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

[Stadler]

Deep Purple:  they only have four albums with the Classic Mark II lineup (and three more with IIa after the reunion in 1984). 

[The Walrus]

Getting back to the topic at hand, you know, Eagles.... I don't know much about them so I did some wiki'ing. Was amazed that other than their late 2000 album, they had 6 releases. That's it. That's an impressive legacy. Any other rock bands generally considered upper-echelon if not legendary have that few albums?

According to a large number of Metallica fans, they only have 3-4 albums.

Well, they only have 3 good ones max, so 

[Adami]

Getting back to the topic at hand, you know, Eagles.... I don't know much about them so I did some wiki'ing. Was amazed that other than their late 2000 album, they had 6 releases. That's it. That's an impressive legacy. Any other rock bands generally considered upper-echelon if not legendary have that few albums?

According to a large number of Metallica fans, they only have 3-4 albums.

Well, they only have 3 good ones max, so 

I disagree, and don't call me Max.

[KevShmev]

I like the Eagles, but don't love them.  I love a few of their songs, but most fall into the pretty good/okay category for me nowadays.  I listened to Hotel California a while back and was surprised at how boring I found the album following the title track.  The solo success of Don Henley and Joe Walsh's various other projects definitely give them an adrenaline shot as far as keeping their live shows sold out.

[Stadler]

I like the Eagles, but don't love them.  I love a few of their songs, but most fall into the pretty good/okay category for me nowadays.  I listened to Hotel California a while back and was surprised at how boring I found the album following the title track.  The solo success of Don Henley and Joe Walsh's various other projects definitely give them an adrenaline shot as far as keeping their live shows sold out.

I know when I saw them, if they played 28 songs, and 12 of them were solo songs (Henley, Frey and Walsh).

[DragonAttack]

Eagles 'Greatest Hits' is the perfect disc for before/during/after a night out on the town, as well as for the start of a long road trip by car. 

As to sales in the UK, here is their Top Twenty all time selling albums('x' means 'times platinum')

Queen-Greatest Hits   20×  (6.1M)
ABBA-Greatest Hits   17×
The Beatles-Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band   17×
Adele   -21   17×
Oasis-(What's the Story) Morning Glory?   14×
Michael Jackson-Thriller   13×
Pink Floyd-The Dark Side of the Moon   14×
Dire Straits-Brothers in Arms   14×
Michael Jackson-Bad   13×
Queen-Greatest Hits II   13×
Fleetwood Mac-Rumours   11×
Madonna-The Immaculate Collection   12×
Amy Winehouse-Back to Black   13×
Adele-25   11×
Simply Red-Stars   12×
Shania Twain-Come On Over   11×
Bob Marley and the Wailers-Legend   11×
James Blunt-Back to Bedlam   11×
The Verve-Urban Hymns   11×
Ed Sheeran-x   11×

[Cool Chris]

As to sales in the UK, here is their Top Twenty all time selling albums('x' means 'times platinum')
....

Amy Winehouse-Back to Black   13×
Simply Red-Stars   12×
Shania Twain-Come On Over   11×
Bob Marley and the Wailers-Legend   11×
James Blunt-Back to Bedlam   11×
The Verve-Urban Hymns   11×
Ed Sheeran-x   11×

Good lord.

[Indiscipline]

Explaining The Eagles' commercial record chalking it up to casual listeners being the vast majority stops working as soon as you go down that list and find Led Zeppelin IV, The Black Album, The Dark Side of the Moon, etc.

Searching for other plausible explanations:

Quality hits, great hooks, three top notch singers in the same band.
The best band vocal harmonies since The Beatles
Conciling white America's favourite genres, country and rock'n'roll
Telling "don't even try to understand, take it easy" to an audience suffering from social turmoils/Vietnam fatigue
Writing, basically, the American answer to Stairway to Heaven
Disappearing while at the top, leaving fifteen years of nostalgia/discovery buys driven by Frey's and Henley's hits.

Interesting question: in your perfect world, what album should be the last century's best seller instead?

[KevShmev]

I know when I saw them, if they played 28 songs, and 12 of them were solo songs (Henley, Frey and Walsh).

What solo songs by Frey did they play?  Of his "hits," Smuggler's Blues is the only one I can imagine working. You Belong to the City, on the other hand...

Interesting question: in your perfect world, what album should be the last century's best seller instead?

[TAC]

Eagles 'Greatest Hits' is the perfect disc for before/during/after a night out on the town, as well as for the start of a long road trip by car. 

As to sales in the UK, here is their Top Twenty all time selling albums('x' means 'times platinum')

Queen-Greatest Hits   20×  (6.1M)
ABBA-Greatest Hits   17×
The Beatles-Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band   17×
Adele   -21   17×
Oasis-(What's the Story) Morning Glory?   14×
Michael Jackson-Thriller   13×
Pink Floyd-The Dark Side of the Moon   14×
Dire Straits-Brothers in Arms   14×
Michael Jackson-Bad   13×
Queen-Greatest Hits II   13×
Fleetwood Mac-Rumours   11×
Madonna-The Immaculate Collection   12×
Amy Winehouse-Back to Black   13×
Adele-25   11×
Simply Red-Stars   12×
Shania Twain-Come On Over   11×
Bob Marley and the Wailers-Legend   11×
James Blunt-Back to Bedlam   11×
The Verve-Urban Hymns   11×
Ed Sheeran-x   11×

In my lifetime, I personally have purchased just one of these albums.

[King Postwhore]

3 for me.

I owned all the Queen albums so no need to by the GH.

[TAC]

I owned the GH so no need for the Queen albums.

[King Postwhore]

 

I bet the 1st one in 81.

[KevShmev]

I figured ABBA was the one you owned.

[King Postwhore]

I figured ABBA was the one you owned.

8-Track.  Lol

[KevShmev]

That was meant for TAC, but you snuck in a reply before I could hit "send."

[King Postwhore]

Oh no.  I meant TAC owned the 8-track.   Lol

[TAC]

Wow, you guys are getting in each others' way for busting my chops. 


I'm touched! 

[King Postwhore]

 

I'd climb over mountains to bust your chops Tim.

[TAC]

 

[Stadler]

I know when I saw them, if they played 28 songs, and 12 of them were solo songs (Henley, Frey and Walsh).

What solo songs by Frey did they play?  Of his "hits," Smuggler's Blues is the only one I can imagine working. You Belong to the City, on the other hand...

Henley:
- Heart Of The Matter
- Boys Of Summer
- Dirty Laundry
- All She Wants To Do Is Dance

Walsh:
- Ordinary Average Guy
- Help Me Through The Night
- Funk #49
- Life's Been Good
- Rocky Mountain Way

Frey:
- Silent Spring (I didn't know that song when I heard it)
- You Belong To The City
- The Heat Is On

I don't know; I fully cop to being biased, and perhaps more closed minded than I'd like to be (I went because I had tickets I couldn't sell; this wasn't a "bucket list" show for me) but while I came out thinking Joe Walsh was FAR better than I ever imagined him to be, Glenn Frey just seemed so...  light weight compared to the rest.    I get it; he was the catalyst for the band and a prime driver behind the scenes but that doesn't make you a compelling songwriter.   

[pg1067]

Eagles 'Greatest Hits' is the perfect disc . . . for the start of a long road trip by car. 

It wouldn't be very long since I'd likely fall asleep and drive off the road.

Eagles 'Greatest Hits' is the perfect disc for before/during/after a night out on the town, as well as for the start of a long road trip by car. 

As to sales in the UK, here is their Top Twenty all time selling albums('x' means 'times platinum')

Queen-Greatest Hits   20×  (6.1M)
ABBA-Greatest Hits   17×
The Beatles-Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band   17×
Adele   -21   17×
Oasis-(What's the Story) Morning Glory?   14×
Michael Jackson-Thriller   13×
Pink Floyd-The Dark Side of the Moon   14×
Dire Straits-Brothers in Arms   14×
Michael Jackson-Bad   13×
Queen-Greatest Hits II   13×
Fleetwood Mac-Rumours   11×
Madonna-The Immaculate Collection   12×
Amy Winehouse-Back to Black   13×
Adele-25   11×
Simply Red-Stars   12×
Shania Twain-Come On Over   11×
Bob Marley and the Wailers-Legend   11×
James Blunt-Back to Bedlam   11×
The Verve-Urban Hymns   11×
Ed Sheeran-x   11×

In my lifetime, I personally have purchased just one of these albums.

Two of them for me:  two copies of Sgt. Pepper and one of the Queen Greatest Hits packages.

[Stadler]

I have a lot of them:   Queen; Sgt. Pepper; Oasis; Michael Jackson (both of them); Pink Floyd; Dire Straits; Fleetwood Mac; Madonna...

But honestly?  That list puts paid to the myth that "no one is buying music  these days..."    Ed Sheeran? Adele?

(And by the way, I learned a new thing today:  The Verve and The Verve Pipe are not the same thing, and the Verve Pipe are not the ones sued by the Stones). 

[jammindude]

I have only paid money for Sgt Pepper and Dark Side.   

Through other means, I have inherited Rumors, Bad and Thriller.

[bosk1]

Getting back to the topic at hand, you know, Eagles.... I don't know much about them so I did some wiki'ing. Was amazed that other than their late 2000 album, they had 6 releases. That's it. That's an impressive legacy. Any other rock bands generally considered upper-echelon if not legendary have that few albums?

If you just class the Ozzy era albums as Black Sabbath, their legacy is largely built on only a few albums, all of which are around 40+ years old.  That's not to dismiss the albums made with Dio, which are great, but when most people think of legendary Black Sabbath, they think Paranoid, War Pigs, Sweet Leaf, Black Sabbath, Snow Blind, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath etc.

Guns N' Roses would be another one of course.

I don't think I would include Sabbath on that list.  The "classic" era with Ozzy did span quite a few albums.  And while I get that the Dio era paled in comparison (in terms of popularity and number of hits, not necessarily quality), it was still a pretty major resurgence. 

But GNR is a great example.  Depending on who you ask and how you look at it, the number of "albums" can vary significantly.  But really, as far as popularity, you are only looking at 3 album cycles, tops:  Appetite, the Lies? EP, and the Use Your Illusion double album cycle (I'm not really counting The Spaghetti Incident because, despite going platinum, I wouldn't really consider it a "success," and I don't think the band would either).  Their popularity and album sales numbers are really an anomaly when you consider their discography.

[RoeDent]

Queen's Greatest Hits...gotta say, that is a killer tracklist!

[KevShmev]

I don't know; I fully cop to being biased, and perhaps more closed minded than I'd like to be (I went because I had tickets I couldn't sell; this wasn't a "bucket list" show for me) but while I came out thinking Joe Walsh was FAR better than I ever imagined him to be, Glenn Frey just seemed so...  light weight compared to the rest.    I get it; he was the catalyst for the band and a prime driver behind the scenes but that doesn't make you a compelling songwriter.

Agreed.  Take away the Eagles and just look at what all three did outside of that band and it is no comparison.  Henley and Walsh are so far ahead that Frey is lucky to be a dot in the rearview mirror. 

[Peter Mc]

Getting back to the topic at hand, you know, Eagles.... I don't know much about them so I did some wiki'ing. Was amazed that other than their late 2000 album, they had 6 releases. That's it. That's an impressive legacy. Any other rock bands generally considered upper-echelon if not legendary have that few albums?

If you just class the Ozzy era albums as Black Sabbath, their legacy is largely built on only a few albums, all of which are around 40+ years old.  That's not to dismiss the albums made with Dio, which are great, but when most people think of legendary Black Sabbath, they think Paranoid, War Pigs, Sweet Leaf, Black Sabbath, Snow Blind, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath etc.

Guns N' Roses would be another one of course.

I don't think I would include Sabbath on that list.  The "classic" era with Ozzy did span quite a few albums.  And while I get that the Dio era paled in comparison (in terms of popularity and number of hits, not necessarily quality), it was still a pretty major resurgence. 

But GNR is a great example.  Depending on who you ask and how you look at it, the number of "albums" can vary significantly.  But really, as far as popularity, you are only looking at 3 album cycles, tops:  Appetite, the Lies? EP, and the Use Your Illusion double album cycle (I'm not really counting The Spaghetti Incident because, despite going platinum, I wouldn't really consider it a "success," and I don't think the band would either).  Their popularity and album sales numbers are really an anomaly when you consider their discography.

I do see your point about Sabbath and I do like the Dio era but it’s generally ignored when people talk about the greatness of Sabbath. They are good solid rock records but will never go down in history as anything earth shattering. They were touring until recently and I would guess they were still basing the whole set off those first 5 albums. Strange to think how a band that most consider one of the greatest metal bands of all time released all their revered stuff in a 4 year period and have not released anything noteworthy since 1973 (45 years ago!)

[Stadler]

Getting back to the topic at hand, you know, Eagles.... I don't know much about them so I did some wiki'ing. Was amazed that other than their late 2000 album, they had 6 releases. That's it. That's an impressive legacy. Any other rock bands generally considered upper-echelon if not legendary have that few albums?

If you just class the Ozzy era albums as Black Sabbath, their legacy is largely built on only a few albums, all of which are around 40+ years old.  That's not to dismiss the albums made with Dio, which are great, but when most people think of legendary Black Sabbath, they think Paranoid, War Pigs, Sweet Leaf, Black Sabbath, Snow Blind, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath etc.

Guns N' Roses would be another one of course.

I don't think I would include Sabbath on that list.  The "classic" era with Ozzy did span quite a few albums.  And while I get that the Dio era paled in comparison (in terms of popularity and number of hits, not necessarily quality), it was still a pretty major resurgence. 

But GNR is a great example.  Depending on who you ask and how you look at it, the number of "albums" can vary significantly.  But really, as far as popularity, you are only looking at 3 album cycles, tops:  Appetite, the Lies? EP, and the Use Your Illusion double album cycle (I'm not really counting The Spaghetti Incident because, despite going platinum, I wouldn't really consider it a "success," and I don't think the band would either).  Their popularity and album sales numbers are really an anomaly when you consider their discography.

I do see your point about Sabbath and I do like the Dio era but it’s generally ignored when people talk about the greatness of Sabbath. They are good solid rock records but will never go down in history as anything earth shattering. They were touring until recently and I would guess they were still basing the whole set off those first 5 albums. Strange to think how a band that most consider one of the greatest metal bands of all time released all their revered stuff in a 4 year period and have not released anything noteworthy since 1973 (45 years ago!)

Well, we can quibble about the individual albums after SBS (I think Sabotage is "noteworthy"), but Heaven and Hell is clearly "noteworthy". 

[TAC]

Sabotage is awesome!


Anyway, I'm actually going to contribute to this thread.

Henley's The Boys Of Summer always resonates with me. It's one of those songs that literally picks me up and drops me into 1984.

[Anguyen92]

Henley's The Boys Of Summer always resonates with me. It's one of those songs that literally picks me up and drops me into 1984.

Wow, when I heard The Ataris version of it and see the music video of it, it takes me back the early 2000s in that era where bands like Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox 20, Creed, and Fuel were the craze back then and I only know of Boys of Summer since last year.

[Peter Mc]

Getting back to the topic at hand, you know, Eagles.... I don't know much about them so I did some wiki'ing. Was amazed that other than their late 2000 album, they had 6 releases. That's it. That's an impressive legacy. Any other rock bands generally considered upper-echelon if not legendary have that few albums?

If you just class the Ozzy era albums as Black Sabbath, their legacy is largely built on only a few albums, all of which are around 40+ years old.  That's not to dismiss the albums made with Dio, which are great, but when most people think of legendary Black Sabbath, they think Paranoid, War Pigs, Sweet Leaf, Black Sabbath, Snow Blind, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath etc.

Guns N' Roses would be another one of course.

I don't think I would include Sabbath on that list.  The "classic" era with Ozzy did span quite a few albums.  And while I get that the Dio era paled in comparison (in terms of popularity and number of hits, not necessarily quality), it was still a pretty major resurgence. 

But GNR is a great example.  Depending on who you ask and how you look at it, the number of "albums" can vary significantly.  But really, as far as popularity, you are only looking at 3 album cycles, tops:  Appetite, the Lies? EP, and the Use Your Illusion double album cycle (I'm not really counting The Spaghetti Incident because, despite going platinum, I wouldn't really consider it a "success," and I don't think the band would either).  Their popularity and album sales numbers are really an anomaly when you consider their discography.

I do see your point about Sabbath and I do like the Dio era but it’s generally ignored when people talk about the greatness of Sabbath. They are good solid rock records but will never go down in history as anything earth shattering. They were touring until recently and I would guess they were still basing the whole set off those first 5 albums. Strange to think how a band that most consider one of the greatest metal bands of all time released all their revered stuff in a 4 year period and have not released anything noteworthy since 1973 (45 years ago!)

Well, we can quibble about the individual albums after SBS (I think Sabotage is "noteworthy"), but Heaven and Hell is clearly "noteworthy".

You may well consider Sabotage to be noteworthy and Im sure many enjoy it but the wider music world and the band themselves do not. There’s more of an argument for Heaven and Hell but, in the grand scheme of things, the Dio era albums weren’t really game changers. They are very good hard rock albums in an era of lots of good hard rock albums. Like I said, I like those albums a lot but they are not what most consider to be Black Sabbath and are not the reason the band is so revered by the music world, it is mainly due to those five albums between 1970 and 1973.

[Fritzinger]

Henley's The Boys Of Summer always resonates with me. It's one of those songs that literally picks me up and drops me into 1984.

I have to agree (although I have never lived in 1984)! Another song that does that is I.G.Y. (What A Beautiful World) by Donald Fagen, only it does so with 1981.


I don't really understand all the hate for the Eagles. They are a fantastic band. They have evolved and changed until the lineup became perfect with Hotel California. I also don't understand how one can find the album following the song Hotel California boring.
Joe Walsh and Don Felder are both amazing guitarists that perfectly fit together because they are so different. Just listen to how awesomely those two are fighting a guitar battle in the end of Hotel California.


So in the end, I have to agree with kingshmegland:

You're all high.

[Stadler]

Getting back to the topic at hand, you know, Eagles.... I don't know much about them so I did some wiki'ing. Was amazed that other than their late 2000 album, they had 6 releases. That's it. That's an impressive legacy. Any other rock bands generally considered upper-echelon if not legendary have that few albums?

If you just class the Ozzy era albums as Black Sabbath, their legacy is largely built on only a few albums, all of which are around 40+ years old.  That's not to dismiss the albums made with Dio, which are great, but when most people think of legendary Black Sabbath, they think Paranoid, War Pigs, Sweet Leaf, Black Sabbath, Snow Blind, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath etc.

Guns N' Roses would be another one of course.

I don't think I would include Sabbath on that list.  The "classic" era with Ozzy did span quite a few albums.  And while I get that the Dio era paled in comparison (in terms of popularity and number of hits, not necessarily quality), it was still a pretty major resurgence. 

But GNR is a great example.  Depending on who you ask and how you look at it, the number of "albums" can vary significantly.  But really, as far as popularity, you are only looking at 3 album cycles, tops:  Appetite, the Lies? EP, and the Use Your Illusion double album cycle (I'm not really counting The Spaghetti Incident because, despite going platinum, I wouldn't really consider it a "success," and I don't think the band would either).  Their popularity and album sales numbers are really an anomaly when you consider their discography.

I do see your point about Sabbath and I do like the Dio era but it’s generally ignored when people talk about the greatness of Sabbath. They are good solid rock records but will never go down in history as anything earth shattering. They were touring until recently and I would guess they were still basing the whole set off those first 5 albums. Strange to think how a band that most consider one of the greatest metal bands of all time released all their revered stuff in a 4 year period and have not released anything noteworthy since 1973 (45 years ago!)

Well, we can quibble about the individual albums after SBS (I think Sabotage is "noteworthy"), but Heaven and Hell is clearly "noteworthy".

You may well consider Sabotage to be noteworthy and Im sure many enjoy it but the wider music world and the band themselves do not. There’s more of an argument for Heaven and Hell but, in the grand scheme of things, the Dio era albums weren’t really game changers. They are very good hard rock albums in an era of lots of good hard rock albums. Like I said, I like those albums a lot but they are not what most consider to be Black Sabbath and are not the reason the band is so revered by the music world, it is mainly due to those five albums between 1970 and 1973.

I think the band rates it higher than you imagine; "Symptom of the Universe" regularly made it into both Ozzy and Sabbath setlists, after the split, and "Megalomania" (at least the riff) regularly appeared in latter day Sabbath sets.    Plus, HAH and Neon Knights are 8th and 9th on "Most played songs" by Sabbath.   I'm pretty sure HaH has been on every non-Ozzy tour since it's release.

I don't disagree with the general premise of your last sentence though.

[Orbert]

Henley's The Boys Of Summer always resonates with me. It's one of those songs that literally picks me up and drops me into 1984.

"Out on the road today, I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac"

In 1984, I was working in a 24-hour campus restaurant and at age 22 was already an old fogey compared to the "kids" working there, and was apparently already building my cred as a music trivia guru.  Someone asked me about that line.  They didn't understand it.

Think about it.  Rock and Roll as we know it (70's and beyond) was only 10 years old.  It wouldn't be called "Classic Rock" for another 10 years.  There was no "Generation X" or "Millenials" or any of that.  There were also no Lexus or Infinity or any of those other fancy-tag cars.

So the very concept of a guy who listened to The Dead back in the day, or perhaps still does, but now he drives a Cadillac, was mindblowing.  Wow, an old-school rocker letting his freak flag fly in his own way.  How cool.  Gotta include that in a song or something.

That's what I always think of when I hear that song.