And The Eagles take the title!
Their album Greatest Hits 1971-1975 is officially the best-selling album of all time. The Eagles dethroned Michael Jackson’s Thriller who held the title for more than thirty years.
Greatest Hits 1971-1975 was initially released in February 1976 and has officially surpassed 38 million copies sold. The band also holds the No. 3 spot with the album “Hotel California,” also released in 1976.
“We are grateful for our families, our management, our crew, the people at radio and, most of all, the loyal fans who have stuck with us through the ups and downs of 46 years. It’s been quite a ride,” Eagles’ Don Henley said in a statement.
According to the Rolling Stone the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) recently recalculated sales of the Eagles’ collection and certified the LP as 38x platinum, pushing the 33x platinum Thriller to second place.
Chairman and CEO of the RIAA Cary Sherman said in a statement: “Congratulations to the Eagles, who now claim the jaw-dropping feat of writing and recording two of the top three albums in music history. Both of these transcendent albums have impressively stood the test of time, only gaining more currency and popularity as the years have passed, much like the Eagles themselves.”
This record joins the Eagles’ other impressive achievements including more than 150 million albums sold worldwide, six Grammys and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 1998.
