Quest To Be Best The Eagles Hope To Soar Over ‘Thriller,’ While Garth Brooks Looks To Overtake The Beatles
The Eagles are poised to fly over Michael Jackson for best-selling album of all time, while Garth Brooks is closing in on the Beatles to become the bestselling act in modern music history, according to the latest figures from the Recording Industry Association of America.
The Beatles, with 70 million albums sold, remain the best-selling artists. But Brooks just passed Elvis Presley, and with 52 million copies already sold and a career in full bloom, he’s within eventual striking distance of the Fab Four.
Brooks has had only eight releases in six years, achieving his feat faster and with fewer releases than other sales champs like Billy Joel (58 million), the Eagles (56 million) and Presley (48.5 million). Since Brooks has any number of albums left in him and each sells in the 6-million-plus range, the possibility of him moving 20 million more in his career is more than feasible.
Meanwhile, the Eagles are active again and could also be a contender for the Beatles’ throne. Their “Greatest Hits 1971-1975” is in the fast lane to become the biggest-selling album of all time, according to the RIAA. The 1977 album is now at 22 million copies and selling strong, dangerously close to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” the all-time leader at 24 million copies.
The Eagles have two albums in the top seven-selling records of all time list. Besides the greatest hits album, “Hotel California” is tied with Whitney Houston’s “The Bodyguard” soundtrack at 14 million. The self-titled “Boston” LP is tied with Bruce Springsteen in fourth place with 15 million copies and Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” is third with 17 million.
“As one of the most successful bands of the 1970s, the talent of the Eagles spans decades,” said RIAA president Hilary Rosen. “Only a select few have achieved such universal appeal.” The group’s new “Hell Freezes Over” disc passed the 5 million mark last month.
The figures come as the RIAA reports record sales levels for the first half of 1995. Platinum albums are up 48 percent from 1994 - 105 this year compared with 71 last year. Multi-platinum certifications have more than doubled, from 76 last year to 168 this year. The big platinum increases make up for the fact that gold albums are down slightly, from 154 last year to 141 this year.
Pearl Jam’s “Ten” hit the 9 million mark in June, the best-selling debut of the decade, while Boyz II Men passed the 8 million mark with their sophomore effort “II.”
U2’s “The Joshua Tree” sold its 6 millionth album, making it the group’s best seller. Sheryl Crow’s Grammy-winning “Tuesday Night Music Club” sold 5 million.
Motley Crue had two LPs go quadruple-platinum, a feat matched by Metallica, which had two other albums rated at 2 and 3 million. Other acts in the 3 million club during June were AC/DC, Frank Sinatra and U2, while double-platinum prizes went to the Clash, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Anderson and Brandy.