The Eagles have finally soared passed Michael Jackson. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA, for short) has confirmed that the band’s 1976 compilation album, Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975), has passed Michael Jackson’s Thriller for the best-selling album of all time. The album was certified 38x platinum, indicating that sales and streams of the album have reached 38 million copies, while Thriller has only been certified 33x platinum.
In addition to reaching number one, The Eagles’ also holds the spot for third-best-selling album of all time with their 1977 release Hotel California, which sits at 26x platinum.
Drummer and vocalist, Don Henley issued a statement saying:
“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.”
This is the first time since 2006 that the RIAA has tallied the sales for Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975). Of course, since then there have been changes to the way the company determines platinum status. Originally, it was determined that an album reached platinum when it sold 1 million copies, but in 2013 the RIAA added streaming numbers from platforms such as Spotify, YouTube, and other similar services.
