Eagles have the best selling album of all time in the USA?

[WildRanger]

https://ultimateclassicrock.com/eagles-greatest-hits-top-selling-album/

Your thoughts?

IDK, I don't dislike the Eagles and I don't consider their music to be bad at all, but not something special either, it's just decent music to me. Their signature song Hotel California is an all-time rock classic and it's hard to argue with that, regardless of how much do you like it. I think Eagles is a type of band who belongs to the category "music for American casual music listeners" much more than "music for real music fans". Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my impression.

And I know that a guy "The Dude" from a movie "The Big Lebowski" spread the hatred towards this band with his famous sentence "I hate the fuckin' Eagles, man" and since then it became kinda cool and popular to hate the Eagles. I don't get it really. Eagles is especially hated by RateYourMusic users, who are mostly young people.

Someone can like or hate the Eagles, but they are the most commercially successful American band of all time by some considerable margin.

[jammindude]

The thing is, the album in question is Greatest Hits 71-75....before Hotel California...which means their biggest hit is not on their best selling album.

I was into the Eagles a lot as a kid, and I still enjoy some deeper cuts sometimes, but after years of listening to them in my early teens, I just find them mostly boring now.

[ChuckSteak]

I've never listened to the Eagles, but I am one of those who thinks that their most known song "Hotel California" was based on "We Used To Know".

And the Gipsy Kings' version is much better.

When it comes to top selling albums, I really don't think that's important.

[Stadler]

"music for American casual music listeners" much more than "music for real music fans".

I'm no Eagles fan - I "hate the Eagles" actually (though I've never seen The  Big Lebowski), or more correctly, I hate Glenn Frey and the smug arrogance of Don Henley, and the "So-Cal Soft Rock scene" in general - but what's this all about?   

What exactly is an "American casual music listener" and what exactly is a "real music fan"?    How do we determine which is which?   WHO determines which is which?     

[The Walrus]

Always fascinated me that's the #1... like... really? They're just so bland and vanilla, I struggle to understand how it's that freaking popular.

[jammindude]

"music for American casual music listeners" much more than "music for real music fans".

I'm no Eagles fan - I "hate the Eagles" actually (though I've never seen The  Big Lebowski), or more correctly, I hate Glenn Frey and the smug arrogance of Don Henley, and the "So-Cal Soft Rock scene" in general - but what's this all about?   

What exactly is an "American casual music listener" and what exactly is a "real music fan"?    How do we determine which is which?   WHO determines which is which?   

Visiting my girlfriend while she’s babysitting...
The back of a car....
My mom’s basement....


PLACES I GOT LAID WHILE LISTENING TO BACK IN BLACK!!!!

(ding, ding,ding)

[King Postwhore]

You're all high.  The Eagle are a great band.  The real question is that does it count since it's a greatest hits album.  The weird twist is that it's that their most well known song, Hotel California, came out after the Greatest Hits album.

[Stadler]

You're all high.  The Eagle are a great band.  The real question is that does it count since it's a greatest hits album.  The weird twist is that it's that their most well known song, Hotel California, came out after the Greatest Hits album.

I'm pretty sure, though, that the album "Hotel California" is not that far down the list.   Fourth or fifth or something like that.

[Nekov]

What surprises me the most is that it got to #1 recently. Why are people buying this album nowadays?

[Destiny Of Chaos]

What surprises me the most is that it got to #1 recently. Why are people buying this album nowadays?

Maybe they assume that Hotel California is on it.


The chorus of Hotel California serves as my wife's ringtone for my Mother In Law. She calls a lot. I am sick of this song!

[WildRanger]

   

What exactly is an "American casual music listener" and what exactly is a "real music fan"?    How do we determine which is which?   WHO determines which is which?   

Casual listeners are people who listen and know only hit songs played on the radio (or any media device). Real music fans are people who knows tons of deep cuts by many music artists because they sat at home and listened a ton of albums for hours and hours. There is a huge difference between a casual listener and real music fan. On this planet there are a way more casual listeners than fans.

[jammindude]

What surprises me the most is that it got to #1 recently. Why are people buying this album nowadays?

 It wasn’t recently. I remember reading about this year’s ago. I just don’t think it’s been dethroned, and I probably never will be since nobody buys albums anymore.

[The Walrus]

What surprises me the most is that it got to #1 recently. Why are people buying this album nowadays?

 It wasn’t recently. I remember reading about this year’s ago. I just don’t think it’s been dethroned, and I probably never will be since nobody buys albums anymore.

You may want to read the article posted in the OP - the album has been on-and-off again, trading places with Thriller. It's been years since Thriller beat it but...

The Eagles’ first hits compilation, Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, has passed Michael Jackson’s Thriller as the top-selling album of all time, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

The evergreen 1976 best-seller contains such hits as “Take It Easy,” “Lyin’ Eyes,” “Take It to the Limit” and “Desperado,” and was the first album to be issued platinum certification, for selling at least one million units. The record has reached 38 million copies in sales and streams, achieving 38-times platinum status, according to the Associated Press. Thriller stands at 33-times platinum.

RIAA’s certifications include sales of physical product, as well as streams and digital sales. In their tallies, 1,500 streams of an album is equivalent to an album sale. Ten song downloads also equal one album sale. You can view the RIAA’s list of the Top 100 certified albums of all time at its site.

Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 and Thriller have parried for the top position on that list for years. The last time the competition made news was in 2009, when sales of Thriller soared in the wake of Jackson’s death, putting the album in a near tie for sales superiority. (It also spawned one of The Onion’s funniest music-related headlines.) Thriller eventually passed the Eagles’ record in sales.

Unless, and you might be doing this, implying that it won't be dethroned ever again - which is likely 

[rumborak]

I have this vision of Warren Buffet being a diehard Eagles fan, making sure the Greatest Hits album never drops below #1. There's an enormous vault somewhere in Finland, housing millions of Eagles albums.

[Cool Chris]

I read that as Jimmy Buffett and laughed because it was so out of left field, which is not rumborak's typical posting style.

The band got some additional good news: Its 1977 classic Hotel California has been certified 26-times platinum, making it the third-best-selling album of all time.

Wait.... they have the #1 and #3 top selling albums of all time?!?

I wonder if there will be a surge in WDaDU sales when Charlie Dominici passes away.

[Stadler]

   

What exactly is an "American casual music listener" and what exactly is a "real music fan"?    How do we determine which is which?   WHO determines which is which?   

Casual listeners are people who listen and know only hit songs played on the radio (or any media device). Real music fans are people who knows tons of deep cuts by many music artists because they sat at home and listened a ton of albums for hours and hours. There is a huge difference between a casual listener and real music fan. On this planet there are a way more casual listeners than fans.

I'm still not getting it.   It's still music.  It still is a subjective attraction.  It's still a matter of taste. 

[Stadler]

What surprises me the most is that it got to #1 recently. Why are people buying this album nowadays?

 It wasn’t recently. I remember reading about this year’s ago. I just don’t think it’s been dethroned, and I probably never will be since nobody buys albums anymore.

You may want to read the article posted in the OP - the album has been on-and-off again, trading places with Thriller. It's been years since Thriller beat it but...

The Eagles’ first hits compilation, Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975, has passed Michael Jackson’s Thriller as the top-selling album of all time, according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

The evergreen 1976 best-seller contains such hits as “Take It Easy,” “Lyin’ Eyes,” “Take It to the Limit” and “Desperado,” and was the first album to be issued platinum certification, for selling at least one million units. The record has reached 38 million copies in sales and streams, achieving 38-times platinum status, according to the Associated Press. Thriller stands at 33-times platinum.

RIAA’s certifications include sales of physical product, as well as streams and digital sales. In their tallies, 1,500 streams of an album is equivalent to an album sale. Ten song downloads also equal one album sale. You can view the RIAA’s list of the Top 100 certified albums of all time at its site.

Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 and Thriller have parried for the top position on that list for years. The last time the competition made news was in 2009, when sales of Thriller soared in the wake of Jackson’s death, putting the album in a near tie for sales superiority. (It also spawned one of The Onion’s funniest music-related headlines.) Thriller eventually passed the Eagles’ record in sales.

Unless, and you might be doing this, implying that it won't be dethroned ever again - which is likely 

If I'm not mistaken, it's not done as a "running total", meaning, it's not updated in real time.  As I understand it, you have to submit a record for "Certification".   I remember Paul and/or Gene stating that they didn't bother submitting their records for re-certification, since doing so would result in a restructuring of royalties and such, and it wasn't worth it.   Grain of salt, but still....

[Dublagent66]

   

What exactly is an "American casual music listener" and what exactly is a "real music fan"?    How do we determine which is which?   WHO determines which is which?   

Casual listeners are people who listen and know only hit songs played on the radio (or any media device). Real music fans are people who knows tons of deep cuts by many music artists because they sat at home and listened a ton of albums for hours and hours. There is a huge difference between a casual listener and real music fan. On this planet there are a way more casual listeners than fans.

  This is probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.  All people who listen to music are fans of music.  What you're describing is only a matter of degree.

[Stadler]

   

What exactly is an "American casual music listener" and what exactly is a "real music fan"?    How do we determine which is which?   WHO determines which is which?   

Casual listeners are people who listen and know only hit songs played on the radio (or any media device). Real music fans are people who knows tons of deep cuts by many music artists because they sat at home and listened a ton of albums for hours and hours. There is a huge difference between a casual listener and real music fan. On this planet there are a way more casual listeners than fans.

  This is probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.  All people who listen to music are fans of music.  What you're describing is only a matter of degree.

That's kind of where I was going.  That, and the idea that "casual music fans" don't know shit and so listen to stuff like the Eagles.

I don't like the Eagles but anyone who has ever played with Joe Walsh acknowledges him as one of the best guitar players that have ever strapped on a guitar.   Henley may not be John Bonham, but his voice is world class, and Frey and Felder both hold their own in that group.    It's ludicrous to say that the Eagles only appeal to people that haven't put in the time.

Contrast that with me - I've played music, written music, recorded music, performed (for pay) music, and have almost 2,000 CDs.  I think I'd qualify for "real music fan", and yet... Taylor Swift's "Wildest Dreams" is in my mind one of the greatest pop songs ever written, and I love Night Ranger, Cheap Trick and Duran Duran (along with Frank Zappa, Devin Townsend and King Crimson).  I don't "choose" what I like.  It either resonates or it doesn't and I can't really control it, at least not absolutely.   

[Nekov]

   

What exactly is an "American casual music listener" and what exactly is a "real music fan"?    How do we determine which is which?   WHO determines which is which?   

Casual listeners are people who listen and know only hit songs played on the radio (or any media device). Real music fans are people who knows tons of deep cuts by many music artists because they sat at home and listened a ton of albums for hours and hours. There is a huge difference between a casual listener and real music fan. On this planet there are a way more casual listeners than fans.

  This is probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.  All people who listen to music are fans of music.  What you're describing is only a matter of degree.

The way it is worded is a bit silly and sounds like one of those groups is better than the other one but he does have a point. People in this forum pay a lot more attention to music than most people. We run games to discover new bands, we delve into their history, try to find other bands related to them and what not. Then, there are other people that as he says, are just casual listeners. They will turn on the radio, they may have a craving for a specific song or band once in a while but that's it. For a lot of people music is just prettier background noise. The "real music fans" part is what I would change in that statement

[Nekov]

(along with Frank Zappa, Devin Townsend and King Crimson).

I would have never taken you for a King Crimson fan. You'd probably have better luck submitting them over Rainbow when playing in roulettes 

[Evermind]

Everyone should hear some Rainbow in their lives though. I'm fairly sure Stadler will send something from On Stage in 425's.

[Stadler]

   

What exactly is an "American casual music listener" and what exactly is a "real music fan"?    How do we determine which is which?   WHO determines which is which?   

Casual listeners are people who listen and know only hit songs played on the radio (or any media device). Real music fans are people who knows tons of deep cuts by many music artists because they sat at home and listened a ton of albums for hours and hours. There is a huge difference between a casual listener and real music fan. On this planet there are a way more casual listeners than fans.

  This is probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.  All people who listen to music are fans of music.  What you're describing is only a matter of degree.

The way it is worded is a bit silly and sounds like one of those groups is better than the other one but he does have a point. People in this forum pay a lot more attention to music than most people. We run games to discover new bands, we delve into their history, try to find other bands related to them and what not. Then, there are other people that as he says, are just casual listeners. They will turn on the radio, they may have a craving for a specific song or band once in a while but that's it. For a lot of people music is just prettier background noise. The "real music fans" part is what I would change in that statement

Fair points, but I think Dubla captures that with the "matter of degree" statement.   Yeah, you may only listen casually, you may only like certain songs, but that doesn't make any objective quality statement.   I stated my bona fides, but I didn't have any of those (or at least few of them) when I got into Maiden and Crimson.    I just liked it.  I later figured out that there was musical complexity there, but then I was presented with "Yesterday", 2:05 seconds of simple melody, over a fairly straightforward guitar figure, and yet... that song has captured the ear of some of the greatest musicians this planet has ever known, in addition to millions (billions?) of people that just happened to be in the right elevator at the right time. 

[Stadler]

(along with Frank Zappa, Devin Townsend and King Crimson).

I would have never taken you for a King Crimson fan. You'd probably have better luck submitting them over Rainbow when playing in roulettes 

I love Crimson.  "Fracture" might be my favorite instrumental piece of all time.  (It's a minor, inconsequential point, but Fripp is also my Number One on my list of "greatest snubs from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame".   He  just about created an entire genre of music, for god's sake, and has played with everyone from Blondie to Bowie to Gabriel to Daryl Hall.)

Honestly?  Crimson is hard for me in roulettes, because I'm lazy.  They're not easily found on YooToob.      

[Nekov]

Good point, finding Crimson on the internet is harder than getting you and jingle to agree in the PR section.

[Stadler]

It's obviously up to the person running the roulette, but I've been taking to just giving the artist, song and album and letting them find it how they see fit.   With the various music services, most people have access to most songs, and if they're a spotify person, it's really not up to me to force them to listen to YouTube. 

I might have to rethink that for the next roulette. I gotta stop recycling songs. 

[pg1067]

I've heard for years that this Greatest Hits package was the best selling album of all time (and I hadn't heard that, at one point, it was passed by Thriller), and I've often wondered why this album had such selling power.  Obviously, it had the advantage of having been released well before the CD era, but so was Thriller and lots of other albums that I think a lot of folks would have thought were more popular.

Like Stadler, I don't understand the distinction between "casual music fans" and "real music" fans (and the follow up explanation doesn't help, but I won't pile on).  Also, having the best selling album does not make the Eagles "the most commercially successful American band of all time."  Even if only album sales are considered (which would be dumb if considering "most commercially successful . . . of all time"), the Eagles come in around #10 on that list.

[jammindude]

I once read an article in a local rag called "Top 10 albums for people who hate music"...  It was meant to be humorous, and it did make me laugh, but it kindof made this point.

There are some albums that are adored by the masses...even the ones who *by their own admission* don't like music very much.   "I've never really cared for music that much...but I like [insert song we've all heard ad nauseum]."   

I think the thought process is: If you've homogenized the music so completely, that it's literally appealing to every human being on the planet...even people who admit that they don't even like music... I suppose some might find some special talent in being able to do that.  But being able to achieve that just feels to me like you've had to sacrifice something to make your music so palpable that literally anyone will like it.   If you've achieved that, what is it you were really trying to say?  Were you trying to say anything at all?  Or were you just trying to get *literally everyone* to like you?  Because if you actually had something to say and you wanted to say exactly what you felt, you couldn't get 90% of the planet (admittedly an exaggeration) to get on board with it.   But if you just wanted everyone to like it, you can whittle it down until it becomes something that everyone loves....but was that your goal?  And if so, why?

[Indiscipline]

   

What exactly is an "American casual music listener" and what exactly is a "real music fan"?    How do we determine which is which?   WHO determines which is which?   

Casual listeners are people who listen and know only hit songs played on the radio (or any media device). Real music fans are people who knows tons of deep cuts by many music artists because they sat at home and listened a ton of albums for hours and hours. There is a huge difference between a casual listener and real music fan. On this planet there are a way more casual listeners than fans.

Ok, I get that - like it or not - we live in a digital polarised like/dislike world and we're supposed to wear binary lenses all the time, but how can you negotiate such a distinction? Everyone of us is both casual listener and real music fan (and every degree in between) simultaneously, all the time. It depends on an incalculable quantity of factors, the majority being subjective.

Honest example, have you researched Beethoven opus, or do you just know and appreciate the Fifth or Au Clair de Lune by casual ear? How can the answer possibly define your love or relationship with music?

On a sidenote, kudos on sparking a very interesting discussion.

[King Postwhore]

   

What exactly is an "American casual music listener" and what exactly is a "real music fan"?    How do we determine which is which?   WHO determines which is which?   

Casual listeners are people who listen and know only hit songs played on the radio (or any media device). Real music fans are people who knows tons of deep cuts by many music artists because they sat at home and listened a ton of albums for hours and hours. There is a huge difference between a casual listener and real music fan. On this planet there are a way more casual listeners than fans.

  This is probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever read.  All people who listen to music are fans of music.  What you're describing is only a matter of degree.

The way it is worded is a bit silly and sounds like one of those groups is better than the other one but he does have a point. People in this forum pay a lot more attention to music than most people. We run games to discover new bands, we delve into their history, try to find other bands related to them and what not. Then, there are other people that as he says, are just casual listeners. They will turn on the radio, they may have a craving for a specific song or band once in a while but that's it. For a lot of people music is just prettier background noise. The "real music fans" part is what I would change in that statement

Back in the 70's, People listened to the albums for the albums.  Rock radio played deep cuts all the time.  Hell, even spun albums late night.  It you look at the Billboard charts in the 70's, real, thoughtful bands were popular.  The Eagles changed their sound a few times, never standing still.  It just so happened that they had crossover success in different genre's. 

[WildRanger]

I once read an article in a local rag called "Top 10 albums for people who hate music"...  It was meant to be humorous, and it did make me laugh, but it kindof made this point.

There are some albums that are adored by the masses...even the ones who *by their own admission* don't like music very much.   "I've never really cared for music that much...but I like [insert song we've all heard ad nauseum]."   

I think the thought process is: If you've homogenized the music so completely, that it's literally appealing to every human being on the planet...even people who admit that they don't even like music...

Honestly I think many people today don't have a free time to buy and listen albums at home(hours and hours). It doesn't mean they dislike music, they just don't have a time for that. But they have tons of songs that are played on the radio nearly everywhere, so they can hear some music.

[Cool Chris]

But if you just wanted everyone to like it, you can whittle it down until it becomes something that everyone loves....but was that your goal?  And if so, why?

.

Fame, fortune.. Or was that a trick question?

[TempusVox]

I grew up a huge Eagles fan. I still enjoy their music. Great melodies, Henley is one of the greatest soul singers of all time, terrific harmonies. I also grew up with a mezzo soprano mother who sang for the NY Met back in the early 60's. I grew up fully immersed in Classical music as well as early RB, and Jazz. I sang and performed from the time I was about 7 until I completed college in various choirs and bands and was seriously (and still am into metal and prog). I own probably more than 1500 CD's; and I've dropped more than 40K on various downloads, from iTunes, to Amazon to Spotify. I'd consider myself much more than a "casual fan" of music. So, to Stadlers earlier point- it's all subjective, and a matter of taste.

[WildRanger]

   

What exactly is an "American casual music listener" and what exactly is a "real music fan"?    How do we determine which is which?   WHO determines which is which?   

Casual listeners are people who listen and know only hit songs played on the radio (or any media device). Real music fans are people who knows tons of deep cuts by many music artists because they sat at home and listened a ton of albums for hours and hours. There is a huge difference between a casual listener and real music fan. On this planet there are a way more casual listeners than fans.

I'm still not getting it.   It's still music.  It still is a subjective attraction.  It's still a matter of taste.

Like Stadler, I don't understand the distinction between "casual music fans" and "real music" fans (and the follow up explanation doesn't help, but I won't pile on). 

OK. I would make it clearer to you.
For example, a man (in America) who only knows a Deep Purple hit song "Smoke on the Water" is a casual music listener, he knows that song because it is played on the radio very often. Unlike that guy, some other guy who is aware of the existence of Deep Purple song called Flight of the Rat is definitely a real music fan because he has listened the album In Rock at home (a few times at least) and he knows that song is from that album. Same with Thin Lizzy. Casual listener only knows their hit song "Boys are Back in Town", a real music fan knows "Opium Trail".
Do you get it now?

[Adami]

So it's not so much "real music fan", as much as how deep you are into a specific band.

For instance, i can tell you A LOT about Pain of Salvation, Dream Theater, Metallica, etc. But I only know the big hits from say....Pink Floyd.

So your language of "casual music listener" would only apply (in this case) to Pink Floyd, not in general. I think that's the issue people were having. You made it sound like it was over all, and not specific to that artist or band.

So I would just change it to "casual fan of X band" vs "big fan of X band". As Indiscipline pointed out, we are all casual fans of most things, and huge fans of some other things. It's normal.