It’s quite a wow moment just revealed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). They have confirmed that there is now a quadruple-platinum diamond album based on US sales and streaming. It’s the Eagles' album, Their Greatest Hits, and its 40 million sales rank it as the top-selling album in the US.
A very impressive figure and status indeed. I guess it needs to be quantified a little bit further these days, when not so many physical copies are sold. The RIAA has had to factor streaming into its numbers. One album sale is now added to the total for every 1500 streams via YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music. That’s a lot of streaming.
But who else is up there in the top ten best-selling albums ever, based on those RIAA figures? I’m thinking you are probably already racking up several likely contenders. Be careful, though; there are some surprises on that list.
The 10 best-selling albums of all time in the United States
Bear in mind also that the drop in physical sales and that hefty ratio of streaming needed to rack up a single sale equivalent. It may well make it more difficult for more recent albums. Let’s dive in and take a look at the top ten.
10 - Hootie And The Blowfish - Cracked Rear View
Maybe this is the biggest surprise in the list. I reckon many will have guessed at plenty of other albums before this 1994 release. It stands its ground at 21 Platinum awards, one ahead of Fleetwood Mac and Rumours, in case you were expecting that further up on the list.
9 - Pink Floyd - The Wall
No surprise to see Pink Floyd riding high. But perhaps you’d have expected The Dark Side of the Moon or Wish You Were Here to be on the list. Well, here’s another spoiler: they aren’t. Not in US rankings anyway. Instead, it’s this other huge classic from 1979 coming in at 23 times Platinum.
8 - Garth Brooks - Double Live
Yeah, country music makes a claim. For those who still reckon Garth Brooks is a country artist rather than a rock artist. He may have moved from the true centre of country music, but this live album rocketed him up the charts. Brooks also stands at 23 times Platinum status.
7 - Billy Joel - Greatest Hits Vol I and II
It was great to see Billy Joel back on stage recently after his illness. This is another album standing at 23 times platinum. It crams in two volumes of his best songs and is a brilliant reminder of just how many great tunes and hits Joel has had.
6 - The Beatles - The Beatles (The White Album)
Would it be a best selling albums list without The Beatles? Probably not, but again, maybe there is a surprise element to which of their albums makes the cut. So many great records and, of course, a lot of subsequent compilation packages. But it’s the White Album that’s up there, joining the list with their 24-times platinum album.
5 - Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV
Another band that has to feature. But again, some might wonder which album. Led Zeppelin IV ranks in many people’s minds as their best. So it’s probably the logical one to appear here. It’s another classic album, ranked at 24 times platinum.
4 - AC/DC - Back In Black
Top four for the still touring Aussie band, although with some lineup changes over the years. Back In Black stormed the charts when released back in 1980; it was their first album after the death of singer Bon Scott. This album claims the number four slot in the best-selling US albums, with 27 times platinum.
3 - Eagles - Hotel California
So we know the number one already. The Eagles hold that slot, but in another slight spoiler, they are the only artists with two albums in this top ten. Hotel California is perhaps the go-to studio album for many Eagles lovers. Platinum status of 28 leaves it slightly behind Their Greatest Hits, but it’s still a huge achievement.
2 - Michael Jackson - Thriller
Perhaps a likely contender if many people’s guess lists, if the fact that he gets limited playing time these days hasn’t pushed him to the back of our minds a bit. His music was hot, his videos and shows amazing, and this album tipped the scales for him big time. Second place at 34 times platinum.
1- Eagles - Their Greatest Hits
As the RIAA confirmed, this is the number one seller in their US Platinum albums list. It is a great album and covers their history and music well. Sometimes it feels a bit of a cheat when it’s a compilation like this, though.
I can’t help thinking in music terms, a pure album should be too, but obviously, greatest hits collections are going to sell. And sell big like this one did. They are also perhaps better suited to streaming playlists these days, too.