Eagles On Top

This is pretty crazy. Eagles Greatest Hits is now the best selling album of all time, beating Michael Jackson's Thriller. Eagles Greatest Hits 1971-1975 is now 38x platinum. Thriller is 33x platinum. The recalculation takes into account streams, downloads and traditional sales. Insanity. I never thought any album would surpass Thriller.

Eagles' 'Greatest Hits' has now overtaken Michael Jackson's 'Thriller' as the best-selling album of all time https://t.co/1X8hwlU5vO pic.twitter.com/hUfMo6CyoO

— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) August 20, 2018

Comments

[Him]

They had the sound . . . down pat. It is SoCal in a bottle, or a bong, or a syringe. Choose your poison. That's the thing about the Eagles. They provided the dark side to the Beach Boys. And it stuck so smoothly. They made California seem cool, dangerous even . . . not just smoggy and over-packed and overpriced. With them, it was a dark room with temptations aplenty, amazing choruses and harmonies, and the sun and sand always sitting just outside that hotel in California. If only you could reach it.

I have no great love for them. But I know their story. And I know their songs. Alongside Journey's Greatest Hits, this had to be on almost everyone's first order from those "10 cassettes for a dollar" gimmicks way back when. Like I said, it stuck. And it was all backed up by amazing musicians who could be as ornery and fickle as Fleetwood Mac. What's not to love, save for no Nicks?!?!

To my mind, it makes sense that the Eagles are--in a scoring system that really doesn't matter all that much--now ahead of Jackson. For all his gifts, and in spite of the controversies, his music remains more locked into amber than the Eagles. It isn't as timeless, even if it just as historical. Which is odd to say, given that the Eagles represent a time and place that no longer exists, just as _Thriller_ represents something of the same. But I think that the Eagles transcend those hazy origins better than Jackson does.

Besides, what concern do I have for things such as this? Life's been good to me so far. And the only Billie Jean I care about is a king. With no smuggler's blues to worry about, and no pretty young thing to hold me down, I just say: take it easy.

Yeah, I know. Not all Eagles songs. Leave me to my digressions . . .

[Rita]

I'm actually not surprised. The Eagles put out some really great songs, as did some of their various members' solo efforts. I still listen to Don Henley quite a bit.

I have a soft spot for them for a few reasons: i) grew up to their songs (sister was a big fan), ii) great memories of seeing a show with my sis on a gorgeous summer night and iii) Had a thing with a guy who sang lead for an Eagles cover band, so would see them play every weekend for a while. And they were great too. Eagles cover was just a side project for them.

Thriller was great as well, as was Michael Jackson in general, but I'm not surprised. Who doesn't have that first greatest hits album???

[Bkallday]

Good band but overrated quite a bit, imho. And is there anyone that can actually still listen to Hotel California???

[Bob]

so many thoughts about this. First, comparing a greatest hits album to a regular album almost isn't fair. Personally, I couldn't stand "Thriller" when it came out, but at least it was a standalone album rather than a collection of hits. Interestingly enough, when The Eagles first started, they weren't afforded a whole lot of respect by their contemporaries. yes, they were hot session musicians, most of whom backed up Linda Ronstadt, but the other musicians in the Laurel Canyon area, who took their craft very seriously, saw The Eagles as the commercialized corporate version of what they were doing. Take Dave Mason's live cover of "Take It To the Limit." When mason was asked why he covered it, his response was, paraphrased, "I thought the song had more to offer than The Eagles could give it." I'm not the biggest Eagles fan either, and I thought Joe Walsh gave them a much-needed kick in the a** when he joined, but I do understand why their music has stood the test of time, even if it's not my go-to.

[Shawn]

@Bob I understand I have so many thoughts I don't think I can put them all into a post. I really like the Eagles but it actually came later in life. I like to think I am a pure Metal guy but the Eagles are one of those bands I connect with because of the song writing and where I was in life when I heard those songs like in dive bar at 1 am hearing lying eyes and the in the same bar at 6 am and hearing tequila sunrise.

Bob will get this point for sure - attended bootcamp in San Diego in 1986 (base has since been closed) but going through such an experience(severe emotional disturbance) My barracks was back in the corner of Harbor Drive and Rosecrans - we would regularly get PT'd facing the hills of Point Loma. At sunset I could just see the Hotel California album pictures in my mind while looking at Point Loma it was a nice diversion.

Joe Walsh one of the bust guitar slingers out there defintaley gave the band a shot in the arm.

[Him]

Nice of you to share that story, Shawn. Thanks for doing so. As is often noted, connections to music are extremely personal.