The Buffering Stream 11/17: Don't Worry Be Happy Edition

Comments (9)

I think that NME link is discussing the best-selling album in British history. According to the RIAA (USA! USA!) the best-selling album in history is Eagles - Greatest Hits 1971 - 1975. (http://www.riaa.com/gp/bestsellers/topalbums.asp)

(Oasis isn't on the RIAA list, although I expect Robbie Williams to charge up the charts any day now....)

Posted by mike s | November 17, 2006 9:56 AM

Yeah, I think you're right. I was annoyed that the article didn;t clarify. But I do recall that Dark Side of the Moon was right up there, and it came up in the discussion aboiut Time's top 100.

Interesting side note: I worked on a story years ago about how the RIAA does this. If I recall correctly, they actually count double albums TWICE, bizarrely enough. So DSOTM was the best-selling single disk album ever, and the Eagles were bestselling double album of all time...

At least that's how I remember it. Maybe I dreamed it all.

Posted by Hans | November 17, 2006 10:37 AM

Oh, and I also wanted to say that part of me was assuming it was worldwide, because of the numbers... Britain being too small a country to absorb five million copies of Dire Straits. Then again, over time that number isn't that big. Mike's RIAA link didn;t work for me, but I also seem to recall that Eagles has sold something on the order of ~TWENTY MILLION~ copies

Posted by Hans | November 17, 2006 10:40 AM

OK, now I got that link to work. Boy, Pink Floyd have fallen way off in the ten years since I last checked!

The dumbest record on the all-time RIAA list? Fleetwood Mac "Rumours." Never understood the appeal of that lame album. Most decadent album from rock's most decadent time.

Someone please explain it to me. Ali?

Posted by Hans | November 17, 2006 10:44 AM

I've heard that too, Hans. It looks like the RIAA distinguishes albums from "multi-disc sets." With a multi-disc release (like that Eagles comp) "[e]ach unit within set counts as one unit toward certification."

(http://www.riaa.com/gp/certification/criteria.asp)

None of this, of course, explains or justifies the fact that Americans bought 16 million copies of that Hootie record....

Posted by mike s | November 17, 2006 10:47 AM

Hans, I don't know if I am offended or flattered that you call me out by name to defend your least favorite record. Am I so obviously a child of that era that you just KNEW I'd rise to their defense, or are you saying you usually so violently disagree with my taste that you just ASSUME I'd like that rank recording?

Dude, I'm not even going to bother defending Rumors when Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Kenny G, Hammer and Celine Dion are on that list. Puh-leeze.

Posted by Ali Lozoff | November 17, 2006 4:23 PM

And I was being facetious when I called it rank. How can not get a little nostalgic and melancholic when you hear "Rhiannon"? You are a hard hearted man, Hansy, a hard hearted man.....

Posted by ali lozoff | November 17, 2006 4:27 PM

"Rumours" still stands up today because of Lindsey Buckingham's contributions and because it's an all-around solid pop record. Does this necessarily justify 31 weeks at #1? Lord knows, but it still earns points in my book because it's an album I can consistently listen to in its entirety and still enjoy (I was a big Fleetwood Mac fan during my senior year of high school and freshman year of college, believe it or not). I'll go on record saying that "You Make Loving Fun" is one of the most impeccably-produced singles in rock history. You should listen to "Tusk", Hans -- it's even more coked-out, bonkers, and brilliant.

Posted by Mac Wilson | November 21, 2006 2:50 AM

Mac: Oddly enough, I actually like Tusk, the song. Minimalism! That was about the time I was deep into Trio's "Da Da Da." No coincidence.

Agreed that Rumours is pure pop. Which I'm afraid I've never had much of a stomach for. In fact, I prefer Top-40 country to Top-40 pop, but that's another somewhat incendiary story...

Posted by Hans | November 21, 2006 8:04 AM