On This Day in 1976: Eagles’ “Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975 Hits” Becomes First RIAA Platinum Album
Photo by Distributed by Asylum Records, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Breaking Records in U.S. Music History
Fifty years after its release, February 17, 1976, Their Greatest Hits 1971–1975 by the Eagles has reached a historic milestone once again. The album has officially become the first in history to receive quadruple diamond certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), marking 40 million units sold in the United States.
This achievement makes the collection the biggest-selling album in RIAA history in terms of U.S. sales and streams. Originally released in February 1976, the set spent five weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and has logged an extraordinary 514 weeks on the all-genre albums chart.
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A Look at the Track List
The compilation draws from the Eagles’ first four studio albums. It includes hits such as “Take It Easy,” “Desperado,” “Take It to the Limit,” and the band’s first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1, “Best of My Love.” At 40 million units, it is the first album to cross that threshold under the RIAA’s certification system. For context, one equivalent album unit equals one physical album sale, 10 track downloads, or 1,500 on-demand streams.
With this success, the Eagles now hold two of the three biggest albums in RIAA history. Their 1976 studio album Hotel California was recently upgraded to 28-times platinum, placing it third overall. Michael Jackson’s Thriller sits between the two projects at 34-times platinum.
Reflections from the Band
In a recent interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Don Henley reflected on the band’s long-lasting appeal. “Our first record came out in ’72. Fifty-three years of playing for people,” Henley said. “So it’s been a miraculous run.”
Henley also joked that the title Greatest Hits was never entirely accurate. “‘Greatest hits’ is kind of a misnomer; it should just be called their best songs, because every song on that album was not a great hit,” he said. “‘Desperado,’ for example, was never released as a single.”
Music as Medicine
The album’s enduring popularity helps explain why the Eagles continue to attract large crowds at their Las Vegas Sphere residency. Henley, Joe Walsh, and Timothy B. Schmit perform alongside Vince Gill and Glenn Frey’s son, Deacon Frey.
“We say that music is medicine,” Henley said. “And people need some medicine right now.”
Nearly fifty years after its release, millions of listeners continue to connect with the Eagles’ music, proving the songs’ lasting power and appeal.
