[[NME]]''
| rev5score = 7/10<ref name="nme">{{cite web|url=http://www.nme.com:80/reviews/reviews/19980101001136reviews.html|title=Pearl Jam – No Code|website=[[NME]]|date=August 24, 1996|access-date=October 17, 2017|page=50|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000817184758/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101001136reviews.html|archive-date=August 17, 2000|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev6 = ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]''
| rev6score = 5.4/10<ref name="pitchforkmedia">{{cite web|last=Schreiber|first=Ryan|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/p/pearl-jam/no-code.shtml|title=Pearl Jam: No Code|website=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=September 1996|access-date=May 20, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060424171953/http://pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/p/pearl-jam/no-code.shtml|archive-date=April 24, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| rev7 = ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]''
| rev7score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="q">{{cite journal|title=Pearl Jam: No Code|journal=[[Q (magazine)|Q]]|issue=121|date=October 1996|page=158}}</ref>
| rev8 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev8score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="rollingstone">{{cite magazine|last=Fricke|first=David|author-link=David Fricke|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/albumreviews/no-code-19960905|title=No Code|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=September 5, 1996|access-date=May 28, 2008}}</ref>
| rev9 = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| rev9score = 6/10<ref>{{cite journal|last=Weisbard|first=Eric|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I6ZfZSHzFXIC&pg=129|title=Pearl Jam: No Code|journal=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|volume=12|issue=7|date=October 1996|access-date=April 17, 2020|pages=129–130}}</ref>
| rev10 = ''[[USA Today]]'' 
| rev10score = {{Rating|3|4}}<ref name="Gundersen">{{cite web|last=Gundersen|first=Edna|author-link=Edna Gundersen|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/enter/music/lem447.htm|title=Grunge gurus break 'Code'|website=[[USA Today]]|date=August 23, 1996|access-date=April 13, 2020|page=01.D|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990505084856/http://www.usatoday.com/life/enter/music/lem447.htm|archive-date=May 5, 1999|url-status=dead}}</ref>
}}<!--List Automatically Moved by DASHBot-->

Upon its release, ''No Code'' received a mixed to positive critical reception. ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' staff writer [[David Fricke]] gave ''No Code'' four out of five stars, saying that the album "is abrupt in its mood swings almost to the point of vertigo." He praised the album as "the kind of impulsive, quixotic, provocative ruckus that has become rare in a modern-rock mainstream" and added that "''No Code'' basically means no rule books, no limits and, above all, no fear."<ref name="rollingstone"/> ''[[Q (magazine)|Q]]'' gave the album four out of five stars. The review said that the album "constantly adds unexpected and fascinating details....A solid attraction amid intriguing oddities is the powerful array of guitar sounds."<ref name="q"/> Critic [[Robert Christgau]] described the album as "slowly winning a heartwarming battle against constitutional melancholia."<ref name="Christgau">{{cite book|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_album.php?id=2711|chapter=Pearl Jam: No Code|access-date=May 20, 2009|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]]|year=2000|isbn=0-312-24560-2|url=https://archive.org/details/christgausconsum00chri_0}}</ref> [[AllMusic]] staff writer [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] gave the album three and a half out of five stars, saying, "While a bit too incoherent, ''No Code'' is Pearl Jam's richest and most rewarding album to date as well as their most human."<ref name="allmusic"/> ''[[NME]]'' gave ''No Code'' a seven out of ten. In the review, it is stated that "Vedder is still preoccupied with his own mortality, but now he appears more quasi-mystical than miserable....for all its relative placidity, ''No Code'' is still a difficult beast."<ref name="nme"/>

Referring to the songs on the album, [[Jon Pareles]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' said "about half are worth the effort." He observed that "too often, [Vedder] falls into American culture's [[Disney]] syndrome, idealizing childhood innocence above all."<ref name="thenewyorktimes">{{cite web|last=Pareles|first=Jon|author-link=Jon Pareles|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9806E4DB1430F936A1575BC0A960958260|title=Pearl Jam Is Tired of the Pearl Jam Sound|website=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 25, 1996|access-date=June 27, 2007}}</ref> [[David Browne (journalist)|David Browne]] of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' gave the album a C, saying that while ''No Code'' "cracks open their sound", it "becomes a collection of fragments that don't add up to much of anything, except a portrait of a musically disjointed band." On the change in mood compared with the band's previous releases, he said that "the album leaves you with the vaguely unsettling feeling that Pearl Jam without pain are like a pretzel without salt, or Seattle without rain."<ref name="entertainmentweekly"/> Ryan Schreiber of ''[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]'' stated that "there's a ton of filler here. In fact, it's almost ''all'' filler."<ref name="pitchforkmedia"/> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' reviewer [[Christopher John Farley]] said that the album "makes it sound as if they're having a midlife crisis." Farley added that "too few of the songs on the Pearl Jam CD explore the musical possibilities they suggest in any kind of definitive or provocative manner."<ref name="time">{{cite magazine|last=Farley|first=Christopher John|author-link=Christopher John Farley|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,985075,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101029223130/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,985075,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 29, 2010|title=Identity Crisis|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=September 2, 1996|access-date=May 20, 2009}}</ref>

==Track listing==
{{Track listing
| headline      = ''No Code'' track listing
| all_lyrics    = [[Eddie Vedder]], except "Mankind" by [[Stone Gossard]]
| title1        = Sometimes
| music1        = Vedder
| length1       = {{Duration|m=2|s=40}}
| title2        = [[Hail, Hail]]
| music2        = [[Stone Gossard]], [[Jeff Ament]], [[Mike McCready]]
| length2       = {{Duration|m=3|s=41}}
| title3        = [[Who You Are (Pearl Jam song)|Who You Are]]
| music3        = Gossard, [[Jack Irons]]
| length3       = {{Duration|m=3|s=50}}
| title4        = In My Tree
| music4        = Gossard, Irons, Vedder
| length4       = {{Duration|m=3|s=59}}
| title5        = Smile
| music5        = Ament
| length5       = {{Duration|m=3|s=52}}
| title6        = [[Off He Goes]]
| music6        = Vedder
| length6       = {{Duration|m=6|s=02}}
| title7        = Habit
| music7        = Vedder
| length7       = {{Duration|m=3|s=35}}
| title8        = [[Red Mosquito]]
| music8        = Ament, Gossard, Irons, McCready, Vedder
| length8       = {{Duration|m=4|s=03}}
| title9        = Lukin
| music9        = Vedder
| length9       = {{Duration|m=1|s=02}}
| title10       = Present Tense
| music10       = McCready
| length10      = {{Duration|m=5|s=46}}
| title11       = Mankind
| music11       = Gossard
| length11      = {{Duration|m=3|s=28}}
| title12       = I'm Open
| music12       = Irons, Vedder
| length12      = {{Duration|m=2|s=57}}
| title13       = Around the Bend
| music13       = Vedder
| length13      = {{Duration|m=4|s=35}}
| total_length  = {{Duration|m=49|s=30}}
}}

==Personnel==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
'''Pearl Jam'''
*[[Eddie Vedder]]&nbsp;– lead vocals, guitar, harmonica, electric sitar, Polaroids; credited as "Jerome Turner" for [[Page layout|layout]], concept of ''No Code''
*[[Jeff Ament]]&nbsp;– bass guitar, vocals, guitar on "Smile", [[Chapman Stick|Chapman]], [[Instant film|Polaroids]], black-and-white photography
*[[Stone Gossard]]&nbsp;– guitar, vocals, piano, lead vocals on "Mankind"
*[[Mike McCready]]&nbsp;– guitar, piano on "Sometimes", Polaroids
*[[Jack Irons]]&nbsp;– drums, percussion

{{col-2}}
'''Production'''
*Barry Ament, Chris McGann&nbsp;– Polaroids, layout
*[[Matt Bayles]], Caram Costanzo, Jeff Lane&nbsp;– [[Audio engineering|assistant engineering]]
*Dr. Paul J. Bubak, A. Fields&nbsp;– Polaroids
*[[Nick DiDia]]&nbsp;– [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing]], recording
*[[Bob Ludwig]]&nbsp;– [[Audio mastering|mastering]]
*Lance Mercer&nbsp;– Polaroids, black-and-white photography
*[[Brendan O'Brien (music producer)|Brendan O'Brien]]&nbsp;– [[record producer|production]], mixing, piano on "Smile", "Off He Goes" and "Around the Bend"
*Pearl Jam&nbsp;– production
{{col-end}}

==Chart performance==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}

===Weekly charts===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
|+Weekly chart performance for ''No Code''
! Chart (1996)
! Peak<br />position
|-
!scope="row"|Australian Albums ([[ARIA Charts|ARIA]])<ref name="www.australian-charts.com">[http://www.australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Pearl+Jam Pearl Jam in Australian Charts]  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071005094550/http://www.australian-charts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Pearl%20Jam |date=October 5, 2007 }}. Hung Medien. Retrieved on May 28, 2008.</ref>
|align="center"| 1
|-
!scope="row"|Austrian Albums ([[Ö3 Austria Top 40|Ö3 Austria]])<ref name="AUT">{{cite web|url= http://austriancharts.at/search.asp?cat=a&search=Pearl+Jam|title=Austrian Single/Album Chart / Pearl Jam / Longplay |publisher= Hung Medien| access-date=2008-02-19}}</ref>
|align="center"| 3
|-
!scope="row"|Belgian Albums ([[Ultratop 50|Ultratop]] Flanders)<ref name="BEL">{{cite web| url = http://www.ultratop.be/nl/search.asp?search=pearl+jam&cat=a| title = Belgian Single/Album Chart / Pearl Jam / Longplay | publisher = [[Ultratop]]/Hung Medien| access-date = 2008-02-19}}</ref>
|align="center"| 6
|-
!scope="row"|Belgian Albums ([[Ultratop 50|Ultratop]] Wallonia)<ref name="BEL"/>
|align="center"| 5
|-
!scope="row"|[[Canadian Albums Chart|Canadian Albums]] (''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'')<ref>{{cite web
| url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.9677&volume=64&issue=4&issue_dt=September%2009%201996&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=lhaled67omcph7v3aq7fbveid1
| title=Top Albums/CDs - Volume 64, No. 4, September 09 1996
| work=[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]
| access-date=2008-03-07
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110519134815/http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?&file_num=nlc008388.9677&volume=64&issue=4&issue_dt=September%2009%201996&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=lhaled67omcph7v3aq7fbveid1
| archive-date=May 19, 2011
| url-status=dead
}}</ref>
|align="center"| 1
|-
!scope="row"|Danish Albums ([[Hitlisten]])<ref name="ITA">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vwkEAAAAMBAJ&q=pearl+jam | access-date=2008-02-19 | title=Hits of the World | magazine=Billboard | volume=108 | issue=39 | date=28 September 1996 | issn=0006-2510 | page=68,69}}</ref>
|align="center"| 1
|-
!scope="row"|Dutch Albums ([[Dutch Charts|Album Top 100]])<ref name="NLD">{{cite web|url= http://dutchcharts.nl/search.asp?cat=a&search=Pearl+Jam|title=Dutch Single/Album Chart / Pearl Jam / Longplay |publisher= Hung Medien | access-date=2008-02-19}}</ref>
|align="center"| 5
|-
!scope="row"|[[European Top 100 Albums|European Albums]] ([[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']])<ref name = "Europe">{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1996/MM-1996-12-21.pdf#page=12|title=Year End Sales Chart|magazine=[[Music & Media]]|date=December 21, 1996|page=12|access-date=May 25, 2022|via=World Radio History}}</ref>
|align="center"| 3
|-
!scope="row"|Finnish Albums ([[The Official Finnish Charts|Suomen virallinen lista]])<ref name="FIN">{{cite web| url = http://finnishcharts.com/search.asp?cat=a&search=Pearl+Jam| title = Finnish Single/Album Chart / Pearl Jam / Longplay | publisher = Hung Medien| access-date = 2008-02-19}}</ref>
|align="center"| 4
|-
!scope="row"|French Albums ([[Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique|SNEP]])<ref name="FRA">{{cite web|url= http://lescharts.com/search.asp?cat=a&search=Pearl+Jam|title=French Single/Album Chart / Pearl Jam / Longplay |publisher= Hung Medien| access-date=2008-02-19}}</ref>
|align="center"| 28
|-
{{album chart|Germany4|6|id=2366|artist=Pearl Jam|album=No Code|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}}
|-
!scope="row"|Hungarian Albums ([[Mahasz|MAHASZ]])<ref>[http://www.mahasz.hu/?menu=slagerlistak&menu2=archivum Pearl Jam in Hungarian Charts]. [[Mahasz]]. Retrieved on June 4, 2008. (searchable database, retrievable when "Pearl Jam" is put on the search bar)</ref>
|align="center"| 17
|-
!scope="row"|Irish Albums ([[Irish Recorded Music Association|IRMA]])<ref name="IRE">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wQkEAAAAMBAJ&q=pearl+jam | access-date=2008-02-19 | title=Hits of the World | magazine=Billboard | volume=108 | issue=37 | date=14 September 1996 | issn=0006-2510 | page=63}}</ref>
|align="center"| 3
|-
!scope="row"|Italian Albums ([[Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana|FIMI]])<ref name="ITA"/>
|align="center"| 4
|-
!scope="row"|Japanese Albums ([[Oricon]])<ref name="JAP">{{cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/prof/artist/129344/ranking/cd_album/ | access-date=2008-02-19| title=パール・ジャムのアルバム売上ランキング}}</ref>
|align="center"| 16
|-
!scope="row"|New Zealand ([[Official New Zealand Music Chart|RMNZ]])<ref name="charts.org.nz">[https://charts.nz/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Pearl+Jam Pearl Jam in New Zealand Charts]  . Hung Medien. Retrieved on May 28, 2008.</ref>
|align="center"| 1
|-
!scope="row"|Norwegian Albums ([[VG-lista]])<ref name="NOR">{{cite web|url= http://norwegiancharts.com/search.asp?cat=a&search=Pearl+Jam|title=Norwegian Single/Album Chart / Pearl Jam / Longplay |publisher= Hung Medien| access-date=2008-02-19}}</ref>
|align="center"| 3
|-
!scope="row"|Portuguese Albums ([[Associação Fonográfica Portuguesa|AFP]])<ref name="IRE"/>
|align="center"| 1
|-
{{album chart|Scotland|7|date=20000521|rowheader=true|access-date=November 2, 2021}}
|-
!scope="row"|Spanish Albums ([[Productores de Música de España|AFYVE]])<ref>{{cite book |last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st |date=September 2005|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}</ref> 
|align="center"|11
|-
!scope="row"|Swedish Albums ([[Sverigetopplistan]])<ref name="SWE">{{cite web|url= http://swedishcharts.com/search.asp?cat=a&search=Pearl+Jam|title=Swedish Single/Album Chart / Pearl Jam / Longplay |publisher= Hung Medien| access-date=2008-02-19}}</ref>
|align="center"| 1
|-
!scope="row"|Swiss Albums ([[Swiss Hitparade|Schweizer Hitparade]])<ref name="SWI">{{cite web|url= http://hitparade.ch/search.asp?cat=a&search=Pearl+Jam|title=Schweizer Hitparade; Suche nach: Pearl Jam|publisher=Hung Medien| access-date=2008-02-19}}</ref>
|align="center"| 13
|-
!scope="row"|[[UK Albums Chart|UK Albums]] (OCC)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/29062/pearl-jam/|title=Pearl Jam {{!}} full Chart History|publisher=Official Charts Company|access-date=November 2, 2021}}</ref>
|align="center"| 3
|-
{{album chart|UKRock|1|date=19960709|rowheader=true|access-date=April 27, 2024}}
|-
!scope="row"|US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref>{{cite magazine
| url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/pearl-jam/chart-history/tlp/
| title=Pearl Jam Chart History: ''Billboard'' 200
| magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]
| access-date=2020-04-01}}</ref>
|align="center"| 1
|}

{{col-2}}

===Year-end charts===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
|+1996 year-end chart performance for ''No Code''
! Chart (1996)
! Rank
|-
!scope="row"|Australian Albums (ARIA)<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-50albums-1996.htm| publisher=Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)| title=ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top&nbsp;100 Albums 1996| access-date=17 March 2011}}</ref>
|align="center"|26
|-
{{album chart|Canada|21|chartid=9732|rowheader=true|refname="CANYE96"|access-date=May 25, 2022}}
|-
! scope="row"| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1996&cat=a|title=Jaaroverzichten – Album 1996|language=nl|website=dutchcharts.nl|access-date=May 25, 2022}}</ref>
|align="center"| 91
|-
!scope="row"|European Albums ([[European Top 100 Albums]])<ref name = "Europe"/>
|align="center"| 62
|-
!scope="row"|German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/album-jahr/for-date-1996 |title=Top 100 Album-Jahrescharts|language=de |publisher=[[GfK Entertainment]]|access-date=September 8, 2016}}</ref>
|align="center"|96
|-
!scope="row"|New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-albums/1996-12-31|title=Top Selling Albums of 1996|website=The Official NZ Music Charts|access-date=May 25, 2022}}</ref>
|align="center"|22
|-
!scope="row"|Swedish Albums & Compilations (Sverigetopplistan)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/42?dspy=1996&dspp=1|title=Year list Album (incl. Collections), 1996|website=[[Sverigetopplistan]]|language=Swedish|access-date=May 25, 2022}}</ref>
|align="center"|91
|- 
!scope="row"|US ''Billboard'' 200<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/year-end/2006/the-billboard-200?begin=81&order=position|title=Billboard 1996 Year In Music: The Billboard 200|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|access-date=2012-02-01}}</ref>
|align="center"|57
|}
{{col-end}}

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications and sales for ''No Code''}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|region=Australia|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1996|certyear=1996|access-date=November 12, 2021}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|title=No Code|artist=Pearl Jam|region=Canada|award=Platinum|number=2|certyear=1996|relyear=1996|access-date=March 27, 2020}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|title=No Code|artist=Pearl Jam|region=New Zealand|source=oldchart|award=Platinum|id=3733|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160325161357/http://nztop40.co.nz/chart/albums?chart=3733|archive-date=2016-03-25|access-date=2024-11-26|relyear=1996}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|title=No Code|artist=Pearl Jam|region=United Kingdom|award=Gold|certyear=2013|certmonth=7|relyear=1996|id=11377-1667-2|access-date=March 27, 2020}}
{{Certification Table Entry|type=album|title=No Code|artist=Pearl Jam|region=United States|award=Platinum|certyear=1997|relyear=1996|salesamount=1,300,000|salesref=<ref name="billboard"/>|access-date=March 27, 2020}}
{{Certification Table Bottom}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|title=A Brief History of Album Covers|first=Jason|last=Draper|publisher=Flame Tree Publishing|location=London|year=2008|pages=328–329|isbn=9781847862112|oclc=227198538}}

==External links==
*[https://pearljam.com/music/album/no-code ''No Code'' information and lyrics at pearljam.com]

{{Pearl Jam}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1996 albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Brendan O'Brien (record producer)]]
[[Category:Epic Records albums]]
[[Category:Pearl Jam albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Stone Gossard]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Eddie Vedder]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Jeff Ament]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Mike McCready]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Jack Irons]]
[[Category:Art rock albums by American artists]]