We knew it would happen one of these nights as The Eagles continue to take it to the limit, and now the RIAA’s Quadruple Diamond barrier is already gone.
The Los Angeles stalwarts’ Their Greatest Hits 1971-75 has become the first album certified 40 times platinum, widening its lead as the best-selling disc of all time in the U.S. As the 1976 compilation marks its 50th anniversary next month, the set now is 6 million units ahead of Michael Jackson’s 1982 juggernaut Thriller on the bestseller list.
Compiling 10 tracks from the group’s first four LPs of its pre-Joe Walsh/Hotel California era, Their Greatest Hits 1971-75 is crammed with classics, including the first two of its five U.S. No. 1 singles, “Best of My Love” and One of These Nights.” “Lyin’ Eyes” went to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, and Take It to the Limit” reached No. 4. The set also features such radio mainstays as “Take It Easy,” “Witchy Woman,” “Already Gone” and “Desperado.”
The disc spent five weeks atop the Billboard album chart during the Bicentennial and soon became the first disc ever certified Platinum by the RIAA. It has spent more than 500 nonconsecutive weeks on the Billboard 200 and was named the top-selling album of the 20th century in 1999. The Library of Congress added Their Greatest Hits to its National Recording Registry in 2017.
The Eagles formed in 1971 after Don Henley, Glenn Frey, Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner had been playing in Linda Ronstadt’s band. Don Felder joined in 1974, Walsh would replace Leaden the following year, and Timothy B. Schmit replaced Meisner in 1977. Its first LP with the former James Gang leader was 1976’s Hotel California, which is the third-best-selling album in U.S. history with 28 million unit sold.
Commonly known as The Eagles but with no “the” on its album covers, the group has amassed 14 Platinum titles overall with combined U.S. sales of some 126.5 million. The band continues to play live with Henley, Walsh, Schmit, Vince Gill and Deacon Frey, the son of Glenn Frey, who died in 2016 at 67.