Kevork Djansezian / Staff / Getty
The Eagles have officially surpassed Michael Jackson for the title of best selling album in the US, with the 1976 album, Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. Jackson’s Thriller has been slated in second place, and The Eagles took third for Hotel California.
“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,” singer and drummer Don Henley said in a statement to the AP.
Thriller enjoyed a nine year reign in first place after the Jackson’s death in 2009. At the time, it replaced The Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, and was certified as 28x platinum by the RIAA, indicating 28 million copies sold in the country. Currently, The Eagles have amassed a 38x platinum rating with their number one album, while Jackson enjoys a 33x platinum rating.
RIAA collects metrics during different years for each album. The last tallying for Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 took place in 2006, where they were given a 26x certification. Thriller was last tallied in 2017.
With the rise of stream services, RIAA establishing that 1,500 streams or downloading 10 songs equates to buying one album. This new data has been taken into account with the most recent metric collection.
Best selling album or not, the Eagles are about to embark on their tour this September. Catch the title-holders at AT&T Park here in San Francisco on Sept. 20, with tickets to purchase here.
