Eagles’ Greatest Hits Just Hit 40x Platinum. Yes, Forty.
Forty. Not a typo. Not a legacy flex. Just pure, unbothered dominance.
Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) by the Eagles has officially been certified 40x Platinum in the United States, strengthening its status as the best-selling album in American history. In RIAA math, that equals four Diamond awards. In real-world terms, it means this record refuses to leave the chat.
Released in 1976, the compilation captures the Eagles’ early, country-leaning phase, before they went full stadium mode with Hotel California and The Long Run. Nearly 50 years later, Americans are still pressing play.
Beating Thriller, Holding the Crown
Globally, Thriller by Michael Jackson remains untouchable. In the US, though, the Eagles reign supreme.
Thriller sits at number two with 34x Platinum, its most recent certification arriving in 2021. Right behind it is, yes, another Eagles album. Hotel California ranks third with 28 million units.
The rest of the US top 10 reads like a rock radio hall of fame:
Back in Black by AC/DC, Led Zeppelin IV, The Beatles (White Album), Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits Vol. I & II, Double Live by Garth Brooks, The Wall by Pink Floyd, and Cracked Rear View by Hootie & The Blowfish.
Notice something? A lot of double albums. That is not random. Double LPs require only half the sales of a standard album to earn Platinum, which explains their heavy presence at the top.
Don Henley: “It’s Gratifying to Be Part of Something That Lasts”
Don Henley summed it up perfectly in a statement to the Associated Press.
“In an era and culture where everything feels more and more ephemeral, it’s gratifying to know we were part of something that lasts.”
That line hits. Especially now.
The Eagles’ popularity has stretched across five decades, multiple formats, and radically different listening habits. Vinyl, CDs, downloads, streams. Same songs. Same pull.
How Streaming Changed the Game
The rules did change along the way.
Once upon a time, a Diamond album meant selling 10 million physical copies. Since 2013, the RIAA has included streaming in its calculations. Today, 1,500 album streams equal one unit sold, with data pulled from platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.
That shift matters, but it does not cheapen the achievement. If anything, it proves the Eagles did not just survive the streaming era. They conquered it.
Eagles Take Over the Sphere
As if the timing was not perfect, the Eagles kick off a new residency at Sphere Las Vegas this Friday. Twelve shows total, spread across January, February, and March. Four per month. High-tech venue. Legacy band. Zero irony.
Half a century in, the Eagles are not a nostalgia act. They are a statistical anomaly with guitars.
And now, officially, the most successful album act in American history.