Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)

Infobox Album |
Name = Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)
Type = Compilation album
Artist = the Eagles


Released = February 17, 1976
Recorded = 1971-1975
Genre = Various styles of Rock
Length = 43:08
Label = Asylum
Producer = Glyn Johns
Bill Szymczyk
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:4e851vdjzzza~T1 link]
Last album = "One of These Nights"
(1975)
This album = "Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)"
(1976)
Next album = "Hotel California"
(1976)

"Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975)" is the fifth album by the American rock band the Eagles, a compilation released on Asylum Records in 1976. It is the best selling record in the history of the United States and the fourth best worldwide behind Michael Jackson's "Thriller", AC/DC's "Back in Black", and Whitney Houston's ".

History

While not including any material from what is generally considered the Eagles' best album, "Hotel California" (which wasn't released until December of 1976), it serves as a summary of the band's work in its original line-up with Bernie Leadon. "Their Greatest Hits" collects nine singles, all of which also appeared on their first four albums, and one album track not released as a single, "Desperado," a key song in the band's repertoire in presenting their early image echoing the outlaws from the old American west. Of the singles, all but "Tequila Sunrise" made the Top 40, with five in the top ten and "One of These Nights" and "Best of My Love" both topping the singles chart. Such chart success in the span of a little over four years made the band a formidable presence on American commercial radio in the 1970s, the album becoming a number one hit on the album chart upon release. The band's subsequent ubiquity on classic rock radio over the ensuing decades has undoubtedly been a factor in the album's spectacular sales. Beyond the quality of the performances and catchiness of the tunes, however, specific reasons for this artifact dating from the short reign in popular music of California country rock during the early 1970s attaining the historical position as the all-time number one selling album in America, and the third best-selling album worldwide, have yet to be fully explored.

Track listing

#"Take It Easy" (Browne, Frey) – 3:32
#"Witchy Woman" (Henley, Leadon) – 4:11
#"Lyin' Eyes" (Henley, Frey) – 6:22
#"Already Gone" (Tempchin, R. Strandlund) – 4:13
#"Desperado" (Henley, Frey) – 3:33
#"One of These Nights" (Henley, Frey) – 4:51
#"Tequila Sunrise" (Henley, Frey) – 2:52
#"Take It to the Limit" (Meisner, Henley, Frey) – 4:48
#"Peaceful Easy Feeling" (Tempchin) – 4:18
#"Best of My Love" (Henley, Frey, Souther) – 4:35

Personnel

*Don Felder - lead guitar, vocals (tracks 3, 4, 6, 8, 10)
*Glenn Frey - lead guitar, piano, lead vocals
*Don Henley - drums, lead vocals
*Bernie Leadon - banjo, lead guitar, pedal steel, mandolin, vocals
*Randy Meisner - bass guitar, guitar, lead vocals

Production

*Producers: Glyn Johns, Bill Szymczyk
*Engineers: Allan Blazek, Michael Braunstein, Glyn Johns, Ed Mashal, Bill Szymczyk, Michael Verdick, Don Wood
*Assistant engineers: Allan Blazek, Howard Kilgour
*Remastering: Ted Jensen
*String arrangements: Jim Ed Norman

Charts

ingles

On February 24th 1976, the album achieved the distinction of being the first to receive the RIAA Platinum award, in recognition of one million shipments in the United States. And on November 10th 1999, became the best-selling album in the United States when it was certified 26.00× Multi Platinum - an honour it holds to this day. It was recently certified at 29.00× Multi Platinum on January 30th 2006. [http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS]

References

ee also

*List of best-selling albums in the United States