NOVEMBER 9, 1999 – RIAA declared “Eagles Their Greatest Hits – 1971-1975” as the best-selling albums of the century

NOVEMBER 9, 1999 – The Recording Industry Association of America declared “Eagles Their Greatest Hits – 1971-1975” as the best-selling albums of the century. The RIAA had issued the band its first Diamond Award for sales of over 10 million units on March 16, 1999, having just overtaken Michael Jackson’s Thriller.
The RIAA announced the century’s big winners, sales-wise: The Beatles sold the most overall albums (106 million). Garth Brooks and Barbra Streisand were the most successful male and female solo artists, but Elvis Presley led the pack on gold and platinum certifications with 77 (singles) and 80 (albums), while Elton John’s “Candle In The Wind ’97” (rewritten as a tribute to the recently-deceased Princess Diana) was the best-selling single of the century.